Sunggyu woke when he felt someone lift his shirt.

“Shhhh.” Woohyun said, pressing his chest down as he looked under the shirt at the bandaged wound.

“Stop it.” Sunggyu hissed, closing the shirt and pulling Woohyun back into bed as he shifted to make room. “You’re always messing with it.”

“The bandage fell off last time.”

“It’ll come off tomorrow anyway.” Sunggyu grouched, forcing Woohyun unto the bed as Woohyun frowned up at him. “You didn’t want me fawning over you.”

“Hyung-”

“So don’t fawn over me.”

“I didn’t get stabbed in the gut.”

“It was just a scratch.”

“You needed stitches.”

“You need therapy.”

“We both do.”

Both of them lay there, staring at each other as Sunggyu wondered how he’d ever not seen it. Woohyun was looking at him the way he’d always looked at him ever since the day they met. And yet, it felt so different. It was as if, given all they’d been through, Sunggyu was finally understanding Woohyun and learning that most of what he did wasn’t because of Infinite, or because they’d just happened to be in the same group. It was because he was in love with Sunggyu.

“I’m fine.” He said, brushing Woohyun’s bangs from his forehead as Woohyun leaned up and kissed him, briefly letting their lips brush against each other before he lay back down.

“I’m fine too.” Woohyun said.

“My wounds may be on the outside, Woohyun, but what you went through-”

“You went through the same thing.”

“She didn’t tie me. She didn’t molest me. I was free the entire time.”

“I’m sure you’re running through everything she’s ever said to you in your head, hyung. You’re probably wondering about what was in her head.”

Woohyun wasn’t wrong. It had been a little over two weeks since Hajin had been arrested and he really didn’t want to think about it much. So he worked, he rehearsed, he went on shows, he came home, he made love to Woohyun till they both passed out from exhaustion. But then, he’d wake up in the night to pee or have a drink of water and Hajin would flash through his mind when he was vulnerable and his head wasn’t busy. She’d kidnapped Woohyun because she wanted to kidnap him. She’d molested him, practically him, because she wanted to do all those things to Sunggyu. If she’d had her way, Sunggyu would be singing a different tune at the moment. And it wasn’t one he’d want anyone else to hear.

“See, hyung?” Woohyun said, placing his hands on Sunggyu’s shoulders. “You weren’t so free after all.”

He didn’t want to talk about it. This was his life now and he wasn’t going to let her ruin more than she’d already succeeded in ruining.

“I should have kissed you first.” He said, looking at Woohyun’s lips. “I was going to.”

“You don’t have to-” Woohyun began, shaking his head and trying to look away but Sunggyu wouldn’t let him.

“I thought you were straight but then every once in a while, I’d catch a glimpse of you staring at me. Watching me. But when I tried to make a move, you’d blink and it would all be gone. And I’d be so sure I’d imagined it.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Hunh! Let me see.” Woohyun said, putting a finger to his lips. “Maybe it was all the girls you paraded around us. Or all the inside jokes you and Howon seem to have about the female staff.”

“It was all just jokes. None of them meant anything to me. Not like you do.”

Woohyun’s brows knitted together as his eyes grew solemn with unspoken feelings. Strengthening his hold on Sunggyu, he pulled himself up and kissed him again as he ran his tongue all over Sunggyu’s lips.

“I’ll go to counselling if you do.”

“We could go together.” Sunggyu suggested but Woohyun shook his head. “Or not.”

“You know all that happened to me, hyung. Everybody –most people- do. But you need a place to talk about the things you need to talk about without worrying about me or Infinite or anything.”

“Fine. I’ll go.” He kissed him again, feeling Woohyun turn them over as the kissing continued to get deeper and harder.

“You’re it for me.” Woohyun said seriously, sounding hoarse. Almost like he was making a commitment. And maybe he was. But before Sunggyu could return the sentiment, the lights in the sitting room came on as they both winced.

“Seriously, you two.” Kibum said, wearing his pink night sweats and a green hair net on his head. “I’m trying to sleep.”

“Sorry.” They both said, cringing in shame as their host sighed heavily at them and then turned back to his room.

As the door shut, Sunggyu let his head fall unto Woohyun’s shoulders as he wonder when he’d ever be able to sleep in his own bed again.

*****

“Did you ever feel like you owed her anything?”

“Not really.” He said truthfully, plucking at the plant sitting beside him and knowing that the moment he walked out of here, Woohyun would be sitting in his place.

“So what was it?” The doctor asked. “Why stay in such a friendship that was obviously toxic?”

“Because she felt safe.”

“She tried to you and your bandmate.”

“No. She attempted to get me in room alone with her. She succeeded in my bandmate.”

“So is that why you’re not going to go visit her in jail?”

Twirling the stems between his thumb and his index finger, he stared back at the stern man.

“Among other things.”

*****

Sunggyu and Woohyun took over Sungjong’s apartment, claiming that the guest room was theirs. They spent the first week missing each other because of their different schedules but by the second week, everything seemed to settle more and so when they did meet in the house, they