Cha Hakyeon stirred, a whimper of pain emanating from between his lips. Confusion swirled in his mind and he couldn’t quite remember why he was hurting so badly. Reaching out for his lover, he found the pain only grew worse and his body seemed reluctant to cooperate with his intentions. Groaning, his eyes fluttered open only to close immediately, the light around him causing his head to throb.

“Wonshik..?” Moving slowly, he patted around on the bed beside him. Everything seemed strange, not exactly what he should be. It felt like the moment was an incomplete puzzle and the missing pieces were just out of reach.

“Hakyeon?” A tired voice answered him, one who knew well but only brought him more confusion. “You’re finally awake...”

“Taekwoon?” Opening his eyes quickly, he ignored the pounding in his skull and took in the room around him. This wasn’t the home he shared with his husband. It wasn’t even the hotel they had spent the past month in, enjoying their lives as newlyweds.

“Hey. Try not to move too much, okay?” Taekwoon’s brows furrowed in that way they always had when he was concerned over Hakyeon’s health.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” Questioning, he eased himself into a sitting position, letting out a soft scream of pain as the sensation that ripped through his abdomen. Memories began to surface, snippets leading up to that moment. Flirting with Wonshik, laughter, playfulness, and then... Then what? It felt like he was viewing the rest through a red haze he couldn’t necessarily make sense of.

“You were in a car accident, Hakyeon.” The words shocked him but shook loose what little bit of information was left clouded inside of him. The commotion, the blood... Wonshik...

“Where is my husband!?” Shouting, he tried to get out of bed, nearly collapsing to the floor as his depleted strength failed him. Finding himself in Taekwoon’s arms, he let out a cry. “Where is Wonshik?!”

“Whoa. Whoa. Calm down or you’ll aggravate your wounds.” Gently placing him back in bed, Hakyeon watched as Taekwoon gave him a look full of pity, bringing nothing but the utmost anxiety to weight upon him.

“TELL ME WHERE MY ING HUSBAND IS, TAEKWOON!” Voice strained, he jerked away from the other man, screaming in pain at the sudden force.

“Hakyeon... About Wonshik...” He could tell by the tone of Taekwoon’s voice that he was about to hear something he would in no way enjoy. Gripping the hospital bed sheets, he braced himself for what was to come. “He didn’t make it through... I am so sorry...”

“Are you?!” Snapping, a sudden flash of anger overwhelmed him before sorrow and heartbreak came crashing down to flood his whole existence. Tears erupted from him as his body began to quake with sobs. Curling in on himself, he welcomed the agony it caused him as it only mirrored the torment making itself at home in his soul. Wonshik was gone, the love of his life, his everything. There was no way he could face the world every day without that ray of light beside him.

“What? Of course I am... Hakyeon...” Taekwoon’s arms were around him, trying to soothe him, but all it did was make him feel lonelier than ever. “I know. I know you loved him and that I ed everything up with us but... But I never wanted this. I wanted you happy. And you were. And I would never want to take that from you, especially like this.”

“I... He’s gone, Taekwoon...” Whispering, hardly able to do much else, he held onto his ex with all the strength he had left, afraid that if he didn’t he’d fall apart. “I can’t live without him... I... I can’t...”

“For what it’s worth, I’ll be here by your side.” His voice was almost comforting, or maybe the doctor had him hooked up to some kind of morphine drip. Either way, he felt himself fading out of the waking world.

“It should have been me...” Choking on his own tears, Hakyeon’s eyes closed slowly and he found himself greeted by the dark, empty embrace of sleep where his new found nightmare of a reality couldn’t reach him anymore.

~~~

Jung Taekwoon held the man he loved until the medication had taken hold. Gently tucking him in, he sat back in his chair and covered his face with his hands. So many times he had fantasized about having the other man back in his life, about having Wonshik out of the picture. When Hakyeon had asked him if he were sorry, a part of him wanted to say no and he hated himself for it. Truthfully, he had never exactly given up his feelings for the man laying in the bed in front of him, not had he released the animosity he felt for the man who took him away. He belonged with Hakyeon and given the chance, he would do whatever it took to have the life with him that he should have had.

Ensuring the beautiful man was truly asleep, he set out to find the doctor, wanting to inform them that Hakyeon had briefly regained consciousness. Beyond that, he wanted to know for sure what injuries had been caused to the other man so he could better maintain them and keep him safe. Wandering the halls, he was already making plans on how to care for the man. Spotting the doctor, he made his way to him.

“Ah. Mister Jung. Is everything alright?” Glancing over their clipboard, the doctor nodded slightly and handed the papers to a passing nurse.

“He woke up. I... I told him about Wonshik.” Sighing, Taekwoon shook his head. “He didn’t take it well... He passed back out after I stopped him from getting out of bed.”

“I’ll come examine him to ensure he didn’t pull any stitches or aggravate any broken bones.” Following after Taekwoon, the doctor seemed thoughtful. “I wonder... Who will take care of him when he’s released?”

“That would be me.” With no doubt in his voice, he made the decision without so much as a second thought. “What exactly happened to him?”

“Mister Cha’s suffered many injuries but there are a few that are more severe and need more attention. His ribs on one side are all broken.” The doctor informed him as the made their way into Hakyeon’s room. “His shoulder and collarbone as well. A shard of windshield glass went into his abdomen, cutting into his stomach. He’ll need to take it easy for some time or risk ripping open his internal stitches or perhaps puncturing a lung.”

“Oh god...” Heart sinking, he looked down at the sleeping man. “I’ll do whatever I need to in order for him to heal properly.” The doctor nodded, doing a quick examination before leaving with a promise to send a nurse up with food.

Sitting back in his chair, he took up watch on Hakyeon once again. Reaching out to hold the sleeping man’s hand gently, he sighed, shaking his head. He had never asked for this. As much as he wanted Hakyeon back in his arms, he had never wanted it to come down to this. But there they were, and he knew the man he loved needed him to step up and care for him more than he ever had. This time, he vowed, he would not let him down.