The first time Jinki wakes up at a hospital was when he almost got into an accident when he was a child. He was simply biking down the street, enjoying a few minutes of playing outside. It was a smooth ride, but not until a car suddenly appeared from the junction making him lose control of the handle. He swerved to the right and eventually hit the brick walls of a residence just a few houses away from theirs. He hit his head and felt blood streaming down his face. He couldn't even move from the shock.

Thankfully, Taemin saw him and called their umma to tell her what happened. All he could remember back then was Taemin crying, his umma picking him up and telling the driver to drive to the hospital quickly, and the rest was blurry. He could hear faint voices telling him to stay conscious and try not to fall asleep. He tried his best, but the sleep was much stronger than the 7-year old Jinki.

Since then, he isn't allowed to play outside and all he could do was to study and bury his nose on books all day.

 

The second time he wakes up in a hospital, he feels so tired that he wants to sleep more. But the pressure on his hands tells him otherwise. He tries to slowly open his eyes but fails on the first try. He tries once again and was welcomed by the warm rays of sunlight. 

The room was too white for his liking, cold and reeking of disinfectant. The flowers on the bedside table can't even do anything to hide the smell. 

He softly blinks to adjust his vision to the bright room and and tries to move his hand and feet that feels a little numb. He then turns to his side, curious of the person who holds his hand in his sleep. He thinks his eyes may be fooling with him as he sees Kibum, sleeping peacefully, holding his hand tight.

"K-Kibum..." His voice sounded hoarse from the long sleep. He didn't even know how he got here. All he remembers is talking to Taemin and then nothing.

After a few times of calling Kibum's name, the latter opened his eyes, yawning before throwing a lot of questions at Jinki. "You're awake! Do you need something? Do you feel pain? Do I need to call the doctor? How are you feeling?" He said without even pausing to take a breath.

Jinki chuckles at how Kibum looks right now. His unstyled hair and those feline eyes he loved the most. "I'm okay." He said.

"Thank God, Jinki. You never knew how worried all of us are. Taemin will visit this morning and umma will visit later in the afternoon. And Minho also sends his wishes for your fast recovery."

"Sorry and thank you?" Jinki said teasingly and Kibum couldn't help but burst into tears. The older was surprised at his reaction and slowly pulled Kibum into a hug, mumbling a chain of 'Sorry' and 'I'll never do it again'.

"You pull something like this again or I swear Lee Jinki, I will leave you forever." He said in between his sobs.

Something suddenly clicked inside Jinki's mind and he pulled away from the hug. He wiped the younger's tears as he whispered, "I have something to tell you."

"I have something to tell you too."

"You first, Kibum..."

"No. You first, hyung."

"No, it's okay. You go first."

"No, hyung. You're the first one to tell that you have something to say. Go on."

"But —" And he was cut off by the sound of the door opening.

"Hyung! You're already awake!" Seeing Jinki and Kibum's faces, he suddenly said, "Did I interrupt something again?"

Kibum shakes his head, too quickly to be saying the truth. "No..Nothing! We're just.. just talking. Right, hyung?"

"Yes, Taemin. You did disturb something."

"Sorry?"

"It's not like it's very important. It's okay, Minnie." Kibum said, trying to lessen the guilty feeling he knew Taemin felt.

But he isn't too quick to hide that disappointed expression from Jinki.
 

Taemin left a little early than expected, telling Kibum that he was needed at the dance club. He was very suspicious as Taemin said the reason, knowing that the younger is hiding something. Taemin did mention earlier that he was free all day, bringing more suspicions to Kibum's mind. But he dismisses it all and told him it's alright and that he should run along.

Jinki's umma was even more suspicious. Kibum expected her to visit late in the afternoon but she arrived just an hour after Taemin left. She roughly even stayed for an hour and told them that she has plans with her friends and that she's relieved knowing that Kibum is there beside Jinki's side. She even brought clothes for Kibum asking him if he could stay for one more night. 

