Title: Spring’s Promise (Hanami)
Author: MsNightshade
Pairing: Kwon Jiyong/Choi Seunghyun
Rating: M
Setting: GTOP AU/Third in Seasonal series
Author’s Note: This song is important to the story. For reasons. Click and drift…
The sweet scent of night blooming jasmine on the air always seemed to give Seunghyun pause.
He would stop – often in mid step – to close his eyes and inhale deeply of their fragrant contribution to his nightly walk home from the office. Spring was in full bloom and at the moment, his heart seemed to blossom right along with it.
He continued his leisurely stroll towards home with his bag of groceries, his mind wandering aimlessly – well, not entirely aimlessly. It had set itself on a very specific course and he was happy to float right along to where it took him. It was an auspiciously vibrant Friday evening, his heart especially buoyed by the fact that he’d be seeing Jiyong again tomorrow.
Ah, Jiyong.
He felt himself smiling broadly as unbidden warmth spread through his core, his stomach fluttering wildly and his skin prickling at the mere thought of seeing him again. They’d only been on three dates so far (with numerous texts and phone calls in between), but Seunghyun was beginning to feel a certain way about him. It was a certain very pleasant way and he couldn’t entirely help it. And if he was reading Jiyong’s signals correctly, maybe he was too. At least, he had truly hoped so.
As he reached his front door, he shook off the rising anticipation setting his pulse racing. They had planned a whole day together tomorrow and he couldn’t wait. He slipped his shoes off at the door, flung his workbag onto the chair inside his bedroom door and made his way to his kitchen with the small plastic bag of items to pour himself a glass of cabernet sauvignon.
He unpacked everything he needed and started preparing his dessert for tomorrow as he let his wine breathe on the bench. Jiyong had only given him a time and place and he told Seunghyun that he was only allowed to bring dessert. Dessert he could absolutely do and he was going to prepare one of his best.
As he made his specialty ice-cream, sipping his wine and setting the mixture to work inside the churn, he smiled to himself thinking about the possibilities tomorrow might hold.
And he knew that tomorrow simply couldn’t arrive soon enough.
*
Jiyong woke and practically sprang out from under the covers.
He’d be seeing Seunghyun today and he had spent the better part of last night just figuring out what to wear, let alone prepare everything else for their picnic. Jiyong had a whole day with him and the ecstatic little jolts of excitement flitting through his entire being were a distraction. He stood and physically shook it off to disperse the swarming butterflies.
Jiyong all but skipped into his kitchen and made himself coffee. He considered that it may not have been the best of ideas, given how amped up he already was. He smiled as he took a tentative sip of the robust brew. He sat at his kitchen table with his coffee cup idly watching the world around him stir into sleepy wakefulness. The birds happily chirruped as they flitted from branch to branch outside his kitchen window and bright sunlight streamed in through the sheer curtains to create delicate patterns against his bare skin.
Jiyong rose from his seat, taking another mouthful from his cup and opened the window. A gentle breeze and the full chorus of birds greeted him. He took in the sights and sounds of the beautiful Spring morning before him; all of it glorious to behold and it would be more so once he was in Seunghyun’s charming company.
Jiyong downed the rest of his coffee and glanced at the clock. He had a good half hour to ready himself as he dashed for the shower. As he stepped inside the cubicle, he wondered if that half hour would be long enough for him to get ready and to settle his buzzing nerves.
*
Seunghyun busied himself getting ready, checking his watch every few seconds to see how much time had passed since he’d last checked.
He silently cursed time for passing so slowly and for allowing himself to get so worked up about seeing Jiyong again. He’d only hoped that once he was in his agreeable company that time would take its cues and slow to a crawl and that his nervousness would dissipate rather than the adverse. Time always seemed to zoom right on by during their previous dates (and Jiyong seemed to be a salve to the anxious fluttering of his heart). He only prayed that it wouldn’t do so again today – not on such a glorious day as this. Seunghyun wanted to squeeze as much as he could out of today and of his time with Jiyong.
He quickly grabbed the few things he needed (his carefully prepared ice-cream was placed into a small freezer bag with two spoons) and checked his reflection in the full-length mirror for the umpteenth time before he finally made his way to the front door. He slipped his sunglasses on before stepping out into the morning sunshine pulling the door closed behind him.
Oh yes, it was going to be a stupendous day indeed.
Seunghyun decided to walk the few short blocks to where he and Jiyong had agreed to meet, hoping the walk would quell the incessant buzzing of his insides.
*
Jiyong arrived at the park earlier than the appointed time, far too excited to sit indoors watching the clock slowly tick away the time remaining. He loaded up his pannier on his bike with the food he’d bought and prepared as well as all the accoutrements necessary for a picnic in the park. He knew the short ride would do him – and his quaking nerves – the world of good.
