______________________

When the lights go down
Come find me in the afterglow
Waiting to be found
I'll meet you in the afterglow

______________________

- 2 YEARS LATER -

SAN

San throws his keys on the small dresser in the hallway of the apartment, kicks of his shoes and hangs his coat up before making his way into the living room. Two years have passed by in the glimpse of an eye, with so many things to see, learn and do - San has been thrilled to do it all, but lately his mind has been occupied by something else as well. Something that weighs heavier than anything else he's ever had to worry about.

The small apartment is the perfect size for just the two of them, on the second floor with a great view directly into the walls of the apartment complex next to them. But San doesn't care much about it, and it's not like he's been home much anyway - from starting off at a cleaning company, working all day, to taking English lessons in the evening, San has been busy every day since the move. Now he's gotten a new job in a bookstore, something he greatly appreciates although his new boss isn't as cool as Yunho back in Korea.

"Wendy wants to invite us to Paris for her birthday," Yeosang says, as San joins him in the living room. The younger is busy looking at color charts, trying to decide which color to use for the bedroom - the only room he hasn't changed yet.

San ruffles Yeosang's hair, making the younger whine a bit from getting his hairdo ruined, but he doesn't complain besides that - too focused trying to choose between Holly green and Forest green. Both, which look the exact same to San, but he already learned that it isn't something he should say out loud, when Yeosang redid the living room.

"Paris? But that's so far away... And expensive too, I bet..." he says with a frown, sitting down next to Yeosang.

"Don't worry about it," Yeosang replies, holding the color charts out in stretched arm in front of him - his eyes not shifting away from them for even one second.

"Sangie, I can't have you pay everything for me all the time. It's not like you're my sugar daddy, we're equals!"

"Wouldn't mind you calling me daddy in bed though," Yeosang mumbles, briefly side eyeing San, before looking back at the green shades in his hand.

"Please stop."

"Anyway. Wendy will be so disappointed if we don't come. So please, can't you just swallow your pride this one last time, and say yes?" With a sigh, Yeosang finally puts the charts down and looks directly at San.

The younger tilts his head to the side, looking so adorable it's hard not to reach out and just pinch those cute cheeks. But San knows he should keep his hands to himself right now - Yeosang might look cute, but when he is in this mood it's best not to tease him too much. This guy sure is persistent about getting his way.

"Fine... For Wendy's sake, we can go! But don't think I won't complain every second we are there!" San says, finally giving Yeosang the response he wanted.

"Wouldn't expect anything else from you, baby," Yeosang grins happily.

"You're such a brat," San laughs, "Anyway. I'm going to go shower."

Making sure that Yeosang is busy with the difficult decision of choosing between two of the same colors, San closes the door to the bathroom. He finds his phone in the pocket of his jeans, and scrolls down the contact list.

"So? How did it go?" the voice on the other end asks.

"Perfectly. He doesn't suspect a thing."

"Great. I'll see you in Paris."

✦

Once upon a time, San was the type of person who never cared about tomorrow. When darkness approached, he never knew if this had been his last living day.

While everyone around him saw the sunset as something beautiful, something carrying the hopes for a new, wonderful day coming after the nighttime, San never seemed to care. It was simply another ending, to another pointless thing in his pointless life.

San had felt dead inside for many years, so many he took life for granted - what's the point of living, when we all die in the end anyway. San never saw the beauty in anything other than the blackout, when he once again looked directly at the bottom of another bottle. He never appreciated the smaller things in life, like the sun setting over the city.

But when he met Yeosang, he realized he had been wrong all along. Everything suddenly made sense, and he finally felt like he had a reason to live again.

And the way the last colors on the sky rests on Yeosang's skin, as they walk side by side, is making San swear to himself that he will do everything he can, to always make Yeosang happy - for the rest of their lives.

Tonight, Yeosang has never looked more stunning than he does right now, in the beautiful afterglow of the sunset.

"We've been gone for a while now, we should probably go back..." Yeosang mumbles, not quite impressed with San taking him out for a walk in the middle of Wendy's birthday celebration.

