Chapter Text
Weddings were like that old analogy of a swan: calm and graceful on the surface, with lots of frantic paddling underneath.
And it was Donghun who did most of the paddling.
Couples getting married tended to stumble halfway through the planning process. Drifting towards marriage on nothing but a giddy cloud of romance, the sheer number of things-to-do often came as a stressful surprise. Flowers, dresses, suits, cakes, save the dates, invitations, guest lists, table plans, caterers, venues, photographers, favours, running orders, rings, vows, transport… And that was before you factored in the warring aunties, or the best man who’s forgotten the prompt cards for his speech, or the bridesmaid with six different food intolerances.
That’s why they came to Donghun.
“So after the ceremony, guests will move outside onto the lawns through these doors – not those ones, okay? – for photos and champagne. They’ll be out there for forty-five minutes or so, so Tania, does that give you time to set up the tables the way we talked about?” He got a nod and a smile in return and glanced back down at his notebook. “Okay, that’s everything. Except photography… where’s the photographer?” He looked around at the group of suppliers, and let out a long sigh. He pushed back his blonde hair, scraping it back into a messy knot to keep it back from his face with a band from his wrist. “I’ll deal with that. That’s it – thanks everyone.”
They all said their goodbyes, finishing setup for tomorrow’s big day. Donghun cast a final critical eye around the venue, satisfied that it had been set up with meticulous attention to the bride and groom’s desires.
He knew he had a reputation for being a perfectionist – but the loyal list of suppliers he worked with were always glad to receive a booking from him, which he presumed meant they liked working for him. And that reputation for being a perfectionist was why couples entrusted him with their special days – he might just be some 28-year-old who had lived in the States for all of three years, but he was a damn good wedding planner, and age and occasional language barrier didn’t matter to those couples one jot.
Donghun waved goodbye to the caterers and then glanced at the clock with a frown. Where was this kid…
“Hi! I’m so sorry I’m late!”
It was an out-of-breath gasp, and Donghun turned to find a tall boy skitter through the open doors, his face flushed pink and his eyes wide. Donghun sighed through his nose, his mouth set in a line.
“Well, as long as you’re not a second late tomorrow.” His words made the boy’s face redden deeper, and he wondered if he was being harsh – but that was how he ran his ship. However, as the boy headed over, Donghun raised a curious eyebrow.
“I’m Yuchan.” He held out a hand and Donghun clasped it briefly. “It’s nice to meet you. And I’m really sorry for being late.”
“Donghun. Pleasure.” He tilted his head. “You’re Korean?”
“Yeah! From Jeju.” Yuchan gave a big smile. “Is this better?” he asked, transitioning to Korean.
“It is. But not tomorrow – people can feel alienated if they hear others talking in another language.” Donghun nodded him into step with him as they walked to the back of the room. The day had been tiring and the evening was drawing late, so he steered firmly away from small talk. “Alright, I want you here for the ceremony, okay? You can sort of have this area, but nothing interfering. The videographer is over the other side so don’t get in the way.”
Yuchan nodded, an easy smile on his face. “No problem.”
Donghun led him outside, quickly outlining the running order and checking in that Yuchan followed. His go-to photographer had left California last week to go travelling with his wife, and Donghun had been disappointed to see him go. He worked best by plucking out individuals that he could count on, and who were good at their jobs, and then booking them up for back to back weddings so they worked almost exclusively for him. That’s how he got things to run like clockwork.
He spared a glance at Yuchan as they headed back inside. One of the videographer’s he worked with had recommended him: told him of a talented photographer he thought would be a good fit. Yuchan was younger than Donghun, with a bright smile never far from his face. Donghun sighed. Typical wedding photographer. Always young and good-looking – he imagined Yuchan mopped up plenty of attention from tipsy guests, and for some reason he found the idea quite annoying.
“I think that’s everything.” Donghun folded his arms, looking around the now-empty venue. “Not a minute past 8am, got it?”
“Got it.” Yuchan nodded his head into a bow, and Donghun raised an eyebrow. “Thanks for talking me through it. See you bright and early.”
“Mh.” Donghun watched him go, and then with a final tweak to one of the decorations adorning a chair, he fished out his car keys and headed out to the carpark.
He set up a playlist for his drive, pulling out down the long gravel driveway that led up to the converted clock tower. It was already dark as he drove back into Oakland, and any remnants of rush-hour traffic had long since subsided. He was glad, anxious to get home as quickly as possible.
He pulled up outside an apartment block that could only be described as ‘a bit hipster-y’. It was an unusual blend of glass and slate panelling, with plants tumbling from balconies the entire way up. Donghun headed to the second floor and found the apartment door on latch.
