Cha Hakyeon sat beside his husband as they drove home from the airport. Fresh from their honeymoon, he glanced at Wonshik, finding him as irresistible as ever despite the hassled, messy look of a man that had spent the better part of his day on an airplane. Sighing happily, he reached over to poke at his lover’s hand gently. With a soft grin, Wonshik let go of the steering wheel with one hand to lace their fingers together.

“I love you.” Hakyeon smiled, leaning over to kiss the other man’s cheek. “And when we get home, I am going to show you just how much.” Giving a mischievous giggle, he nipped at his husband’s jaw.

“I love you too, but if you keep this up we’re going to crash.” Shaking his head, Wonshik’s lips curled up in amusement. “Not a bad reason to die, though.”

“I cant help myself around you.” Pouting slightly, Hakyeon trailed a kiss down to his neck, feeling a shiver run through the other man. It amazed him even now, how at home he felt beside this man. To be by his side was like living a million perfect lives with every breath and a billion pristine loves with every touch. Another kiss on his neck caused his lover to whine playfully and for a moment, everything was bliss, everything was as it should be...

Everything happened so fast, so suddenly. Neither of them had saw it coming and in the confusion of noise and motion and even pain, it took them a moment longer to find their way to any sort of answer. Upside down... That was the first fact Hakyeon could cling to. Everything was upside down and his whole body was in agony. Glass scattered around him along with something else, dark and thick and crimson, that sent warning bells through his mental haze.

“Wonshik..?” His voice was weaker than he had expected and sent a cough through him. Despite the pain, he turned to look for his husband, finding something horrifying beside him. Blood. So much blood coated the human beside him, oozing from gashes and deep, terrifying holes. Slowly and with great difficulty, Wonshik began to stir.

“I... I’m right here, baby. I’ve got you...” Each breath sounded labored and Hakyeon felt fear begin to swell inside of his chest, suffocating him.

“Wonshik...” Struggling to free himself from the damaged seat belt to reach his lover, he let out a small sob. “Wonshik... Please don’t leave me... Please... I need you... I love you...” His own breathing began to get strain as his heart rate sped and the outsides of his vision wavered.

“Sh-shh... Shhh... I’m here... I-I’ve got you...” Wonshik squeezed his hand weakly as the sound of sirens wailed in the distance, gradually making its way closer. “I h-have always loved you...” Hearing those words, Hakyeon slipped into the black oblivion of unconsciousness, Wonshik’s hand in his own being the last solid thing he felt before the world faded away.

Jung Taekwoon was fast asleep, dreaming of things that could have been, long since faded away by past mistakes, a future that could never be, tainted by his own failure. Ringing filled his apartment, slowly infiltrating his tragically beautiful dream until he could no longer ignore it. Groaning, he awoke, reaching for the receiver on his nightstand. Fumbling for a moment, he finally managed to answer the call, still half blind and groggy from sleep.

“Yeah?” Yawning into the speaker, he checked the time on his alarm clock. A bright red 3:48 glared back at him in the darkness. What could be so important that someone would wake him at such an ungodly hour?

“Is this Jung Taekwoon?” A woman questioned and a jolt of irrational irritation shot through him, cranky from being forced awake for such a stupid question.

“Yes. You did dial my number.” Doing his best to keep his voice even and professional, he closed his eyes, taking a calming breath. “What can I do for you?”

“You are the emergency contact for a new patient of ours, a Cha Hakyeon.” Her voice wavered slightly as Taekwoon bolted upright in bed. “You know him, correct?”

“Hakyeon?!” Had he heard her right? Surely he couldn’t have. The two hadn’t been in contact since they had parted ways in what felt like an eternity ago. Besides, he had Wonshik by his side to do all the things he, himself had taken too long to figure out how to do.

“Yes. He’s been in a car accident. Currently he is in stable condition but...” A loud commotion could be heard around her, making her pause, and Taekwoon felt his every hair stand on edge. “You need to come in so we can discuss further. I need to go...” The line went dead and Taekwoon was already scrambling off the bed to pull on an old pair of sweats draped over his desk chair and a shirt from the floor. Hakyeon was in the hospital. His Hakyeon needed him and something was very, very wrong.

Racing to his car, he drove as fast as he could, making it the hospital just after four in the morning. Nervousness rose up inside of him as he looked up at the large, stone and cement building. Mind going wild with uncertainty, a million different scenarios of what he might find inside flashed through him, each more horrific than the last. With a deep breath, he readied himself for the worst and stepped inside.

The artificial brightness of the florescent lights burned at his eyes, making the sterile white walls seem sinister and imposing. For a moment he wondered if he was still dreaming, or if, perhaps, he was the one in the hospital dying, in a coma, or even dead. As his eyes adjusted to the searing light, he took stock of the very ordinary people around him. So he wasn’t dead then... Approaching the front desk, he chewed his lip nervously.

“I’m Cha Hakyeon’s emergency contact. Is he okay?” Having to practically force the words out, he dreaded what he was about to hear. If it had been anyone else, he would have walked away, preferring to let other people deal with the drama of the actual event and merely witness the after effects. But for Hakyeon, he would go through anything, even this.

“Ah. Come with me.” The woman at the counter led him behind a door into a long hallway. His footsteps echoed, mimicking the pounding of his heart. Once outside a room with the door cracked open just a bit, they stopped and she turned to look at him, pity in her eyes. “The doctor will be with you in a moment. Wait here.” Retreating, she left him alone with his thoughts. The urge to enter the room behind him began to take hold but he managed to refrain, too afraid of what he might find inside the dimly lit room.

“Mister Jung?” A voice beside him caused him to jump, startling him out of his twisted musings. “About Cha Hakyeon... He was in a car accident this evening and is currently stable. He suffered severe injury but should be well enough to leave in week or two as long as he has someone to assist him when needed.”

“Oh god...” Feeling tears spring to his cheeks, he fought back a whimper as he imagined what sort of damage was done to the man he loved. “I-I’ll contact his husband...” As much as it killed him to leave Hakyeon’s care in Wonshik’s hands, he knew it wasn’t his place. Kim Wonshik was Hakyeon’s husband and the man had more rights than he did.

“That will not be necessary...” Sighing, the doctor’s gaze dropped to the floor. “He passed away from his injuries only minutes ago.”

“Does... Does Hakyeon know?” Shock made Taekwoon’s mind go numb. Wonshik was dead?

“Unfortunately, no. He has been unconscious since he arrived.” The doctor glanced toward the door. “You can go see him now, if you would like. I’m sure he needs to see a friendlier face than my own when he finally wakes.” Nodding, he wasted no time quietly slipping into the room. What met him shook him to the core. His only love lay motionless, covered in deep marks and stitches, skin red and inflamed, bruises already growing dark over most of his exposed flesh.

“Oh Hakyeon...” Whispering, he approached the bed, sitting in the chair beside his bed. “I am so sorry...” Gently taking the sleeping man’s hand in his own, he pressed his forehead to the matress beside him, closed his eyes, and began to cry.