As always, the place Wendy has found is absolutely extravagant, huge venue with a wonderful garden outside. But Wendy hasn't been choosing the place all by herself this time. Someone else has had one particular request that had to be fulfilled.

"It's okay, I'm sure Wendy doesn't mind," San smiles, trying to calm him down. The evening breeze taking their hair for a slow-dance, while San drags Yeosang with him.

"But it's her birthday!" the younger says, with a small whine, too worried that his best friend will be mad about his absence.

"Sangie, it's okay... Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Oh my God, just do it!" San groans, too stressed out in his own head to be able to handle Yeosang's lack of cooperation much longer.

Yeosang rolls his eyes, and with a sigh he does as he's told. San takes his hand, leads the way through the trees - his heart in his throat, while he prays his hands won't start sweating and expose his nervousness.

"Okay, you can open them," he then says, standing right in front of Yeosang in a small, pavilion in one of the corners of the garden.

Earlier today he had sent Yeosang out shopping with Wendy, excusing himself to stay back at the hotel due to a stomach ache. But in reality, he had rushed to the venue where he and Wendy and agreed to throw her birthday party - the party which was just a cover for the real reason to make Yeosang come to Paris.

San has spent hours trying to make everything perfect, from the fairy lights he has put up all around, tangling them up and down along the pillars, to the peonies he has moved around a million times to make them stand just right. Peonies, which are Yeosang's favorite flower, just like his mother's, and Blair's from Gossip Girl - which Wendy has told San a thousand times.

"San? What is going on?" Yeosang asks, his eyes wandering around the surroundings in pure awe.

With his heart beating faster than ever, San takes Yeosang's hand in his own. The brown eyes widen up, as San slowly kneels down in front of them - and Yeosang has finally run out of words.

"Yeosang..." San begins softly, already feeling his entire body trembling, "I love you with all of my heart. You changed me into a better person, and I want to live up to that every day, for the rest of my life. You're so beautiful, so amazing and so annoying at times, but I love every single part of you. Oh, and you're amazing in bed, of course."

San chuckles at his last words, giving himself a chance not to break into tears just yet. Clearing his throat a few times, he finally feels ready to go on...

"I know there is one thing that you've always dreamt of, and I hope you will let me be the one to make that dream come true..."

The small fairy lights blend together into one big, beautiful glow around them, as San's eyes start to tear up from his own words. Looking at Yeosang, San sees how the younger's eyes are doing the very same.

San holds Yeosang's left hand, while pulling the small box he's been keeping a secret for months, out from his pocket.

"Kang Yeosang, will you marry me?"

Tears are streaming down Yeosang's rosy cheeks, his lower lip trembling so much, and while words can't seem to escape from his body, he slowly nods - a smile breaking free, so bright that even the sun couldn't compete.

Placing the ring on his finger, is making both of their hands shake, but as it happens it feels like the most natural, and right thing in the world. San slowly rises, pulling Yeosang in to kiss him deeply.

"Yes," Yeosang whispers, his soft voice dancing from San's ears straight into his heart. "Of course I'll marry you."

_______________________

THE END

________________________

______________________

♫ All Time Low - Afterglow

______________________

LAST AUTHOR'S NOTE

Wow guys... This sure has been a rollercoaster of emotions (mostly angst, I know I know), and I just want to say THANK YOU to all of you who sat through it all with me! <3 You have no idea how much your love and support means to me ;_; And I'm sorry for letting you suffer through every angsty chapter of this story :')

But here we are, at the end of the road, and I hope the ending made up for all the hurt I caused you throughout this story <3

((A quick note: I decided not to fix the problems San had with his family, simply because that's life - some things just can't be fixed. Unfortunately. So yeah, there's that, and it's not that I just wanted to ignore/forget about it. But I hope it makes sense/that you all understand.))

"Afterglow" will always be my baby, and I feel so grateful and honored that you have spent your time reading this. From the bottom of my angsty heart; I LOVE YOU ALL! TO THE MOON AND BACK <3