the line for the cotton candy was long, and if the pout on his face was any indication, hans was growing tired of waiting. there was a fun dinosaur show he wanted to get to instead, and he tugged at his mom to ask about the time every few minutes. the show was supposed to start at 4:15. they were going to see a dinosaur hatch from its egg. his feet felt antsy knowing time was passing by, not really cognizant yet about how much, or how slowly, it was passing. but he also wanted the cotton candy. oh, what a tough predicament!
his mom stood with him with more patience, but hans knew he was missing the rest of the snacks his brothers already got a hold of in the little picnic table they had secured, which only made him more pouty. perhaps it was also because it was time for his nap, as the afternoon sun bathed him in its warmth and made him sleepy.
as he stood in line with a mixture of sleepiness and impatience, his eyes wandered around the amusement park. it was his first time in this city, visiting for just the weekend with his family. he liked how there were palm trees taller than everyone, and the sky was always magnificently blue. he also liked the people--even if some of them seemed scary that hans found himself hiding behind his mother sometimes.
a mascot of the amusement park had just passed in a huge costume that made hans leap behind his mother, peeping his head cautiously as his curiosity won him over. from somewhere nearby, music blared. there was a small dance number in the middle of the street and people were cheering. he eased up, eyes wide as the production got him looking at different colors and movements he had not seen before.
on the other side of the street, a row of onlookers also gathered to watch the show. hans' curious eyes scanned the crowd, a mixture of adults and children just like him. right before the crowd ended, he noticed a boy a little bigger than him who seemed engrossed in the show, clapping at every movement they made. hans found himself staring at him more, looking at his shoes to his patterned shorts and the matching hat that protected his hair and his face from the heat.
the line moved a little, hans' mother tugging him along to step forward. preoccupied, he stumbled in his step and, luck of lucks, that happened to be the time the little boy turned in his direction. there was a surprised laugh when he saw hans stumble, and this made his cheeks blush from embarrassment, hiding behind his mother's skirt once again.
heart racing, he counted up to ten before he took another look. the boy was still looking. hans was next in line for the cotton candy now, and he twiddled his thumbs nervously as he felt the gaze trained on him.
with his mother’s coaxing, he pointed meekly to the cotton candy design he wanted, throwing a quick glance back to the boy. he smiled in what seemed like an apologetic laugh, and hans, happy with his newly acquired candy and the fact that he felt like he found a new friend, smiled too. the candy was quite big, almost as big as his head, but like all children, he did not think about how exactly he would finish such a thing. he did think about sharing it with his new friend though, happily grinning as he checked if all the colors he wanted on the flower design were there.
before he could make a run from his mother to share his candy with his new friend, he was herded off to their table in the opposite direction, much to his disappointment.
june couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped him as hans lowered his voice to promise more spoiling. it was such a quiet, intimate gesture, but it carried a weight that made june’s chest feel tight in the best way. “hope you know you’re really setting a high bar for yourself,” he replied softly, shaking his head with a smile that barely masked the flutter of his heart.
his gaze fell briefly to sunny, her tiny hand nestled in hans’, the picture of warmth and trust. it was a simple moment but one that stirred something deep inside him — an ache that wasn’t painful, a yearning that wasn’t desperate. this was what stability looked like, and june was still learning how to let himself be part of it.
when hans asked about seeing sunny’s work, june’s smile grew, and he looked at toward the art cubbies near the back of the room. “actually, i think we can make time for that. her flower drawing turned out beautifully. she’s got a great sense of color for her age — definitely takes after someone i know.” he shot hans a playful glance before making his way to the cubbies, the bouquet still tucked securely in the crook of his arm.
the classroom had quieted significantly, the hum of conversation and footsteps fading as most parents filtered out with their children. june found sunny’s cubby easily, pulling out a stack of papers and flipping through them until he found her drawing. carefully, he returned to hans and sunny, holding the picture up for them to see. “here it is,” he said, holding it out for hans to take, his gaze settling back on the man standing across from him.
“am i?” hans asked with a quirk of an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips in a welcome challenge. he didn’t know where this confidence was coming from, but he liked it. he liked thinking about all the different ways he could spoil june—liked the fact that he could. “maybe i’m just talking a big game right now, but just you wait.” he laughed despite himself, carding his fingers through his hair as a familiar habit.
there were only a handful of other kids now, their parents fixing their coats and making sure they got everything they needed to get home. hans gave the other parents a smile as he went the opposite way, inside of the room instead of out, sunny in tow and excited to share her works of art. he followed june diligently, his eyes trained on the back of his head, as if even his hair was worth memorizing, the fall of each tendril more exciting than anything hans had ever seen before.
when they finally reached the cubbies and june looked through sunny’s, hans couldn’t help but crane his neck to take a peek over june’s shoulders, curious about this little collection of stuff that belonged to his daughter. he knew everything she had back at home, could probably pinpoint where she last put down a toy she was looking for hours later, but here in this classroom, sunny and june had things like these, pieces of art and pieces of their life that hans would wait patiently to see at the end of each day.
he took the drawing june held out, lifting it carefully and looking at it properly. sunny was beside him, her head held high, proud of what she had done. hans could see what june meant—the good grasp of color was there, the flower drawing turning out to be much more constructed than what hans had imagined. “wow, sunny bear, you did great,” he said fondly, reaching out to give her a gentle squeeze. “it must be all the flowers she sees in the shop,” he said to june this time, his eyes still trained on the artwork his daughter had made. “i think we might have an artist on our hands.”
hans held the drawing for a few more minutes, letting this moment of appreciation for sunny’s art drag on, and letting the quiet emptiness of the room settle over them. there was no need to lower their voices anymore, hans could talk to june like he wanted to, with no worries that other parents might overhear. this was how their day would end starting today, with the three of them together as their days came to an end, celebrating the small victories of the day.
