The melody of their past had settled, leaving only the present, a future they could now shape on their own terms. Their song was complete, but their story was just beginning. The days that followed were light, filled with soft touches and quiet laughter, stolen glances across the piano, and conversations that stretched into the early hours of the morning.
Seojun had never felt so free. For the first time in his life, music was no longer an escape but a celebration. A celebration of survival, of love, of rediscovery. And Elias was there, beside him, every step of the way.
One evening, as they sat on the balcony of Elias's lakeside mansion, watching the sun dip behind the horizon, Elias exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. Seojun noticed the tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers drummed nervously against the table.
"Something on your mind?" Seojun asked, tilting his head.
Elias hesitated, then reached for Seojun's hand, lacing their fingers together. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you. Something I should've asked a long time ago."
Seojun raised an eyebrow, his heartbeat picking up at the seriousness in Elias's tone. "Go on."
Elias took a deep breath, his grip tightening just slightly. "Seojun, will you be my boyfriend?"
Seojun blinked, momentarily stunned. Of all the things he had expected, this wasn't one of them. Not because he didn't want it he did, desperately but because a part of him still struggled to believe this was real. That after everything, after lifetimes of loss and longing, they had finally reached this moment.
Elias misread his silence, his expression flickering with uncertainty. "You don't have to answer right away," he added quickly. "I just… I don't want to waste any more time. Not when we've already lost so much."
Seojun let out a small, breathless laugh before squeezing Elias's hand. "You idiot. Of course, I'll be your boyfriend."
Relief flooded Elias's face, and before he could say anything else, Seojun pulled him into a deep kiss. The world faded, leaving only them two souls that had defied time, bound together once more.
When they finally pulled apart, Elias's eyes shone with something Seojun could only describe as pure happiness. "We should go to Korea," Elias said suddenly.
Seojun blinked. "What?"
Elias smiled. "You always talk about it. Your home. Your memories of the Han River, the places you used to play. I want to see it with you. I want to be a part of that world, not just the one we rebuilt here."
Seojun's heart clenched with warmth. "You'd do that? For me?"
Elias brushed a strand of hair from Seojun's face. "For us."
Tears prickled at the corners of Seojun's eyes, but he laughed instead, shaking his head. "Then let's do it. Let's go to Korea together."
Elias grinned. "Looks like we have a new adventure ahead."
And as they sat there, hands clasped, the stars beginning to twinkle above them, Seojun realized something
This time, their love wasn't just a memory waiting to be found.
It was real. It was theirs. And it was only the beginning.