Slowly waking, Daehyun shifted, nearly falling into the floor. Letting out a yelp of shock as he teetered on the edge of the couch for a moment, he found relief in the arms that held him tightly against a steady, warm chest. Soft smile spreading across his lips, Daehyun marveled in the light kisses that were spread along his neck and shoulder. Settling against the man behind him, he reached up to play with Yongguk’s hair, taking a few moments longer to enjoy the tender way he was handling him.

“Sleep well?” Yongguk rested his chin on Daehyun’s shoulder and he sighed, leaning his head against his fiance’s. Had he slept well? Whether it had been because of physical and emotional exhaustion or because of his present company, he had slept very well and now that he was awake, it was almost like he was seeing fog clear for the first time in years. Between himself and Yongguk there had been many hits and misses, many misunderstandings and misconceptions, even more mistakes, but somehow... Somehow he felt like all of that could be behind them and he actually looked forward to their potential future.

“Mm.” Nodding, Daehyun nuzzled his cheek against Yongguk’s and yawned softly. “I really did. I’m sorry if I accidentally held you hostage or anything in my sleep.” Giggling at the way Yongguk’s fingertips glided down his sides, barely making contact with his skin, he squirmed and twisted until he somehow found himself halfway underneath the other man.

“Hey, Beautiful.” Yongguk’s smile gave him butterflies as he brushed the hair from Daehyun’s face, leaning in. For a very short moment, Daehyun felt nervous, almost as thought he were having his first kiss all over again, and then their lips met and he felt everything melt away but the places where the two touched. Arms sliding around Yongguk’s neck, he felt his heart begin to speed as they shifted in their kiss, resulting in the two settling into an intimate position. As their impromptu make-out session got truly heated, a loud sound startled him. The two parted slightly, both breathless and shivering from anticipation of things they hadn’t quite reached yet. The sound startled him again and Daehyun reached out to the table, fumbling with his phone as he answered the call.

“Y-yeah?” Still attempting to make his lungs work again, Daehyun’s voice was airy and flustered as he held the cell to his ear. “Hello?”

“Daehyun? Are you alright?” Concerned, the voice on the other line made his heart drop and Daehyun sat up slightly from his position underneath Yongguk.

“J-Jongup?” As soon as the words left his lips, he could see Yongguk flinch. Reaching out, Daehyun held onto his fiance’s wrist, giving him a pleading look. Yongguk needed to stay by his side because he wasn’t sure he could hold it together if he were left alone with the voice in his ear. Already his bright mood he had woken with was nothing more than a memory and the clouds were surrounding his heart again.

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” Anger dripped from every syllable Jongup uttered and Daehyun could tell he was gritting his teeth. “If he hurt you, I’ll kill him.”

“W-wait! No!” Realizing he had maybe been a bit too loud in his protest, Daehyun cleared his throat, trying to calm himself, to fend off the panic rising inside of him. “No...”

“Why not?!” Jongup’s rage only seemed to grow and his hostility was suffocating even over the phone, as though Daehyun had wronged him in the worst way. “Am I that easy for you to forget, Daehyun? After everything?”

“No. It isn’t like that...” Tears began to pool in his eyes, threatening to spill forth at any moment. How could Jongup even have the audacity to suggest that? Jongup had moved on far faster than Daehyun had. He still loved Jongup, still wished they had worked out... But they hadn’t and Jongup couldn’t make him feel like for allowing himself to fall back into love with the man he was being forced to marry. It wasn’t fair.

“Then what’s it like, huh?” Voice bitter with resentment, it was clear that Jongup had no intention to accept his words without a fight.

“Jongup... Please...” Fighting back a sob, Daehyun closed his eyes as Yongguk gently wiped the tears off of his cheeks with the sleeves of his sweater. Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead to Yongguk’s chest, finding a sliver of comfort in the way the older man wrapped his arms around him, protecting him from the world.

“Meet me at the park. Talk to me. Please.” Jongup’s anger seemed to dissipate, as though he knew how he had affected Daehyun and regretted it. “I’ve never made a mistake with you before... So... So hear me out this one time, okay?”

“Fine, Jongup.” A numbness fell over him as Daehyun merely agreed in a feeble hope to end the conversation.

