It was when her little head slumped on his chest and soft snores started sounding that he realized that she had fallen asleep. It had taken a little more than half an hour to coax her into dreamland, especially after she had consumed so much sugar beforehand. Maybe the second piece of chocolate cake had been too much. After noticing her obvious energy, Sungyeol had no choice but to read her the most boring book he could find. It was only after a full half hour of long sentences, big words and no pictures, that she had finally drifted off.

He glanced over to the small digital clock on her bedside, the soft red glow alerting him that it was already 11:47. He let out a soft sigh as he her hair. “It’s way past your bedtime,” he whispered to her gently. Carefully, he cradled her small body in his arms and lifted her off his chest. Laying her down, he pulled up her quilt - pink, their favorite color - and kissed her forehead. “Sleep tight, princess.”

Reaching over, he turned off her lamp, a dim darkness enveloping the room. Sungyeol made sure to plug in the small night light by her bed, just in case she woke up in the middle of the night. He shuffled out of her bedroom quietly, closing the door with a gentle click. As he walked out of the hallway, the sounds of his guests’ whispers floated over to his ears. The two of them were sitting on his sofa, tucked into each other’s embrace. They shared kisses in between sips of champagne and Sungyeol didn’t have the heart to interrupt them in their own little world.

Instead he simply stood there, not uttering a sound, watching as Dongwoo held out a piece of cake between his fingers. Hoya was smiling at him, almost as if he was unsure of whether or not to trust Dongwoo, but he opened his mouth dutifully in the end to eat the offered cake. The way they treated each other was almost as sweet as the dessert they were sharing, and looking at them made something inside of Sungyeol ache.

He took a step to the side, planning to head to the kitchen to give them a couple more moments of privacy, when the floorboards creaked slightly under his weight. They turned their heads to look at him almost in unison, just another small way of the two of them being in sync.

“Sungyeollie,” Dongwoo called softly, smiling at him. “Did Jiseonnie finally fall asleep?”

Almost feeling that he had just been caught, Sungyeol heaved a light smile. “Yeah. It took some time, but she’s sleeping now.” He chuckled lightly. “She had way too much sugar.”

Dongwoo laughed. “She was nearly bouncing off the walls after her first piece of cake, let alone the second. I’m surprised she fell asleep so quickly.”

Sungyeol made his way further into the room, sitting down in the recliner next to the pair. “Well, in her defense, I was reading The Grouchy Ladybug in a very monotonous tone of voice.”

Hoya scrunched his eyebrows. “The Grouchy Ladybug? That doesn’t exactly sound like much fun.”

Dongwoo turned to Hoya with a knowing smile. “Exactly. Over the years we have learned that sometimes the only way to get Jiseonnie to do what we please, especially post sugar rush, is to trick her into it.”

Hoya made a small noise of comprehension. “Ah, I see. She is a smart little thing, isn’t she?”

“She is my daughter,” Sungyeol added, and he could tell by the looks on their faces that they were just barely holding back their laughter. He wisely chose to change the subject. “Sorry for leaving you guys out here for so long, but you didn’t seem to mind too much.”

“Nonsense.” Dongwoo was already reaching for the previously untouched champagne flute, filling it up generously to the brim. “Now that Jiseonnie is safely tucked in, you can start partying with the adults.”

“I’m not sure if I would call this a party.” Hoya carefully took the glass from Dongwoo to pass it over to Sungyeol. “But it’s the thought that counts, right?”

“Right.” Sungyeol took a small sip, the bubbles feeling foreign on his tongue. “Gosh, I didn’t realize how long it’s been since I’ve tasted champagne.”

Dongwoo nodded his head as he sipped from his own glass. “It’s understandable. Things have been busier at Sarang’s with the holiday season, but that’s just more reason to celebrate!”

“More business means more money,” Hoya softly chimed in.

“And more money is always a good thing. I might have overdone it with Jiseon’s Christmas presents this year - and you guys did too by the way - but I can’t stop myself from spoiling her. The holidays can be tough and I know I can’t always give her what she wants during the rest of the year-”

Dongwoo reached out to grab his hand. “Sungyeollie, she is happy. You are doing a great job with her, don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“And for the record, we don’t mind spoiling her. It’s not like we have any kids of our own.” Hoya reminded him gently. “Plus, our money is better spent on her than an overpriced video game.”

Dongwoo playfully smacked Hoya’s chest, almost making the latter spill his drink. “I’ll have you know that everyone at the station plays Call of Duty. Except for me, since a certain someone thinks that video games are excessively violent and a waste of time.”

