2 A/Ns this time c:! Okay, so I can't post the winners of the contest yet because I don't have internet (I'm moving) and I just managed to get wifi for today D: You can still enter btw! But since you've all waited so patiently, Here is the epilogue!

Epilogue:

    A warm tear rolled down the tanned man’s cheek as he gently ran his fingertips across the name engraved into the cold marble, treating it as if it was alive. Jung Youngjae.

    Daehyun’s smile was bittersweet as he knelt down in front of the grave to be at eye level with the picture of his late husband. It had been a year since his lover’s passing, but the matured doctor dedicatedly visited the cemetery every day, placing a handful of fresh cherry blossoms by the headstone.

    “I miss you. Junhong is so big now…” Daehyun murmured and closed his eyes as he pressed his cheek against the headstone. He sighed softly at the image of his soulmate appearing in his mind, with rosy cheeks and a smile painting across his entire face. The doctor made tender with the pads of his fingers onto the cold marble, his mind convincing him that the stone was actually Youngjae’s soft, pale skin under his hands.

    “Dad!” a high pitch voice resonated through the air, breaking Daehyun out of his trance. The doctor smiled and turned to the young boy with curly hair who was currently hurling his body at his father. Daehyun released a soft yet sad chuckle, catching his seven-year old son in his arms. He ran his fingers through his son’s locks to comfort the boy.

    “Don’t worry, Junhonggie. We’ll see Papa again someday. But for now, I want you to remember that he loves us so much,” the tanned doctor whispered to his child, trying to stay strong so his son wouldn’t spill any more tears. Junhong sniffled and nodded as he placed a dandelion flower on top of his Papa’s grave before clinging to his father desperately. Junhong had always been a mama’s boy, if that was the proper terminology.

The young boy tightened his grip on his father’s shirt, tugging on it gently. He looked up at Daehyun with tear-stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes. Even though it had been a year, neither of them had been able to accept Youngjae’s death. Every day, the same pattern repeated. Daehyun goes to work, Junhong goes to school, they visit the cemetery, they cry to sleep together. Although their lives were filled with grief, somehow, little sparks of happiness appeared every once in a while.

“Daddy, can you tell me the story of how we became a family?” Junhong pleaded, his eyes full of desperation to have some sort of happy memory to hold on to. The doctor smiled and ruffled his son’s hair; he knew that his son loved it when Youngjae told him the story of his adoption. After a quiet “Of course sweetie,” Daehyun cleared his throat and began to recall the events that seemed to happen just yesterday.

    The newly married couple sat at the glass dinner table; Daehyun was rambling on about his day while his lover simply listened with a smile on his face. Although Daehyun was a pediatrician, he insisted to continue being Youngjae’s doctor even after the two got married because it was much more convenient than having another doctor conduct house visits.

    “So, there’s this premature baby,” the doctor said, munching on a piece of bread that he was eating along with some pasta. “The mother passed away during childbirth, and the father ran away without a trace. So the hospital doesn’t know what to do with the poor little boy!” Daehyun exclaimed, causing Youngjae’s eyebrows to furrow in interest. What kind of human could just get up and leave their own child? The frail man sighed softly before looking at his partner in determination.

    “Bring me to the hospital tomorrow. I want to see him,” Youngjae said, causing Daehyun’s jaw to drop, allowing a bite of pasta to slip out of his mouth and back onto the plate. The paler boy looked at his husband in disgust, wrinkling his nose slightly. You would have thought that he would be used to Jung Daehyun’s antics by now, but Youngjae swore he learned something new about the man every day.

    The doctor nodded; after dating this man for almost three years and being married for one, he realized that it was best just to listen to his husband and not question his actions. “Okay! He was just taken out of the incubator and put into the nursery, so it’s probably safe to visit him,” Daehyun explained before scooting closer to his husband, holding out a forkful of clean pasta that hadn’t come from his mouth.