he looked up at june still holding the flowers he had given him, and he knew there was nothing that could stop him from pursuing this now. he smiled warmly at him, his gaze soft and fond, and all together expressing what he couldn’t say in words.
after a few more moments, he finally broke the silence, handing back the drawing to june. “are you ready for dinner?”
june’s gaze softened as hans spoke, the weight of his words settling warmly in his chest. he leaned forward, brushing a soft kiss to hans’s palm before letting their hands rest between them.
with only a quiet hum of acknowledgment, june closed the space between them once again, his hands finding hans’s face, thumbs grazing his cheeks in a tender caress. his forehead pressed lightly to hans’s as his lips captured his in a slow, deliberate kiss, pouring everything he felt into the moment.
when they parted, june’s fingers drifted to hans’s hair, threading through the soft strands. he let out a laugh, his touch lingering as his gaze roamed hans’s face, memorizing every detail. "you say we don’t have to think of anything else, but all i can think about is you," june admitted, another quiet laugh escaping him. "you, and how lucky i am to wake up beside you, to hold you like this. to know that this isn’t a dream."
sliding his hand down to rest against hans’s chest, june let his fingers trace lazy circles over his skin, his lips brushing softly against hans’s jaw. there was no rush, no urgency is his movements — just them being wrapped up in each other. "let’s make this moment last. let’s have so many forevers that we lose count." june leaned back slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips as his eyes met hans’s. his hand squeezed hans’s lightly, a promise. for now, they didn’t need to do anything else.
if hans could describe this morning, he would describe it as a gift wrapped in a perfectly tied bow. every touch of their lips felt like a slow unraveling that made hans feel even more closer to june, each touch making good on their promise to share all their forevers together. his own hands roamed june’s chest freely, being able to feel his bare skin underneath his fingers being a gift in itself.
he leaned forward to kiss june’s shoulder, mirroring the unhurried touches june was leaving on his skin, relishing in the sensation each touch of june’s lips awakened in him. the morning sunlight was brighter now, and hans was fully awake, but there was nowhere else he’d rather be. “it is an amazing feeling, isn’t it? knowing you are mine, knowing this is real, it brings me a level of joy i cannot describe,” he said as his hands dipped lower, mapping june’s skin with his fingers.
“i think you’re setting me up to expect this every morning, my love,” he whispered softly as june’s warm breath ghosted over his jaw, making hans tighten his hold on june instinctively. “i’ll never get up until you’ve kissed every inch of skin thoroughly, and by then it will be dinnertime,” he teased, a soft laugh shaking his shoulders lightly. “then we won’t have our strawberries and cream for breakfast,” he started, only to add a quick, “but i won’t mind. this is much, much better anyway.” he pulled june into another kiss then, not yet ready to end this perfect morning in bed.
june’s lips quirked into a smile at hans’s teasing, his breath warm against his his skin as he leaned closer. he traced the curve of hans’s jawline with gentle fingers, the pads of his fingertips brushing over the slight flush there, his eyes drinking in every detail of the man in his arms. "if i’m love, then you’re the reason i know what it feels like," he murmured, his voice soft but laced with conviction.
he let his touch linger, trailing down hans’s neck, his thumb brushing over the hollow of his throat as he pressed another kiss there, slow and deliberate. "you make me want to forget everything else, you know that?" june said, his voice a low hum. he shifted slightly, settling more firmly against hans, their legs tangling beneath the blanket as he let his hand wander to rest against hans’s chest. he could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath his palm, a reassurance that brought a smile to his lips.
he leaned in again, their foreheads brushing as he kissed hans once more, slow and tender, as if he were savoring the moment. when he pulled back, his gaze was steady, filled with an affection so deep it felt unshakable. "forever doesn’t feel like long enough," june admitted, his fingers trailing down hans’s arm to intertwine with his hand, squeezing lightly. "but i’ll take every second we get and make them count."
when hans looked at june, he couldn’t help but mirror his smile, his own lips tugging upwards with the light teasing. it was like he was discovering a new side to june every day, and this particular day’s discovery was rather enticing.
“i suppose that’s what makes us perfect. we teach each other what love is,” he said, closing his eyes instinctively as june’s kiss pressed over the hollow of his throat, the gesture so gentle yet awakening hans’ every fiber fully, his heartbeat going faster, consumed by this moment of bliss.
closing his eyes, going by feeling, was a show of complete trust, of hans letting june know that he trusted him completely with every bit of him. that here, in their shared space, they could touch each other and know that it always means love. “we don’t have to think of anything else,” he whispered, tugging gently at fistfuls of june’s hair, a soft warning, and an urge to keep going.
when june kissed him again, his own hands moved to cup june’s face, keeping him steady as they both savored the moment. and when their lips parted, hans’ thumbs traced over the curve of his lips, those very same lips that whispered words of love and kissed all of hans’ thoughts away. “i really do love you,” he said with unmistakeable conviction, the words spoken with such honesty, like hans believed in nothing else. he gave their entwined hands a gentle squeeze. “even this moment already feels like forever. we will have so many forevers to share together.”
june felt warmth rise to his cheeks as hans teased him, the quiet sincerity behind the man’s humor striking a deeper chord than june expected. he stood there holding the bouquet, his fingers curling around the stems, his heart was far from calm. “i’m starting to think you’re spoiling me,” june said softly, his tone tinged with affection. “not that i’m complaining, of course.” he tilted his head slightly, a teasing smile on his lips as he glanced from the bouquet to hans.
his eyes lingered on hans for a moment, taking in the way his presence softened the noise of the world around them. the laughter and chatter of parents and kids faded to the edges of june’s awareness, leaving only hans and the quiet comfort he brought.
when hans mentioned sunny, june’s gaze shifted briefly to the little girl, who was beaming at her father as if he’d hung the stars just for her. the sight made june’s smile grow softer, more genuine. “sunny was wonderful today, as always,” he said, turning back to hans.