Sungyeol laughed, directing his attention to Hoya. “Was that a quote?”

Hoya nodded solemnly. “Unfortunately Dongwoo has a thing for remembering details. The last time he had an XBOX was back in college. I could barely hold his attention long enough for a conversation, let alone convince him to leave his apartment to go on a date with me.”

Dongwoo grinned, “Guilty as charged. Although you didn’t seem to complain much when you were in med school.”

Hoya did his best to defend himself. “That’s because you are very distracting and I needed something to distract you so I could study.”

“So the conclusion is that video games are only allowed when they benefit Hoya.” Dongwoo shook his head, filling up his glass with a wistful sigh.

Sungyeol couldn’t stop himself from laughing, and the both of them looked at him with curious eyes. “Nothing, it’s just- is this seriously what you guys fight about? It’s cute, watching you two bicker.”

Dongwoo and Hoya shot each other questioning looks, as if they didn’t realize they were actually fighting. “Is that considered a fight?” Dongwoo asked. Hoya shrugged in response.

Sungyeol smiled softly, an almost sad element in his face. He trained his eyes on his champagne glass, swirling the liquid around a tiny bit to distract him a little. He felt a tad guilty, breaking their warm banter like that. He almost felt out of place. They were all friends, of course, but the dynamics weren’t the same. Sungyeol knew Dongwoo loved him a lot. Being the best of friends since they were teens, it would have been strange if they didn’t care deeply for one another. But Sungyeol knew he wasn’t loved the way Dongwoo loved Hoya.

Not that he necessarily wanted Dongwoo to love him that way; they were strictly friends and neither of them had ever considered each other romantically. What he wanted was that bond, that closeness that was so apparent whenever the two of them were around each other - the way Hoya’s eyes would naturally follow Dongwoo in a room, the way Dongwoo would instinctively lean into Hoya’s warmth whenever he was near. Sungyeol watched as Dongwoo refilled his glass for him, setting the bottle back on the table before settling back on the couch. Without even looking their hands found each other, their fingers lacing together after only seconds of being apart.

“Sungyeollie?” Dongwoo’s voice shook him out of his reverie.

“Yes?” He took another sip, trying to calm his mind. Now wasn’t the time for such heavy thoughts.

Dongwoo gave him a meaningful look. “Are you alright?”

He forced the smile onto his face. “Yeah, of course. I just zoned out for a moment. I guess the champagne is hitting me a little quicker than normal. Must be all the carbonation.” That wasn’t anywhere near the truth, he had just barely started drinking and even if his tolerance was lower these days, there was no way he could feel the effects this fast.

He could tell that Dongwoo didn’t really believe him, the elder had always been able to read him and sometimes he could swear that Dongwoo knew what he was thinking before he himself did. But before he could be properly interrogated a small noise chimed throughout the room.

Dongwoo turned his attention to Hoya, who gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, it’s not the hospital.” He pulled the phone out of his pocket, silencing the beep with a simple swipe of his finger. “But it is 11:57, so we should probably turn on the-”

“Oh, I don’t want to miss the ball drop!” Dongwoo was already reaching for the remote, turning on the television and flipping through the channels until they saw the telltale signs of revelry on the screen. “Does everyone have enough in their glass for a toast?”

Sungyeol looked to Hoya, who waved his hands in polite refusal. “I drove us here so-”

“Hoya, you haven’t touched a drop all night! Just a tiny bit for the toast, and that’s all. I promise. I’m an officer of the law, you know I wouldn’t let you get behind the wheel if I thought it wasn’t safe.” Dongwoo was already pouring a tiny amount Hoya’s formerly empty wine glass.

“Because your sense of judgement is obviously not impaired,” Hoya responded dryly, but he took the hint, setting down his glass of cider in favor of the champagne.

Dongwoo held his hand out to the center, encouraging the two of them to follow suit. “To 2014, the year of the horse! Let this year be the one where some of us fall deeper in love, and others actually allow themselves to find it.”

He could feel Dongwoo’s gaze on him, knowing exactly which part of the sentence was directed towards him. This wasn’t the first time the three of them had sat in a circle like this together, and it wasn’t going to be the last time his best friend uttered those same words. In fact, the only thing that seemed to change was the year and the animal. He looked at the two of them, holding out their glasses as they held hands, and he felt a pang of loneliness deep inside of himself.

Sungyeol locked eyes with Dongwoo, holding his gaze as crowds on the TV were chanting the countdown. He looked back down to his glass, staring at it as the count was coming closer to an end. “Cheers to that,” he whispered to himself, inaudible to the others’ ears. Maybe if he spoke it out loud, this year would actually be different.

