Conversations; All In Blue

Eleven

"Beautiful," Wonwoo said as he inspected the floor, "just stunning." The morning light was streaming in through the floor length windows along the front of the house and it was reflecting across the stunning cedar surface. It had taken Junhui four days of solid hard work, back breaking and exhausting, but not it was done he had never felt so satisfied. Silence filled the space until it was broken by the audible shutter of Wonwoo's camera. He'd been diligently documenting the changes to the house and the furniture and Junhui knew he'd have the most stunning real estate pictures anyone had ever seen.

He'd sell the house easily even in the current economic climate. At least, that's what Minghao had said, when he promised to email through the names and details of some high-end real estate agents to start preparing the sale.

"Only the bed left right?" Wonwoo peeked out from behind his camera and Junhui nodded. Once the bed was done he was done. He couldn't think of any other jobs. The kitchen was modern and furnished accordingly and the hall was resplendent with fresh floorboards and a resurfaced hall stand. The fence was this weekend's job; panels ordered in by Mingyu with a promise to help him. He'd painted and sanded and varnished and finished. All that was left was the master bedroom with the huge bed, a new mattress and bedding waiting in the spare room's closet.

It loomed so large, the finality of the last thing to be done, and he'd been putting it off. He wrapped his arms a little closer around himself and Wonwoo looked at him curiously. "cold?" he said with his head cocked a little to the side and a deep stare that looked straight into his soul. Junhui loved the way Wonwoo studied him so carefully, trying to decipher each word and gesture like he was the universe's greatest mystery, but it also made him feel vulnerable.

"No," he uncrossed his arms and Wonwoo smiled. "Good, I thought maybe you were too cold for this...." He put his camera down and reached out a hand to take Junhui's carefully. Physical affection came much more freely now and it made feelings swirl in Junhui's stomach. Every single gesture of affection no matter how small or grand made him feel like he was walking on air but without a parachute. He couldn't guarantee anyone was going to be able to catch him if he fell. He let Wonwoo caress his hand carefully and bathed himself in the glow of his smile before Wonwoo dropped his hand and picked the camera back up. "Then let's go," he was grinning now, eyes delighted behind thin wire rims, "I know a great spot."

They drove in the quiet along a dirt road into the middle of the woods. "You aren't going to kill me are you?" Junhui muttered and expected Wonwoo to laugh but he turned to Junhui with a face painted in abject horror. "Why would you think that?" he said and Junhui blushed. "It was a joke," he said. "Oh," Wonwoo replied and his face relaxed again but he didn't laugh. He just kept driving deeper and deeper into the dark verdant forest stretched out before them humming along to the music playing softly on the radio.

Junhui couldn't believe his eyes. The field was surrounded on all sides besides the west where a long stretch of bare land gave way to the sunshine of afternoon. The field was filled with various weeds and wildflowers and when the light hit them just right they all caught the glow of the dipping sun. It made the whole field look magical and Wonwoo smiled shyly when he realised how much Junhui liked it. "I've never brought anyone here with me," he said carefully, always so carefully. "I've taken a lot of photos here." Junhui remembered one in particular on Wonwoo's wall. He'd thought it was taken in a wheat field the way the plants caught the light; their general shape and size gave that impression. He now knew it was taken here, a single wild daisy in the middle of a glowing field rampant with life and promise.