june hesitated for a moment, glancing down at the bouquet before meeting hans’ gaze again. there was a vulnerability in his eyes, a quiet admission he wasn’t sure how to voice yet. the words lingered unspoken, but the way he held the bouquet — close to his chest, almost protective — said enough. clearing his throat slightly, he gestured toward the art cubbies. “you should see some of her work. she’s got an eye for detail,” he said, his tone lightening.
hans smiled fondly as he saw the slight blush on june’s cheeks, the feeling only making him want to give him bouquets of flowers every day now. there was something so satisfying about seeing june hold the flowers close to his chest, as if they were the most precious gift he had received today.
after june's statement, hans' response did not require thinking, though he did lower his voice so only june could hear. “i do plan on spoiling you a lot.” his words were accompanied by a grin, one that showed so much promise he planned to make good on.
sunny’s little hand slipped easily into hans’, and with that simple gesture, he knew he had everything he needed right here. his daughter, who was all smiles as she tried to catch him up to their day, and june, a calmer presence, who looked lovely holding a bouquet hans had made for him. “is there time to see some of her work?” he asked softly, his eyes scanning the rest of their surroundings to see if the other parents had all left with their children. the crowd was thinner now, most of the activity around pickup had died down, leaving them to their own little world.
still, there was no need to rush—they had said as much the previous day, but hans wanted june to know that they didn’t have to rush anything at all. even now, when they had dinner plans, they could spare a few more minutes talking, stealing glances at each other, sharing knowing smiles, and just enjoying the quickening beat of his heart that june was definitely to blame for. “that’s if we’re not yet hungry, of course,” he added with a smile, leaving their options open.
june was crouched near the cubbies, helping one of the kids zip up their jacket, when he caught the faint murmur of voices outside. pickup time was always a bustle, parents chatting as little feet shuffled and chairs squeaked across the floor, but today, his chest felt lighter knowing hans would be waiting among them. he stood, brushing his hands against his sides, and took a breath. the kids began lining up, some still a little drowsy from nap time, clutching their latest art projects and favorite toys.
walking them towards the door, june spotted hans immediately . his gaze was drawn to him like a magnet, his usual calm slipping for a moment at the sight of hans holding a bouquet. the way he stood there, smiling warmly, like he’d walked out of a dream — june wasn’t sure if it was nerves or excitement twisting in his chest, but it was strong enough to make him pause.
“alright, kiddos, be careful,” he called gently to the kids, directing them to their waiting parents. the usual routine of end-of-day chaos swirled around him, but his focus kept flickering back to hans. he caught sunny’s excited wave and smiled, motioning for her to wait as he moved toward hans, his heart quickening with each step.
when they finally stood face-to-face, june’s expression softened, his usual professionalism giving way to something more personal. “i see you got here early,” he teased lightly, tilting his head as his eyes dipped to the bouquet. he tried not to let his curiosity show too much, but it was impossible to miss the warmth in his tone.
the children around them provided an easy buffer of noise, but it was hans’ quiet presence that held june’s attention. his gaze met his as he reached out, fingers brushing over the bouquet’s wrapping. “they’re pretty. are they for sunny?” he asked, a touch of delight in his tone, knowing the answer but waiting for hans to say it.
hans watched attentively as june moved around in the room, the care he put into preparing each child for pickup tugging at hans’ heart in the best way. there was something about watching him in his element that made hans feel like this was a privilege, to see him be himself surrounded by the kids who adored him.
there were quiet glimpses that made hans smile to himself too, standing there patiently until june was finally in front of him, his voice softer than usual. this was worth the long day of waiting, hans thought as he followed june’s gaze to the bouquet. “oh, yeah, i wanted to give sunny a bouquet as big as her face,” he teased, ending it with a chuckle as he pressed the bouquet closer to june. “for you. i didn’t want to come empty-handed, what with you breaking rules to talk to me and all that.” he added, his voice dropping to a low whisper at the latter part, the conversation just for the two of them. "i couldn't stop thinking of you while i was arranging flowers."
even with the flurry of activity around them—kids excitedly telling their parents about their day and showing off the art projects they created—hans felt like they were in a bubble of quiet, of calm amidst the chaos. all he could focus on was june and the bouquet he had made just for him, his radiant smile and his voice that invited hans to lean in. hans felt like something inside him settled, as if it was finally understanding what peace meant. he smiled at june, resisting the urge to take a step closer, the distance between them feeling a little too far for hans’ liking. but he could wait. he could be patient.
“did everything go well today? hopefully sunny didn’t break any rules unlike someone else i know,” he continued with the same teasing tone, his eyes leaving june’s for the first time to look at sunny, giving her a small wave as she answered with a huge beam of her own. between june and sunny smiling at him, hans could not ask for anything more.
june let hans pull him closer, his heart swelling at the sleepy, soft affection in his voice. he chuckled lightly, his breath warm against hans’s lips as he lingered close, their faces just inches apart. "i did say it a lot, didn’t i? and i’ll say it a hundred more times if i have to." he murmured, his voice rich and full of warmth. his hand traveled to hans’s cheek, thumb brushing over the faint pink hue that deepened. he traced the line of his jaw, his movements unhurried, savoring the intimacy of the moment. "you make it so easy to love you, hans," he said softly, his eyes never leaving hans’s.
june leaned in to capture hans’s lips again, this kiss softer, lingering like he was memorizing every detail. he let it speak for all the words he couldn’t quite bring himself to say aloud, the weight of his feelings grounding him in this moment. when he pulled away, he pressed his forehead against hans’s, his breath mingling with his husband’s.