There was a certain electricity in the air as the countdown got down to its final numbers, almost a tangible elation against everyone’s skin as the year came to an end and a new one began. Within moments their year had come to a close and a fresh one had begun again.

“Happy New Year!” Dongwoo exclaimed in excitement, clinking their glasses together as the muffled sound of fireworks erupted outside their apartment and on the television screen.

The three of them tipped back their glasses and the champagne was gone in seconds. They all set their glasses down after, the smiles clearly present on their faces. With a giggle and a broad grin, Dongwoo pulled Hoya towards him for a kiss. “Come here, you,” he chuckled. Hoya laughed in return as they pressed their lips together.

Sungyeol stared at them wistfully for a brief second, feeling a deep yearn for that kind of affection, before he looked away. He felt slightly on edge watching them kiss, even if it was just a simple press of lips it always gave off the feeling of being intimate, as if he was seeing a private moment that was only meant to be shared by the two of them.

He knew that he had a nice life; Jiseon was his reason for waking up in the morning and just a simple smile on her pretty face was enough for him to know that his life had a purpose. Dongwoo and Hoya were the most loyal friends he could ask for, not only there for him when he needed it, but always quick to offer a hand with Jiseon whenever it was necessary. He had a nice business to his a name, a job he didn’t mind returning to everyday. On the surface, his life seemed pretty good, and yet he was so lonely. There was that something missing, that neither Jiseon, Dongwoo nor Hoya could fill. Each year he tried to ignore it, did his best to make himself believe that he didn’t need anything more than he already had. But as he stared at his two friends in front of him, ringing in the new year next to the person they loved, he longed for more.

They were too nice to him and he knew they would have stayed the whole night if he didn’t force them out. But they deserved to have some time to celebrate together, without having to worry about taking care of him. He made a show of stretching, a loud yawn escaping his lips. “You know, I think I’m going to head to bed guys. Since the cafe is closed tomorrow I wanted to do a deep clean, and I promised Jiseon I’d make her chocolate chip pancakes before I have to drop her off at her grandma’s for the weekend.”

“We don’t mind being here Sungyeol. It’s New Years, we could talk for awhile, I’m sure that Dongwoo wouldn’t mind having a couple more drinks with you,” Hoya teased, which earned him another smack to the chest.

The accused narrowed his eyes at his target. “It’s a holiday and I don’t have work in the morning so I make no apologies for indulging.”

“As much fun as that would be, I don’t think Jiseon would appreciate it if her Daddy burned her pancakes because he was hungover.” He forced himself to stand up and the couple took his hint, raising from the couch to gather their things. As they got their stuff together, Sungyeol slid into the kitchen, grabbing the tupperware container off the counter before heading back to the living room. Dongwoo was buttoning up Hoya’s jacket for him near the front door.

“Sungyeollie are you sure you don’t want us to stay?” Dongwoo called out as Sungyeol walked over to join them. “We could hang out a little longer if you want us to. I wouldn’t want you to be alone.”

Sungyeol waived off his concern. “Go have fun someplace where you don’t have to worry about waking up the sleeping five year old.” He held out the container to Dongwoo whose face lit up after seeing the contents.

“Oh, I thought we had ate the last piece earlier!”

Sungyeol grinned at him, shaking his head. “I know how bad you are when it comes to self control and sweets, so I stashed a piece of the cake away earlier. Try not to let him eat it on the way home Hoya.”

Hoya had a doubtful look at his face as he helped Dongwoo into his jacket. “I’ll do my best, but I make no promises since I’ll be occupied with driving. Thanks for inviting us over.”

Dongwoo handed the container over to Hoya for a moment to wrap his scarf around his neck. “Of course he invited us over. He is my best friend. Now come here, so I can give you your New Years kiss, and then we’ll be out of your way.”

Sungyeol wanted to roll his eyes at Dongwoo’s demands, but many years ago Dongwoo decided that he absolutely had to have a New Years kiss no matter what, and had carried the burden solo ever since. He leaned down slightly to accommodate Dongwoo’s shorter frame, and he felt the light kiss on his cheek. “Now it’s officially a new year! Have a good night!”

He hugged his friend goodbye before doing the same to Hoya, following them out to the patio. The chill was heavy in the air as he wrapped his arms around himself, but he wanted to make sure they were safely inside their car before going back in. Dongwoo was hanging out the window to wave goodbye to him, and he laughed as he watched them pull out of the parking lot to make their way down the street.

