A/N: Wow... I actually got here! 

Woohyun was bored. He tried entertaining himself with his phone, but that soon lost its novelty. He tried daydreaming, but it only reminded him of things he wasn’t allowed to do as of yet. He tried counting the ceiling tiles, but he often lost count so he gave up.

They were back in Seoul – he and Sunggyu, that is. The injured younger man had spent one more day at the hospital in Jeonju before he was allowed to discharge with the caveat that he was not to do any heavy lifting. Thus, it had been Sunggyu who took care of the packing (the older had gone to check him out of the cheap hotel and grab his things) and driving back to Seoul.

Woohyun was put on a strict bed rest and he was glad he had taken the week off. Who knew he was actually going to need it to recuperate from a not-so-fatal stab wound?

But, seeing Sunggyu well, unharmed, and back home, it was all worth it.

And speaking of Sunggyu, the older had agreed to live with him again… with a few rules as punishment. But, for Woohyun, just having him back and that he was given another chance to be with him after his stupidity was enough.

He meant everything he said to Sunggyu at the hospital that day; he would take it slow if the older asked and would court him again if needed.

Now, he was supposed to stay in bed and rest while the older finished making dinner. But… he was still bored.

So, risking his boyfriend’s wrath, he slowly got up from the bed, the dull throb of his wound making him cringe, and leisurely left the bedroom to head for the kitchen. He paused at the doorway, allowing himself to lean against it and watch the busybody at the stove, smiling, affectionately.

Sunggyu was concentrating had on mixing and flipping the kimchi fried rice on the pan. In a pot next to him, soup boiled, the enticing aroma filling the kitchen.

It smelt like home. It felt like home again.

Unable to resist, Woohyun slowly walked over and wrapped his arms around the older’s waist, tucking his head on his shoulder. Sunggyu jumped a little, spilling some rice onto the floor.

He glared at the younger. “Yah! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? And you made me spill the food! And you’re supposed to be in bed!”

He nagged on and on about how Woohyun was supposed to be taking care of himself because that stab wound was no joke and he could re-open the wound if he moved too much.

“… and remember to take your medicine after dinner, can’t have you writhing in pain all night and-.”

“I really want to kiss you,” Woohyun interrupted, pouting.

Sunggyu paused in his nagging to regard him with suspicion before scoffing. “Well, you can’t.”

Because one of Sunggyu’s requests (a.k.a. punishment) was that Woohyun refrained from kissing him until the older was comfortable with the intimate gesture again.

Woohyun accepted, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t whine about it… like now.

“But wheeeeeen?” He pouted. “I haven’t kissed you in so long!”

“Mmhmm… And whose fault was that?”

There was a short silence before a resigned, “Mine” from Woohyun.

Sunggyu chuckled and pinched his cheek. “Be patient.”

“Fine. But I’m not letting you go until you finish cooking. I missed you too much.”

“Fine, fine.”

That simple consent was enough to make Woohyun happy. He happily buried his face into Sunggyu’s back, breathing him in, loving the feeling of his body in his arms. And Sunggyu let him, even if the position was somewhat obstructing his ability to cook properly.

Woohyun knew it was because Sunggyu missed him too. And that alone gave him hope… hope that he would be able to earn back Sunggyu’s trust again.

When Sunggyu was finished washing the dishes, he went to check on Woohyun who was relaxing in the living room. The younger was stubborn and insisted on helping him but Sunggyu wouldn’t have it. He was supposed to be on strict bed rest and he would make sure he got it.

The younger’s bored expression turned gleeful when he saw Sunggyu approach. He scooted aside and patted the space on the couch next to him.

“Shall we watch a movie?” he asked, smiling.

Sunggyu hesitated, remembering that watching DVDs at home was one of the things Woohyun said he was bored with. His reluctance must have showed as Woohyun’s smile dropped a little.

“Are you sure?” Sunggyu asked. “We can do something else. If you want to go out-.”

“It’s not like you would let me anyway,” the younger interrupted, gently and pointing at his injured side. “Besides, it’s been a while. I want to do this with you.”

“You know that if you don’t want to, you can say so,” Sunggyu reminded.

Woohyun nodded. “I know. Now, sit down so we can cuddle… please.”

So Sunggyu did and scanned the array of DVD’s that Woohyun had carefully put out on the table for him to pick. He always picked the movies.

He turned to Woohyun who was looking at him, expectantly. “Why don’t you pick this time, Hyun?”

The younger blinked a few times, taking a few seconds to take in what the older said. “Really? You don’t mind?”

