Not another cinderella story

7

The next couple of weeks went by in a blur for Jiwoong, with finals just around the corner and his workload reaching an all-time high. As he tirelessly prepared for his exams, he couldn't help but think about his boyfriend, Ricky, and the cherished time they had spent together outside of the University. Jiwoong loved the warmth of his boyfriend's company and the support he always offered. However, he knew that if he wanted to maintain his scholarship, he had to focus on his studies.

Balancing his academic life, work and romantic relationship was proving to be a daunting task, and whenever he was not working, Jiwoong found himself spending countless hours in the library, pouring over textbooks and lecture notes. Those were the times Ricky would be by his side, silently admiring him as the days turned into nights and Jiwoong could feel the exhaustion setting in and the weight of his responsibilities starting to take a toll on him.

Ricky grew increasingly concerned about Jiwoong's well-being. He knew that his boyfriend was pushing himself too hard, and he couldn't bear seeing him so stressed out. Wanting to do something to lift Jiwoong's spirits and show him how much he cared, Ricky decided to surprise him with a special surprise gift. He thought long and hard about what to get him, wanting to find something that Jiwoong would really appreciate, and he couldn't help but think of, obviously, something he would love to receive himself. Or, to be more precise, a few things.

Later that night, Ricky happily made his way to the dorms. When Jiwoong opened the door to his room, wearing his pajamas, with his reading glasses perched on his nose, and a pen tucked behind his ear, he was greeted by the sight of his boyfriend, standing there with a huge grin on his face.

"Surprise!!" Ricky exclaimed, extending his hands that held three bags out to his boyfriend, each of them with a beautiful bow on top.

"Ricky... What is all this?" Jiwoong asked, eyes widened in surprise at the sight, taking a step back, and hesitating to accept the gifts.

Ricky stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him, still holding the bags, "They're for you. A small gift to cheer you up."

"A... a gift?" Jiwoong blinked, puzzled.

"Yup!" Ricky eagerly jumped onto the bed, sitting cross legged with the bags in front of him, smiling wide at the older, "Come on, open them!"

"Ricky, I need to study," Jiwoong sighed, gesturing to the piles of books and notebooks on his desk, "Besides, that's not a small gift! It's too much. Way too much."

"Come on, you didn't even open it. Please? It won't even take five minutes," the boy pleaded, pouting and folding his hands together. "And I promise it's not too much."

Jiwoong rolled his eyes and took a deep breath as he reluctantly grabbed the first bag. Inside, he found a black leather-covered notebook with thick pages made of high quality paper and a small emblem of a well-known luxury brand on the front, accompanied by a matching pen. He looked at Ricky with eyes wide as saucers, trying to imagine how much he had spent on the items, surely more than his entire month's earnings - more than the amount Jiwoong was working tirelessly to earn.

"To help with your studies," Ricky said, smiling. He had carefully chosen these items so that Jiwoong could think of him while studying. Additionally, he knew how good it felt to write with such high quality stationery and was certain his boyfriend would appreciate it. He could almost picture in his mind Jiwoong mindlessly doodling small patterns on the corners of the pages-

"I can't accept this, Ricky. I'm sorry," Jiwoong said, placing the items back in the bag and handing it back to him.

Ricky's expression fell as he heard Jiwoong's refusal. "What? Why?" He couldn't understand why his boyfriend didn't like the gift, having put so much thought into it. "You don't like it? Is it the color? Or... You don't like fountain pens? We can exchange it for a ballpoint..."

"No, Ricky, just... just take it back, please?" Jiwoong said with a small voice. His heart was aching at his boyfriend's expression and he knew he meant well, but this was just all a bit overwhelming for him.

"Can you at least open the other two?" Ricky pleaded.

"Won't it just be the same?" Jiwoong let out a humorless laugh.

"Hyung... Please," Ricky's tone was soft and pleading as he handed over the other two bags.

"Fine," Jiwoong said as he took them both at once. The first bag contained a pair of sleek black shoes from the store they had visited when they met Hanbin and Hao at the mall. They were also crafted from supple black leather, with subtle yet refined details showcasing meticulous craftsmanship.

"I thought you liked those shoes when we went to the store the other day, so..." Ricky attempted to explain as Jiwoong opened the last bag, which held a fine wool structured coat, so he continued. "And I think you would look great in this."

"I can't accept this, Ricky. Take it back, please." Jiwoong sat down at the edge of his bed, massaging his temples, clearly distressed. "And please, I need to study. Just go home."

"I'm sorry, Hyung. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just wanted to do something nice for you, because I know how hard you've been working," Ricky said, his voice soft and sincere, almost breaking at the end. "But if I'm bothering you, I'll just go."

Jiwoong let out a deep sigh and leaned his head on Ricky's shoulder, his heart heavy with guilt for turning down his boyfriend's sweet gesture. "I know, and I appreciate it, really," he murmured. "But I don't want you to spend so much money on me. I know you mean well, but you know how I'm struggling to cover my own expenses, I can't even think of owning something like that. It would make me feel... I don't know, bad."

Ricky nodded slowly, his expression understanding as he absorbed Jiwoong's words. He hadn't realized that only a couple of gifts could cause so much anxiety. "I understand, Hyung. If it's causing you more stress, then I'll take them back. You don't have to accept the gifts, but please, don't push me away," Ricky spoke barely above a whisper. As Jiwoong turned to face him, he could see one single tear falling down his cheek.

"Hey, hey, don't cry," Jiwoong said, reaching out to wipe away the tear with his thumb as he knelt on the floor in front of his boyfriend. "I'm sorry if it sounded like I was pushing you away. I'm not trying to, okay?"

Ricky managed a weak smile, his eyes still glistening with unshed tears, softly mumbling a feeble "Thank you."

"No, baby. Thank you. I really don't deserve you," Jiwoong expressed, wrapping his arms around Ricky's waist, making the blonde's tears start running down his cheeks. "No, no, no, don't cry!"

"I just... wanted to make you happy. I thought a gift was a good idea, I like giving small presents to the people I care about," Ricky tried to explain between sniffles

"I'm happy with just your company, babe. Let's make a deal to avoid misunderstandings like that, ok? If you want to give me a gift, you have to ask me first and it has to be a special occasion, like a birthday or Christmas or something. And nothing over the top, please."

"But what about surprise gifts? I like surprise gifts," Ricky pouted. Jiwoong couldn't help but coo at the cuteness of his boyfriend.

"Okay, we both have to compromise. We can discuss and agree on a budget for surprise gifts. And a limit for them. But for now, why don't you stay over? I was about to go to sleep anyway. We can watch a movie, cuddle and sleep. My roommate won't come back to the dorm tonight," Jiwoong suggested, threading his fingers through Ricky's blonde strands.

Ricky's eyes lit up at the idea, and he nodded eagerly. "I'll pass on the movie, just cuddling is fine."

Jiwoong smiled warmly at him, and they settled under the blanket after Ricky changed into a pair of his boyfriend's comfortable pajamas. The younger cuddled up to him, resting his head on his chest and tracing patterns on his shirt with his fingers. Jiwoong wrapped his arms around him and leaned his head against his boyfriend's, feeling content. For tonight, his books were forgotten on the desk. Soon, they both drifted off to sleep, tangled up in each other's arms. 

In that moment, everything felt perfect.