Do Kyungsoo sat silently, perched on the small balcony railing of his seventh floor apartment, looking up. Dim stars could be seen and the new moon was slightly illuminating one part of the otherwise pitch black canvas that was the sky. He wore a soft, grey shirt and black shorts of jean material. His clipped brown hair was down and his dull brown eyes were moving curiously from one star to another. He did this every night. His family worried for him and his psychologist told him it would be best to just try and forget. But Kyungsoo just couldn’t.
    “There has to be one tonight,” the short male mumbled under his breath, his hands resting lazily on his legs. “It’s the perfect night for one. . .” As Kyungsoo spoke his right hand moved to touch his left ring finger, gently caressing the golden ring with a single diamond engraved into it, along with the words ‘Forever and Always’ in a beautiful cursive font.
    It was about nine o’clock at night and the street below was empty except for one or two cars, which went by every ten minutes or so. Buildings around the one he lived in were lit at the windows of families who were still awake. Some windows were open and others were closed and the lights were off, most likely the homes of people who had plans the next day. 
    It was a fresh aired summer night and there was a warm breeze that Kyungsoo enjoyed feeling brush against his soft exposed skin.  His hair flowed gently as a gust of wind would whip past him every so often. He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, taking in the scent of budded flowers on the windowsills and balconies of his neighbors. As clouds rolled in, they blanketed Kyungsoo’s vision of the moon and some of the stars above his head. He took in another deep breath. One. Two. Three. He exhaled with a soft sigh and dreamed of the past.

❁

    “Why do you think they’re called shooting stars?” Jongin asked as he laid in the grass, holding his lover’s waist with one hand and his other arm was bent up to pillow the back of his head with the palm of his other hand. “It’s weird, don’t you think?”
    “No,” Kyungsoo replied as he watched the sky, “I think it’s pretty clever.” Kyungsoo was laying on his side to face his boyfriend slightly, using his arms to cling to Jongin’s waist. “And they’re called shooting stars because of the way they shoot across the sky.”
    “Who is the one shooting them?” Jongin questioned the small male in his arms, turning his head a bit to admire Kyungsoo’s natural beauty that Jongin felt lucky to call his own. “Is it god?”
    “I don’t know,” Kyungsoo answered and looked from the shinning sky to his curious boyfriend. Jongin smiled at Kyungsoo before pecking his lips then sitting up.
    “What do you do when they don’t fall?” Jongin quizzed before reaching into his pocket to pull something from it. Kyungsoo pouted as Jongin sat up, thinking they were about to leave. The older male got up as well, soon moving to stand and stretch his arms above his head.
    As Kyungsoo stretched, Jongin got down on one knee and looked up at his boyfriend who was now gazing at the stars again. The blonde male smiled at the sight of his innocent lover and opened the small, dark blue, velvet box to reveal a shiny golden ring with a diamond and cursive writing engraved into it.
    “Look down,” Jongin called to an unexpecting Kyungsoo.

❁

    Kyungsoo hadn’t always been alone. Not even two years ago, he was happy and in a house with a husband to call his own. Small dogs would run through their fenced in yard and he would wave to his lover as the younger male left for work. But now his happiness was gone and he’d given up all hope on finding it again. He tried so hard the first time to get his happiness and he felt that any more effort might make him break more than he already has.
    Tears slipped softly down Kyungsoo’s slightly chubby cheeks that his lover always called ‘squishy.’ Even if Kyungsoo found it annoying, he missed it. He always cried when memories flowed into his mind on nights like this. But he couldn’t help it; he just wanted to feel like he did back then. Kyungsoo didn’t bother to wipe his wet cheeks because he knew more tears would just replace the ones he swiped away. He hurt and no one was there to talk to or hold him anymore. No one to tell him that everything will be ok and tomorrow is always better. So he just faced the facts, and cried.

❁

    About two hours passed before Kyungsoo finally decided to go back inside. He had work the next day and he needed his rest. He’d been going to bed late lately and he knew he needed more sleep. Kyungsoo worked at a small bar, not too far from his apartment as a singer. Two other guys sang there as well. They were friends of his but they weren’t close, just people he talked to at work. 
    Kyungsoo’s job was all he had to live for anymore. Singing was his life. Even if he only got to sing at nights in a small, unpopular bar, he still enjoyed it. All his life he was always complimented on his voice. But, Kyungsoo couldn’t care less about his voice. Just as long as he could sing along to music, he was happy. Music was his first love and he never got tired of it. It kept him on his feet and thinking straight. Well. . . Most of the time. . .
    After the slightly short male stepped inside, bare feet on the smooth wood floor, he shut the sliding glass door with white trim and moved to the tiny kitchen in the right corner of the big room. His feet were then on cool tiled flooring. 
    A soft tune started to play in his head and the vocal chords in the back of his throat began to vibrate as he hummed, liking how the low song filled the lonely apartment. Kyungsoo opened the fridge and took a small sip from a half empty glass of milk before placing it back on the glass shelf and closing the door again. 
    He glanced around at his small apartment and let out a gentle sigh. All he had in the entire apartment was a brown sofa, a lamp, some nightstands, a coffee table, a bed, a dresser, a few pictures, and a flat screen TV. After standing in the kitchen for a moment, leaning on the counter and finishing the song he was humming, he walked to his bedroom and looked at a few of the old framed photos that were hanging on his wall. A deep sigh left his lungs, expanding his flat chest until he breathed out and walked over to his window.
    Kyungsoo pulled the small white string and watched as the blinds of the window fell, listening to the shuttering each blind made as it hit another. He closed them and glanced at the floor to see the moonlight was barely visible. The light of the moon getting brighter and darker as the clouds passed by. When he finished adjusting the blinds, Kyungsoo walked over to his bed, lifting up the thick comforter and sliding under it onto the memory foam mattress and setting his head on the thin pillow. After staring at the wall for a moment then tossing and turning to get comfortable, he shut his eyes and looked for sleep.
    “Jongin,” Kyungsoo whispered into the dark, lonely silence, “I miss you. . .” Do Kyungsoo was a widower.