“See you in twenty minutes, okay? And if, after everything, you still don’t want to be with me anymore... I’ll leave you alone.” Jongup groaned, clearly frustrated with the situation. “You can even bring Yongguk, okay? As long as he doesn’t interfere with our conversation.”

“Alright.” Looking up at the man holding him, Daehyun’s lip quivered and he had to look away before he started crying again.

“I love you, Daehyun.” Jongup spoke softly, almost as though he were telling Daehyun some profound secret.

“Okay.” Voice hallow, Daehyun hung up the phone and held tightly onto Yongguk for a few long moments before the other man finally spoke, tone cautious and questioning.

“Dae?” Yongguk’s fingers ran through his hair and rubbed his back, trying his best to sooth the pain Jongup had left him with. “What happened?”

“Can you drive me to the park?” After a moment longer, Daehyun pulled away from Yongguk, rubbing at his own cheeks in frustration, annoyed with his own weakness.

“Yeah. Of course. But it’s the middle of the night. Why?” Standing, Yongguk helped Daehyun to his feet and Daehyun was relieved to feel the older man’s lips brush over his in a gentle ghost of a kiss.

“I... I need to face Jongup...” Looking down, a part of Daehyun felt like simply uttering the words were a betrayal to whatever was re-spawning between himself and Yongguk, but he knew if he didn’t do it... It would remain a ‘what it’ that he was sure nobody wanted hanging in the air among them.

“Alright. Get dressed. It’s cold out there. I’ll go start the car.” Yongguk cupped his cheeks, chasing away Daehyun’s self loathing with a deep kiss. “If this is what you need, I’ll do it for you.”

“Thanks, Yongguk...” Returning the kiss, Daehyun lingered in his arms a second longer before parting ways.

“Don’t thank me, Dae. See you downstairs.” With another kiss to his forehead, Yongguk left Daehyun alone to prepare himself. Watching him walk away, Daehyun let out a soft whimper and covered his face with his hands. Somehow, he knew what was to come would be harder than anything he had done so far. Yet, when it was all said and done, Daehyun also knew that his heart would finally be free from at least one thorn.

~~~

Yongguk sat in his car, staring down at the steering wheel while he waited for Daehyun. The only sound around him was the soft rumble of the engine and the heater ensuring that Daehyun would not be entering a frigid vehicle. Nerves causing his hands to shake, he wondered if he was a fool for agreeing to this. After all, he could have very easily reminded Daehyun that he and Jongup were no longer allowed contact... But he knew he couldn’t, even if it ruined his relationship with Daehyun, even if Daehyun decided he wanted back with Jongup, he had to let Daehyun make that choice. Yongguk just really hoped he would choose him.

“Hey.” Daehyun slipped into the car, startling him from his thoughts. The younger man’s eyes were puffy and red and it was clear he had been crying since Yongguk had went outside. Leaning over, Yongguk wiped away the remnants of tears with his thumbs as he kissed Daehyun’s forehead.

“Whatever happens, it’s okay, Dae.” Doing his best to reassure the other man, Yongguk helped him buckle his seat belt. “If you choose him, I’ll help you get around your dad. I’ll respect it.”

“Yongguk...” Daehyun bit his lip and Yongguk felt dread at what the other man might say. To spare his own feelings at least a little while longer, he cut his fiance off with a soft smile and finger to his lips.

“It’s okay, Dae.” Faking calm, Yongguk shrugged off his jacket and handed it to Daehyun. “You forgot to dress warm but you’ll need this if you two talk for a long time.”

“Yongguk...” Daehyun tried to speak again and, with a sad glance at the person he loved, Daehyun turned up the radio loud enough to make conversation impossible for the two of them as Yongguk began to drive from the mansion grounds. Sure, he was going to let Daehyun go if it was what made him happiest, but, at least for a few more minutes, he wanted to believe that Daehyun was still his. Daehyun didn’t owe him any kind of solace, no calm before the storm, but Yongguk was still selfish enough to force it, to deny Daehyun’s denial of his heart until he couldn’t do so any longer, even if it hurt the man he loved. Until Daehyun was back in Jongup’s arms, Yongguk wanted to live in ignorance, no, he needed to, he needed to spend this final drive with Daehyun as his alone with the unbroken hope that their return to the mansion would find them in the same relationship they left it in. Because, even when they had been apart and Yongguk had been spiteful and vengeful, Daehyun had never not been his whole world. And he just wasn’t ready to let him go yet, not again.