It All Started With Him✅

Special Chapter

Pictures stop time. The subjects never grow old, never wrinkle or lose teeth or celebrate a birthday. They're frozen at that moment, always smiling at the camera or scowling in the background. Or maybe they're a blur, moving too fast for the lens – and your heart – to capture. 

Photo albums show you small parts of people's worlds; little windows into the lives, and how they have become what they are now.

Tharn and Type decided to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their married life at their house just being together with family and at night they spent it with their friends at a restaurant. They had an amazing time and after the memorable celebration, they returned home. Type was exhausted as he got down from the car.

"Love, why don't you go in and relax. I'll be right back." Type knew where Tharn was going. So he nodded and walked towards the patio. He opened the front door of their house and turned on the lights. Tharn had surprised Type with the house after they had returned from their honeymoon.

When he walked in, he changed his shoes to slippers and that's when his eyes fell upon the mail which was delivered and found a parcel sent in from Pagnan by his parents. He grabbed it and as he walked to the living room slowly, he opened the parcel. Just as he opened it and saw the gift, he was left speechless. He was lucky that he reached the couch, so he plopped down in surprise.

The gift was a photo album that was half-filled with pics. He let out a surprised gasp as he began flicking through. The album documented the evolution of his and Tharn's relationship, from childhood to lovers to husbands to now. The first photo was of the day they met. The picture was of the two 8-year-olds playing together in the living room of Type's house. The two families had a small 'get to know each other' party.

Type felt arms being wrapped around his shoulders from behind the couch. Type was so caught up in the album that he hadn't heard his husband enter the room. Type instantly leaned into the hug.

"What are you looking at?" Tharn asked as he peeped to see the book on Type's lap.

"My parents put together this gift for our 10th anniversary." Type answered and felt Tharn pull away and walk around the couch to sit beside him. Type leaned into Tharn's side as they flipped through the pictures of their youth. Tharn smiled as they came across the pictures from primary school.It was a photo of young Tharn and Type smiling back at them from the image, braces gleaming in the flash from the camera. Tharn remembered when they had gotten their braces. He had cried upon finding out he needed them, fearful that he would have been made fun of. Type laughed as he remembered how Tharn begged his parents to not allow him to get braces.

"Stop it. I know what you are thinking of," Tharn said as he tried to flip the next page."Hey! It's not my fault that it's so funny," Tharn pouted. "But you were so cute, begging Dad and Mom." Tharn shook his head.

The couple turned the page, and on the pictures were several pictures of the two young boys snuggling together during a blanket, a bucket of popcorn between them. If Type remembered correctly, they had watched the Lion King at Tharn's house at one of their sleepovers.

"See! I told you. Look how cute you were!"

"No, you were the cutest. But I still can't believe we've known each other for over twenty-seven years."

"Yeah," Type realized it too. Though he might have forgotten Tharn a few years, his heart always beat for him unconsciously. Type placed a chaste kiss on Tharn's lips.

Once he pulled away, he turned the next page and laughed. The photo was a selfie of the two smiling softly with a light blush across Type's cheeks. Admiration was strong in both of their eyes, showing the strength of their bond. It had been taken on their first Valentine's Day as an official couple. They had sent the photo to their families because they wouldn't stop bugging the couple if they didn't send any.