A/N: I think it's about time for a little bit of angst, don't you?.... (¬‿¬)

“Aigoo,” Kihyun sighs out, walking behind the feline with aching limbs. He presses a hand to the small of his back, his eyes rolling up in aggravation to the ceiling. “Come on, Inna… It’s time to get to bed.” The cat merely sits down in the middle of the hall, and glances back at one of its owners. She meows loudly, and turns her head, as if nodding towards the study. Kihyun shakes his head, and opens the door.

“She’s all yours, Wonnie,” Kihyun calls, only halfly glancing towards his husband. He notices the man slumped forward in his chair, and smiles fondly. It isn’t rare to find Hyungwon asleep at his desk, as he’s always so busy nowadays writing things for the local schools. He enters the room, and sets a gentle hand on the younger’s shoulder.

“Wonnie~” he says softly, shaking the man’s shoulder gently. “Aga, I’ve told you, you shouldn’t sleep at your desk. It’s bad for your back…” Hyungwon doesn’t stir, but this isn’t too uncommon. He’s always been a bit of a heavy sleeper. Kihyun sighs a little, and grabs the man by both his shoulders to pull him back against the chair. He shakes him again, this time a bit rougher, and repeats his name.

Inna mewls from the floor, and rubs herself against his legs, but he remains motionless. Kihyun’s eyebrows scrunch together now, concern filling him. Despite the younger’s ability to sleep through his husband’s voice, he’s never been able to ignore the cat.

Hyungwon doesn’t respond no matter how many times Kihyun calls his name or shakes him, and next thing he knows he’s calling the ambulance. He hopes to god he’s just overreacting, worrying too much as usual, but his gut tells him something is wrong.

The younger had been complaining of chest pains earlier, and has been much more tired than usual, but he hadn’t thought anything of it. Now, he remembers heart problems run in Hyungwon’s family. He remembers all the signs of a heart attack, wonders if this is what’s happened. It gets hard to breathe as he explains to the dispatcher Hyungwon’s current state, gives the woman their address. Panic sets in after he hangs up, and he continues to try and awaken his love.

He’s crying by the time the EMTs arrive.

The men in scrubs hook up a defibrillator, and Kihyun paces around them. He’s biting down hard on a finger as he watches them warm up the machine and press the electronic pads against Hyungwon’s pale body. Tears stream freely down his face as he holds his breath, watching the younger’s face for any kind of sign that he’s still there, still with him.

I’ll do anything, Kihyun mentally pleads, his thoughts a mere whisper. I’ll do anything to keep him with me, make a deal with whoever… I can’t lose him. I refuse to lose him.

Suddenly, Hyungwon stirs, lurching forward meekly as he gasps for air. The medics quickly strap on an air mask and gently move him over to the stretcher, and begin to wheel him out.

Kihyun doesn’t even hesitate to follow them out, barely conscious enough to get his keys to lock the door behind them.

Hyungwon clutches desperately onto Kihyun’s hand as they ride to the hospital. He doesn’t say anything, as there’s still an air mask on his face, but his eyes say everything. Apologies for scaring the older shine clearly in his eyes, and Kihyun can only cry and kiss at Hyungwon’s fingers, assuring him that everything will be alright now.

Just so long as Hyungwon stays with him, everything will be okay.

They arrive at the hospital quickly enough, and Hyungwon is taken back for tests and a comfortable room for observations. Kihyun sits in the waiting room for an interminable amount of time, bent forward with his hands clasped before him and his foot bouncing anxiously against the carpeted floor.

He thinks of calling their sons, to let them know what’s going on, but realizes then he hadn’t gotten his phone on his way out. He sighs heavily at himself, knowing he must look an outright mess right now in his pajamas, mussed up hair, and bare feet. He hadn’t even gotten shoes, for gods sake. He in a breath through his front teeth at himself, but gets up anyway. He knows he has to tell their children what’s happened, and he has to get up to do it.

So, throwing his shoulders back and holding his head high as only Kihyun can, he walks over to the nurse’s station and asks if he can use their phone.

Changkyun awakens with a start, though remains still for a moment as he wonders if he really ought to acknowledge the phone ringing behind him. Hoseok’s displeased groan in his arms tells him the answer, and he begrudgingly flops away from his husband to give whoever’s on the other end an earful.

“Changkyunnie,” his father’s voice says on the other end. Changkyun pouts confusedly, pulling the phone away from his ear to check the Caller ID again.

“Eomma?” he asks, suddenly very much awake. He sits up and flicks on the bedside lamp, his brow creasing together. “Why’re you in the hospital? Are you okay? Where’s Appa?”

“Everything will be okay, don’t worry,” his father tells him gently on the other side, though his subdued tone does nothing to calm the man’s racing heart. “Your appa just had… Well, they haven’t said, but I think it was a heart attack. They’re doing tests now to see, but—”

“What hospital are you at?” Changkyun says, already getting up out of bed. He’s vaguely aware of Hoseok watching him confusedly from the sheets, squinting against the light. His father answers, and he assures the man he’ll be there as soon as he can before hanging up.