he shifted slightly, sliding his hand down hans’s back to rest at the curve of his waist, pulling him even closer as if their bodies could melt into one. "you’re dangerous, you know that?" he teased, his lips quirking into a playful smile. "making me want to spend the entire day in bed with you when i know we have things to do."
june kissed him again, this time trailing down to the corner of his mouth, his cheek, and then his jaw. "i’m going to ruin you for mornings without me," he said with a low chuckle, his voice teasing but tinged with a promise.
hans couldn’t help but smile as their lips touched, each kiss slowly waking up his senses and promising a good day ahead, but also making it more difficult to let go of june. his hands rested on june’s waist, feeling the curve of his back as he sighed happily, each touch reminding him of the night they shared together and the life they now call theirs. “you did say it a lot, over and over again,” he said, still breathless from june’s kisses and the recollection of last night, his fingers tracing lazy circles on june’s bare skin.
there’s a gentleness to his touch, making sure not to break the slow start to their day. hans felt like there was nothing else more important than this moment, of them waking up next to each other after falling asleep to the assurance that they found home in each other’s arms.
“loving each other feels so natural, like i was born to love you,” he said, eyes trained on june and filled with affection. he could say it in words, but he wanted to show june in every way, too. every curve of his lips, every soft glance, every light touch—they were laced with love. and he felt it too, in the way june claimed his lips, in the way he held him tight as if pulling away was a great sin—hans had never felt so loved.
with their foreheads pressed together, feeling june pull him impossibly closer, all he could say was, “you are love. and you will be with me every morning. forever.”
he let out a soft giggle at june’s words, that playful smile doing everything to him without june even trying. “the garden can wait. i like what we’re doing right now.” he let his fingers trail up june’s arm, leaving a path of delicate touches as he kept his eyes locked on his husband, the kiss to his jaw making him let out another soft sigh, his body responding to june’s lips with a slight shiver. his fingers winding in june’s hair now, feeling the soft strands in between his fingers. “my love, if you keep doing that, i really will keep us both in bed,” he teased back.
june lowered the phone from his ear and let out a soft breath, a smile lingering on his lips as he stared at the screen until it dimmed. for a few seconds, he stayed there in the hallway, the echo of hans’ words filling the space around him. he ran a hand over his face, feeling the heat creeping into his cheeks. there was something about hearing those words so plainly, so genuinely, that left him rooted in place.
with a deep breath, he slipped the phone into his pocket. the heaviness from the conversation still hung warmly in his chest, but there were tasks to be done. he eased the door open to check on the children, peeking his head inside the classroom. the soft rise and fall of their chests greeted him, the room still as quiet as when he left. a few stray toys lay scattered near their nap mats, remnants of their pre-nap play.
quietly, he moved around the room, tidying up the small messes. he placed a stuffed animal near a little hand that had slipped off a blanket, adjusted another child’s pillow, and tugged the edge of a mat closer to the group. his movements were careful, almost instinctive, as though this routine had become second nature. yet, today, everything felt a little softer, his mood a little lighter.
as he moved to the window to adjust the blinds, a thought struck him. hans would be arriving after work, stepping into this space that felt so much like his own, and suddenly, june wanted it to be perfect. for hans. for sunny. for all the possibilities that stretched ahead of them now.
it wasn’t long before the soft rustling of blankets began, signaling the first stirrings of the kids waking. june moved to their side, ready to greet them with a calm smile, his heart already looking forward to the evening that lay ahead.
hans’ afternoon orders were pretty standard, consisting of bouquets that were some of his most popular. he could pretty much finish arranging them in his sleep, and if he really thought back to it, he was certain he had definitely dreamed of them at some point. as he added the final touches to the bouquet, he smiled at how beautiful it looked, imagined the recipient’s face as they held it in their arms.
an idea struck him then, a smile curving his lips upward as he glanced at the time. the orders would be picked up soon, and then he’d be free. but there was time before pickup, and hans was determined to use it wisely.
taking some of the roses and laying them gently on his arranging table, he started to clean them up one by one, cutting them to a good length for a simple bouquet. this was not like any other bouquet. he wanted it to be perfect, each flower picked at their prettiest bloom, and each one arranged meticulously to show his admiration for the recipient.
once he was happy with the arrangement, he only had enough time to give himself a quick once-over in the mirror before it was pickup time. he couldn’t help but smile wider at the thought of pickup not just being about sunny now, but about picking up june too. for them to reunite after a long work day.
he made his way to the school in no time, his steps purposeful and light, a low hum escaping him as he crossed the threshold, the bouquet in one hand. he greeted a few of the other parents who were there early, and soon enough he was situated just outside, an excited figure waiting for the doors to open and for the kids to filter out with june’s guidance.
june stirred as the soft light of morning began to seep through the curtains, the faintest warmth brushing against his skin. his arms instinctively tightened around hans, who was nestled close. his breathing slowed as he took in the quiet comfort of the moment, his chest rising and falling in sync with hans’s, the faint blush on hans’s cheeks catching his attention even through his lidded eyes.
he didn’t speak at first, content to simply watch hans. a small smile tugged at his lips as he noticed a subtle twitch in hans’s expression, the faintest giveaway that his husband wasn’t as lost in sleep as he appeared.
with deliberate care, june shifted slightly, one hand trailing up hans’s back, his fingers tracing light patterns over his skin. he let his touch linger as he pressed a soft kiss to hans’s temple. “you’re terrible at pretending to be asleep,” june murmured against his skin, laced with affection. he pulled back just enough to see hans’s reaction, the corners of his mouth lifting into a teasing grin.
he leaned in again, this time capturing hans’s lips in a slow, gentle kiss, savoring the sweetness of the moment. his free hand came up to cradle hans’s face, his thumb brushing lightly over his cheek as he pulled away, resting his forehead against hans’s.