He quickly retreated back to the warmth of his apartment, the temperature affecting him quicker than he thought it would. He decided to make a nice cup of hot chocolate, to warm himself up a bit before bed. After a few minutes with a steaming cup in hand, he padded his way down the hallway, opening Jiseon’s door lightly to poke his head in. His princess was still sleeping soundly, and he closed the door quietly with a smile on his face.

He finally entered his bedroom, opening up his blinds so he could watch the light show outside of his window clearly. He sat down on his bed, pulling a blanket over his shoulders as he sipped on his drink. He watched the night sky transform with all the vibrants bursts of color as the sparklers exploded. Even in the city with the harsh lighting, he couldn’t deny how beautiful it was. One day he wanted to go out to the country, find a pretty field where there were no streetlights or lamp posts to disturb the darkness of the night, so he could watch fireworks properly. He thought it could be romantic, being alone with someone who cared about him, watching the stars light up the sky. And as the deep booming of fireworks echoed around him, he held himself tightly and hoped that this year would be the year he would let himself find love.

Streams of lights whizzed by Dongwoo’s window as he hummed along to a tune on the radio that seemed familiar. The warm chords and slow rhythm was soothing to Dongwoo’s ears, along with the smooth bass that blended into the hum of the engine. There was also a slight buzz, but that was either from the radio static or from all the alcohol Dongwoo had consumed. The soft music relaxed him, and he stared out his window and up at the sky. The fireworks had stopped exploding long ago, and all that was left in the sky was long tendrils of gray clouds.

With a small sigh, he looked to the tupperware in his hands. “I feel a bit bad for Yeol,” he said lightly.

Hoya glanced at him only for a brief moment before focusing back on the road in front of him. “Why?” he asked.

“He just seems a little more lonely nowadays.” He touched the container, circling his fingertips over the plastic lid. “Maybe it’s because Jiseon getting older, but they don’t spend every second with each other anymore.”

Hoya chuckled lightly. “Babe, she’s five.”

Dongwoo smiled. “She’s smart though. She’s got that independent spirit in her, and as much as she loves doing things with Sungyeol, she goes to school now. They spend a little more time apart.”

“It’s the holidays,” Hoya reminded him. “Sungyeol and Jiseon are spending every second of every day together. I doubt that’s the reason he’s lonelier nowadays.”

He looked over to Hoya. “I hope he can find someone this year. I really want him to.”

“Sungyeol is only twenty four. He’s got plenty of time before he needs to settle down.”

Dongwoo furrowed his eyebrows slightly, his lips forming a pout. “That’s no excuse! When you were twenty four you were two years into med school and we were already engaged.”

A small smile graced Hoya’s lips. “Honey, you have to remember that not everyone is like us. Sungyeol, especially, is not like us.”

Dongwoo sunk back in his seat a little bit. “Yeah... I know his situation has been different and he hasn’t exactly been able to date the way he wants.”

“But part of that is his decision Dongwoo. It doesn’t matter how many pretty boys you not so subtly try to bring to Sarang’s. You know Sungyeol is stubborn; he isn’t going to start dating until he’s ready.”

Dongwoo chewed at his bottom lip. “Trust me, I know that better than anyone. I know Yeol better than anyone. But sometimes I think that the only way he’ll even entertain the idea is if someone is strong and persistent enough to give him a little push.”

“I don’t want to disappoint you babe, but you’ve been ‘pushing’ Sungyeol for the past five years, and he has yet to budge. Love isn’t exactly something you can force. I think if he’s patient, and I know he has been patient-” Hoya took the words out of Dongwoo’s mouth before he could interrupt “-he will find someone perfect for him.”

“And for Jiseon,” Dongwoo added, twirling the container in his hands.

Hoya nodded in agreement. “And for Jiseon. I’m sure that he would never date anyone who he thought couldn’t be an amazing father to her.” They stopped at a red light and Hoya took the chance to look over to his husband. With a broad smile he reached over to take one of Dongwoo’s hands into his. “Don’t worry about Sungyeol. I’m sure he’ll find somebody this year.”

“I hope so. After everything he has been through, I just want him to have that happy ending so badly.”

The light turned green and they continued their journey home. “Sometimes I think that you’re more anxious for Sungyeol to date than he is.”

Dongwoo made a noise of impatience. “That’s because I am! I can’t wait for him to meet the right guy and fall in love and get married and-”

Hoya chuckled to himself, “Slow down babe. Maybe you should put a hold on the wedding planning for a little while… focus all that energy somewhere else.”

“I’m trying, it’s just that now I’ve finished decorating the house and - outside of the case at work - I don’t really have anything to obsess over anymore.”