“No. Go on. Pick.”

“You know I’ll probably pick something with a lot of explosions.”

Sunggyu cringed but shrugged. “Didn’t you say you wanted to watch that one?” he pointed to a DVD Woohyun had bought a year ago, but he was fairly sure that the younger had not had the chance to watch it yet. It was one of those end-of-the-world films that, as Woohyun mentioned, had a lot of explosions.

“Are… you sure?”

He could hear the hesitance yet excitement in the younger’s voice. He did want to watch this movie but held off for Sunggyu’s sake. So, the older picked it up and put it in the DVD player. Then, he leaned against the arm of the couch before opening his arms, inviting Woohyun to snuggle in them.

The younger happily did, sighing contentedly. He was often the big spoon to Sunggyu’s little spoon, but because he was injured, it didn’t hurt to spoil him a little.

After all, they were taking this slow. They were going to start getting to know each other again, one step at a time.

“Good night, Woohyun.”

Sunggyu turned around, showing the younger his back. Woohyun pouted. “Gyu…”

“Hmm?”

“You know that I’m happy you’re back, right?”

“Yes, I’m aware.”

Woohyun let out a whine. “So why do we need this pillow between us then?!”

Sunggyu turned around with an amused look. “You don’t like it?”

The younger glared at the offending pillow separating them. “No. I hate it.”

But his boyfriend shrugged. “Too bad. I’m not comfortable sleeping so close to you yet.”

That had to be a lie, Woohyun was sure. They literally just cuddled in the living room! So, he was fairly sure that Sunggyu was just playing now… or really punishing him. Nonetheless, Woohyun willed himself to be patient. Besides, maybe he could get rid of it when Sunggyu was asleep, cuddle him for a bit, and put it back without the older knowing.

“Don’t even think about taking it out when I’m asleep,” Sunggyu chided. “I’m a light sleeper, I’ll feel when it’s gone.”

Woohyun whined again, throwing kicked puppy eyes at his boyfriend, hoping to gain some sympathy. But, Sunggyu only chuckled.

“Or I can always sleep on the couch,” he suggested.

No way, Woohyun most certainly did not want that.

“What can I do to get rid of it?” he proposed, determined. “Name it, and I’ll do it. I just want this pillow gone!”

Sunggyu blinked at him a few times before his lips quirked into a smirk. “Anything?”

“Anything!” Woohyun would go to hell and back.

Sunggyu chuckled again. “I’m not asking for much.”

Woohyun nodded, encouraging the older to continue.

“Pillow talk.”

There were a few beats of silence before Woohyun voiced out a, “Pardon?”

Sunggyu shrugged. “Pillow talk. For at least 10 minutes every night before we sleep. It’s supposed to help couples strengthen their communication skills for a more emotionally intimate relationship.”

Woohyun blinked at him, wondering where this was coming from.

“Ken told me about it,” Sunggyu continued, nonchalant. “So, if you want this pillow gone, we pillow talk. Once I’m more comfortable with how efficient our communication skills are, we can get rid of the pillow.”

Woohyun hesitated. Not that he wasn’t against pillow talks, it actually sounded really nice. “But… how do I know when that is?”

“I’ll tell you.”

“But that’s not fair!” Woohyun whined. “Can’t I… cook for you for a month or something? Or do all the chores?”

Sunggyu laughed. “As nice as that is… I really want to do these talks with you. We used to do it a lot when we first moved in together, remember? But then, we kind of just… stopped. I really miss those.”

And the sound of Sunggyu’s voice was genuine longing and desire. How could Woohyun deny him something so simple?

So Woohyun tilted his head in agreement. “I’ll do it. I’ll talk to you so much that you’ll get sick of me!”

Sunggyu laughed again and the younger loved hearing it so much today. He was determined to always make sure that the older always smiled and laughed. He was going to make sure that he never made him sad or cry or hurt again.

“Yah! You have to let me talk too! Communication is a two-way street!” The older smiled. “Should we start?”

Woohyun nodded. “What should we talk about?”

“Anything. Like, maybe how our day was? Yeah, let’s start with that. How was your day, Hyunnie?”

Woohyun’s heart warmed at the use of his nickname. “My day was amazing. The best. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because I finally have the man I love back. And I’m determined not to let him go ever again. That’s a promise. No matter the problems that come our way or if I do something stupid again, I won’t let him go, like I almost did.”

At his declaration, Sunggyu’s cheeks reddened slightly as his lips twitched into a shy smile. “I had an amazing day too. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because the man I love promised not to let me go again. Because I don’t want him to let me go. I want him to come after me, even if I try to run away again.”