❁

    “Hey Squishy,” Jongin called from the spacious living room as he finished painting the top left corner of the back wall a gentle yellow that Kyungsoo had picked. “How’s it looking in the kitchen?” Jongin was wearing a white, long sleeve, V-neck shirt and skinny jeans. He was currently standing on a ladder with a wet paintbrush in one hand and the top step of the tall ladder with the other, to keep him from falling off. His bleach blonde hair covered one of his dark brown eyes until he felt the need to flick his head to the side and moved the messy strands of hair from his face so he could see clearly again.
    “It’s looking really good,” Kyungsoo replied and moved to stand in the tall archway that connected the kitchen to the living room, “But that’s just my opinion. I think I’m doing a good job. At least, I hope I am.” He folded his arms and looked up at his husband with a light sigh. “I really wish you’d stop calling me that. It’d make me a lot happier than when you do,” Kyungsoo murmured as he watched Jongin climb down the ladder. “Careful.”
    “I’m sure it looks great,” Jongin commented, “And I’m fine, don’t worry. But we both know I can’t stop calling you that.” He chuckled and ran a finger through his messy blonde hair as he made his way across the floor to his lover, his bare feet keeping silent as they walked on top of the sheet that covered the new, shiny wooden floor to keep clean from any dripping paint.
    When Jongin reached his lover, he unfolded the shorter but older male’s arms, gently gliding his fingertips across his husband’s clear, pale flesh. A smile began to shape Kyungsoo’s lips and he tried to stop it from forming by biting his bottom lip slightly as his cheeks began to turn a pastel pink as well. Jongin took Kyungsoo’s wrists in his hands and moved his lover’s arms to wrap around Jongin’s own neck, moving his face closer to Kyungsoo’s to place a delicate and chaste kiss on his plump lips.
    “Well why not?” Kyungsoo asked with an adorable pout that pressed into the kiss. The elder’s action almost made Jongin’s heart burst with how adorable his small husband was.
    “Because,” Jongin began as he pecked Kyungsoo’s kissable lips once again, “It fits you so well. It shows that you’re mine. I picked it out just for you. Like a birthday present or that wedding ring on your finger. The nickname I chose for you is just another symbol of how much effort I put into loving you.” As Jongin spoke, he wrapped his arms around Kyungsoo’s waist, pulling the older even closer. He moved one hand inside the back of Kyungsoo’s shirt, caressing the shorter male’s soft skin with his fingertips. “I love you,” he whispered. The movements and words made Kyungsoo’s body shiver and small goose bumps appeared on his skin which Jongin happily slid his hand over, making the blonde’s smirk grow wider.
    “Jongin,” Kyungsoo whispered through soft, nervous breaths, his cheeks getting warmer, “Your hands are cold.” Kyungsoo looked down shyly, his own fingertips Jongin’s thick hair and massaging the taller male’s scalp. 
    “I know,” Jongin hummed against his husband’s lips before pulling away to speak again. “Come on, I want to get the house done by this Saturday.”
    “But, that’s only five days away,” Kyungsoo frowned and folded his arms again, looking up at Jongin.
    “It’s not like we’re the only two people who are going to work on it,” Jongin reasoned and placed a sweet kiss on Kyungsoo’s hair, “Didn’t I hear you talking with Baekhyun the other day and he said that him and Chanyeol would love to help. Plus, I was chatting with Tao at work and he said Kris would love to help, too. Though, Tao is a bit of a diva, I don’t think he could do anything but make us lemonade.” The blonde male chuckled at the thought of it all and looked down at his lover, “Sound better?”
    “Much better,” Kyungsoo nodded and took one of Jongin’s hands in his own and began to subtly mess with the younger’s fingers, “It’ll be like we’re teenagers again.”
    “Yeah,” Jongin nodded back to his significant other, “It’ll be really nice.” The blonde slowly pulled his hand away from Kyungsoo’s grip and turned to walk back towards the latter. “Now back to work. I’ve got two more walls to paint and you need to clear the kitchen for the new counter.”