Howon gave a contented sigh as he snuggled closer into his boyfriend’s back, wrapping his arms tightly around the small waist. He enjoyed these little moments where he would wake up earlier than Woohyun. He wasn’t sure how long he’s been awake, but he wasn’t complaining. At times like this, he would stay in bed and watch the older man sleep peacefully next to him. He would observe every little feature on Woohyun’s face during times like these.

The way his lips turned upwards, indicating a happy dream.

The way his mouth would open and close every now and again as he snored lightly.

The way his brows would furrow slightly as he try to find a more comfortable position in bed.

Howon could list everything he loved about Woohyun when he was asleep, but you would be sitting here for days reading it.

However, recently, Woohyun hasn’t been smiling in his sleep. Instead of the occasional snore, Howon would hear the older man whimper in his sleep. It would sometimes sound like a choke sob. The young man also noticed that Woohyun’s brows stayed furrowed, stayed furrowed in… despair?

The young man reached out, tracing the contours of Woohyun’s face. Howon’s favorite feature was the man’s beautiful smile. He loved how every time Woohyun’s face crinkled into a smile, his eyes would turn into crescents, his front teeth would show.

To Howon’s dismay, Woohyun stopped smiling. He hasn’t seen that gorgeous smile in weeks.

It was Howon’s fault, though.

It was always Howon’s fault.

The sound of Woohyun’s alarm clock rang throughout the room. It was loud and boisterous. Howon couldn’t stand the sound. He always tried to persuade his boyfriend to change the alarm to something different, something more soothing and peaceful. Woohyun would always tell him that if the alarm sounded soothing and peaceful, they would never wake up on time.

Howon heard a small groan come from his boyfriend. Woohyun’s eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the small sunlight that filtered into the room. He moved away slightly from Howon’s embrace and reached for his phone on the night stand next to their bed, silencing the alarm.

“Good morning,” Howon mumbled, wishing his little moment with Woohyun could last forever.

Woohyun leaned back into Howon’s embrace. He sighed, not responding to Howon’s greeting. He sighed again, but this time, he moved to get out of bed. He flipped the sheets and comforters out of his way and stretched, quietly yawning.

Howon grunted slightly as he was forced to move away from the warmth that belonged to his boyfriend. He sat up, watching the older man get up and head into the bathroom.

“Should I make breakfast today?” Howon asked, getting up from the bed as well. “I know my cooking isn’t as amazing as yours. It’s the least I could do, but…” He trailed off, following Woohyun to the bathroom.

Woohyun didn’t respond, slamming the door in Howon’s face.

Howon sighed.

Howon walked out into the living room, finding his boyfriend sitting on the couch, watching the news. His messenger bag was on the ground by his feet. A small cup of steaming hot coffee was on the table.

Woohyun never liked coffee, but it was the only thing keeping him awake, keeping him sane.

Howon loved coffee.

Woohyun stood up, turning the TV off. He took one more sip of his coffee and placed it back on the table, not even going to the effort of taking it to the kitchen.

Next to the cup was a box full of Howon’s stuff. They were from his office. He could’ve sworn he had more stuff. Maybe Woohyun would bring more of his things home today?

Howon was a lawyer. He was a great lawyer. He was one of the best in South Korea. People called him a prodigy. He got offers every week to join someone else’s firm, to get paid more, to get more benefits, to get even more cases. Howon always rejected the offers, though. He loved working at his firm. He ran the practice along with Kim Sunggyu, an old friend of his and Woohyun’s from back in graduate school. Woohyun was getting his Masters in Teaching while Howon and Sunggyu were getting their Masters in Law.

Howon’s track of winning every case came to a halt about a month ago. A young man in his early thirties was accused of killing his boyfriend of five years. It was Howon’s job to put the man, the killer, Kim Myungsoo in jail. It was an easy case. It was obvious Myungsoo killed his boyfriend, Lee Sungjong, but something went wrong. Evidence that Howon wasn't aware of existed, and somehow, Myungsoo got away free.

Howon would never forget the look Lee Sungyeol, Sungjong’s older brother, gave him when he walked out of the court house later on that day. The look was filled with hatred and animosity. He could never forgive Howon for failing to put his brother’s murderer behind bars.

Woohyun picked up his messenger bag and checked it contents, making sure everything was there. He was a kindergarten teacher. He loved children, and he loved teaching them. Howon didn’t really care for them. They were always seen as little devils in his eyes. But he loved the way Woohyun would talk animatedly to him about his day with the kids.

As a birthday gift, Howon was going to go to the adoption agency and bring some paperwork home and information about adopting a child. He would do anything to make Woohyun happy. If that meant bringing a little girl or boy into their home for them to raise together, then so be it. Even though he didn’t like kids, the thought of raising one with Woohyun brought immense joy to his heart.

But so much has been happening recentl