“Honey, I’m home!”
He walked into the front room and found feet sticking up over one end of the sofa. He grinned as a bemused face looked up from its place scrolling through social media, unimpressed with the way he had announced himself.
“Why must you be like this…” Byeongkwan’s tone was long-suffering, but Donghun detected a hint of a smile quipping around his lips.
“Aw come on…” Donghun clambered on top of him on the sofa, his petulant smile still on his face. “Give your husband a kiss…”
“Ew, gross.” Byeongkwan – ever stronger than he looked – gave Donghun a shove that sent him onto the floor. “I hope to get through life having never kissed you. Ever.” He shifted back into a comfortable position. “Regardless of whether or not I married you.”
Donghun sat up, readjusting his hair in its bun. It was a point of great amusement for both of them, and he had a feeling it always would be. When Donghun had wanted to move to the US several years ago, he had gone hopelessly trawling through the list of criteria for a green card. The country apparently wanted to find any good reason to keep him out, and without his life being in great peril nor being able to offer himself as some kind of prodigy in an important field, his hopes had begun to dissipate.
When his best friend had joked that Donghun could simply marry him for the green card, he had laughed in his face. But the next day, Byeongkwan had followed up with a message – what was stopping them? He had permanent citizenship after moving there as a kid with his parents, and he was quite vocal about having no desire to ever marry. Donghun remembered the message he had been sent, trying to convince him of the idea: let’s be honest, Hun, are you really ever going to want to get married after everything that’s happened to you?
Donghun hadn’t been able to fight that logic. And so he was here, happily Stateside with a sham marriage to his oldest and best friend.
“How was the wedding prep?” Byeongkwan sat up, readjusting his beanie.
“Fine. I’m sure it’ll be yet another beautiful day.”
“Must be nice, helping people with their fairytales…” Byeongkwan batted his eyelashes dramatically. “You big romantic…”
Donghun snorted through his nose hard. “We both know that’s not true. I can’t help that I just happen to be excellent at throwing a big party.”
“Which is weird, seeing as you never go to any…”
Donghun rolled his eyes, getting to his feet. “Ha ha. Anyway, I better get off. Is Kai..?” Byeongkwan nodded at the door, and Donghun headed back out into the corridor.
When he opened the door quietly, he was greeted by a low amber light that sent stars glimmering on the ceiling above. He smiled, padding across the room on silent feet. The duvet rustled as he sat down on the edge of the bed, and pushed back soft black hair with gentle fingers.
“Mmm…” The little boy turned over, his eyes fluttering open. He smiled straight away.
“Hey, baby.” Donghun stroked Kai’s pudgy little cheek. “Were you dreaming?”
Kai nodded, sitting up with sleepy eyes. “I missed Daddy.”
He pushed away the duvet to clamber into Donghun’s lap in his puppy pyjamas, and Donghun cuddled him close. He would feel guilty, knowing how he had to leave Kai with Byeongkwan on the day before and day of weddings, but all the love and happiness came flooding over him and left little room for anything else. He pressed his nose against the four-year-old’s hair and took a deep breath in. His little one always smelled of play doh, baby shampoo and milk, and it was the happiest smell Donghun had ever known.
“I missed you too.” He stood up, cradling Kai against his front. “Let’s get you home, little star.”
Donghun only lived five minutes from Byeongkwan’s, and as soon as he got in, he laid an already-sleeping Kai in bed. He tucked the blanket around him and turned on his nightlight, the same one as in Byeongkwan’s spare room. He made sure Blue Teddy was right beside him in case he woke up in the night, and pressed a goodnight kiss onto his son’s forehead.
“Daddy? Can I have a story?” Donghun stopped, halfway to the door on tiptoes, and turned back, his eyes softening.
“It’s really late, sweetie. You need some sleep.”
Kai sat up, pulling Blue Teddy into his arms. “But I… I had sleeps at Uncle Kwannie’s…”
Donghun had zero trouble saying no to anyone in the world - except Kai. He had absolutely no ability to say no to him, ever.
“Okay. One short one.”
He climbed into bed next to Kai, and as his baby snuggled against him, he wondered which of them enjoyed story time more. The book of stories sat on the dresser, and Donghun picked out one about dinosaurs, and began to read. For a short while, Kai’s eyes stayed on the colourful creatures on the pages, but they very soon began to droop, and Donghun paused to see if he was asleep.
