Tastebuds (Ours)

- four

When Minghao was twenty two, his soulmate graduated college, and was hired as a first grade teacher at the elementary school near the university. Junhui came to visit him every day after he got off work, and surprised him with baked goods, and crayon covered cards made by Junhui's students, that always read:

"To Mr. Wen's Husband- Do well on your exams! We believe in you!"

"They do know we aren't married, right?" Minghao asked once, smiling at the flowers and stick-figures drawn on his card. Junhui slung his arms around his soulmates shoulders and pecked him on the tip of his nose. "They know. They're just rooting for us."

~

When Minghao was twenty-two and three months, he finally saw what he had been imagining behind his eyelids for two years: Junhui laid beneath him, bare, vulnerable, and his. Minghao's breath escaped him in jagged waves as he chanted in Junhui's ear how perfect he was, and how much he loved him.

He was a picture of pure beauty. Soft, warm, and coming undone at Minghao's touch, and he had always been grateful that Junhui was his soulmate, but never grateful for this reason.

Minghao bathed in Junhui's glow, in the soft whispers that left his lips, the taste of oranges on his tongue, and the hands wrapped around his hips as he caressed his soulmate.

His soulmate.

His.

~

When Minghao was twenty-three, he finally graduated after switching his major to Childhood Development Counseling, and took on an internship at the same school Junhui worked at. They bought their first apartment together that same year- a small, two bedroom place with tall windows and granite countertops. Minghao was still amazed that they could afford it.

Junhui was busy working on his Master's while also trying to teach a new class of first graders, and Minghao could see it was wearing him down. "Flower, why are you working so much on your Master's when you already have a stable job?" Minghao asked one night. It was like Junhui was back in college: three pillows around him, note cards and highlighters sprawled out on the coffee table, and his earplugs sitting beside him.

"Because my job will be even more secure if I have the legitimacy of a Master's degree. Then they can't fire me in favor of someone who already has it."

"Baby, you've only been out of college for two years. No employer in their right mind would expect you to have your Master's already." Minghao joined Junhui where he sat on the floor, and moved the pillow off of his soulmate's lap. "I know, Hao, but it's just something that would make me feel better, you know? I won't have to prove myself to my superiors anymore." Minghao furrowed his brow, and set his hand over Junhui's.

"Junhui, you don't have to prove anything to anyone. Any person who watches you teach, or sees your students knows how good of a teacher you are! You're given the challenging students for a reason: because you can handle them. Out of all the staff, you're the one with the least experience, yet you have the most difficult class to teach. You're talented, Junhui, and you deserve to be where you are in life right now. You've earned it."

Minghao wiped the tears from his soulmate's cheeks, and kissed him gently on the forehead. He pulled away and kissed him two more times on each eyelid, once on the tip of his nose, and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Minghao would never  get tired of kissing Junhui.

"Let's go to bed, okay? You have plenty of time to finish this."