“i could get used to waking up like this,” june whispered, his voice soft but steady. he shifted slightly to lie more on his side, his arm wrapping around hans’s waist to hold him closer. “do you know how much i love you, hans?” he asked, the sincerity in his tone leaving no room for doubt.
june pressed another kiss to hans’s cheek, then his jaw, trailing lower until he stopped, resting his head against hans’s shoulder. “let’s stay here a little longer,” he said softly, his words barely audible as the morning grew brighter. “the world can wait. right now, i just want to hold you.”
with june’s ministrations making hans shiver, his touches leaving goosebumps on hans’ skin, he knew he had been found out. he was smiling before he even opened his eyes fully, his hands pulling june closer in response to the soft morning kiss.
“good morning to you too, and i love you,” he said as he caught his breath, letting his fingers play with the hair at the back of june’s neck. “you definitely said you love me several times last night.” there was the slightest blush that accompanied his response. “and i made sure to reply to each one."
his body pliant to june’s touch, he allowed the morning light to cast shadows lazily into the room as they remained like that, taking in every detail of each other with no rush. “we can definitely stay like this as long as we want.” his own arms wrapped around june tighter, his body very aware of every place june’s skin touched, as if each one was an extension of the previous night, of how they had confessed their love on each other’s skin and with words spoken in between longing sighs.
"i didn’t want to wake up yet,” he said, voice still laced with sleep. hans looked around the room that was now theirs, their little shopping trip being fruitful in giving them bits and pieces to decorate with. with how the night ended, it definitely felt warmer now—more theirs. “i might get used to being woken up like this,” he teased, his smile evident in his voice even if june’s eyes were not on him. this time he was the one pulling june’s face closer to his, giving him a light kiss.
june closed his eyes as hans’ words settled over him, their sincerity filling the quiet hallway where he stood. he let the warmth in hans’ voice reach a part of him he rarely allowed anyone to touch, a part he didn’t even realize had been waiting for this. for him.
he took a breath, one hand brushing lightly against the wall behind him. “you’re right,” he said softly, the words carrying a weight he didn’t fully understand yet but wanted to. “it’s surprising how naturally this happened. like i wasn’t looking for it, but somehow… it still found me.”
he glanced at the clock, the sound of stirring faintly on the other side of the door grew louder pulled at his attention, but he stayed. “i think about that day a lot,” he admitted after a pause, his voice quieter now, reflective. “you coming into the classroom with sunny and handing me that gift. i didn’t know what to expect, but... it stayed with me. you stayed with me.”
he fell silent for a moment, letting hans’ earlier words replay in his mind. he swallowed hard, the sentiment pulling something deep from within him.
“i won’t regret it either,” he said, sounding more certain now. “whatever this turns into, whatever challenges come with it — i’m ready too.” he added, a small smile tugging at his lips. the faint sound of the kids settling back in the room made him glance toward the door again, but his focus stayed firmly on hans. “i think i should go now. i’ll see you soon?” he said, softer now, almost as if speaking a promise.
it felt freeing, talking this honestly with june, laying out all his thoughts and feelings on the table and being understood completely. hans felt a sense of contentment settle over him as he heard june’s reply, the idea that they both wanted to see where this was going without regretting any of it making him feel even more sure that he had found the right person to try this with. and, if things went well, he could also be the person he’d spend the rest of his life with.
hans let the silence settle between them for a minute longer, the assurance that they were both on the same page filling in the quiet. there was no awkwardness, no nagging feeling to say more, knowing there would be plenty of time for words when they had more things to say, and both of them were willing to listen. “i think we’ve got a good thing here, june,” he said when he spoke again, his voice showing his calmness. “i think we’ve found something good, and i can’t wait to see it grow with you.”
a vibration from his phone called hans’ attention to the time, with an afternoon order coming up. it was just as well that june mentioned needing to go, but he was content with the fact that it wasn’t goodbye. “i’ll definitely see you soon,” he said reassuringly, his heart beating faster already anticipating seeing june again. “i’ll be there as soon as i’m done with work, and you and sunny better have fun while waiting for me,” he said with a lighthearted tone.
there was a brief pause, hans hesitating despite himself, wanting to extend the call for a little bit more even if just to hear june’s faint breathing on the other line. his hold on his phone grew tighter, as if it would put time on pause for a little bit as he spoke, “i really like you, june.”
a slow smile appeared on his face as he let those words out with a sigh of relief, the knowledge that his feelings were out there making him feel lighthearted. “okay, i need to end this call now before we both get in trouble—see you!” he waited a few more seconds before hanging up, looking at his phone screen to show how long their call had been.
it felt longer than the time that registered on his phone, as if he hadn’t stopped talking to june all morning. and maybe that’s how it should feel when talking to someone you like—as if time didn’t matter, as if time could go on endlessly as long as they wanted.
june’s breath caught as hans’s hands moved over him, tracing his skin in a way that spread through his entire body. he felt his heart beat faster, the weight of the moment feeling heavy and yet so comforting all at once. he couldn’t help but close his eyes for a second, savoring the feeling of hans’s touch, the intimacy they shared growing more profound with every shift, every caress.
his hands moved to hans’s back, fingers pressing into the fabric of his shirt as he pulled him closer, as if he could feel the heat of hans’s desire in every inch of their bodies. he kissed hans deeply again, slow and hungry, pulling him into the bed with him as they both tumbled onto it together.
the bed felt soft beneath them, but june hardly noticed. he was more focused on the feeling of hans’s lips against his, the soft burn of his skin under hans’s touch. their bodies shifted, moving in a rhythm they didn’t need words for. june’s hands wandered down hans’s sides, memorizing the contours of him, the way his body responded to his every touch.
he could feel the rush of emotions building, and it was almost overwhelming — the love, the freedom, the connection between them, everything that made their bond so special. he felt more and more certain that they were exactly where they were meant to be.
june pulled hans closer, letting their bodies mold together as the kiss deepened once more. his hand slid under hans’s shirt, fingertips brushing the soft skin of his stomach. he shifted slightly, guiding hans’s body so that they could lay more comfortably, his arms winding around hans to hold him even tighter. there was no space between them now.
