Lee Jaehwan sat in the kitchen of Hyde, gazing intently at the man at the stove. Hyuk had been working on a new recipe and, though he was sure it would taste like dirty shoes and sweaty underwear, he was still looking forward to trying it. To him, Hyuk’s insistence on learning to cook was the cutest thing in the world. He hadn’t realized until after Hongbin was gone, that Hyuk relied heavily on assistance to make food without producing inedible masses of charcoal and broken dreams.

“Need me to-” His attempt to offer help was cut off quickly.

“No. No. I’ve got this.” Sounding cheerful, Hyuk flipped a weirdly gray egg in a pan and Jaehwan could feel himself groan internally, worried about what kind of intestinal distress he man be face.

“I know you do, big guy.” Shaking his head, he chuckled quietly to himself. “You do look hot though.”

“I mean, that might not be a bad idea either, but not exactly my intent.” Smiling, Jaehwan settled into his chair, prepared only to move at Hyuk’s insistence (or in the event of a fire).

“You hush.” Grinning, Hyuk turned to face him. “How do you like your eggs again?”

“Um. Well done?” Giving him a playful smirk, Jaehwan dodged the piece of toast that was heaved at his head.

“Maybe you don’t get eggs, you smartass.” Leveling a very fake glare at him, Hyuk turned back to the frying pan.

“Do you promise?” Laughing, Jaehwan got up and back hugged his boyfriend. “I’m joking. If you made it, it’s my favorite, Sanghyuk.”

“You’re my favorite...” Mumbling in a half pout, Hyuk turned to wrap his arms around Jaehwan’s waist and Jaehwan found himself blushing despite his concern that the eggs may burst into flames.

“I know I am.” With a smile, he kissed Hyuk quickly. “The eggs are smoking...”

“!” Separating, Hyuk turned and got the pan into the sink. “Well, there goes my attempt at breakfast.”

“I’ve got this.” Kissing his cheek, Jaehwan began to move around the kitchen. “You relax.”

Cha Hakyeon woke up with arms held firmly around him. Three years had passed since their battle against the forces of evil, since they had lost people they cared deeply for, and a little bit themselves, but there still remained a residual sting when he realized the man beside him wasn’t Taekwoon. Though, despite that feeling of pain, joy was quickly the dominant emotion as he gazed at the sleeping form beside him.

“I can feel your eyes on me, Hakyeon.” A smile spread across Wonshik’s lips as the man pulled him closer. “Give me five more minutes?”

“But I miss you.” Pouting, Hakyeon tugged gently at a lock of his lover’s hair, giggling when Wonshik smacked at his rear playfully.

“Well in that case... I can hardly make you wait any longer.” Opening his eyes, Wonshik pulled Hakyeon into a deep kiss, caressing his cheek, letting his fingertips travel down Hakyeon’s neck gently.

“My hero.” Kissing him back, Hakyeon wrapped his arms around Wonshik’s neck, his fingers lightly gripping his soft hair. “You need a hair cut.”

“Oh ouch, Hakyeon.” Chuckling softly, Wonshik’s lips found his neck and Hakyeon felt shivers travel the expanse of his spine. “I’m sure your cutting words will do the job just fine.”

“Sorry, baby. I love you.” Letting out a soft noise, Hakyeon felt one of Wonshik’s hands on his hip. This is what love felt like, playful early morning romance, a connection deeper than physical, all encompassing and somehow both feather soft and fierce at the same time. Sure, he had loved Byungjun, and he had especially loved Taekwoon, but it was in Wonshik’s arms that he learned what it was to be loved as purely and openly as he, himself had loved.

“I love you too.” Planting another, blistering kiss on his lips, Wonshik made his move, ending in Hakyeon on his back and the other man over top of him. “Let me show you...”

“Ew, guys. I’m standing right here?” A voiced chuckled from the door and Hakyeon groaned, making a mental note to change the locks as he and Wonshik parted ways.

“What do you need, Soomi?” Wonshik growled, running his hand through his own hair in that way Hakyeon had learned he does when he’s frustrated.

“Well, I’d say currently I need you guys to put some clothes on.” The psychic raised an eyebrow, looking them over. “Damn, Hakyeon. He’s pretty decent.”

“Please stop looking at my boyfriend’s .” Blushing Hakyeon threw a pillow into Wonshik’s lap before wrapping himself in a blanket, going on a quest to find clothing. “What do you really need?”

“Attention.” Laughing, the woman shook her head. “Seriously. Soohyun’s been busting his at the garage and he wont let me come visit him during the day because last time I accidentally caught a car on fire. I was just trying to help.”

“I’m sure you were.” Wonshik sighed as Hakyeon gathered their outfits and returned to the bed. “Now really, what’s up?”

“It’s just... You know.” Soomi bit her lip slightly, seeming to look anywhere but them. “Kiseop and Daehwan are off on vacation and I didn’t want to be alone today.”