Rules be damned, Woohyun reached over the pillow and took Sunggyu’s hand in his, lacing their fingers together. Sunggyu did not pull away.

They kept at their pillow talk for more than ten minutes and fell asleep like that, separated by a pillow, with their hands interlocked on top of it.

After returning to Seoul, they pretty much fell back into a routine. Woohyun used the rest of his week off to recover and bond with Sunggyu, who still had a week and a half left of his filed leave. They spent their days talking, going on dates, and seeing their friends again (Dongwoo, Myungsoo, and Sungjong were still a little suspicious of Woohyun but since Sunggyu looked happy, they didn’t say a word to compromise it).

Once their off days were over, they went back to work.

Sunggyu also pushed Woohyun to start going out drinking with his co-workers again. He knew going out made the younger happy. And when Woohyun wasn’t home, Sunggyu spent his time with Dongwoo or his brother or simply by himself at the library or at home. He no longer felt lonely because Woohyun would always come home right on time to him.

The only difference now was that Saturday was their time alone with each other, no matter what. Instead of twice-a-week dates, they decided on a once-a-week date to relieve the pressure of date planning, both now taking turns in planning and choosing what they wanted to do.

Sunggyu now took some of Woohyun’s likes into consideration and took him to an arcade once. It wasn’t his favorite place in the world, but his boyfriend loved it. The younger was ecstatic, running around and playing games like he was a child again and Sunggyu realized how happy it made him seeing Woohyun enjoying himself like that, but he especially liked the younger’s pout when Sunggyu beat him at air hockey.

Not to be outdone, Woohyun took him to a museum with an exhibit that he had been wanting to see. The younger actually stayed by Sunggyu's side, looking at the exhibit instead of just finding a bench and sitting. Sunggyu had never enjoyed himself so much as he eagerly showed Woohyun everything, talking a mile a minute. And the younger was rewarded with a long hug (still no kisses, to Woohyun’s chagrin).

And their pillow talks were fun. They talked about everything and nothing in particular and always fell asleep with huge smiles on their faces. Woohyun had to admit, the talks were actually helping. It was easier to talk to Sunggyu and be honest with him about his feelings and apprehensions when they were lying down, face-to-face.

Things were starting to go back to normal, minus the kissing as well as the pillow in between them at night.

Don’t get him wrong, Sunggyu knew that Woohyun was sincere in his promises. But, he couldn’t shake off that underlying fear that if he let his guard down too soon, Woohyun would falter. In a way, he was also testing Woohyun, pushing him to see how far he would go to regain his trust. And Sunggyu was just waiting for the right moment.

It was about a month and a half later when Woohyun’s hard work and patience paid off.

They were both ready to head out to work and were seeing each other off at their apartment’s parking lot. Woohyun, as usual, held Sunggyu in his arms for a long time, whispering many “I love you’s” before letting him go and heading to his own car.

He was about to open his door when he heard his name being called out.

Woohyun turned around to see a determined-looking Sunggyu marching over to him. Without another word, the older leaned in and pressed his lips to his.

The world exploded in Woohyun’s mind as he took in the feel of the soft lips on his, the warm body pressed up against him.

The kiss was short, mostly chaste, but it sent Woohyun’s heart beating like he had been running a marathon.

“Have a good day at work,” Sunggyu whispered before walking away quickly to his own car.

It took Woohyun only a few seconds to realize that he didn’t even get the chance to return the kiss, but Sunggyu was already pulling out of the parking lot.

A permanent grin stayed on the younger’s lips all day, and his co-workers steered clear of their strange colleague who was suddenly humming and skipping everywhere.

That night, as they laid in bed, Sunggyu chattering on and on about his day, Woohyun’s gaze stayed on his lips, wanting to kiss them again.

Not to say that he didn’t try ever since he got home. But, Sunggyu managed to evade him each time. The kiss during the morning was too short, but already so addicting. He wanted more.

“…hyun… Woohyun!”

Fingers snapped in front of his face, making the younger blink in surprise. His older boyfriend was looking at him, amused.

“We’re supposed to be pillow-talking,” he said. “But I don’t think you were listening at all.”

“How can I listen when your lips are so distracting?” Woohyun answered, his lips in a pout. “You kissed me this morning! That means you’re comfortable now, right? I can kiss you now, right?”

Sunggyu rolled his eyes, a small grin playing on his lips. “Maybe,” he said, teasingly.

Woohyun huffed before his eyes fell on the pillow between them. This damn pillow was keeping him from cuddling his man and showering him in kisses. Rules be damned, this pillow must go.

