after the final bell rang through the school, seonghwa quickly grabbed whatever books he needed for the day and headed towards hongjoong's locker. hongjoong was finally going to meet seonghwa's parents, and seonghwa was very excited about it.

as he approached hongjoong's locker, he poked the younger's sides, startling him a bit. hongjoong jumped up and turned around, smiling once he noticed it was only seonghwa who had poked him. he began giggling, closing his locker and picking up his backpack to head out of the building with the older.

"you're so silly, seongie!" hongjoong playfully hit the older.

"i just wanted to get your attention, joongie. come on, let's go to my house now." seonghwa smiled and began walking towards the exit of the school. hongjoong followed closely behind, walking with a bounce in his step.

even though the boy was extremely nervous to meet seonghwa's parents, he was even more nervous to talk about the kiss. after seonghwa had kissed hongjoong yesterday, they never discussed it. hongjoong was dying to talk to the older about it, but he didn't want to be the first one to bring it up.

what if he hated the kiss? maybe that's why he's not talking about it... but he said it was the best kiss he'd ever had, but what if he was lying? what if he said that to make me feel better?

they made their way to the student parking lot and seonghwa unlocked the car doors, both boys taking their seats in the driver's and passenger's sides. seonghwa backed out of the spot and started driving off, taking hongjoong's hand and holding it in his own as his other hand held onto the steering wheel.

"seongie, i can't wait to see your house!" hongjoong began speaking over the background music seonghwa was playing through the speakers.

"i'm excited for you to see it too. i'll show you around my room and everything!" seonghwa glanced over to hongjoong and smiled, hongjoong's heart fluttering at the boy's beauty.

"will your mommy and daddy be at your house when we get there?" hongjoong nervously asked.

"no, they're both at work still. my mom will be home at around five and my dad comes home at six, is that ok?" seonghwa replied and hongjoong let out a big breathe he was holding in.

"that's great! now i get some time to calm my nerves beforehand." hongjoong giggled and seonghwa squeezed hongjoong's hand in reassurance.

"baby, i already told you this yesterday. my parents are going to love you, you have nothing to worry about! i mean it." seonghwa said and hongjoong nodded his head, not wanting to speak more on the matter.

they pulled up to a rather small yet beautiful house. hongjoong smiled, seeing all the beautiful trees with different colored leaves standing tall in front of seonghwa's beige home. seonghwa put his car in park and turned it off before stepping out of the vehicle. hongjoong followed, hopping out and taking his backpack with him.

"you have such a pretty house!" hongjoong complimented as the boys walked up to the front door, seonghwa turning the key to unlock the white door.

"thank you, joongie." seonghwa answered, "now, here's my house!" he cheered with open arms.

hongjoong stepped in and looked around as seonghwa locked the door behind them. seonghwa laughed at how adorable hongjoong looked with his big doe eyes looking at each and every corner of the house.

"want me to show you around?" seonghwa asked and hongjoong nodded his head vigorously.

"yes!" hongjoong replied and seonghwa first took the boy to the living room, showing him the cozy space where his family typically hangs out after long days at work and school.

"wow seongie, i love your couch! it's dark red!" hongjoong looked amazed, quickly taking a seat on the fluffy sofa.

"yeah, it's maroon. my mom's favorite color." seonghwa sat down next to the younger, hongjoong attacking the older with a hug.

"that's so cool! my couches are just boring brown." hongjoong giggled, getting his face very close to seonghwa's as he did so.

hongjoong's heart began racing when he noticed seonghwa look down at his lips just like he did yesterday at his front door. he remembered the kiss from yesterday, still scared that seonghwa hated it. before seonghwa could lean in and kiss the younger, hongjoong quickly hopped off the couch and started jumping up and down.

"seongie, can i see your room now? please please please!" the younger begged and seonghwa laughed at his actions, shaking his head at how adorable hongjoong was.

"of course baby, let's go." seonghwa grabbed hongjoong's hand and began walking towards his bedroom.

once the boys entered the room, seonghwa shut the door behind them and took a seat on his bed. hongjoong began running around, looking in detail at every single thing in the older's room.

"seongie, who's this?" hongjoong pointed at a poster on seonghwa's wall, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"that's aaron judge, he's an american baseball player. he's my favorite." seonghwa explained and hongjoong nodded his head, quickly running to the other side to ask another question.