"you’re mine, hans," he whispered against his lips, full of raw emotion. "and i’ll never let you go."
june kissed him again, his hands tracing the curve of hans’s back, his touch tender but insistent. the world outside didn’t matter anymore. in this bed, in this moment, it was just the two of them — together.
as the night gave way to a fresh morning, hans found himself nestled comfortably in june’s arms, waking up slowly to the feel of his warm skin. memories of the night before brought a smile to his lips as his sleepy eyes adjusted to the early morning light, the room slowly coming into focus on the edges of june’s outline.
the blanket they had carefully chosen covered their bodies wrapped around each other tightly, as if the littlest space was not allowed to come between them. clothes discarded in haste were on the floor, and june was a sight to behold, his chest rising and falling to a steady rhythm, his hair in disarray making him look even more beautiful in the sunlight slowly streaming in through the windows.
hans contented himself in basking in the stillness of the morning, not wanting to disturb june’s peaceful slumber after the night they had. the recollection made hans blush even as he nestled closer, his lips pressing a light kiss on june’s cheek. his june. who made him his hans in every way last night.
they truly were husbands now, inseparable in both their body and soul. the smile on his lips betrayed his stillness as he closed his eyes once more, pretending to still be asleep when june woke up.
june leaned his head back against the wall, his lips curving into a smile as hans’ laugh warmed the space between them. he felt his chest tighten, not with unease but with something softer — something he’d let himself believe he wasn’t going to find again. it was rare to hear hans sound so free, so light, and knowing he was part of that felt more significant than he could put into words.
“raising kids is a lot, even at a small scale,” june admitted, glancing at the closed door behind him as if he could see the little ones on the other side. “but i love it. the chaos, the mess, the silly stories they come up with — it’s all worth it when you see their faces light up over the smallest things.” he let out a quiet breath, his gaze drifting to the floor, letting the weight their words sink in.
he paused, his thumb absently running along the edge of the phone as he gathered his thoughts. “i don’t know the last time i really let myself feel this way about someone. it’s not easy, putting yourself out there again after a while. but with you? it doesn’t feel scary. it feels… good, kind of.” the sound of shuffling from the nap room reminded june of where he was, but he stayed put. “i don’t know what this will look like, or how we’re supposed to figure it all out,” he admitted, vulnerability in his words. “but i know i want to try. with you. i think i’d regret it if i didn’t.”
june let the silence settle for a beat, not uncomfortable but full, before his voice picked up again, lighter now. “though, you know, you’ve set a pretty high bar already. closing the shop, giving me your undivided attention… you’re going to have me sneaking out into hallways more often just to keep up.” he grinned, his teasing filled with affection as he let his head fall back against the wall again.
the sound of june’s voice on the other line was soothing, making hans feel connected to someone else in a way he hadn’t been in a while. he listened closely as june spoke, not wanting to miss a single word or the cadence in his voice as he spoke with sincerity. hans could feel his own emotions rise to the surface in response, a longing that he hasn’t allowed himself to feel in a while either.
“it’s the same for me. haven’t really found the time to put myself out there—i think i could have if i really wanted, but i always found an excuse to put it on hold. but this happened so naturally, that it still surprises me, in a good way,” he said softly, despite being alone in the shop. it felt like a conversation no one else was privy to.
“i believe some things happen at the right time for a reason, and maybe that one visit to the school to give you a gift needed to happen when it did for us to see each other. to recognize that we could… have this.” the words felt like a confirmation of hans’ feelings, of how easy it was to talk to june, how each moment spent with him felt so right. “i think we can figure it out as long as we both commit to it,” he added with the same vulnerability and sincerity in his tone.
his eyes fell to the clock, counting down the hours until he could see june again. that was something he could smile at now, too. that simple fact that he had something to look forward to now aside from pickup time. that sunny and him could have a little more of june after everyone else has gone home.
“you know,” hans breathed, his words slow and measured, “i don’t think i’ll regret anything with you. however this pans out, i think it will be quite the ride and i’m ready for it.”
june felt the world fall away as hans pulled him closer, the warmth of their connection grounding him in a way he could never describe. hans’s whispered declaration of love lingered between them, sweeter than anything he could ever recall hearing, and the kiss they shared was like an unspoken vow — tender, patient, and filled with everything they’d built together.
when hans stammered, his voice breaking under the weight of his emotions, june’s breath caught in his throat. he knew that look in hans’s eyes, that vulnerability he rarely let shine. it made june’s heart ache, a swelling tide of emotions he could barely contain. he reached up to cradle hans’s face in his hands, his thumbs brushing gently over flushed cheeks as hans tugged at his shirt, their lips meeting again in a kiss that spoke volumes where words weren’t needed.
as hans guided them down to the edge of the bed, june couldn’t help the quiet laugh that bubbled up — a soft, breathless sound that carried the weight of his happiness. “i want that too, hans,” june murmured, his voice steady despite the storm of feelings brewing within him. “i want to make this night ours..”
june shifted slightly, taking a moment to trace the curve of hans’s jaw with his fingers, memorizing his features, how his coy smile made him look both boyish and heartbreakingly beautiful. “i don’t think i’ll ever get over how lucky i am to have you,” he said softly, voice laced with awe. “to be the one who gets to hold you, to share this life with you.“ he paused, leaning in to brush a kiss against hans’s cheek, his lips lingering for a moment before trailing to his ear. “and if this night belongs to us then i plan to make it unforgettable,” he leaned in to kiss hans again — slow, deliberate, and filled with a love that would carry them through this night and every night to come.