“Oh.” Realization hit him and Hakyeon gave her a soft smile. “We’ll go visit them today, okay?”

“Thanks.” Soomi nodded, leaving the room so they could dress. Three years since the battle, since lives had been lost, and it was the first time it had slipped his mind. Glancing over at Wonshik, he knew why. This man was healing him, and he was finally ready to let the tragedy of the past go and live his life with only happiness.

Han Sanghyuk watched at Jaehwan effortlessly cooked breakfast, wondering if maybe they should have stopped Soomi when she bolted through the cafe. Being too late to change the decision, he was just glad she had made herself Wonshik and Hakyeon’s problem. Surveying his boyfriend, he found it wonderful how Jaehwan was always somewhere between incredibly stressed out and frantic, and entirely at home in the kitchen. Where Hyuk personally made chaos, Jaehwan could fail and still make edible art.

“What’s up?” Noticing his attention, Jaehwan titled his head in that cute little way he had when he was trying to figure something out.

“Just thinking about how lucky I am.” Leaning back, he put his feet up on the table and blew Jaehwan a kiss. “I love you.”

“Not as much as I love you!” The other man shouted back, causing him to laugh.

“Eh, you’re probably right.” Shrugging, he gave Jaehwan a playful look.

“I know better than that, you little brat.” Shaking his head, Jaehwan pouted at him as their friends came down the stairs into the Hyde kitchen.

“Sanghyuk if you don’t get your feet off that table I will take them from you.” Hakyeon greeted him with a half threat. Lowering his feet, Hyuk stuck his tongue out at their leader.

“You need my feet.” Smirking, Hyuk tried to act cocky. “I work well for no pay, remember.”

“I pay you with my undying gratitude.” Chuckling, Hakyeon was led to a seat by Wonshik. For a long time, Hyuk had quietly hated that man for taking Hongbin away from him but as Jaehwan healed his heart, he was able to see that what Wonshik had done was for everyone’s own good.

“Something smells good.” Wonshik announced as he held Hakyeon close to him.

“It’s Hyuk’s eggs.” Jaehwan’s reply made him blush and rolls his eyes.

“He said good, babe.” Stretching, he noted Soomi’s silence and turned to her. “Hey. You alright?”

“Yeah.” Nodding, she gave him a small smile. “You going to visit them with us? Soohyun can’t make it.”

“Of course. I need to deliver something anyway.” Nodding, Hyuk thought about the rose bush he had bought on impulse, a gift for the love he once held closest. Glancing over at Jaehwan, he felt his sadness last only a moment longer. Still, even then, he missed Hongbin, but he wouldn’t trade his current relationship for the world. Jaehwan’s light had reached him at his darkest moment and it was a light he still held on to. It was his salvation.

Kim Wonshik stood away from everyone at the shrine they had created for their fallen comrades in the caves where they had lost their lives, a strange but fitting monument to the lost. Four urns lined a wall, filled with the ashes of the dead. Hyuk and Jaehwan stood before a tall urn decorated with rose etching, surrounded by plants. Soomi was quietly in front of a silver urn etched in wings, signifying Jaeseop’s flight from earth. As Hakyeon knelt in front of a fiery urn, Byungjun’s final resting place, Wonshik stepped forward, smiling awkwardly at the urn before him. Decorated in orchids and butterflies, Taekwoon’s urn was a beautiful as the love Hakyeon had put into designing it.

“Hey. I... I don’t know if you can hear me...” Sighing, Wonshik felt foolish but continued on anyway. “I just wanted to let you know... He’s okay. You don’t have to worry about him. I’m doing my best to protect him, to keep him happy. I can’t replace you, i know that, and I would never want to... I just want you to know, I’ll make sure he’ll never feel lonely or unloved. I’ll keep him safe, protect him with my life, so if you feel like you can’t move on, if you’re worried. It’s okay.”

“He knows, Wonshik.” Hakyeon startled him, appearing by his side as though a ghost himself. “He and Byungjun... They feel grateful. They trust you. I trust you.”

“I love you, Cha Hakyeon.” Leaning in, he kissed his lover gently, feeling slightly sacrilegious to be doing so in front of two of his dead lovers.

“I love you, too.” With a sigh, he kissed him back, leaning against him. “What a pair we are, you and I. The men that saved the world.”

“I was only strong because you needed me to be, you know.” Kissing Hakyeon’s forehead, he smiled. “I’ll leave you two alone for a while, let you have a private moment with Taekwoon.” Turning, he rubbed Hakyeon’s cheek before retreating to give him space. The men who saved the world... It amazed him still that Hakyeon put so much value into his actions, when, had it been any other person, he may have very well let them die. Hakyeon was the man that saved the world and every day, it was more and more clear that he would always be the man that saved, and would keep saving, Hakyeon, the man he loved. Sure, they were brought together by the worst circumstances, they all were, but maybe it was the right events to give them their happily ever afters.