"what about this?" hongjoong questioned, pointing to an exercise ball seonghwa had in his room.

"it's an exercise ball. i've had that for years, i haven't used it since primary school if i'm being honest." seonghwa chuckled, scratching the back of his head as he spoke.

"how does it work?" hongjoong asked.

"you sit on it and bounce up and down." seonghwa explained and hongjoong's eyes widened, the boy running over to it and taking it out of the corner. he sat down and began bouncing at turbo speed.

seonghwa stood up and ran over to the boy, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him from moving, "baby, if you go that fast you'll get a headache!" seonghwa laughed and hongjoong stopped, standing up and waddling over to seonghwa's bed, completely forgetting the exercise ball still existed.

"hyung, your bed is so comfy!" hongjoong laid down in the bed, grabbing onto a pillow and cuddling into it.

seonghwa walked over and sat down next to hongjoong, putting a hand on the boy's thigh, "yeah, it is pretty comfy."

hongjoong quickly sat up and locked eyes with seonghwa. once again, their faces were only centimeters apart. hongjoong's breath hitched as he saw seonghwa's eyes glace down, the older leaning in slowly.

before seonghwa could kiss hongjoong, he stopped the boy by pushing on his chest lightly.

"wait, i'm sorry seongie." hongjoong apologized, looking down into his lap as he spoke. seonghwa furrowed his eyebrows, confused as to why hongjoong stopped him from kissing him twice in one day.

"joongie, are you ok? are you not ready for kissing? i'm sorry if i overstepped my boundary yesterday, i didn't know you weren't comfortable with it." seonghwa apologized, his heartbeat increasing as he spoke.

hongjoong quickly shook his head, "no seongie, that isn't it."

"than what's wrong?" seonghwa asked, even more confused than before.

"i... um," hongjoong dragged out, "it's just that, i've never kissed anyone besides you. i know you said yesterday that the kiss was nice, but i can't help but think you've had better than me. i don't want to be a disappointment, i'm sorry for being inexperienced."

seonghwa felt horrible for the younger. he had no idea hongjoong was feeling this way about the kiss.

"baby, i never want to hear you apologize for being 'inexperienced' ever again." seonghwa put finger quotes around the word 'inexperienced', "just because you've never kissed anyone doesn't mean you're a bad kisser. there are plenty of people in this world who have kissed many people and are still bad. but you, with you the kiss was special. i felt something. something more, something i've never felt. i felt that spark, like the ones they talk about in movies. joongie, never say anyone is better than you. it's just not true."

hongjoong blushed a deep shade of red after hearing what seonghwa had to say. he couldn't keep his smile hidden, grinning ear to ear.

"thank you seongie." he shyly said.

"i mean it, you're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me." seonghwa replied and looked into hongjoong's eyes, leaning in once again.

their lips touched for the second time in their lives. unlike the first time, this kiss was deeper, more passionate than before. seonghwa snaked his hand around hongjoong's neck, pushing him in closer and kissing him harder. both boy's hearts were racing, beating out their chests. after one final small peck, seonghwa backed away and stared into the younger's eyes.

"see, the best kisser in the world." seonghwa reassured the younger, bopping his nose. hongjoong giggled in response, "now come on, let me show you around more."

----

as the boys sat on the living room couch, hongjoong heard the front door open. his heart immediately started racing, eyes widening in realization of who was there. seonghwa noticed the boy's body stiffen under his arm and he held his hand tight, looking reassuringly into hongjoong's eyes.

"come on joongie. you're going to love her, i promise." seonghwa smiled at hongjoong and stood up with him, still holding onto the younger's hand the entire time.

they turned around and were met with seonghwa's mother standing in the room, smiling widely at the two boys in front of her.

"hi boys, how are you? you must be hongjoong! seonghwa is always talking about you, i'm so glad to finally meet you." seonghwa's mom gushed, seonghwa giving her the evil eye for exposing him. hongjoong just giggled at the comment, covering his face a bit with his hands.

"yes! my name is hongjoong, but you can call me joongie!" hongjoong waved, nerves suddenly leaving his body after realizing how sweet the woman was.

"hi joongie. i'm mrs. park, but you can call me sunhee." she opened her arms for a hug, hongjoong immediately running in and holding onto her small body tightly.