hans shivered at june’s touch, the feeling of freedom he felt making it even more special that he could be this close to june, this intimate, with no one to stop them. he closed his eyes at the feel of june’s soft words whispered in his ear, his hands clutching tightly at his shirt as he took a deep inhale in response to the electric current june awakened in him.
the kiss felt like an invitation to eventually loosen up his hands’ grip on june’s shirt, letting his palms feel the expanse of june’s chest, trailing down the length of his shirt until he reached the hem, lifting it slightly to feel the skin underneath. cheeks flushed and breathless, he felt a fire within him as the kiss deepened, a soft exhale of june’s name escaping his lips. “right now, all i want is you,” he whispered with the same breathless tone.
his hands lingered on june’s waist, touching the area lightly as he hesitated, his eyes looking into june’s. “i’m the lucky one here. i get to be with you like this, to touch you, to be loved by you.” the words carried a deeper meaning, one he knew june could see in his eyes as he swallowed the nervousness that threatened to rise to the surface as his cheeks shone a deep red.
he dipped his head down to plant a trail of soft kisses along the outline of june’s jaw, letting his instincts take over, to show june what he couldn’t say in words. “my june,” he whispered in between kisses, each one a small declaration of love on june’s skin.
june couldn’t stop the smile tugging at his lips as hans’ voice came through his phone. there was something so grounding about it, familiar, yet at the same time, it made his heart beat a little faster, like he was discovering something precious all over again.
“…so you closed the shop?” his voice held equal parts amusement and disbelief, though the warmth in it betrayed how much he loved hearing that hans was making time for him. june could imagine hans standing there with that small, satisfied smile — just the thought of it made him shake his head fondly, his own grin starting to form.
the teasing tone disappeared as he shifted his weight against the wall, the quiet making everything feel a little more intimate. “you’re right. there’s something nice about being a part of people’s celebrations. it’s… quiet work, but it matters.” the hum of the hallway settled around him again, and june let the words sit between them, unhurried. there was no rush — not with hans. that was something he was learning, too.
“you know,” he added after a moment, his tone laced with warmth, “i don’t think i’d mind if you called me every day.” june let out a soft, low laugh, though there was nothing but honesty in his next words. “i like this, hans. i like us — whatever this is, it’s nice.”
as he listened to the mixture of amusement and disbelief in june’s tone, he couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh, admitting to what he had done. “i closed it for just a few minutes,” he said, a teasing defensiveness in his tone, though the next words were nothing but sincere. “i think i want my undivided attention over here right now.”
talking to june, sharing little bits and pieces of their day on his break, felt so natural that hans could not even think about previous days when he hadn’t done it. as he settled back into his chair, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that this felt like how he should have been doing it all along. “and you get to be a part of raising bright, imaginative kids too. that’s something to celebrate as well,” he whispered into his phone, hoping it conveyed the appreciation he had for june.
an easy blush crept up his cheeks as june commented on this—us, he had said. he had called them an “us.” not just a “you” and a “me,” but something that signified their togetherness. it felt like something had burrowed into hans’ heart, making his heart do a little silly dance at the word.
when he spoke in response, his smile was evident in his voice too. “i like us too, june. it’s really, really nice. you make me feel like a kid on christmas morning.” he paused, letting the words settle within his chest, staring at a spot in his desk to anchor him to the moment. “i haven’t been in a relationship in a while, but… i’d like to see where this goes.”
june felt the warmth of hans’s hands on his shoulders, the way he pulled them impossibly closer, and for a moment, it was as though the world outside their walls ceased to exist. it was just them — hans’s lips against his, full of promises, and the quiet hum of their shared breaths as they came together like they always did, naturally, completely.
his heart thudded in his chest as hans’s words settled between them, filled with all the affection that june was slowly starting to believe he deserved. a garden of dreams. a garden of love. the image was enough to bring a soft flush to his cheeks, though he couldn’t tell if it was from hans’s kiss or the meaning behind those words.
he smiled, his hands coming to rest at hans’s waist. “i think we’re already planting the seeds for that garden,” june murmured, his voice low as it it was a secret. he leaned in again, brushing his lips over hans’s temple, lingering there as if to seal his words into hans’s skin.
pulling back slightly, his gaze softened as he looked into hans’s eyes. “back in the palace, i didn’t think i could have a life like this. something as simple as a bed that’s ours, a night that belongs to us, kisses we don’t have to steal.” he paused, his thumb tracing soothing circles along hans’s waist. “but you gave me that, hans. you showed me what freedom really is — freedom to love you as deeply as i do.” his voice grew softer now, more reverent.
june smiled then, his expression soft yet full of promise. he reached up, brushing his knuckles gently against hans’s cheek before letting his hand settle along hans’s jaw. he leaned in, pressing his forehead lightly to hans’s, their breaths mingling in the quiet space between them. “we can test just how sturdy this bed really is. i’m not above a little experimentation for the sake of practicality, after all.” with that, june kissed him again — soft and slow.
hans felt the tiredness of the day slowly slip away to the back of his mind as june’s touch caressed his skin, each one a powerful jolt that made hans feel awake, alert, and anticipating. he looked into those eyes, always looking at him so fondly, and he knew exactly what june meant. now, they had all the freedom they wanted to love fully, to not succumb to anyone else anymore. “i love you, june,” he whispered before their lips connected once more into a slow, tender kiss.
his hands tightened around june, pulling him impossibly closer as the kiss deepened, a soft, satisfied sound escaping hans’ chest. with his body pressed against june, with his arms holding him securely, he felt weightless, like this love had taken away all the worries he had ever had, replacing them with something light, something strong that bubbled deep within hans, making his heart beat even faster as their lips parted.
his gaze remained on june, his expression honest and vulnerable. “june, i—“ he stuttered, his hans loosening around the nape of june’s neck just enough to let them slide down to his chest, resting there tentatively as he tried to catch his breath. it wasn’t about testing the bed, not really. the teasing tone was no longer there, hans’ heartbeat giving way to the honesty in his voice—the unspoken need. to be with june, completely and fully.