He’d arrived early enough and had found a perfectly secluded spot on a gently sloping hill, surrounded by a horseshoe of dense flowering shrubs and a couple of weeping cherries that would offer them a modicum of privacy. It also provided them with an uninterrupted view of the river.
He was pleased to see that the spot was vacant as he leaned his bike against a large tree at the bottom edge of the horseshoe and he set to work unpacking his small panniers and laying everything out just right. The weather was absolutely perfect for Hanami and the blossoms were in full flower. Fairly soon, they’d be falling from the trees in delicate cascades of pink and white petals.
Once he was satisfied with his set up in the secluded spot, he lay back on the blanket staring up at the wisps of pale white clouds drifting in slow motion across the blue and waited.
*
Seunghyun strolled through the large stone and iron gates of the park, his heart racing knowing that he would lay his eyes on Jiyong in a matter of moments. Jiyong had asked to meet him by the river so he headed towards it and hoped that it wouldn’t take him too long to find him. As he approached the river, he collected a few of the park’s more beautiful blossoms along the way. By the time he’d reached the water’s edge, he had gathered a small bouquet that he hoped Jiyong would like regardless of how illegal what he had done was…
*
Jiyong smiled broadly as Seunghyun rounded the corner of the secluded spot. He was resplendent dressed in a crisp white mandarin collared shirt and a dark blue fitted vest over the top that highlighted the sharp sweeps and curves of his torso to perfection. Jiyong had to stop himself from staring so blatantly as a fiery blush burnished his cheeks and his eyes quickly trailed down to matching dark blue suit pants further highlighting his sculpted thighs.
“Hi,” he said as he met Seunghyun’s smiling eyes again. “You look incredible!”
Seunghyun smiled, a giddy swarm rose in his chest and threatened to choke him: “Thank you, and so do you,” he responded as he handed Jiyong the wild bouquet.
Jiyong felt his face set ablaze by Seunghyun’s compliment and the presentation of the flowers he’d picked for him.
“Thank you, they’re beautiful,” Jiyong held the blooms to his nose to partake of their scent. “Come, sit,” Jiyong motioned to the blanket and to defer his attentions from the beautiful man in front of him. He truly was breath taking and his sweet gesture was almost overwhelming.
“This is a beautiful spot, Jiyong. Thank you,” Seunghyun said as he slipped off his shoes and sat down next to him.
“Ah, it was all pure luck. Either that, or the gods truly are smiling down upon us today.”
“Maybe a little of both? Here,” Seunghyun said handing the small freezer bag over, “I made this, as per your request.”
“A man of many talents I see!” Jiyong said brightly opening the bag and extracting the punnet.
“Pah! You’re the one with all the talent. This spread is amazing, Ji,” he said gesturing to the set up behind them. Jiyong lowered his head smiling, heart blazing like a fiery beacon inside his chest. Seunghyun couldn’t help but smile at the blush creeping across Jiyong’s face.
Jiyong removed the lid of the punnet and his eyes lit up. “You made this? That’s amazing! What flavour?”
“It’s my specialty – coffee and roast almond.” A pleased smile flitted across Seunghyun’s features.
“Ah, so clever…”
“Aish, no.” Seunghyun said, laughing and playfully waving off Jiyong’s compliment.
“Hmmm,” Jiyong murmured, feigning annoyance.
Jiyong was mesmerised by the dimples carving into his cheeks whenever Seunghyun smiled. Jiyong knew that his giddy heart was not going to take much more of this. Jiyong busied himself opening small packages of food and gathering utensils, unable to look up at Seunghyun, not until the fearsome blazing in his cheeks subsided.
“In any case, I look forward to sampling,” Seunghyun cast a glance around the glorious sights before him then back at Jiyong, “all of the delights the day has in store for us.”
There was a mischievous glint in Seunghyun’s eye and an equally impish suggestion in his words that didn’t escape Jiyong’s notice. He busied himself readying a plate of food before handing it to Seunghyun with a bright: “Shall we, then?”
*
After their leisurely brunch, they slipped their shoes on and strolled down by the river falling into easy conversation and digging a littler deeper in a bid to get to know a little more about their new favourite people. They stopped and sat at the edge of the river close to their picnic spot, both slipping their shoes and socks off to dangle their feet in the cool water as they talked.
After a time, they decided to return to their little Hanami spot to sit under the weeping cherries and watch the world go by.
*
Jiyong suddenly stopped in his tracks, sucking in air between his teeth and hopping on one foot.
“Ah!”
“What’s happened, Ji? Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I just stepped on a prickle.”
“Here, come sit. I’ll take care of it,” Seunghyun said as he slipped an arm around his waist to hold him steady for the last few steps onto the blanket. He lowered Jiyong down with such care it was as if he had broken his foot, not merely stood on a little spring barb.
