LEARN TO LOVE | seongjoong

han river

"as promised, the food you requested made by yours truly." hongjoong places the plastic bag down on the towel that seonghwa had laid out and  waited for hongjoong on.

"oh and you cook." seonghwa says, opening the plastic bag and inhaling the scent of the warm food that had his mouth watering. it's been a while since he's had a proper meal and it smells amazing.

as hongjoong sits beside him, seonghwa begins to remove the tupperware from the bag and lays it out between them. he glanced at hongjoong who was already staring back at him and he stops his movements.

"what?"

"nothing." hongjoong says, "you're acting like a starved child though."

seonghwa offers a sheepish smile and he places the last tupperware from the bag and places it down slowly, embarrassed.

"i'm sorry, it's been a while since i've had a home cooked meal. the pains of being a broke college student." seonghwa jokes but it was more than that. he had a poor family that wasn't very loving and his little sister still lives there, he tries to make enough to give her gifts and enough to go to court and take her into his custody, out of that hellhole. he doesn't allow himself meals that are out of budget, ever.

hongjoong hums, sensing there's more by the way seonghwa eyes glaze over in thought but he doesn't push it, instead begins to open to tupperware of food and hands seonghwa a pair of chopsticks.

"well then enjoy yourself, i don't usually cook unless it's a special occasion." hongjoong says and seonghwa raises his brows at hongjoong, crossing his legs.

"i told you it wasn't a date."

"i know, and it isn't." hongjoong adds, taking his chopsticks and a plastic plate as he adds food to his plate, "it's special because you think you can make me love."

seonghwa mirrors hongjoong, taking his own food onto his plate as he speaks, "what if i told you, in a perfect world, i could make you believe in love?"

hongjoong laughs and then looks at seonghwa, "i'd say that perfect world doesn't exist." he eats a dumpling, and seonghwa frowns, then relents to look at the sunsetting over the han river as he too, takes a bite of the noodles he's taken into his plate.

it's an ideal date spot, romantic and quiet, but hongjoong doesn't see it that way. he sees it as a place where people chase fake dreams and who knows, maybe he's right, but seonghwa wants to be a person chasing that fake dream of love. he needs to.

"you were in a relationship that hurt you before, right?" seonghwa asks, looking at hongjoong who laughs.

"haven't we all?" hongjoong says, looking back at seonghwa as he chews in the noodles he's placed into his mouth. seonghwa thinks the image reminds him of a squirrel.

seonghwa hums, "we have, but i think it's how you heal that changes everything."

hongjoong stares at him, chewing having stopped before he swallows and speaks, "and how would you say that you and i had healed?"

"i healed believing there was someone out there for me, that he only brought me closer to the one who could really love me. y'know, that kind of fairy tale love." seonghwa says calmly and hongjoong nods.

"and me?" seonghwa watches him, silent for a brief moment before because he understands hongjoong is a complicated person, and so is he, and while they may be so different, they've both been hurt by love.

"you healed thinking love was a false notion, that you'd never have to feel that again if love was fake." seonghwa says calmly and hongjoong puts down his plate and chopsticks.

"let's say you're right." hongjoong begins, pulling his knees up to his chest and seonghwa stares at him, "why do you want to teach me to love?"

seonghwa thinks for a moment, nibbling at his lips because he's unsure of what to say, and when he finds the words, they hardly leave his lips.

"because love is a beautiful thing, and your life would only be dull without it." seonghwa states and hongjoong's eyes widen.

"that's a little harsh." hongjoong says, not offended by seonghwa's words, but certainly not prepared for them either.

"the truth hurts." seonghwa smiles at hongjoong who rolls his eyes.

"fine." hongjoong finally relents.

"fine?"

"i want to learn to love."

seonghwa's eyes widen and he breaks out into a large smile, "really?!" when hongjoong nods, seonghwa laughs and throws himself onto hongjoong in a hug, too happy to care about repercussions.

hongjoong laughs but his body is frozen under seonghwa's touch. seonghwa notices and is quick to scramble back, putting space between them.

"i'm sorry." he quickly apologizes, tripping over his words because fuck. he fucked up again.

"no no it's okay i just didn't expect it." hongjoong says as quickly as seonghwa apologized, shaking his head, "it was...i..." hongjoong can't seem to find his voice to say that he liked it. that he was only surprised because he hasn't felt someone hug him so warmly in a while and the thought makes him want to cry but he blinks them back.

"i didn't mind." hongjoong says quietly and seonghwa's relieved when he hears it because all he could hear in the back of his head was that voice telling him how horrible of a person he was for invading someone's personal space.

"okay." seonghwa says back just as quietly, a peace having settled between them and he doesn't want to break it.

"starting tomorrow, i teach you all about what love really is." seonghwa says, determined and hongjoong nods, offering a painful smile because what did he just sign himself up for? did he really let the pretty boy in front of him persuade him to this? he highly doubts it'll work but the boy in front of him is interesting, and he can hope that letting seonghwa in his life was worth it.