he could feel his cheeks heating up, hesitating for a minute before his fingers curled up into fists tugging at june’s shirt, pulling him close for another kiss instead. there was no rush. no need to explain. they were free. free to feel, to kiss until the morning light, to love.
he could feel the edges of the bed on the back of his knees and, with a pause, he brought himself down to the bed, sitting at the edge, pulling june down with him. “this night belongs to us, my husband,” he echoed what june had said earlier, a small coy smile on his lips. he felt like how someone would describe their wedding night—his nerves alive with electricity, his cheeks flushed, and his heart warm. “i want to make the most of it with you.”
june had been watching the soft rise and fall of the kids’ breathing when the vibration of his phone startled him slightly. he glanced down, and there it was — hans’ name lighting up his screen once again. his heart stuttered in that familiar, unexpected way it always did when hans was involved. he took a quick breath, glancing over at the sleeping children one last time before quietly rising to his feet and slipping out of the room, shutting the door with practiced gentleness.
he answered the call as he walked into the hallway, his voice soft and warm. “hi.”
that single word carried more weight than it should have, like it was more than just a greeting. like it was a piece of everything june couldn’t say all at once — how he’d been waiting for this, how hans had already made his day better just by showing up on the other end of the line.
he smiled to himself, leaning against the wall outside the classroom where it was quiet enough for them to talk. there was a pause — small but telling before he spoke again. “i think you might be turning me into a rule breaker, hans. taking phone calls at work, sneaking out into the hallway…” he glanced down the corridor, almost like someone would catch him.
june’s voice softened even more as he leaned his shoulder against the wall, his thumb idly brushing over the edge of the phone. “how’s the shop?”
as soon as hans heard the line connect and june speak on the other end, an easy smile was on his face, as if everything was finally falling into its rightful place. this felt like where he needed to be right now, talking to june, bridging the physical gap between them through a simple phone call.
“hey,” came his reply, a little breathless exhale of a word that conveyed the relief he felt now that he could hear june. “oh so you snuck out into the hallway huh,” he teased, his smile growing wider at the thought of june walking on tiptoes to avoid disturbing the napping children, all just to get to pick up the call. "i think you might have to practice this skill, maybe i’ll call you daily now to make sure.” he was half-joking, knowing there would be times they’d be busy, but the idea still sounded so appealing.
hans looked up at the shop around him, surveying his quiet surroundings before replying. he didn’t need to sneak out like june, but there was definitely a part of him that did not want a customer to come in and interrupt this moment.
making a sudden decision, he crossed the room to the door and flipped the sign quickly, letting everyone know it was closed for the hour. then, with a satisfied smile, he answered, “it’s going well, no customers at the moment.” there was only the slightest indication in his tone that he had done something to keep customers from entering even if they wanted. “i did get a curious order for this afternoon, though. one of my regulars is celebrating their daughter’s birthday. it’s nice to be a part of their life celebrations too, even if it’s just to deliver flowers.”
june watched hans with a quiet, adoring gaze as he smoothed out the sheets and fluffed the pillows with a small, triumphant smile, so proud of even the smallest of tasks. it wasn’t grand or extraordinary — but to june, it was everything. hans, content and giddy, talking about dreams on top of bedsheets they had chosen together, under a roof they were calling their own. june could feel how precious it all was to him.
he stepped closer, reaching out to brush a hand along the edge of the pillow hans had set in place. “you know,” he began, his voice low and steady, the warmth of his tone filling the space between them, “i think you’re right. this bed will hold more dreams than we could ever count.” his gaze softened as he looked up at hans, eyes alight with something deep. june leaned forward, pressing his palms lightly against the mattress to test its softness, his lips quirking in a small, playful smile.
straightening up, he looked at hans fully, his smile quiet but steadfast as he stepped closer. he reached out, tugging hans gently by the waist until they were standing chest-to-chest again. “so yes,” june murmured, his breath a soft whisper against hans’s temple as he held him. “let’s dream here, on this bed. let’s make it the place where we wake up to each other, day after day. where we dream about gardens and breakfasts and memories we haven’t even made yet.”
june smiled then—a real, unguarded smile—as he glanced over at the bed hans had so carefully put together. “but first,” he said, a playful lilt in his voice now, “i think you’re right. it’s ready. and i’m ready to see if it’s as comfortable as it looks.” he tugged hans toward the bed, laughter in the corners of his voice.
as hans looked into june’s eyes, that playful, arresting smile dancing on his lips as they stood chest to chest, he couldn’t help the giggle that escaped his lips. june’s playfulness was infectious, and the way he smiled that unguarded smile was definitely something hans would remember even in his dreams. that he got to be the recipient of such smile felt like a wonder he could never believe.
“we’ll do more than dream too,” he said, his tone matching june’s playfulness as he inched forward, pressing their bodies even closer. his hands reached up to rest lightly on june’s shoulders, his lips slightly parted. “now that the bed is all ready for us to lay down on it... it feels sturdy, don’t you think?”
the idea of waking up next to june every day was enough to make hans’ heart swell with affection, but the idea of sleeping next to june—next to his husband—brought out a whole new set of emotions. he closed the gap between their lips with a simple kiss, his fingers clasped together behind june’s neck, pulling him closer. they could do this freely now, no need to hide behind closed doors or to sneak out so that no one could see.
june could pull him by the waste any time, and he could lean in for a kiss just because. this was their new life, their freedom. and hans was ready to explore it completely. as the kiss ended, hans kept his gaze on june, his eyes speaking volumes as his hands stayed at the nape of june’s neck. he whispered, fondly, “we could make our own garden of dreams here, our own garden of love, blooming with each night we spend together.”
