Late, but happy birthday to Seonghwa. Today we'll give it a little angst.

Wooyoung gathered his things such as his wallet, phone, and store list. He was at the store but in his car. Right now, he was preparing himself to walk out in public. He rarely left the house, always ordering groceries home, but there was a reason.

In the small town they resided in, everyone knew his boyfriend. It was talk mainly spread by young adults who had gone to high school with Wooyoung and Seonghwa.

'Are you still with Seonghwa?' some guys would ask.

'Why do you ask?'

'I don't know. How have you two been doing?' From this question, they would probably flirt with Wooyoung, or on rare occasions, ask him about his safety.

Some of the older women did.

'How has Seonghwa been treating you?' was one of the many things asked. It always spiraled down to downright asking if Wooyoung was happy dating him.

So Wooyoung preferred to stay home instead. He just needed to avoid being the talk of the town for one day.

Yet there's only so much you can order online. Customized cake from the local store isn't one of them.

With a deep breath, Wooyoung opened the door and departed the car. He threw on his hood and briskly walked towards the entrance.

"Wooyoung?"

Fuck.

Wooyoung paused and turned towards the voice. "Oh. San."

San wasn't one of them.

"Hey. I haven't heard from you for a bit. How are you?"

"Just... home. Only working and staying home."

San looked at him sympathetically. "Is that fun? Just staying home?"

"No. But what can I do living in a town like this?"

San nodded with a chuckle. "Yeah. How's Seonghwa?"

"Good..."

San's smile faded, but he didn't want to push the male. "I see. I won't take your time. You know how weird this place is. Have Seonghwa call us sometime. It'd be nice to have two more players at our game nights."

Wooyoung softly smiled. "Yeah. Thanks."

Wooyoung pushed his shopping cart down the aisle while throwing in food. He's forgotten how refreshing it feels to leave the house.

Choosing a cake was not so easy. Wooyoung preferred to choose it to Seonghwa's taste more than his. Even if it meant the older would seldom eat it.

And as he looked at it sitting in his cart, Wooyoung almost regretted it. Why buy a cake for someone who wouldn't acknowledge it?

"It's not his fault," Wooyoung whispered to himself. "He didn't choose to be that way."

Upon returning home, Wooyoung noticed it as an entirely different world than outside. It was so quiet — a relaxing kind, but one that seemed so dull or tense.

"I'm back," Wooyoung muttered. He set the things down and walked around the house.

"Seonghwa?"

"Did anyone talk to you?" a gruff voice asked.

"Not like last time. Only San. He invited us again to a night with his friends."

"That's the most ridiculous excuse I've heard to flirt with you," Seonghwa replied.

Wooyoung chuckled and joined him on the couch. "I don't think so." He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

Seonghwa awkwardly set an arm around Wooyoung's shoulder. This is what their town talked about.

Seonghwa didn't experience emotions. His expressions rarely changed from a plain straight face. He didn't enjoy much social interaction either.

Wooyoung didn't care. At least, he's managed to convince himself he didn't. It was strange at first.

When he walked by couples in high school, he caught how touchy or smiley they were. They weren't afraid to display their love to the world.

Seonghwa... didn't do those things. Not even at home, which Wooyoung desired most of. A hug was something he could barely accomplish. Their intimacy was poor.

So why does he continue dating Seonghwa? Wooyoung thought he knew. But over the months together, it's gotten more and more unclear what the point of dating was. They were complete strangers.

"What did you buy?" Seonghwa was tired of the ugly silence.

"Oh! Yeah. Come." Wooyoung stood and outstretched a hand. Seonghwa took it, following him towards the kitchen.

"A cake?"

"Yeah. It's your birthday. Happy birthday!" Wooyoung threw his arms around the taller and kissed his cheek. Seonghwa roughly held his waist. Wooyoung knew he didn't mean to do it that way, but that's how it's usually executed.

At least he was trying.

"T-Thank you."

Wooyoung nestled into his hold for a moment. He only wanted to take advantage of this moment as much as he could. So he placed a softer kiss on Seonghwa's lips. He was never opposed to a kiss or two.

"We should probably cut the cake."

"Right. But let me—"

"Are those flowers?"

Wooyoung turned to see the direction in which Seonghwa's eyes led. "Yes! Do you like them? I thought they would look nice on our table."

Wooyoung quickly fixed them up into a dusty vase they had stored in the back of their cabinet. Throughout this, Seonghwa watched his every move.

"It goes nicely with the rest of the decorations. Let's see. I bought some candles, some cute plates, a pretty tablecloth—"

"Wooyoung."

"I think the colors will go well—"

"Wooyoung."

"Huh?" Wooyoung stopped what he was doing. "Yes, Seonghwa?"

"Are you happy with me?"

It was the question again. Wooyoung walked over and clutched Seonghwa's hands.

"Of course I am." Wooyoung caressed his cheek. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"No reason."

"There's always a reason."

Seonghwa plainly stared into Wooyoung's eyes.

"I can't remember the last time my birthday's been celebrated," he said. A soft smile formed on Wooyoung's face.

"Well, now we get to celebrate it." He turned around to open the packs of things he bought. Maybe it would be the two of them, but he bought enough for many. That's how special today was.

Seonghwa's eyes silently flickered back and forth from Wooyoung's hands to his face. He was so concentrated on setting their dining table up.

"Can I help?"

Wooyoung looked up a bit surprised. The reaction confused Seonghwa.

He stepped back. "Nevermind. I think you got it—"

Wooyoung laughed. "Of course. I'd love it if you helped. Blow some balloons for me if you want."