“Kkungie?” Hoseok asks, his voice thick with sleep. “Kkungie, what’s the matter?” Changkyun pauses in his movements, pulling his lip between his teeth as he realizes what he’s about to say.

“…My appa just had a heart attack…”

Kihyun’s called forward by the doctor before his sons arrive, which he suddenly thinks is for the better in case this is something worse than he thinks. He pushes such thoughts away, though, absolutely forbidding for this to be anything worse.

“It was a heart attack, as we’d thought,” the doctor tells him, his eyes remaining trained on the clipboard. “There’s no significant damage, thankfully, but there will need to be some changes to avoid something like this again…” Kihyun nods quickly, a focused pout contorting his lips as he readies himself to memorize everything the doctor says.

The professional pauses then, finally glancing up to see the determined light in the man’s eyes.

“I don’t want to bog you down with too much information for now,” he says, deciding to take mercy on him. “Would you like to go see him? He’s still a bit groggy, but I’m sure seeing you would help his morale right now.” Kihyun nods before he can even think, and follows the doctor down the hall.

His heart absolutely shatters at the sight that awaits him. Hyungwon’s lank, pale form surrounded by clinically white sheets, his eyes barely open. An IV is hooked up to his arm, a breathing mask slung around his face. It’s enough to make Kihyun cry again at seeing his dear love so frail, so fragile, so vulnerable. But, he takes a steadying breath, thanks the doctor, and marches over on the cold tiled floor to sit down beside his husband.

As if sensing his presence, Hyungwon’s eyelids flutter open with obvious difficulty, and he smiles behind the mask. Kihyun struggles to smile back, and he reaches forward to remove the breathing mask.

“Hey, love,” Hyungwon greets, his voice airy and cracking. Kihyun chuckles fondly at the term, his hands instinctively going to grasp Hyungwon’s. “Sorry for the scare… I know you must be worried sick.”

“Shhh,” Kihyun admonishes, pouting at the younger’s words. “None of that, I’m fine. Inna seemed pretty freaked out when she left, but she’s okay now, I’m sure.” Hyungwon laughs under his breath, seeing through the proxy Kihyun had used to describe his earlier distress, and manages the tiniest of nods.

“I’ll have to make it up to her when we get home, then,” he says. The couple share a glance, their eyes shining with obvious relief. Kihyun doesn’t even realize he’s crying again until Hyungwon frowns and asks him what’s wrong. He confusedly reaches up with a hand and pats at his cheek, puffing out an aggravated breath at himself.

“,” he mutters, tilting his head back to try and force the tears back in. “Sorry, I swear I’m fine, really. I’m just glad you’re okay.” He sniffles a little, and finally returns his gaze to his husband just to find a fond smile contorting his lips. He doesn’t say anything, only tightens his grip as much as he can on the older’s hand, and Kihyun can only smile back, becoming lost in the loving gaze.

Jooheon and Changkyun arrive with their husbands in tow a few minutes later, messily dressed and clearly in a panic. Kihyun in a breath at their appearance, clicking his tongue disapprovingly.

“I know I raised you boys to tuck in your shirts,” he starts to nag, willfully ignoring his own appearance. The boys only roll their eyes, walking over to stand on the other side of Hyungwon’s bed. Their spouses follow, albeit carefully so as not to crowd the family they’d married into.

“Are you okay, Appa?” Jooheon asks, his typically-small eyes wide and fearful. Hyungwon gives a short chortle and nods, humming as he gestures for their sons to hold onto his hand. They willingly do so, their faces mirroring the pure worry one the other perfectly.

“I’m alright, you two,” Hyungwon assures them. “I’m sorry to have scared you… I guess I should start taking better care of myself.”

“I’ve told you that for years, ahjussi,” Kihyun chastises, rolling his eyes. “You never listen to me. I’ve told you that you need to start eating more fish and less red meat, and to start jogging every once in a while. You’re not twenty-five, anymore.”

“Why should I remember all that when you just tell me every day, anyway?” Hyungwon fires back, sounding exasperated despite the amused smile on his lips.

“I don’t know why I bother,” Kihyun grumbles, shaking his head. “I might as well be talking to a brick wall. I bet the minute we get home you’re going to ask me to make you yukhoe.”

The two go back and forth for another minute, though their sons don’t listen anymore. They merely share a knowing glance, their fathers’ typical banter a telltale sign that everything will be alright, just as they say. They breathe for the first time all night, falling back against their husbands relievedly, who’re all too ready to catch and support them as the men’s bickering fills the small hospital room.

A/N: Lmao, please don't hate me. This whole work has been very fluffy thus far, and I needed something to balance it... especially with the warm ending I'm gonna give y'all~ Besides, sometimes life throws curve-balls at you and not everything is happy, we have to suffer through a little bit to make the good things all the sweeter. I hope you all liked this installment (even if it is pretty angsty) ^^* <3