Hoya ran his thumb over the back of Dongwoo’s hand. “Speaking of the house, we’ll be there in just a couple more minutes. You really did a great job finding the location.”

“Well, I spend so much time running all over town on my cases I’ve learned which neighborhoods are best, and this area in particular has low crime rates. So when this house went on the market and it was close to the hospital along with Sungyeol’s apartment, I knew it was the one for us.” Dongwoo finished brightly.

Hoya smiled at his clear enthusiasm. After being married for about a year, they had finally made the big decision to buy their first home, and Dongwoo was clearly more than ready to move in. “It really is perfect babe. I can’t wait to see what the inside looks like, since you’ve been so secretive about it these past couple months.”

“It was my little project, and you told me that you were fine with me picking out everything on my own,” Dongwoo reminded him.

“I was being honest. Trust me, I didn’t lose any sleep over the fact that I didn’t get to help you pick out drapery and kitchenware. You remember what my apartment used to look like when we first started dating.”

Dongwoo laughed. “Don’t remind me. Purple sheets, purple lamps, purple curtains - you even had purple forks. What kind of adult owns purple forks?”

“Apparently the kind that you fall in love with. And don’t forget about my favorite purple recliner,” Hoya chimed in.

“I’m doing my best to erase that image from my memory, thank you very much. I still remember the argument we had when you wanted to bring that thing with you to our first apartment.” Dongwoo shuddered at the thought.

It was Hoya’s turn to pout now. “Hey, I loved that chair. It was really comfortable and it had a lot of good memories.”

“Really? Like what?”

“I was sitting in that chair the first time you texted me. I remember it clearly, which is surprising considering I had just finished a 12 hour shift in the ER, but I do know for sure that I was in my favorite chair when I read your text.”

Dongwoo blushed a little bit. “No matter how adorable that is, I’m still glad we decided to get rid of it.”

“Actually it was more like you decided to get rid of it. There was more of an ultimatum…”

“Either you lose the chair or we don’t move in together,” Dongwoo recalled, laughing at his own silliness.

“It was a low blow. You always know how to get what you want out of me,” Hoya complained, but he knew he had made the right choice regardless.

Dongwoo gave him a playful smile. “Well I promise you that in the new house there will be tons of furniture for us to make much more exciting memories on.”

“We could have been ‘making memories’ for a long time now if you weren’t so cheesy.”

Dongwoo giggled, squeezing Hoya’s hand tighter on his thigh. “You know I am a hopeless romantic. I couldn’t pass up the chance to stay in our first house together for the first time on the first day of the new year.”

Hoya rolled his eyes. “Two months, Dongwoo! Our house was ready to live in two months ago. You finished furnishing and decorating our place a month after that.” He playfully sent him an accusative look. “And yet, you haven’t let me look at it once.”

“Well, we’re going to get there in two minutes,” Dongwoo teased, “and then you can look at it all you want.”

Hoya smiled at him warmly, the back of his hand with his thumb as they settled into a comfortable silence. Despite living together for a couple of years now, they had both agreed it would be more meaningful to move into a house once they were officially wed. They stayed on top of their student loans and were lucky - and prudent enough - to be able to afford a house fairly quickly after Hoya’s graduation from medical school. Their purchase left a lasting impact on the both of them, a symbolic representation of their status as a real married couple. It was such a important moment for Dongwoo, and he didn’t want to live in their home until an equally important day. Dongwoo had decorated it for weeks until he saw it as perfect. And even then, he still wouldn’t let Hoya step a single toe in until today - New Year’s Day. So when their new house came into view he could barely contain himself.

He started squeezing Hoya’s hand in pure exhilaration. “There it is!” he whispered energetically.

Hoya grinned widely, his teeth glittering in the moonlight. “I can see it, babe,” he responded, his voice airy with a sense of restlessness. He was just as anxious to see their new home as Dongwoo, he just was a little better at hiding it.

They pulled up into the driveway, Dongwoo barely staying in his seat. As soon as Hoya turned the key to shut the engine off, Dongwoo nearly hopped out from the car, grinning up at their home. “Look at it Hoya!” he breathed excitedly.

Hoya stepped out, looking up at his new haven in awe. He could feel a certain warmth that reminded him of Dongwoo radiating off of the house. “This is amazing,” he said softly. He turned his head to meet Dongwoo’s eyes. “I’m sure the interior will be just as amazing if not more.”

Dongwoo giggled softly as he walked around the car to join hands with his husband. “I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but you’re right - the interior is pretty amazing.”