    Youngjae laughed, eating the bite of food before shaking his head at his lover’s eternal childishness. Somehow, his idiot of a boyfriend and now husband was able to make him eat. For once in his lifetime, Youngjae felt both healthy and content at the same time.

    The two finished up their dinner and cleaned up before Daehyun helped his husband stand. Although he practiced a lot, Youngjae was only able to walk short distances if he had a cane. It was much more convenient to use a wheelchair, but their house had a staircase that Youngjae was unable to climb.

    Daehyun scooped up Youngjae into his arms easily, the latter giggling as they ascended the stairs. This was their usual routine every day. After dinner, Daehyun would carry his husband up to their room, help him shower, then talk and laugh on the bed until they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

    “Jaejae,” the doctor said softly, a smile slowly spreading on his face as he laid beside the love of his life, cupping the latter’s rounded cheek with his tan, calloused hand. Youngjae peeked one eye open at his husband and pretended to be fast asleep, even adding in some fake snores although he knew that Daehyun knew perfectly well that he was wide awake.
 

    The doctor laughed as he moved closer to his husband, nuzzling their noses together gently in an eskimo kiss. “I love you, Jung Youngjae.”

    It was early in the morning when the duo left for the hospital; Daehyun drove carefully with his husband’s wheelchair in the trunk of his car. He hoped that he wouldn’t be scolded for bringing his husband to work, but the young doctor also knew that Youngjae would do anything he could in order to help the hospital workers with their job.

    After Daehyun explained to the nurses as to why Youngjae was there, the couple made their way to the nursery. Daehyun brought the wheelchair to a stop and took a giant glob of hand sanitizer from the dispenser by the doorway and turned to face his lover. Youngjae looked at him quizzically. He held back a snort of laughter as the elder took his hands within his, rubbing the hand sanitizer onto Youngjae’s smaller hands.

    “I can clean my own hands, idiot,” the paler man said with a chuckle, looking at Daehyun affectionately although he was verbally insulting him. Youngjae had gotten used to calling his lover “Stupid,” “Idiot,”  and even names like “loser” or “-face.” Daehyun didn’t care what his husband called him, but he loved Youngjae’s reaction when he called the latter cheesy pet names he came up with.

    “I know, love. I just wanted to baby you a little today,” the tanned doctor said, grinning as he unlocked the door to the nursery by scanning his staff ID card. The lock clicked open and Daehyun pushed the heavy door open slowly, not wanting to wake up any sleeping babies.

    The duo moved further into the room, with Daehyun slowly maneuvering Youngjae’s wheelchair between the aisles of cribs. He pulled to a stop at the very back of the nursery that was decorated plainly: white walls with some cute animal stickers on random areas, probably to cover up peeling paint. Youngjae gasped softly as the wheelchair slowed to a stop, covering his parted lips with the soft pads of his fingertips.

    “Is this him?” the younger man said softly while looking into the crib, if it could even be called one. The crib appeared to be a blue blanket inside of a plastic bin with a baby nestled inside. Large chestnut eyes peeked out between a tuft of light yet curly hair and the top of the blanket as a gurgling noise could be heard. Peering into the bin and reaches his hand in, Youngjae cooed at the tiny baby boy who had managed to untangle himself from the blanket and reach a small hand out to curl around the man’s pointer finger.

    Daehyun smiled fondly at his husband interacting with the infant, but unfortunately he had to tend to patients in just a few minutes. The doctor leaned down to pick the child up from the crib, laughing softly as the baby whined when he was forced to release Youngjae’s finger. “Jaejae, you can hold him if you want. I have to go, but I’ll be back in an hour or so,” the tanned man stated while carefully passing the child to his lover.

    Youngjae nodded affirmatively, holding the smiling child in his arms. The elder smiled and ruffled his lover’s hair before pressing his lips gently to the top of the latter’s head. With the child held securely in his arms, Youngjae allowed his face to crack into a smile, his lips curling up and his eyes turning into crescents.

