Cuddled up in his bed, Heechul was watching a scary movie about some kids vacationing in the woods. Leeteuk was sitting beside him, petting Heechul’s bare legs as they were propped on his lap. His skin was smooth, shaved and soft to the touch. Leeteuk had laughed at Heechul for shaving his legs, but it was just a habit, the younger man had explained. Heechul had taken swimming lessons all through school and part of his training involved shaving his legs; he just hadn’t stopped after school.

Heechul’s hair was almost long enough that it brushed his shoulders when he turned his head. Leeteuk had been a little amazed at how quickly it grew. He switched his hand from petting his legs to trace through his hair. Heechul shifted from watching the movie and Leeteuk smiled at him, noticing he was watching him now instead. Heechul smiled back and Leeteuk wondered what he was thinking about as he leaned to kiss him slowly.

Leeteuk closed his eyes as Heechul pressed his lips against his, leaning into the kiss and petting his cheek. He sighed comfortably and traced his tongue over Heechul’s lips. As they rubbed tongues, Leeteuk slid his hand down Heechul’s side to squeeze his hip, pulling him closer. Relaxing against the wall, Leeteuk smiled at Heechul as he took the hint and moved to straddle his lap.

Looking into his boyfriend’s face, Leeteuk leaned up a little when Heechul wrapped his arms around his neck. “You’ll miss your movie,” Leeteuk whispered.

“I don’t care,” Heechul said with a grin, kissing him deeply.

Sliding his hands over his milky thighs, Leeteuk nipped his lower lip, it gently. They hadn’t had any alone time like this for a few days. Leeteuk had gone back to composing work when they’d gotten home from vacation and Heechul had been called in for work in the mornings. Night time was usually a goodnight kiss and a little cuddling before both of them fell fast asleep.

“Tell me how you got into cooking?” Leeteuk asked between kisses.

“It always interested me,” Heechul said. “I always wanted to be the one that provided good food for my family. I would cook with my mom a lot, then I got ambitious in my teens, trying new dishes all the time. We had friends in the community who had restaurants and they let me try out some recipes on their customers.” Heechul smiled, tracing the back of Leeteuk’s neck with his fingertips. “And that’s how I realized people really liked my food. So I opened my own restaurant in my early twenties and everything I have now is just a product of that.”

Leeteuk smiled as Heechul spoke, thinking about him as a young man, starting a business. “I envy you for finding what you loved so early. I didn’t even think about making money with music until after college and the military.”

Guessing that Heechul knew about the mandatory military service, since he didn’t give him any questioning looks, Leeteuk sighed softly. “My parents were the type that just wanted me to have a job. They didn’t care if I was happy, just as long as I was working hard, finding a wife and making them grandchildren.”

Heechul laughed with his mouth closed, puffing more air out of his nose. Leeteuk grinned at him. “It’s true. They had my life planned out for me.”

“Mm,” Heechul smiled. “They wouldn’t be too happy knowing you had a boyfriend then right?”

His parents really wouldn’t be happy with him. Leeteuk smiled to himself, nodding. “It’s why I haven’t told them. They called me when things didn’t work out with Tae. They told me I just needed to apologize and go back to her. But I can’t do that.” Leeteuk sighed. “I’m an embarrassment to them. I may as well not even exist, except that I’m the only boy.”

Curling his fingers through Leeteuk’s hair, Heechul smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. “You should come meet my mom sometime. She’s not against me having boyfriends. It took her some time to accept it at first, but now she’s proud of me for being who I am.”

Leeteuk grinned. “I would like to meet your mom. Does she live near here?”

“Yah,” Heechul chuckled. “We don’t have to go right now.”

Leeteuk laughed and kissed him softly. “I was just wondering if she was close by.”

Smiling in the kiss, Heechul nodded. “She’s close. I moved her into a house of her own after the restaurant took off. My dad died when I was a kid, so it was just me taking care of my mom and big sister.”

Thinking about his father, Leeteuk smiled softly. “I wish my father would have died when I was young. He used to take all his anger out on me. Hit me a lot.” He closed his eyes when Heechul kissed between his brows. “I wish it would have been just me taking care of my mom and big sister.”

