The room was quiet. Too quiet for Chanhee’s liking as he placed his palm on Byunghun’s fringe, brushing back the stray strands gently so that his face was completely free from the luscious locks. The latter seemed peacefully asleep but Chanhee knew better from the occasional whimpers that escapes from between Byunghun’s perfectly curled pouty lips. The cardiologist leans downwards to place a soft kiss on the younger’s cheek. The mere sight of how fragile and innocent the boy looked at the moment gnawed at his heart, Byunghun always looks most angelic when he’s asleep yet he also always looks most fragile when he’s asleep. The boy lying on the bed right now, he doesn’t deserve any of this and it pained Chanhee to know that he was once also the cause of Byunghun’s misery.

“Princess, I promise from now on I’ll give you everything you deserve.”

Byunghun’s eyelids slowly fluttered open as he stared right back into Chanhee’s eyes. The mere eye contact allowed Chanhee to finally see past Byunghun’s strong front as the orbs held a sea of emotions. Just how much as the boy suffered?

“Can… Can I hug you?” Byunghun’s voice was hoarse and strained from all the crying.

The mere sentence. It only contained four words yet to Chanhee, it was like a cry for help. For Chanhee to help him out of his seemingly endless dark abyss that Byunghun was drowning to the bottom in silence over the past five years. Chanhee feels his breath halt as he moves forward to cradle Byunghun in his protective embrace, letting out the breath he was holding slowly as though he was afraid that his breathing might just break Byunghun into pieces.

Byunghun lies heavily onto Chanhee’s strong built chest as he closes his eyes, feeling Chanhee’s arms wrap around him tightly. His cheeks and his eyes completely dry. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel like crying but it had came to a point that he had no tears left to shed, like his body was completely incapable of reacting to any more of his pain.

The cardiologist finally holds the pediatrician by his shoulders and heaves him up slightly so that Byunghun was directly gazing into Chanhee’s eyes. The latter then moved his veiny hands from the younger’s shoulders to his face, taking the boy’s small face in his large hands and tracing the boy’s features from his eyes to his nose and finally his lips.

Leaning in, Chanhee holds the back of Byunghun’s head gently as he captures the latter’s lips, tasting the bitterness of the boy’s heart and the saltiness of his tears. He could only wish that kisses were miraculous cures for pain and sufferings.

===

Yewon was deep in thought as she stirs the abalone porridge that was calmly bubbling over the induction cooker absent-mindedly, not even noticing that her son and her boyfriend had walked into the kitchen as Ricky took a red mug from the sink and washing it before pouring some orange juice for Jonghyun.

But instead of gulping the refreshing beverage down, Jonghyun decided to pass the mug to his mother instead seeing that she probably needed that drink more than he does. Yewon finally snaps out of her trance when she saw her son holding out the red mug in front of her, taking it with a small smile gracing her lips although her hands were still trembling slightly. No doubt the woman was shaken by Hyojin’s insane acts and Byunghun’s outburst. She couldn’t help but worry about her son’s mental state, what she learnt about Byunghun over the past five years was that Byunghun would never show it even if he wasn’t okay. Ever since his father’s death it was as though the boy sealed himself in his own world. Hell after all these time Yewon never even knew that Chanhun was his biological son until Wooshin revealed it.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Jonghyun leans backwards on the kitchen countertop with his elbows resting on the polished countertop, glancing at his mother while she brings the mug to with both her hands and taking a sip of the sweet juice before putting it down on the countertop.

“I’m worried about Byunghun… Jonghyun ah, if you have free time take your brother out for a breather alright? He hasn’t had any time to really enjoy himself ever since Sunho’s death.”

Jonghyun nods as he bites into an apple that he had reached for in the fruit bowl on the countertop before offering Ricky a bite too.

“I will omma, I have always wanted to spend some private time with him anyway.”

Yewon smiled as she ruffles Jonghyun’s hair, ignoring his whines about how he’s all grown up now and she shouldn’t treat him like a little kid, especially in front of his boyfriend as Ricky giggles at the rare adorable and childlike side of his boyfriend.

The lady was contented, she was finally living with her husband and both her sons by her side. What more could she ask for?

===

“Up up up Lee Byunghun get up!” Jonghyun suddenly bursts into the room, jumping on the bed much to Chanhee’s annoyance as he tried to grab Jonghyun off the bed from behind. The older tried dragging Jonghyun by the hem of his pants, successfully dragging the said halfway across the king sized bed as Byunghun giggles under his sheets, eyes still swollen and puffy from all the crying.

“Oh my goodness! Get off Choi Jonghyun! What do you think you’re doing? You’re disturbing Byunghun’s rest!” Chanhee grits his teeth as he tried dragging Jonghyun away once more, this time by his left arm.

“Sorry hyung, I wanna borrow my brother for a day! I know he’s cute but you got to share him you know! Don’t be so possessive I’m not going to steal Byunghun from you come on!” Jonghyun retorts as he fights against Chanhee’s strength, crawling back to Byunghun on all fours.

“I know I’m irresistible, stop fighting over me.” Byunghun finally pipes up. His voice, although still nasally and hoarse, sounded a lot brighter and happier than before.

Seeing how Jonghyun seemed to have lifted Byunghun’s spirit, Chanhee finally relents and lets Jonghyun pull Byunghun out of bed by pulling on his skinny arms before pushing the boy into the toilet, instructing him to wash up and get changed.

“So your eager has successfully gotten me out of bed and all washed and dressed up. Now what?” Byunghun questions as he dries his hair with his white fluffy bath towel.

Chanhee gulps when he realizes how y Byunghun looked fresh out of the shower. If only he had the privilege to come home to this scene everyday. I