Hoya bit his grin with his teeth, gripping Dongwoo’s hand tightly as they walked up the cement path to their front door. “I’m so excited I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing it feels.” He stared at their front door for a moment, trying to calm his hammering heart. “Are you ready to go in?”

Dongwoo’s eyes sparkled. “Not quite yet,” he said playfully. Hoya quirked an eyebrow, staring at him inquisitively. Without another word, Dongwoo wrapped his arms around Hoya’s neck and jumped upwards. Hoya caught him out of instinct, laughing as Dongwoo nestled into his arms. Dongwoo laughed as he swung his legs and Hoya tightened his grip on them to keep him still.

“You don’t want me to drop you, right?” he teased.

Dongwoo leaned up and pecked his cheek affectionately. “You couldn’t drop me even if you tried.”

Hoya chuckled, knowing all too well that Dongwoo spoke the truth. Instead of arguing that he probably could drop Dongwoo if he wanted to, he carried him towards the door. He paused in front of it, looking down at Dongwoo. “Is the key in your pocket or mine?”

Dongwoo looked up at him expectantly. “You have it, right? Didn’t I give it to you?”

“You did? When?”

“I attached our house key to your keychain with all your other keys.”

“Well, then that’s in my pocket.” He looked down to his pants. He shifted Dongwoo slightly, trying to somehow reach his pocket with the hand holding Dongwoo’s legs. “I can’t reach them without setting you back on the ground,” he said.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll get them for you,” Dongwoo said, smiling brightly. He reached in between their bodies, squeezing his hand past his torso and Hoya’s stomach. He reached into his left pocket, searching around for the keychain.

“Wrong pocket, babe,” Hoya said, shifting Dongwoo’s body a bit so he could access the other side a little easier.

“Oh, oops.” Dongwoo retracted his hand and stuck it into his other pocket, successfully pulling out the little ring of keys. It jingled slightly as he searched through the keys. He picked one and put it through the keyhole, only to find that it wasn’t the correct fit.

“Try a different one,” Hoya suggested. Dongwoo obeyed and tried other keys on the ring, only to find that none of them worked.

“That’s funny,” Dongwoo said, pouting. “I’m sure I put it on your key ring when we were at Sungyeol’s apartment. Oh! What if we left it there!” he exclaimed, looking up to Hoya in shock.

“Should we call him and ask him if he saw it?” he asked. Dongwoo nodded. “My phone is in my back pocket,” he said.

“I can get it,” Dongwoo said again. Hoya shifted him again so that Dongwoo could reach around him and to his back pocket. Dongwoo grunted as he stretched his body to reach to Hoya’s backside, feeling around for the pocket opening.

“Other pocket,” Hoya said again as Dongwoo’s fingers found one of the openings. He couldn’t resist getting a light squeeze in before moving onto his final destination. Dongwoo leaned farther and Hoya shifted him again to accommodate for the awkward position. Finally, Dongwoo pulled his phone from his pocket in triumph.

“Okay!” he said happily. “Now we just need to call Sungyeollie.”

“Oh wait,” Hoya said. “I don’t think I have his number anymore though.”

“How could you not have his number?! Why did we get your phone out then?”

“Well, I had his number before you got tipsy and accidentally deleted it!”

Dongwoo flushed slightly. “Did I do that?”

“Yeah, after you set the alarm on my phone so we wouldn’t miss the countdown you were trying to put Sungyeol on my speed dial, but then he brought the cake out and you got distracted.”

“Oh.” Dongwoo blushed a bit brighter. “Then I guess I’ll just call him from my phone.” He reached into his own pocket, squirming a bit to dig a bit deeper. He suddenly froze, his face twisting into one of pleasant shock. “Oh!” he said happily. He fished his hand out of his pocket, holding a key. “The key was in my pocket.”

Hoya’s mouth fell open in shock. “You mean it was in your pocket this whole time?!”

Dongwoo nodded. “I think I meant to put it on your key ring after I finished putting Sungyeol on speed dial. But then… the cake came out.”

Hoya shook his head and laughed, kissing Dongwoo’s forehead. “Okay, now unlock the door.”

Dongwoo pushed in the key with a smile, ears perking up as he heard the lock click open. He turned the doorknob and Hoya pushed the door open with his shoulder. Once inside the dark house, Dongwoo flipped a nearby switch and illuminated the interior with a bright glow. Hoya froze in his spot before breaking into a giant grin. “Dongwoo,” he said breathlessly. “This place is amazing.”