With a determined look, he grabbed the edge of the pillow, gaze on Sunggyu. The older’s eyebrows were raised in confusion.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Woohyun pursed his lips. “I’m getting rid of this damn pillow.”

Sunggyu scoffed. “No, you can’t. I haven’t said you could.”

“Well, I want it gone! I want to cuddle you and kiss you before we go to sleep!”

To his surprise, Sunggyu smirked. “If you do that, I might not talk to you again because you broke my rules. Or maybe I’ll go out and sleep on the couch.”

“No, you are not because I’m not going to let you. I’m going to cuddle you and kiss you as much as I want tonight.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes?”

“You’re willing to take that risk?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re worth it.”

That gave Sunggyu pause and he stared at Woohyun, whose hand was still on the edge of the pillow.

“Then do it,” the older stated, nonchalantly.

Woohyun blinked. “Huh?”

“If you want to get rid of it, get rid of it.”

“I… I will!”

“Okay.”

Woohyun didn’t move.

Sunggyu chuckled. “I thought you said you were willing to risk it?”

The younger cleared his throat, a little nervous now. He didn’t want Sunggyu to move to the couch. And he certainly didn’t want the older angry at him. But, he just wanted to get close to him again, feel his warmth against him while they slept. He wanted good night kisses and cuddles again.

“Or am I not worth it anymore?”

Now that gave Woohyun a burst of courage. Of course, Sunggyu was worth it! He was worth every risk!

With a determined huff, his grip on the pillow tightened. Taking a deep breath, he lifted the pillow and threw it to the other side of the room with a plop. Thank goodness he didn’t hit anything or Sunggyu would have his head.

Meanwhile, the older stayed rooted to his spot, an amused smile playing on his lips now. “You actually did it,” he stated, sounding impressed.

Woohyun puffed his chest out in pride.

There was now a giant gap between them where the pillow used to be. Sunggyu made no indication of moving, and it made the younger nervous again, afraid that he was mad.

But, Sunggyu kept smiling and pointedly looked at the empty spot between them. “So… are we going to sleep with that between us?” he asked.

Woohyun was suspicious as to why the older wasn’t moving and kept smiling at him while glancing at the spot between them. Surely, if he was truly mad about Woohyun removing the pillow, he would have stormed out to the living room by now, right?

So… did that mean that… Sunggyu actually wanted him to remove the pillow?

And that look the older was flashing him. It was somewhat… beckoning…

Subtly, Woohyun moved a little closer. “That pillow was a nuisance,” he stated.

“I like that pillow,” Sunggyu whined with a grin.

Woohyun edged closer again. “I don’t like being far from you.”

“It was a necessary punishment.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Punishments are not meant to be liked,” Sunggyu teased, smiling.

The younger was much closer now, only an inch or two away. He could practically smell Sunggyu’s soap, feel the warmth emitting from his body. He had made his move. Now, it was the older’s turn.

“I’m pretty sure it was as much of a punishment for you as it was for me,” he replied, flashing a smirk of his own.

He watched as Sunggyu’s eye twitched and knew he hit the bull’s eye. These punishments were as much torture for Sunggyu as they were for Woohyun. Sunggyu missed him just as much as Woohyun did. He swallowed his pride for him, now it was the older’s turn to do the same.

He looked pointedly at the little space between them. “Is this okay or did I go too far?” he asked, teasing.

Sunggyu suddenly looked very annoyed. “It’s… it’s fine,” he answered, his lips pursed into a pout.

Woohyun simply chuckled and waited.

Sure, enough, the older began to wriggle a little closer to him. The younger simply watched, not making a move. Sunggyu continued to move closer and closer until they were only a hair’s breadth away from each other. They were so close, much, much, much closer than they had been in months. And yet…

“You’re still so far away,” Woohyun commented in a whisper.

“Well, I’m tired of moving,” Sunggyu whispered back, his face leaning in a little towards the younger.

“I guess it’s up to me then?” Woohyun asked, his nose touching the older’s now.

Sunggyu chuckled, his breath hitting Woohyun’s cheeks. “I guess so,” he replied.

Woohyun closed the remaining distance, bridging the gap with a searing and passionate kiss that had Sunggyu gasping and whimpering against his mouth.

And warmth exploded in Woohyun's chest, his mind going haywire. All he could think about, feel, and breathe was Sunggyu and nothing else in the world mattered at that moment. He wanted Sunggyu, needed him so desperately. 