“I don’t ever want to meet your dad,” Heechul said softly. “I probably wouldn’t be able to hold back.”

Leeteuk laughed softly. “That’s sweet of you, but it wouldn’t be worth it.”

Heechul smiled. “Probably not, but I’m very protective of my friends.”

Sliding his arms around Heechul’s waist, Leeteuk hugged him tightly. “I’m protective of you too. Any old boyfriends or girlfriends of yours better not come near you.”

Heechul chuckled. “You’re cute. I believe you could do some damage, but if my old boyfriend ever comes around, it’d be better if no one did anything to him. He’s pretty big and hangs out in the gym too much.”

Leeteuk laughed softly. “I have military training, he wouldn’t stand a chance.” They smiled together for a moment before Leeteuk leaned for a kiss. “What was the last straw with him?” Leeteuk asked against his lips. “When did you decide you needed to get away from him?”

Heechul bit his own lower lip as he pulled out of kissing range, thinking about it. “I don’t think I ever really knew that I needed to be away from him. He’d hit me so bad, he did once, so bad he nearly fractured my cheek and jaw. I was in the hospital for a week then and I still came right home to him. I didn’t want anyone else around me but him. I knew he’d apologize, I knew he wouldn’t do it again. And when he’d do it again, I could forgive so easily.” He swallowed, looking down at nothing. “He’d take advantage of me if I wasn’t feeling up to what he wanted. I’d just forgive him the next day. One night we got so mad at each other we just listed off things we hated. I could mention one or two things about him, but he listed nearly everything about me. I told him I didn’t see why we should be together but he told me I could change and he didn’t want me to leave him.” Heechul took his hands back and covered his face with them, sliding his hands to shield his ears. “I was so, so stupid. I let him control everything I did, everyone I saw. He’d be so verbally abusive as well as physically. And I just got to the point where I couldn’t see a way out. I couldn’t think of anything but getting out.” Heechul wiped his eyes and sniffled, not making eye contact with Leeteuk. “So I tried to kill myself.” Heechul whispered. “I took a whole bunch of pills. I was nearly dead, but Simon found me.”

More and more shocked by the things Heechul was telling him, Leeteuk couldn’t do anything but listen. His hands had fallen to Heechul’s hips, resting idly there. At the finish of Heechul’s story, Leeteuk brought his hands up to hold Heechul’s cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” was all he could think to say as he placed soft kisses over Heechul’s face.

Heechul just nodded and moved to hug Leeteuk tightly, hiding his face against his shoulder. “And I still wanted to wake up and see him there with me.” He said, muffled. “He came to see me on one of my last days in the hospital. He told me he was leaving me and it was all I could do to force myself not to beg him to stay. We had a last kiss and I can still remember how tender it was and how I wished he’d always been like that.”

Squeezing Heechul against his chest, Leeteuk rested his cheek against his head. Petting his back slowly, Leeteuk wished he could find this guy, just to give him what he deserved.

“And,” Heechul whispered. “I haven’t wanted to tell you about them, but I know I have to.” He shifted up and looked at Leeteuk. “I have nightmares about him recently. Especially when I sleep alone. I dream I’m on the beach and he’s there, either to hit me, or strangle me or other bad things.”

Leeteuk frowned and held Heechul’s cheeks again. “Then I’m not letting you sleep alone anymore. I’ll be with you every night and every nap.”

Heechul laughed softly and Leeteuk smiled, relaxing that he could make Heechul smile again. He wiped Heechul’s cheeks of the fresh tears admitting to the nightmares had brought. Slowly, calmly, he kissed Heechul. His hands found their way down his sides and Leeteuk wrapped his arms around Heechul’s waist again, pulling him flush against his chest as they kissed.

Heechul’s arms cradled around Leeteuk’s neck the way he loved feeling them so much. Pulling from the kiss, Leeteuk smiled and rested their foreheads together. “I really love you.”

Smiling, Heechul rubbed their noses together. “I really love you too.”