Seunghyun positioned himself on his knees with Jiyong’s foot resting in his hand; he held the curve of his heel as he gently removed the offending spike from the soft flesh of his instep. He moved back, his hand still tenderly holding his foot aloft before he leaned his head in close and pursing his lips together, blew on the small tender spot.
Jiyong watched him, completely enraptured and unable to look away. His gaze held prisoner by the simple beauty of the long lashes that fanned and swept the tops of his cheeks and the pursed lips blowing cool air to soothe his punctured skin. Seunghyun then lowered his head further to plant a soft kiss on the sensitive skin.
“Better?” Seunghyun asked looking up at him and smiling, his thumb caressing a slow and gentle arc across his ankle.
In that brief moment, Jiyong felt like Cinderella with a dashing prince at his feet (albeit without the glass slipper). He also felt like his entire being had turned to stone the second those soft lips grazed his skin. He wanted nothing more than to feel those lips brushing sweetly against his own. It was suddenly too hot inside his skin. Was he going to spontaneously combust? Oh, the impropriety of it all.
“Much better! Thank you, my gallant hero,” Jiyong said playfully, hiding his giddy smile behind his hand as Seunghyun slowly lowered his foot, his thumb still caressing the delicate skin of his ankle.
“Believe me,” Seunghyun purred as he slid down onto his side relinquishing the gentle hold on Jiyong’s foot, “the pleasure truly was all mine.”
Seunghyun propped his head up on his fist. He gently patted the space beside him, motioning for Jiyong to join him further down the blanket. He steeled himself, releasing a slow exhalation as he slid down laying flat on his back to join Seunghyun in quiet repose.
“Hi there,” Seunghyun said quietly, smiling down at him.
“Hey,” Jiyong responded, unable to stop the smile forming at the corners of his mouth.
He bit down on his lower lip to keep himself from latching onto him or hiding his face from his smiling scrutiny. Jiyong was sure Seunghyun could hear the hammering of his heart, as much as he could hear his own blood rushing in his ears. Seunghyun’s exquisite beauty struck him and he was wholly unable to focus anywhere but the absorbing charcoal eyes trained upon his. Jiyong swallowed hard and his breath came in short, ragged beats.
Time seemed to slow and altogether stop as a gentle breeze picked up causing small drifts of petals to rain down around them. The effect was magical and mesmerising. Seunghyun was caught in Jiyong’s thrall, his eyes drawn to his pretty petal-like lips, the ones he was so desperate to taste. His heart beat keenly in his chest as Jiyong shuffled in closer to his side. The only sounds around them were the swaying of the branches, the rustle of leaves and their wildly beating hearts.
Seunghyun lowered himself slowly until their lips finally connected in a soft maintained caress. Eyes sliding closed; Jiyong slipped an arm around Seunghyun’s back the other reaching up to caress along Seunghyun’s jawline, to draw him closer as their lips slowly brushed together, over and under and back again. Seunghyun held Jiyong close, hands framing his face gently as he leaned in to tenderly deepen the kiss. His tongue gently lapped at the seam of his lips and Jiyong responded in kind, his tongue softly sweeping against Seunghyun’s.
Seunghyun felt something akin to a burst of fireworks inside his chest as Jiyong kissed him back, his tongue delicately sliding into his mouth and pulling him further down. His pulse raced under his skin, wild and unfettered, as their lips and tongues melded together in languid slow motion. Jiyong was sweet, like the blossoms that surrounded them and of night blooming jasmine. Seunghyun had tasted paradise on his lips and he knew from the first that he’d have a hard time not wanting more of the same.
Jiyong’s head wheeled and spun as Seunghyun kissed him tenderly. His senses were crowded by everything Seunghyun; his scent – that of freshly cut apples and spring rain and something intangibly wild at the edges as well as the taste of sweet addiction that his lips offered. Everything about him was intoxicating and he’d wanted to taste his kiss since their first date. And here it was – at long last – beneath the weeping cherries on a perfect Spring day and it was more than he could have ever hoped for.
As his lips caressed Seunghyun’s, he felt his heart finally become untethered and float off into the ether. He knew all hope of retrieving it was lost – not that it mattered if the way Seunghyun kissed him was any indication. In it was his unspoken confession: that Seunghyun felt the same and his sweet kiss confirmed that he was as equally lost to him as Jiyong was to Seunghyun.
They continued to kiss at a languorous pace as though time was of no consequence and the gentle spring breeze continued on its merry way, depositing a further confetti-like flurry of pink and white petals on and around them.
To any casual observer, it may have appeared as though the trees and the sky and the gentle spring breeze (and possibly even the gods) were conspiring to wish them well as they fell prey to their heart’s desires beneath their silent and ever-watchful sentry.
And perhaps they truly did.
~FIN~
RantyPants! 