His body ached. It felt like he’d been hit in the head by one hundred baseball bats. He could hear beeping and a quiet murmuring. He tried opening his eyes but he didn’t have the strength. Darkness consumed him again.

The next time it started with the beeping and there was a song. A song was playing. His body still ached but his head didn’t feel as bad. Slowly Hyesung became more conscious of his position, feeling the bed underneath him and the sheets on top and the oxygen mask on his face and the hand cupping his hand. But he still couldn’t open his eyes and after a short while he fell back into unconsciousness.

It all happened quite quickly the time after that. Just like waking up from a deep sleep. Hyesung opened his eyes although his eyelids felt sticky and slow. Bright light filtered through as the blurry room came into focus; it was all very white. A small radio played beside his bed and sitting in the chair opposite the bed was a man. It took Hyesung a few moments for his eyesight to come into focus but after a while he realised the man was Eric, asleep, wearing the same clothes he’d been wearing the last time he… memories started flashing through Hyesung’s mind, feelings of being choked, of being stabbed, of crying out for help. What had happened to him? How had he survived?

At that moment, the door to the room opened and a short man with small eyes and brown chestnut hair walked in.

“Oh, Mr Shin you’re awake.” He smiled before going over to the wall and pressing a button. “I’m Doctor Lee and I’ve been attending to your whilst you’ve been a patient here.”

Hyesung gently lifted his arm up to his face to remove the oxygen mask, wincing at each little bit of pain that the movement caused.

“How long have I been here?” his voice sounded hoarse and it hurt to speak. Before answering Dr Lee brought a cup of water with a straw in it to Hyesung’s lips to drink, soothing the dryness.

“Around 40 hours now.”

Hyesung felt slightly relieved, he was half expecting to have been here longer. He glanced around the room and noticed Eric again.

“And him? How long has he been here?” he asked.

“As long as you have.” Dr Lee said as he checked some of the machines that were beeping around Hyesung’s head.

After a moment, the door opened again and a tall man with a sharp but pretty face came in wearing hospital uniform.

“This is nurse Park, he will just do some checks on you now and if you need anything then just press this button” he took a square box with a wire attached to it and put it on Hyesung’s bed next to his hand “And someone will come to your assistance.” Dr Lee explained.

The nurse did some simple check-ups, politely chatting while he did so and made sure that Hyesung felt completely comfortable before finally leaving. Then it was just Hyesung and Eric alone in the room again.

At some point whilst nurse Park was there Eric must have woken up because as soon as the nurse left the room Eric stood up.

“How you are feeling?” he asked gently and approached the side of the bed, his hand hovering over Hyesung’s unsure whether to hold it.

“A bit sore but okay I think.” Hyesung replied and gently reached up for Eric’s wavering hand. They stayed silent for a bit, Hyesung content to have Eric with him but the other man looked uneasy.

“What happened?” Hyesung asked. “What happened to the guy that attacked me?”

“I shot him.” He replied quickly and firmly. “Dead. It was the guy we’d been looking for. The woman was found upstairs, she’s been arrested.”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For saving my life.”

Eric couldn’t meet Hyesung’s eyes.

“I should…” Eric began. “I shouldn’t have left you alone. We should have stayed together.”

“No.” Hyesung replied immediately. “No, this was not your fault. It’s standard search task, and I should be able to handle myself, this was not your fault.” He was not going to allow Eric to blame himself. “Hey, look at me.” Hyesung pulled on Eric’s hand until he raised his eyes to look at Hyesung’s face. His eyes were red. “This was not your fault okay? Tell me it’s not your fault.”

Eric didn’t speak.

“Tell me it’s not your fault now!” he tried to say it as commanding as possible but his voice cracked and started having a coughing fit. Eric rushed around the other side of the bed to get Hyesung’s cup of water and give it to him.

“Okay, okay. It’s not my fault. Now please don’t injure yourself further.” Eric sighed as he watched Hyesung stare at him defiantly as he drank his water. He put the cup on the bedside table. Then, slowly leaning down, he placed a gentle kiss on Hyesung’s forehead.

“I never want to see you hurt again.” He said. Hyesung reached up and reclaimed Eric’s hand as his own.

*THREE WEEKS LATER*

Hyesung stared at himself in the mirror. All the swelling on his face had completely gone and the bruising that had been dark around his neck had faded. He no longer really needed to use his crutch although standing for a long time still caused him some pain.

He wore his nicest pair of jeans and a shirt that his mum had bought him for his birthday but he hadn’t yet had the occasion to wear it.

He went back to work tomorrow. Back to desk work but only for a couple of weeks before he was fully recovered.

But tonight wasn’t about that. Tonight was his first official date with Eric. Whilst he’d been recovering, Eric still had to work. The amount of paper work he had to do had been monumental. But finally, they had found time to have a date.

Hyesung didn’t know why but he felt nervous. Eric had come to see him constantly whilst he was recovering and they had been somewhat affectionate, in very subtle ways. But this was different. This was properly coming terms with their… relationship?

It felt weird thinking of it as a relationship. Was it a relationship yet? Hyesung felt like he’d known Eric for years but he also felt that he’d met him yesterday. Were they doing the right thing?

The doorbell rang and startled Hyesung out of his train of thought. When he opened the door the sight of Eric took his breath away. He was wearing simply a white shirt and some black trousers but they fitted so well, and his hair was styled up and he was holding a bouquet of flowers.

“Good evening.” He smiled, kissed Hyesung and handed him the flowers. Hyesung giggled and just like that all his doubting thoughts were gone.

“Wow, I can’t believe you bought me flowers.” He grinned at Eric’s sheepish expression. “They’re beautiful.” And he kissed him again.

“Like you.” Eric said and Hyesung laughed and pushed playfully at him. He couldn’t deal with the cheesiness and Eric burst into giggles too. Hyesung felt like a child, but he felt happy and safe with Eric.

The date was the most whirlwind fun and romantic time of their lives although to anyone else it wouldn’t seem particularly extraordinary. However, just them being together, anywhere, changed everything.

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Well it's finished! Thank you to everyone who read it and left me feedback and everything, I quite enjoyed writing this although Eric announcing his relationship, getting engaged and getting married all AFTER I started writing this threw me a bit (don't get me wrong, I am the absolute happiest for him!) but I was worried a lot of people might abandon reading Ricsyung fics but many people kept reading which made writing all worthwhile. Thank you again!