Seonghwa tilted his head. The balloons were different but cute. A tiny figure with pointy arms and legs was printed on them. To top it off, a petaled flower rested on its... forehead? or head? Seonghwa wasn't sure. But damn, it made him chuckle slightly.

Wooyoung tried not to react too much when he heard the sound. If he happily jumped at Seonghwa, it would probably scare the older quiet. So he casually looked over.

"What's up?" Wooyoung asked.

"It's a strange character," Seonghwa answered.

His boyfriend picked up the bag the balloons came in. "'Hehetmon,'" he read. "Hm. It's cute, though."

"Woah." Seonghwa gawked at the table now. Wooyoung had set it up well. Two awaiting plates with silverware were placed on opposite ends of the table. The center was his simple and small, yet elegant, cake with the vase of flowers beside it. Settled above the light blue tablecloth, it certainly brought some life into their quiet lifestyle. At least for a moment.

"Pretty, right?"

"Yeah."

Wooyoung noticed Seonghwa didn't move. "Aren't you going to sit? I want to take a picture."

"Of me?"

"It's your birthday," Wooyoung declared. "So yeah."

"I don't know." Seonghwa remained glued to the counter.

Wooyoung bit his lip. "I can take it with you."

Only with that did Seonghwa hesitantly nod and walk to his chair. It was uncommon for Wooyoung and Seonghwa to take photos. They never had much of a reason to. But something in Wooyoung just prompted him to want one. At least one.

"Hmm," Wooyoung hummed. How would they take it? There was no one to hold...

"Here." He motioned for Seonghwa to adjust a certain way. Without warning, he was sitting in the man's lap.

Neither Seonghwa nor Wooyoung said anything about it. Wooyoung didn't because he wanted to see how it felt, while Seonghwa was startled. They haven't been in this position in... forever. Maybe even never.

"Okay." Wooyoung adjusted the phone. Seonghwa swallowed down the uneasiness of seeing himself on screen. "Can you smile?"

"..."

"Seonghwa?"

"Smile?"

"Just a little, please. A tiny smile?" Wooyoung's eyes pleaded for him to do it. "I want to capture this moment of us."

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea," Seonghwa commented. "Let's cut the cake."

"No! I can take it like this..." Wooyoung unhappily snapped the picture, and for a second, he wished he didn't. He didn't want to remember gloomy moments like these.

"Alright. Light the candles. Or should I?"

"I can do it," Wooyoung replied. He tucked his phone away and reached for the candles, setting them on the cake.

"Wooyoung, you can get off now."

"Oh." The younger reluctantly stood. He quietly lit them before motioning for Seonghwa to blow.

"Make a wish first."

Either he wished for something short, or he didn't do it at all, is what Wooyoung thought. The blow was so languid; he almost wanted to tell Seonghwa to do better. Yet he couldn't.

The pair ate cake silently. Wooyoung started thinking this was all wrong. It all had a disheartening mood. This could've been avoided if he hadn't gone to the store at all. For all he knew, Seonghwa wasn't enjoying any of this.
~~~

"I need to talk to you."

Wooyoung looked up from his book to his right where Seonghwa lay. "About?" he warily asked.

"Us."

"Go ahead."

"I don't think I'm right for you."

Wooyoung didn't jump at him like last time, where he urgently wanted to reassure Seonghwa it wasn't true. Mainly because, in a way, he knew it was true. He's just been avoiding it.

"You don't deserve a person like me. We don't go well together. And I know I'm only holding you back because of who I am."

"..."

"You don't have to answer. I know you feel this way too."

"Yeah," Wooyoung whispered.

"How have we been together so long?" Seonghwa asked. "Why do you stay with me?"

Wooyoung shook his head. "I thought there was a chance... a possibility that you could change."

"But I can't!" Seonghwa said, raising his voice a little louder. He didn't know how it projected, but Wooyoung did. It hurt.

"I know... I know," he replied, tearing up. "I wish you could. I wish... a lot of things. I want to go out, leave this house, and enjoy a regular date with you. I want to wake up beside you each day and see a bright smile, not someone's back."

The tears poured harder.

"I wish you could answer my love. At least show some reaction to it. I wish you could touch me, but every time I try to initiate it, I'm afraid you'll even go more silent than how you already are. I want there to be feelings, Seonghwa. I want emotions in our relationship because right now, it's like I'm dating a fucking brick wall."

"..."

"So no. Maybe we're not the perfect couple. You're right. Maybe I even could... get s-someone better," Wooyoung sobbed.

"But I love you so much," he finished. "So much, Park Seonghwa."

"And I hoped I could too. I want to give you the same answer, but it can't come. I can't feel it," Seonghwa confessed. "So I think it's better if... we g-go—"

"Our separate ways?"

"Our separate ways."

Wooyoung started wiping his many tears away. As he did, Seonghwa took his wrist and brushed the tears using his fingers.

"Don't cry, sweetheart, don't cry. It's for the best."

"I know. It's just hard to accept." Internally, Wooyoung cried harder. He knew it was inevitable. This was due to happen.

"We can talk about everything else tomorrow morning. For now, let's rest."

Wooyoung tossed his book to the side and turned off the lights. He wiped the last of his tears, facing away from Seonghwa.

Everything done today was worthless. The short amount of happiness they had was a final blow to their injured relationship.

So as Wooyoung cried silently, Seonghwa turned and embraced him, arm draped over the younger's waist. It would never feel normal.

"I wish I could love you, Wooyoung," Seonghwa whispered. "I'm sorry."

"I wish you could too, Seonghwa," Wooyoung replied. "I'm sorry."