    With the soft click of a lock, Daehyun had left the room to earn his paycheck. His lover remained holding the child, chuckling as a gurgle bubbled from the baby’s lips. It was like love at first sight all over again: Youngjae couldn’t take his eyes off the baby. Although he wasn’t abnormally cute, something about him drew the sickly man in. It might have been the chubby cheeks or tiny tiny fingers; Youngjae would never know.

    Before he knew it, he was sitting across the dinner table begging Daehyun to adopt the boy. “He’s our son. I just KNOW it,” the boy pleaded, using various tactics to attempt to convince his lover. Daehyun sighed softly as he shook his head repeatedly. He loved Youngjae dearly, but a child, an ill one, would put more stress on his lover’s body, and Daehyun was afraid of the consequences.

    “Jae, we’re not ready for a child. Who will take care of him?” the young doctor said, reaching over to squeeze the pale, frail hand gently. He sighed softly as he looked down at the table, running his thumb gently over the veins on Youngjae’s hand in an attempt to calm him down.

    The moment hot tears began to escape from his lover’s eyes, Daehyun knew he couldn’t take it anymore. It was against all logic, but he knew that they needed the curly haired baby. He became a part of their family, and Daehyun could do nothing to change this fact. The tanned doctor stood up from his seat, laughing softly as the younger’s tearstained face soon upturned into a smile as he realized what was going on.

    “We’ll sign the papers tomorrow,” the doctor said while approaching his lover and scooping him up into his arms. Youngjae chuckled and wrapped his arms loosely around Daehyun’s neck, nuzzling into the latter’s chest. “Dammit, Youngjae. You’ll really be the death of me,” the tanned man muttered under his breath as he shifted the boy in his arms. His lover laughed and hit the tanned bicep gently with his fist.

    “Jung Daehyun, put me down this instant!” the frail boy whined, trying to contain his contagious laughter. The doctor grinned cheekily and shook his head before carrying his husband up the stairs hurriedly. “Wait, what about the dishes?!” Youngjae shouted, but Daehyun simply ignored the younger’s cries as he ascended the stairs to their bedroom.

    The elder stifled his laughter as he gently set his lover on their shared bed and pressed his lips to the younger’s forehead. “I love you, Youngjae,” the man said, sitting beside his husband and running his fingers through the neatly brushed hair, making it slightly unkempt.

    “And I love you too, Jung Daehyun. And our son, Junhong.” The younger’s lips curled into a content smile as he nuzzled into the doctor’s chest, waiting for the next day to come quickly.

    “Daddy, when will we see Papa again?” the young boy asked his father, wiping his tears on the doctor’s shirt. Daehyun sighed softly as he ran his fingers through Junhong’s hair.

    “I miss him too, baby. We’ll see him someday… Someday,” the father mumbled as he leaned down to kiss the boy’s forehead. Junhong held back his tears, knowing that he had to stay strong for his father. For his family.

    The little boy took his father’s large hand in his and rested his other hand onto the cold, marble tombstone. “Papa! Guess what? I made a friend in school today,” Junhong sniffled before mustering up his strength to put on a giant grin. Daehyun laughed softly. His son really was the best; he knew exactly what to do when Daehyun was feeling down. The doctor’s lips curled into a smile as he squeezed his son’s hand lightly. Even though Youngjae wasn’t with them, they were still a family. They would always be a family.

Day by day, the pale skinned boy became more frail. It was unexpected; Youngjae had developed an infection in his lungs, and there was no recovering because the tissue had become damaged beyond repair. The man was counting down the days until his time was up and he was forced to leave this Earth.

Daehyun didn’t want to give his lover false hope. He knew that the latter was dying; he was his doctor, after all. The most he could do was stay by Youngjae’s side as much as possible, showering him with endless affection and love.

    Unfortunately, the doctor still had to go to work. He was a pediatrician, and he couldn’t be Youngjae’s sole doctor forever. The tanned doctor reluctantly left the house after kissing his lover’s forehead, each time worrying that it would be the last time he would see his husband.