"hongjoong was super nervous to meet you, and now look at him! you got to hug her before i did!" seonghwa laughed and hongjoong let go of the woman, backing away slowly.

"well i'm not nervous anymore. you remind me of my mommy, super sweet and caring!" hongjoong bounced a bit in his spot and seonghwa's mom put a hand on her heart, feeling extremely touched by hongjoong's words.

"that is just the cutest thing you could've ever said! i already love you so much joongie!" she smiled at the small boy as she gave her son a greeting hug, "well, would you boys like to help me make dinner? you don't have to, but we're having chicken cutlets and i know how much seonghwa loves making them!"

seonghwa smiled widely and hongjoong pouted a bit. he wanted to help, but he wasn't really allowed to do much in the kitchen and he was too embarrassed to admit it. seonghwa picked up on hongjoong's sudden change of emotions and realized why, coming up with a perfect job for hongjoong right on the spot.

"we'd love to. while i bread the chicken, mom can fry it. and joongie, you can set the table for us!" seonghwa exclaimed, giving his mother a knowing look which she thankfully picked up on.

hongjoong squealed in excitement, happy to help the family, "that's a perfect idea!"

"ok boys, let's get working before your father comes home!" the three of them began walking towards the kitchen and hongjoong's heart sunk once again.

as hongjoong began setting the table for four, his mind was running absolutely wild. sadly, hongjoong never had a father figure in his life. he didn't know the full story of why, but his parents divorced when he was just two years old. after the divorce, hongjoong has only seen his father three times; the first christmas after the divorce, the time his paternal grandmother died, and jongho's fourth birthday party. it had been fifteen years since he'd seen his father.

hongjoong always wondered if he was the reason his parents split. when he was born with a slight disability, hongjoong wondered if his dad couldn't handle that. if he was embarrassed of hongjoong, if he hated hongjoong. hongjoong didn't have the answer and was afraid he'd never know the answer, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

"baby, are you ok? you seem distraught." seonghwa wrapped his arm around the younger, back hugging him in an attempt to comfort hongjoong. hongjoong shook out of his negative thoughts and smiled widely at seonghwa.

"yeah, i'm sorry. i'm just nervous to meet your dad. you know, my dad isn't in the picture. i'm not sure how dads work." seonghwa's mother overheard the conversation and turned off the fryer, quickly walking over to hongjoong's side to comfort him.

"joongie, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. seonghwa's father is a sweet man. trust me, i wouldn't still be with him if he wasn't! i promise, he will love you." seonghwa's mom smiled widely, giving the small boy a reassuring hug. hongjoong nodded his head, thanking both of them for helping him get over his nerves.

as the family and hongjoong finished up dinner, the front door to seonghwa's house opened. seonghwa's father stepped into the house, taking off his jacket and shoes before entering further. he walked into the kitchen with a big smile on his face, already knowing that hongjoong was over for the evening. hongjoong immediately softened after seeing the man's warm smile, smiling back just as wide.

"hello everyone! i'm home." he exclaimed, walking straight to hongjoong. seonghwa quickly stopped what he was doing and walked over to properly introduce the two.

"dad, this is hongjoong, but he likes to be called joongie." seonghwa explained for the younger. seonghwa's dad chuckled at the adorable nickname and nodded his head.

"joongie, i like it. hello joongie, i'm mr. park. but that's boring, so you can call me boseon instead." he put his hand out for hongjoong to shake which the boy quickly took.

"hi boseon!" hongjoong replied, smiling widely at the man in front of him.

"what a beautiful smile you have, little one!" seonghwa's father complemented, making hongjoong giggle and cover his mouth.

"thank you boseon!" hongjoong cheered, feeling happy but also slightly embarrassed.

"ok boys, this little love fest is adorable and all but dinner's ready! we don't want it getting cold, come sit!" sunhee spoke up and all three boys made their way into a seat. seonghwa put hongjoong next to him, wanting to make sure the younger felt comfortable throughout the entire dinner.

hongjoong sat down and faced seonghwa, smiling widely. he was so thankful seonghwa had such a caring and welcoming family. seonghwa placed his hands on the smaller boy's lap, grabbing food for the two of them to devour.

i bought five more albums... i've spent over $450 now... i'm scared for when they get delivered and my mom finds out.

-vic