No one else bothered the pair on their way into their future. After only two hours of anxious wait, the sailors raised the anchor and bustled about the ship to set sail. Hongjoong and Seonghwa pressed against the railing to be out of their way. Through the hollering and cursing of nautical slang, they shared an excited grin. Seonghwa's coins were enough to ensure they didn't need to work while they were on board, and soon the ship turned to sail into the open water. The clear night that greeted them was breathtaking and reflected on the gentle waves lapping on the hull of their ship.

They made it out alive. Finally, they were on the journey to a faraway place somewhere where the stars greeted them. 

The wind ruffled through Hongjoong's hair when he lowered his hood. He was tentative to expose himself as if others might still be after them, but nothing happened. Everyone aboard this ship had their own reasons to travel away from this place. When hope warmed Hongjoong's chest, Seonghwa also brushed off his hood. On the railing before them, his ginger fingers settled atop of Hongjoong's to cover them. The vampire looked more breathtaking than ever between the twinkle of the night and the fathomless depths of the sea.

"Let's not fret from now on," Seonghwa suggested with a charming smile. The wind brushed through his hair as if taken with his appearance and was unable to resist the draw. Awed, Hongjoong stared up at him.

"Let's get comfortable in our new home and not provoke those who might endanger us. This is a new beginning. For you and me, but also the two of us together."

Hongjoong laced his fingers between Seonghwa's, leaning close to share his affection while the ship gradually calmed once they were on course. Some other guests mingled around, but no one disturbed the pair.

"What shall we do first?" He asked, begging to hear more of Seonghwa's voice whispering about their lives that were now intertwined. A week ago, Hongjoong wouldn't have fathomed his fate to take this path, but now, with the vampire by his side, it felt righter than ever before.

"We will find a town we like. None too big, yet none too small. A place where we can hide well. I will pick a charming home for us to live in and decorate it while you search for work. We can have pets if you want. Or sleep in coffins."

Hongjoong giggled since that had become such a central part of his perception of Seonghwa. The vampire had no issues sleeping in a bed, but it seemed he preferred the eerie resting location. 

"I still know how to cook, so you won't ever have to come home to a cold hearth. In return, I would like you to bring me flowers sometimes. The ones in the tomb reminded me I liked to tend to them once."

Hongjoong nodded before his mind gathered its wits.

"All the flowers. I will bring them to you," he promised. The shine of Seonghwa's eyes rivalled the stars above. The moon reflected its shining light on the water, dancing as if in joy as the lonesome boat cut through the silence. 

"We can settle down there. If we are careful, we won't have to leave again. With you by my side, I can live among humans without giving myself away."

"I'll be there for whatever need you might crave. You can bite me all you want, all the time," Hongjoong babbled, and perhaps he sounded too eager because Seonghwa's grin became more playful.

"We definitely need a bed," was all he said, and Hongjoong cast his face away when a fresh bout of shyness hit him. The giddiness of his heart was warm and lively and so happy to spend more time with this charming vampire.

Seonghwa chuckled at him, fond of having won this round. When he looked out over the sea, the lulling up and down of the ship across the waves cast an even more enchanting spell around them two.

"Let's not run anymore," Seonghwa whispered, unveiling his own fear that was so similar to Hongjoong's yet that much realer. Vampires would always need to stay in hiding, but at least for a few years, Hongjoong wanted to create a normal life for Seonghwa. One not hindered by suspicion and pain.

"We will both take care and if we must leave, we will leave together," Hongjoong promised. Even if he found footing in their new community, Seonghwa was part of him now. Those who chased Seonghwa out also banished him.

Glad to have him by his side, Seonghwa smiled. When he noticed Hongjoong's struck gaze, he inched closer to his face. 

"Thank you for becoming so dear to me, my miting." 

Hongjoong huffed, not offended when Seonghwa's lips were so close to his and promised the sweetest kisses. Instead of an answer, he leaned to connect their yearnful faces and his eyes fluttered shut as they sealed their promise under the stars.

-

An obnoxiously gigantic bouquet of various spring flowers nudged into Hongjoong's shoulder and obscured his sight. He circled his head around to dip his chin into the sweet petals instead, rustling to keep the many stalks secured yet not lose his pace down the street.

Occasionally, he bought his flowers, but today he had rushed on his courier tasks so he had time to pluck these himself before he went home. As he scurried past vendors and women working in front of their little houses, they chuckled at his pace and reddened cheeks. 

Four years had passed, and the townsfolk had long since got used to the sight of their overzealous courier rushing home. He always brought flowers with him. Sometimes, only a single one to convey his most precious thought, other times a whole bunch, more than his arms could fit, as today. When he first got to know the people living in the area, they greeted him with curiosity, asking who it was he sought to woo. They praised his effort and consistency, so they had been surprised the first time Hongjoong brought Seonghwa outside with him and they learned they already coupled up. Their relationship soon became a children's tale. The stunning - yet sickly - beauty who tended to their home and his hardworking lover who rushed his work to have time to gift him flowers. Not few husbands nearby got an earful from their wives and brought home flowers with grumbles from then on.