In his arms, he could feel Sunggyu's own want as the older's fingers tugged at Woohyun's hair, his lips moving desperately against the younger's. Sunggyu needed him too.

Soon, their clothes joined the pillow on the floor as the couple threw their pride into the air, choosing their love for each other, instead.

Fire and passion flared as hands went everywhere, exploring familiar skin and muscles, reacquainting themselves with the body they had not touched in months. Lips were busy pressing and at each other, on necks, shoulders, stomachs, anything they could reach.

The room was filled with quiet pants and moans of each other’s names.

And when Woohyun fell back against the bed, exhausted but satisfied, he gathered Sunggyu into his arms, holding him tightly against his chest. Both were quiet as they took in quick, calming breaths, patiently waiting for their hearts to slow down their pace.

“Woohyun?”

“Hmm?” His eyes were closed, the exhaustion of their lovemaking taking a toll on him.

Sunggyu was silent for a while before his quiet voice reached Woohyun’s ears, “I love you.”

The words sounded sweet like music to Woohyun’s ears. He had been declaring his love to the older since they got back, but none of them were reciprocated.

So, hearing it again now, after so long, it was like a song that he would replay over and over again and he would never get sick of it.

“Woohyun?” Sunggyu’s voice was worried. “Did you hear me? Are you asleep?”

Instead of answering, Woohyun said, “Say it again.”

“Huh?”

The younger opened his eyes and turned his body towards Sunggyu’s, lifting a weary a hand to cup the older’s face. “Say it again, please,” he whispered.

Sunggyu smiled, his little eyes forming into little crescents as he nudged his nose against Woohyun’s. “I love you.”

The younger pulled him closer, not caring about the stickiness of their bare bodies. If anything, it felt amazing… intimate.

“Again, please,” he begged. “I want to hear it again.”

Sunggyu chuckled and pressed a kiss to Woohyun’s nose. “I love you.” Another kiss to his cheek. “I love you.” A kiss to the other cheek. “I love you.” A kiss to his chin. “I love you.” And finally, a long, loving kiss to his lips. “I love you.”

“And I love you. So much.”

The older laid his head at the crook between Woohyun’s neck and shoulder, his face pressed to the younger’s collarbone, leaving butterfly kisses on the skin.

“Does this mean I’m fully forgiven? Completely?”

“Yes.”

“No more kissing bans or pillows between us?”

“Nope.”

“And I get to hear you say ‘I love you’ to me?”

“As much as you want.”

“I love you, Kim Sunggyu.”

“I know you do.”

“Gyuuuu…”

A chuckle before, “I love you, Nam Woohyun. So much.”

And in that moment, Woohyun felt nothing but bliss and happiness. He never thought he could feel this again. After his mistakes, he thought he had lost Sunggyu forever. Yet, here was, back in his arms. Woohyun would be a total idiot if he allowed himself to lose him again. And he swore to himself that he would do everything in his power to protect what they had. Nothing would tear them apart again.

Not his doubts and fears. And most certainly not his pride. He was never paying that price again.

A/N: Ahhh... did that end okay? I felt like I just breezed through it, ya know? There is the happy ending that we all wished we had. 

I wanted to show how much work and effort is put into every successful relationship. Love is great and all, but it's not enough to make a relationship last. Woohyun and Sunggyu loved each other, that much is true, but as their relationship went on, Woohyun had stopped working (in part due to his own paranoia and insecurity) and thus, Sunggyu found no reason to keep working either.

And this is what both Woohyun and Sunggyu realized in the end after that almost tragic happening to Woohyun. They were important to each other, but if they wanted to make their relationship work, they have to work for it. They can still be individuals, but they don't need to stick to each other all the time. What they needed to do was work, work, work for their relationship. As long as the love is there, the work won't feel very burdensome.

People give up on relationships when they feel that there's nothing in it for them anymore. Sometimes, love is just not enough. But, if you really truly love someone and you believe what you have is worth it, you'll work at keeping them.

(Unfortunately for my ex and I, neither of us wanted to work on the relationship anymore. We broke up 2 times and gotten back together each time. We did try to work, but by the third breakup, we were already exhausted. Of course, there were other underlying factors like major differences in our beliefs, the clashing of our so very different personalities, and the fact that I realized that he wasn't the kind of person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. But, the relationship had turned into a burden for us both, and thus, we decided to part ways. I didn't want that kind of ending for WooGyu.)

Anyway, I rambled long enough. But, thank you so much for staying with this story until the very end! I'm sorry I brought you some pain at the beginning, but I hope this ending makes up for it!

Remember, chingus, love with no regrets!