He had never liked kids, growing up. While his friends had babysat, he had avoided kids at all cost, completely unable to work out what level to talk to them on, or how to play with them, all while their shrieking and stickiness got on his nerves. But then Kai had come along, and everything had changed. There was absolutely nothing about him that wasn’t perfect. The very second Donghun had set eyes on him for the first time, he had been completely and absolutely in love. That messy, pink, bawling newborn had instantly become the centre of his entire universe, and nothing could ever be more important. And now Kai was this small person, who could pull on his own little outfits and jumble together small sentences and who told his dad that he loved him, every single day.
And he had Donghun’s eyes. Big expressive eyes that angled down at the edges. And god, did that just melt his heart every damn time he looked at him.
For a moment, Donghun just closed his eyes, happy and comfortable. Then he gently detached the little boy and laid him down, and crept from the room to find his own bed.
~
Donghun privately enjoyed that his job gave him an excuse to dress up. A good wedding planner was barely seen by guests and couple alike: he worked quietly in the background, smoothing every bump and ensuring the day ran flawlessly. But he took personal pride in being immaculately turned out for every occasion, and it gave him an excellent reason to have a closet filled with floral shirts and beautifully-lined jackets.
The bridal party would be getting ready in the dressing room at one end of the building, but they wouldn’t arrive for a short while yet. Donghun stole the room to tidy his own hair. He peered into the mirror. He had combed his hair back neatly today, rather than its normal chaotic bun, and he teased a few strands out now to fall around his face. He’d only recently started bleaching it to this honey blonde, and it somehow made his face look more tanned. Satisfied that he was presentable, he glanced over the shoulder of his own reflection and sighed.
“Having trouble?”
Yuchan glanced up. He was rolling the sleeves of his shirt, using a combination of his other hand and his teeth. He was wearing slim burgundy slacks and the shirt was tastefully patterned, but he was the picture of struggling schoolboy trying to get his uniform right. He let the shirt out from between his teeth as he caught Donghun’s raised eyebrow.
“Good god, come here.” Donghun stepped over and yanked down his sleeve, before rerolling it deftly to sit at his elbows. Christ’s sake, the kid had probably waltzed through life relying on being handsome and smiley and could barely even dress himself. He turned to the other sleeve. “Ted Baker?” he asked, and glanced up when Yuchan didn’t answer. He was pink in the face again. Must be embarrassed to need help.
“Hm? Oh! Yeah, it is.” He stepped back as Donghun finished. “How’d you know?”
“Fashion’s my thing.” Donghun thought about adding it’s nice, because he was aware of toeing the line between being stern and just a bit mean, but he decided to leave off the compliment. “Right, I have places to be. I’ll let you know when the bridal party’s here.”
He flitted around for the rest of the morning, and as ever, time seemed to pass in a blur. Everything was in its rightful place and ready to go as he went down to check in on the bridal party.
He found makeup artists already at work and champagne in hands, and all the girls were dressed in matching silk dressing gowns. It was noisy and excitable, and he smiled. Yuchan was already here, taking photos of them getting ready. He was sat perched on a dressing table as Donghun knocked to enter, camera around his neck, laughing loudly at something two of the bridesmaids were telling him.
“Donghun!” Sofia, the bride, turned and beamed at him from where her hair was getting twisted into some impossible arrangement held up by pins.
“Happy wedding day.” He smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek. He grew to know all his clients so well in the months he worked with them. Seeing them on their big day brought him a genuine swell of happiness. “You feeling good?”
“Totally stress free.” She shook her head in disbelief. “And it’s all thanks to you. I’m so grateful for all your hard work.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Anything you need, just say the word.”
“Sof, is this your wedding planner? Hey, we like this one!” The bridesmaid took Yuchan’s arm and shook him gently. “Can we keep him?”
Donghun caught Yuchan’s eye and raised an eyebrow. Firstly, he was right about Yuchan getting attention. But mostly, it would appear he had a knack for putting people at ease. “Be my guest.” He turned back to Sofia. “Anyway. This is just a little something for you.”
“Donghun, you shouldn’t have…” Sofia accepted the little jewellery box, and he watched her expression light up as she opened it.
To Donghun, weddings were just a big party. The planning was essentially just project management, and a lot of logistics. And he didn’t get to enjoy the big day – he was always far too busy zipping around in the background. But there was a tiny slither of sentimentality that came knocking at his heart every time – and this was his token towards that old romantic notion.
“It’s a dress pin. Obviously you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to – but it’s something borrowed, and it’s something blue.” He gave a half smile. “So as long as you’ve got something old and something new of your own, you’re good to go.” He tucked back a strand of hair. “And I say borrowed, but it’s yours to keep, obviously.”