Kibum wasn't one to argue so he just nodded, took the clothes and bid her goodbye.

But one person is acting really strange, beating Taemin and his umma.

Jinki was the most suspicious person today for Kibum. He actually noticed Jinki's weird signs or stares to both Taemin and his umma when he thought Kibum is not looking, as if he is telling them something. Now that he thinks about it, Taemin said that he was needed in the dance club after Kibum left the two of them alone in the room to buy something from the cafeteria downstairs. Jinki's umma also said that her friends weren't in Seoul right now and that she was supposed to be in Jeju-do for a trip with them. 

What the hell is happening?

"Kibummie." Jinki calls out, snapping him out of his daze. "I already called Minho for you and he said it's alright and that you're already a man to take care of yourself."

"Ah, thank you hyung. I completely forgot."

"You seem to be deep in thought. Mind to tell me what you're thinking?"

"Nothing, hyung. Just some trivial things." He sighs as he sat down at the beside Jinki on his bed. "A-about that talk... you said you have something to tell me."

"About that letter..." Jinki took a deep breath before saying, "do you mean it?"

Kibum felt his cheeks heat up as he looked downwards, fiddling his fingers. He totally forgot that he left Jinki a letter back then because all he could think of is Jinki's health and everything.

"Yes, I mean every word." He avoided Jinki's eyes, afraid of how the other could react. "All this time, I've been in love with you, hyung."

And he thinks he could die the moment Jinki replied back. "I love you too." He couldn't help but burst into tears and let Jinki hug him. "I was so afraid to tell you because I thought you didn't feel the same. I thought you only see me as a hyung whom you can depend on. I'm 6 years older than you and you were out of my league... I love you so much that I had to push you away before I became selfish and want you all for myself. I'm sorry, Kibum. But trust me when I say I love you."

"I know, hyung." He said, kissing away the tears Jinki didn't know he shed. "I'm barely legal but you could wait for me, right?"

"Of course, anything for you Kibum."

Their eyes met and both felt like it was electrifying, like a sudden jolt awoke both of them from a long and deep sleep. Everything just felt right when they both leaned in, closing their eyes shut and wait for the moment they have been waiting for a long time.

Their lips met and it was just the most simple but wonderful thing both had experienced. It was like an innocent first kiss. They just stayed in their position, lips not moving an inch, letting the magic do its work.

They pulled away after some time and just cuddled on the hospital bed. Thank God and this was not just a simple single hospital bed.

Kibum never felt this when he kissed Jonghyun. Sure, he was a good kisser. But his kisses were rushed and he doesn't leave him feeling giddy unlike Jinki's kiss that lingered on his lips even as time pass. It was like Jinki lips were always there, pressing against his.

For Jinki, it was so unlike the other kisses he had experienced in his life. He had actually tried a few relationships here and there. But Kibum's kiss were like magic. And he's craving for more.

But he comes to the realization that right now, it'll do. Kibum's not yet legal and he isn't going to push Kibum out of his comfort zones. He's gonna wait, even if it takes years.

"Thank you, hyung." Kibum blurt out of the blue. "If you didn't found me that night, I can't even imagine my life right now. You're an angel in disguise. My angel."

"I could say the same for you, Kibum. I think I would've done something bad to myself if you weren't there."

Kibum suddenly hits Jinki in the head, earning a loud whine from the older. "You do something to yourself and you're gonna face me, get it?"

"I promise I won't! You're not gonna leave me right? You do know that I'm already yours."

Kibum chuckles as he presses his lips against Jinki's for a brief second, taking the older off-guard.

"Of course, I won't. I'm technically yours too. I mean I just asked you to wait for me." He cuddles closer to Jinki and said, "There's no place I'd rather be than here by your side."

"I love you, Kibaem~"

Kibum chuckles at his newfound nickname. "I love you too, Yeonggam."

And so they slept just like that, in each other's arms.


 

They were strangers. They were both lonely. But now that they have each other, things will never be the same.