The house was well furnished, all of the furniture being well-placed and tasteful. The color scheme set off a relaxing atmosphere. Small things like lamps or throw pillows were shades of purple, and while it wasn’t exactly a purple recliner, it made Hoya happy nonetheless.

“Isn’t it lovely?” Dongwoo agreed excitedly. “I wanted to ask you to help out with some color swatches, but I was keeping it a secret from you, so Sungyeol helped out with a lot of the colors.” Dongwoo bit his lip, staring up at Hoya with sparkling eyes. “Do you like it?”

“Like it? Dongwoo, I absolutely adore it!” He leaned his head down to give Dongwoo a loving kiss. “I can’t believe you managed to do all of this in your spare time, especially with how busy you’ve been at the station. It really feels like a home Dongwoo,” he said in amazement.

“If you think this is great, wait till you see the rest of the house,” Dongwoo said, tightening his grip around Hoya’s neck. “I can’t wait to show you our bedroom.” 

Dongwoo was exhausted, but completely content. He didn’t even know what time it was, but he was quite sure that he didn’t care. He could hear Hoya’s heartbeat, a rhythmic sound that was lulling him into a deeper state of tranquility as he laid on his husband’s bare chest. He felt Hoya’s fingers trail up his neck to play with his hair.

“Well I guess you did keep your promise,” Hoya murmured, resting back on the pillows as he regained his breath.

“And how’s that?” Dongwoo didn’t really have the presence of mind for riddles, still too caught up in the aftermath of their coupling.

“You promised me exciting memories, and I must say…” Hoya moved his hand back down the curve of his spine to settle on his waist. “You are very exciting.”

“You are so cheeky,” Dongwoo giggled as he pulled his body closer to his husband to take advantage of his warmth; the sheets had been tossed off the bed long ago.

“I love you.” Dongwoo lifted his head at the sudden confession, and he found Hoya staring down at him. “I love you Dongwoo,” Hoya repeated, his other hand caressing the softness of his bottom lip. “I’m so glad to be here with you.”

Dongwoo looked away, trying to hide his smile and the blush on his cheeks, but Hoya was too fast for him. He was already pulling Dongwoo up, settling him higher on his chest so their faces could be closer to one another. He nudged Dongwoo’s cheek with his nose, encouraging him to face him again. “You’re so beautiful… especially like this.”

“When I’m slightly sweaty and my hair is a mess and I can’t stop blushing?” Dongwoo said sarcastically, but Hoya stopped his rambling with a sweet kiss.

“Exactly. You look this way because of me, and I think that’s beautiful,” Hoya explained with a warm smile, and Dongwoo absolutely melted.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I feel so happy that we found each other. I mean, if someone had told you three years ago that in 2014 you would be married, moving into your first home with your husband, would you even believe them?”

Hoya laughed, caressing Dongwoo’s cheek. “Probably not. But then I met you, and everything changed.”

Dongwoo nodded, his smile taking over his entire face. “Everything changed.” It sounded so simple but it was true; the two of them just clicked, they worked together and neither of them could ever imagine to going back to a life where they didn’t know one another. Dongwoo leaned down, capturing Hoya in a slow kiss. “I love you too Hoya.”

Hoya hummed in agreement, his hands reaching into the messy blonde hair to keep Dongwoo in place. Dongwoo opened his mouth on instinct when he felt Hoya’s tongue at his lips, and the kiss started to grow more intense. Hoya pulled his hips closer, softly rolling them over so Dongwoo was underneath him.

He moved away from Dongwoo’s mouth, trailing soft kisses down the side of his neck. “You know I don’t have work in the morning,” Dongwoo reminded him, already reaching around Hoya’s back to pull their chests together. “We literally have all night to celebrate moving in.”

Hoya grinned into his neck, already getting situated between the blonde’s legs. “It is New Years. It’s supposed to be a day of celebration.”

Dongwoo nodded, his hand reaching out to pull Hoya away from his neck and back into a kiss. He could feel that tension starting to grow between them, that overwhelming need that couldn’t be denied for much longer. The kiss was becoming more frantic and Dongwoo was starting to roll his hips when a loud beeping noise floated through the room.

The sudden alarm made them break the lip lock, and Hoya grumbled out a curse in frustration. “Damn it.”

“What?” Dongwoo whispered out, already more than breathless and his brain not really in the right place.

“It’s my pager,” Hoya groaned, trying to retract himself from Dongwoo, who has very reluctant to let him go.

“What? No. Not now. Howon,” Dongwoo complained, using Hoya's full name to show his seriousness as he locked his legs around Hoya’s waist tighter.