Always this tiniest of gestures, these dress pins, and so often they made the bride tear up. Sofia stood up and hugged him, and he heard her sniff quietly.
“Thank you.”
From there on out, the day passed in a whirlwind of guests, vows and drinks. Donghun kept everything ticking over perfectly, making sure everyone was where they needed to be at the right time. When the guests spilled out onto the lawn for photos, he oversaw the transition of the main room into the dining arrangement, stopping momentarily to check on progress outside. Yuchan seemed to always be laughing, and it was a loud laugh at that. But he also seemed to know what he was doing, and his easy-going nature seemed to put the guests at ease and get them smiling and laughing too.
Only mid-evening did Donghun get a chance to slow down. Everyone was fed, and happy, and dancing, and finally there was nothing more to take care of that wine and whiskey couldn’t handle without him. One of the boys behind the bar brought him a wine spritzer – just the one, he was driving home – and he wandered down the garden path a little, leaning back to perch on the wall and take a deep breath of night time air.
Another beautiful day.
“Hey… mind if I join you?”
Donghun looked over his shoulder to find his photographer hovering, and he waved him over. Yuchan set his camera on the wall opposite and pulled himself up to sit, taking a sip from the beer bottle in his hand.
“You all done for the day?”
“Yeah.” Yuchan nodded, patting the camera. “There gets a certain point in the evening where no wedding guest is going to want any photos of themselves in the state they’re in.” He grinned. “Sensing the cut-off point is one of the tricks of the trade.”
Donghun felt a very small smile twitch around his face. “How considerate of you.”
Yuchan hesitated. “Did I do okay?” He looked at Donghun, and his expressive face belied his hopefulness. “You were happy with everything?”
“Yeah.” Donghun felt a little part of him thaw – he gave new suppliers a hard time and he knew it, but frankly if they were good at their jobs, that’s all he looked for. “You did good.”
“Do you think I can do more weddings for you then? I know we’ve got a couple lined up already… I’d really like to work for you.”
Donghun couldn’t help but feel surprised. Yuchan’s face had gone that now-familiar shade of pink. He seemed pretty confident, but perhaps beneath it he was shyer than Donghun had first thought. He pursed his lips.
“Yeah, I think so. Lucas recommended you very highly and you did a good job with the guests today.” He nodded. “I’m sure Lucas told you this, but I like to keep a small bank of caterers and photographers and things to work with often. To be honest, if I could just have one photographer who I know and can depend on, that’s how I’d like it.”
“I can do that!” Yuchan smiled hopefully. “I’d rather work like that too.”
“Great.” Donghun took a sip from his wine. “Just never be late again.”
He said it, partly, because there was something strangely entertaining about turning Yuchan pink again.
“Sorry… I really won’t let that happen again.” Yuchan played with the label on his bottle. “How long have you been a wedding planner?”
“In the US? Three years. But I’d already been doing it a while back in Seoul. How long have you been in photography?”
“Well, I’ve been taking photos as long as I can remember.” Yuchan smiled. “I did my service straight out of school, and when I came out I went pretty much straight into wedding photography, shadowing another guy for a bit. So, um, four years or so? I’m twenty-four now.”
“You already did your military service? Me too.” Donghun raised an eyebrow. Handy that he wouldn’t be disappearing any time soon. Changing suppliers made him grumpy. “Why wedding photography?”
“Oh, wedding’s are the best.” Another big smile. “I just love them. Everyone’s always so happy, and it makes me happy to be around. And I love taking photos of people in pretty dresses. Plus… y’know, I’m a bit of a romantic.”
Donghun tried not to roll his eyes too visibly. The truth was, he didn’t dislike Yuchan, but he was clearly the cut-and-paste wedding photographer type he’d assumed. They always had this sense of happy-go-lucky about them, like they didn’t have a care in the world. Just swanning around taking pretty pictures of dresses.
“Are you with anyone you’d like to get married to..?”
Yuchan’s question made Donghun snort.
“Oh, absolutely not.” He didn’t want to divulge about Byeongkwan and his arrangement, he never did at work. A wedding planner with a sham marriage who doesn’t believe in love? Not quite the image he was going for. “Not much of a romantic, believe it or not. Love’s something for other people.” He stood up, brushing down his slacks. “Anyway, I’m going to make a move. Thanks for today.”
“No problem!” Yuchan followed him. “I’ll send the photos over to you as soon as they’re done! Thank you for letting me work with you, I’ll do a good job!”
This time, his back to Yuchan, Donghun let himself roll his eyes.