    “I’ll see you later. I love you,” the younger called out as his husband walked to the door. Daehyun looked back at him over his shoulder, biting back the tears threatening to fall from his face.

    “I love you too,” the doctor whispered and forced a smile onto his face before leaving his lover alone in the room with his mother, who would be acting as a caretaker today. Unlike the elder, Youngjae was happier than ever. He had his dream life: a loving husband, their little boy who had just started school, and now he was really ready to leave if his time was up.

    All he could do was hope that he had his family beside him when the time came. Youngjae’s mother, with graying hair now, gently ran her fingers through her son’s hair. The man closed his eyes, sighing happily as he thought about how blessed he was.

    Youngjae woke up, wheezing as he in as much air as he possibly could. The machine attached to him was beeping wildly, and his mother was flitting around the room in a panic. The frail man’s lips curled up into a sad smile. It was time.

    “Mom, is Daehyun coming home soon?” the man croaked, his voice weak and quiet. At the sound of her son’s voice, Mrs. Yoo immediately froze. Although tears were streaming down her cheeks, she smiled at her son and nodded.

    “I’ll call him right now, and I’ll make sure Junhong goes to his daycare,” she said as her lip trembled. Not wanting to leave her room, Mrs. Yoo pulled out her cellphone from her pocket and dialed the doctor’s phone number. “Daehyun, it’s time,” she whispered into the phone, hearing the other line hang up almost immediately.

    Youngjae looked up at the ceiling, trying to hold back his coughs in fear of losing even more oxygen. One of his lungs had shut down, but he still wanted to see his lover’s face one last time. Slowly, breathing became harder and harder.

    The man grabbed a notepad and pen from the bedside table, scrawling out a note before ripping it and folding it. He kept it carefully in his palm before closing his eyes, waiting for his last breath to come.

    A few minutes later, the door of the room slammed open, revealed a frantic Daehyun whose usually tousled hair looked like a bird’s nest, showing that he had come running to see his lover. Youngjae’s eyes opened slowly and he smiled at the man in the doorway. He opened his mouth to speak, but only an uncontrollable fit of coughing came out.

    The older man shushed his lover after hurrying over to the bed, his hair gently. The poor boy in bed was sweating heavily as he was using all of his energy just to keep breathing.

    “Daehyun…” Youngjae lifted his closed fist up weakly. The elder took the hand in his immediately. The doctor was crying quietly, shaking as he squeezed his lover’s frail hand. “I love you…” Youngjae whispered, his face covered in tears, before closing his eyes and letting his fist open up weakly. His hand fell limp, revealing the neatly folded paper.

    The usual beeping of the heart monitor was now one flat tone. The tanned man weeped, leaning down to caress his husband’s now cold face. The tears on Youngjae’s cheek were still warm with life, but his cheeks had lost their rosy color, and his lips had lost their breath. “I love you too, Youngjae. I love you,” Daehyun sobbed, kissing the cold cheeks for a final time. Youngjae’s mother pulled the doctor away from the body calmly although she was crying violently herself.

    Daehyun wiped his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt and took in a deep breath. His heart ached for his soulmate, yet a part of him felt so blessed. He had the romance of a lifetime, met his true love, and now had a beautiful child. He took a step closer to retrieve the folded paper from Youngjae’s now uncurled fist.

     Mrs. Yoo rubbed the doctor’s back before picking up the phone to call the hospital. Daehyun unfolded the note, sniffling as to not wet the parchment with his tears. Reading the short letter in the familiar, neat handwriting of his lover, Daehyun broke down into tears on the floor.

    Thank you, Dr. Jung.

A/N: I think this was the longest chapter- anyways... ;^; it's finally over. Thank you for joining me on this journey <3 COMMENT, UPVOTE, SUBSCRIBE? I want to know what you guys think cx and, any suggestions for a new fanfic? Yaaay.