“You know I have to check it,” Hoya told him regrettably, reaching back to unwind Dongwoo’s legs. He shuffled to the end of the bed, his eyes searching the darkness for his jeans. The loud beeping went off again, but it sounded further away. “I can’t find my pants.”

“I don’t think I took them off of you in here,” Dongwoo chimed in, trying to wrack his brain for where exactly in the house he had started undressing his husband. “Maybe the kitchen? Actually no, I think I got rid of them in the living room when you were testing out your new chair.” Retracing their steps from earlier was doing nothing to calm Dongwoo down, in fact it was having the opposite effect. He could tell by the loud sigh of annoyance that Hoya felt the same.

“Maybe an intern just has a question or something?” Hoya put the thought out hopefully, but it sounded unconvincing even to his own ears. He dashed out the bedroom, walking to the right-

“Living room is to the left babe,” Dongwoo called out helpfully and Hoya responded back with a thanks. He wasn’t nearly as familiar with the house as Dongwoo was, but thankfully it wasn’t too big and it didn’t take much time to find what he was looking for. His jeans were laying innocently on the loveseat, the loud beeping sounding angrier than ever in the stillness of the empty room.

“Alright, alright,” he said to no one in particular, reading the text on his pager with a heavy heart. He knew Dongwoo wasn’t going to be happy about this. He walked back to the bedroom and his husband immediately picked up on what was going to happen next based simply on his expression.

“Hoya no. Tonight is supposed to be romantic and you’re supposed to make love to me in our new home in our new bed in the new year until the sun comes up!” He whined, rolling over to his side to watch Hoya scramble around the room.

Hoya came closer, dropping an apologetic kiss on Dongwoo’s lips. “You know I would love nothing more than to stay in bed with you, but they need me at the hospital.” He went to look for his clothes when he realized he had no idea where they were.

“Your scrubs are hanging in the closet, on the far right. Your boxers are in the dresser, top drawer.” Hoya wasn’t even surprised that Dongwoo knew what he needed without him having to ask for it.

“Thanks babe.” He grabbed the first pair of boxers he touched and some navy blue scrubs from the closet. The ER had called him in, so he didn’t bother with a fancier pair of scrubs.

Dongwoo groaned. “Being married to a doctor is so much more frustrating then they make it seem like on TV! Curse you Grey’s Anatomy for giving me false preconceptions.”

“Hey, don’t be like that babe.” Hoya sat down on the bed to pull on his shoes and socks. “You know it won’t be like this forever, and we agreed that the extra money from call work would be a huge help with the house payment. Just a couple months of this and then we’ll have it paid off in full. That’s what you wanted babe.”

Dongwoo glanced over at the clock at the nightstand, before collapsing back onto the bed. “I know that, but it’s three o’clock in the morning and what I’ve got going on below the waist feels like an emergency.” Having to stop so suddenly when things were clearly heading in a more pleasurable direction was leaving Dongwoo frustrated in more ways than one.

Hoya didn’t allow himself to look, knowing firsthand the kind of suffering Dongwoo was going through, since he was enduring it as well. “I’ll make it up to you and I’ll come right back home as soon as they don’t need me anymore.”

“No, you don’t have to do that.” Hoya raised a brow at him and Dongwoo let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sure the ER will be busy in the regular hours of the morning too. Even if we are close to the hospital, it might be more helpful if you just stay there the rest of the night. That way you can sleep in an one of the on call rooms and you’ll be close if they need you again.”

“You’re amazing.” Hoya told him, leaning down to give a quick kiss. “I promise that the next time I see you, I’ll be at your beck and call.”

“Yeah, well be careful what you wish for, because tomorrow night the only person you’ll be playing doctor with is me.”

Hoya grinned at him wolfishly. “You know that you’re my favorite patient.”

Dongwoo waved him off. “Yeah, yeah. Go save some lives already.” Hoya pulled the sheets off the ground, covering up Dongwoo’s bare body and tucking him in tight.

“Get some rest. Enjoy your day off tomorrow and I’ll call you when I can.”

“I will. I love you.” He arched up for one last kiss, before letting his husband walk out the door. He sighed, relaxing into the bed that now felt a little chilly at Hoya’s absence. He grabbed Hoya’s pillow, wrapping it up in his arms as he laid on his side. It smelled like him and it was still a bit warm from Hoya’s body heat. It was a poor substitute, but it would have to do. 

A/N: And so it finally begins! We hope you guys had fun reading the first chapter, cause we had alot of fun writing it!
To everyone who has been waiting for this to start, thanks for being patient!
Comment and let us know what you think!

♥rayquin×