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“These or these?” Hanbin’s boyfriend held up two nearly identical string lights.
“There’s a difference?”
If it weren’t for Hanbin meeting Hao in December, he would never have joined the winter festivities. They had experienced countless snow days together, but the two always treated each one like it was their first.
This year was different though. It was their first snow after moving in together. To celebrate, Hanbin proposed decorating their apartment for the season.
Hao chose their lights and Hanbin was responsible for hanging them after being expelled from ornament duties.
“You can’t put red next to red!”
“It’s in the back of the tree.”
“That’s the other problem.”
They finished around midnight, thanks to his boyfriend insisting they needed to decorate right after their shopping trip.
“We could leave it up until January,” Hanbin said, playing with Hao’s hair on his lap as they admired the lights.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“February?”
“No.”
“Fine,” Hao sulked. Hanbin watched as the pout slowly turned into a smile.
“Thank you for indulging me,” Hao whispered.
“Always.”
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
Hanbin was running late for his Finance class.
Noticing the sky looking unusually cloudy, he regretted not bringing an umbrella in his hurry.
It ended up raining, leaving him no choice but to seek refuge under an eave. Stressed, Hanbin didn't notice another man taking cover beside him until a soft apology was whispered.
Hanbin turned to see a head of blond hair tousled by the wind. He wished he knew the stranger as Hanbin suppressed the urge to fix a strand that stood higher than the rest.
Hanbin glanced at the man’s NYU ID around his neck. A student.
“Sorry, am I standing too close?” The blond asked, catching onto Hanbin’s stares.
“Not at all! Actually, you can come closer. The eave is kinda small, isn’t it?” Hanbin chuckled.
The stranger hesitated momentarily before inching closer so their bodies were huddled together.
“Were you trying to catch a class too?”
“Yeah, Music Theory.”
“Same here. Not Music Theory. Finance. I meant same as in I was also-” Hanbin groaned as the blond giggled.
The temperature got colder, but Hanbin felt himself getting hotter. He naturally ran warm. Surely that must be the reason for his heated face.
He saw the other trembling hands and took it into his own.
“Sorry. Damn, I’ve only known you for like twenty seconds, haven’t I?” Hanbin realized what he did. “It’s just… You looked like you were cold.”
“I was. Thank you,” the man smiled and Hanbin fell in love.
“I’m Hanbin.”
“Hao Zhang.”
“Pretty... I meant- Your name is very pretty.”
“Sure, Hanbin.”
Hanin decided he loved rain.
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
It turned out, they had mutual friends. Ricky, Hao’s roommate, was dating Gyuvin, Hanbin’s cousin and a sophomore at Columbia.
When the two lovebirds proposed a double date under the guise of a dinner, Hanbin couldn’t let the chance to see the gorgeous man he met a week earlier slip.
One double date turned into two.
Two turned into three.
Soon enough, Hao and Hanbin were going on dates of their own.
When they finally moved in together, Hanbin invited their friends for a housewarming party. Matthew and Taerae, NYU graduates, were inseparable with them during their college years. Jiwoong had introduced Hanbin to his current job. Over time, the three had grown closer since Hao often attended his boyfriend’s company dinner. The youngest, Gunwook and Yujin, were Hanbin’s family friends, and who were now causing a ruckus.
“Please, please, can we have a sleepover?”
“With what occasion?” Hao frowned.
“You guys are moving in together, which basically means you’re married.”
“True, it’s our place now,” Hanbin slipped his hands around Hao’s waist.
Hao gave in. “Fine, I guess you two can crash in the living room.”
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
Their relationship wasn’t always smooth-sailing.
Hao knew his boyfriend was popular, but not this popular.
They had promised to meet for lunch every other day, so Hao had been waiting outside the Stern building before class change, only for Hanbin to emerge with two girls trailing behind him.
“Sorry, guys. I have to be somewhere,” he overheard Hanbin say.
“Can we at least exchange numbers?”
“Sure!”
Hao waited as Hanbin exchanged contacts. When Hanbin finally noticed him waiting behind a column, Hao hurried off in a fuss.
“Hao, wait up!” Hanbin sprinted after him.
“No, take your time giving your number to random people or whatever,” Hao crossed his arms.
“They’re just my partners for a project.”
Hao stayed silent.
“I’ll delete their numbers right now.”
“Wait, you don’t have to do that!” Hao froze, realizing he might’ve overreacted.
“You know I would choose you over anything else, right?”
“I do,” Hao sulked. “Sorry, I was being dramatic.”
“Don’t be. You were being true to your feelings,” Hanbin cupped his face. “Hao, I love you because you’re you.”
Hao didn’t doubt a bit of that.
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
“Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?”
The wedding venue wasn’t overcrowded as the couple only invited their closest friends and families.
Hanbin proposed to Hao not long after their housewarming party. It was an intimate proposal, with the two of them under the Paris moonllight.
Now at the altar, Hao stood across from him, smiling with the same smile that made Hanbin fall in love at first sight.
“I, Hanbin Sung, take you, Hao Zhang, to be my husband, and to love and cherish you in all the years we may have together.”
“I, Hao Zhang, take Sung Hanbin to be my lover, and to love him for the rest of my life,” Hao excitedly wrapped his arm around Hanbin’s neck to bring him into a kiss.
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
Their marriage life wasn’t much different from before. They still took turns taking each other out once every week for date night. And when the stars are out and the night is quiet, the same words were uttered:
“Take me home.”
“You’re my home.”