With the passing years, the curiosity levelled and people only chuckled fondly when Hongjoong dashed past. He always looked delighted to return home, as if it was his very first time meeting his darling. And for Hongjoong, it always was. Every day was a gift, and he was thankful people cherished their story. So long as Seonghwa awaited him in their home, no day of work stretched for long.

Hongjoong left the street with the many houses behind and raced over the trampled path leading through the blooming spring meadows. They purchased a small villa further outside of the town, away from the watchful eyes of the humans, yet not so far that they seemed ignorant. Its facade was an innocent white and flowers decorated their garden and windowsills, giving nothing away about the vampire that settled there. Its sight always filled Hongjoong with pride. He did that. His safe haven.

Jumping up the steps to the door, Hongjoong fumbled left and right of the flowers for his key. Before he had to squish them to reach it, the entrance door before him opened. In a white ruffled shirt, Seonghwa stood before him and smiled at his mess of a lover. In an instant, Hongjoong stopped his rustling and beamed up at him.

"Hello," he greeted him breathlessly and his strain flushed his cheeks and quickened his breath, making him so endearingly human to Seonghwa.

The tall vampire inclined his head. He had grown out his hair and it cascaded in long, beautiful strands of ink across his shoulders. Part of it was tucked up, but whatever he had been doing around the house had unravelled it so it contrasted with the pale of his skin and the red of his lips.

A delicate hand reached out to tug the courier hat from Hongjoong's head. His sweaty curls relished the rush of fresh air and he hadn't even noticed how heated he got. He grinned when Seonghwa knew so well what he needed.

"It's getting warm these days," he said as he kicked off his shoes. Seonghwa held the door for him as Hongjoong shuffled inside. Then, he presented all the flowers, the oranges and purples and greens he picked without knowing which was which but aware of their unmatched beauty.

"For you!" As if they could be for anyone else.

Seonghwa's ginger hands scooped them from Hongjoong's hold so he could bury his face in their midst. As he inhaled, he was as gorgeous as the flowers that posed so lightly in his grip. Hongjoong reminded himself to breathe when his lungs still screamed for air. His legs were hot from his run. 

"These are especially beautiful. You plucked them yourself?" Seonghwa asked as he made for the kitchen. He retrieved a vase from there and sorted his flowers into it while Hongjoong got himself some water. He chugged it down before he gasped out a hum.

"Just for you," Hongjoong announced proudly. Once his energy was replenished, he shrugged off his jacket and hung it over a chair. Seonghwa's smile was pleased, and he kept dipping to smell the flowers. Each time his lashes fluttered, Hongjoong's heart somersaulted in his chest.

Seonghwa always cherished his flowers. He planted them in their garden or he treasured them until they wilted and even longer. His study upstairs featured the wilted ones bound into charming bundles, or he pressed them between the pages of his books to decorate the house with them. Whenever he came up with a new idea, Hongjoong rejoiced, since he adored how Seonghwa treasured life.

As soon as the flowers dominated the small table with their lush shine, Seonghwa came around its side. His cool hand found Hongjoong's jaw, cradling it to provide some relief to his heated skin. Enough sunny days this year tanned him into a honeyed tone that beautifully contrasted with Seonghwa's paleness like the moon. When he sunk into the chair, he pulled Hongjoong along and the human happily dropped onto his lap, finding his resting spot after a long day of bustling about. Held captive in Seonghwa's secure grip, he sighed in bliss as the vampire buried his head in Hongjoong's nape for a hug. He smelled of sweat and the sun and the scent of the flowers clung to his shirt. 

At ease, Hongjoong embraced him back.

"Did you do something fun today?" He asked, as his fingers carded through Seonghwa's silken hair. Their dinner was prepared, waiting for them over the fire, and Hongjoong looked forward to what Seonghwa whisked up for him.

Humming, Seonghwa cherished their moments of togetherness. The flowers brightened up the room with their shine, glowing in the light of the setting sun that fell through the windows.

"I fetched water from the well and watched the bunnies hop through the garden. My book is almost finished so I must accompany you to the town soon to buy another," he sighed, wistfully at peace, though he always missed Hongjoong.

Chuckling, Hongjoong remembered his money and how he planned to purchase a gift for Seonghwa soon. He had saved up to buy him material to build new covers for the old books he carried around since the tomb which were breaking apart. For now, he kept the secret.

"Of course. Sounds like a joyous day."

Seonghwa pulled back to look at Hongjoong and he hadn't aged a day, only became more beautiful at the peace of their home.

"I also missed you," he sulked. "I kept thinking how I would draw you into the sheets with me as soon as you were back."

Hongjoong huffed a surprised giggle. Who could resist him? Not Hongjoong.

"Well, here I am. My dinner can wait for a while longer," he offered and caught sight of Seonghwa's grin before the vampire dived in to kiss Hongjoong. The softness of his kiss was full of devotion and the nick of his teeth mild as he dared a careful taste of Hongjoong's blood.

Interested, Hongjoong slung his arms around Seonghwa's shoulder to deepen their kiss and the passion that had never extinguished between them. He floated in Seonghwa's arms when the vampire picked him up to carry him to their bed, which they shared to have all the time and space to be dedicated to one another and spend every moment of their new life in joy.