Oh man... This has gotta be the longest epilogue. ¬.¬

Thanks for reading everyone! *heart emoticons*

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“Does it hurt?” Slicing through the stitch at the distal end with a small scalpel blade, Hongbin tugged the last thread out carefully with furrowed brows.

Washing the wound down with disinfecting solution and bandaging it up for the final time, Hongbin gave the neat tapes a soft pat. Glowing, Hongbin looked up to a staring Taekwoon and he quickly looked away from the older man. Taekwoon’s face is still poker but his black orbs are unwavering nonetheless.

Taekwoon is noticeably not one with a lot of facial expressions. That was the main thing Hongbin had learnt about Taekwoon. Pain, fear, sadness or happiness. None of which are often visible on the man’s face. Hongbin is fortunate enough to have seen a myriad of expressions before. Just for him.

Wrapping his kit into a neat bundle, Hongbin packed up while the man continued to stare at him. His eyes are piercing as they are loving and Hongbin can never quite get used to that soul enrapturing gaze.

“Stop staring at me like that...” Hongbin complained in a mumbling voice.

Sticking an index finger into Hongbin cheek, Taekwoon probed there while the other busied himself with cleaning the floor of any remnants of disinfecting solutions. Annoyed for the first time, Hongbin playfully opened his mouth in an attempt to take a bite at Taekwoon’s finger.

“You are a biter huh?” Taekwoon asked between chuckles. As Hongbin continues to aim for a chunk of his phalanges.

Then, laughing and fooling around further, Taekwoon pulled Hongbin close to him and tickled his abdomen. Hongbin ended up writhing beneath him in a giggly mess. This would be the first time they act so chummy around each other and it is surprisingly enjoyable for the two adults.

They get into rather suggestive positions a lot due to space constrain in the cramp room that Taekwoon now lives in but Taekwoon had sworn never to touch Hongbin unless he consented to it. This is another instance of seeing but no touching. Lifting himself off Hongbin, Taekwoon started to straighten the other’s sweater instead of taking it off. Clearing his throat on spotting a good amount of exposed clavicle, Taekwoon covered it up as well.

Taekwoon’s new home is smack right in the middle of Hongbin’s neighbourhood. The ex-officer had pawned whatever heirloom he managed to bring along with him in order to pay for a year worth of rent. Getting a job was imperative but not with this economy. The worse part has to be the need to be invisible. He cannot be caught, by both the north and the south. His meals consists of mostly food that Hongbin would sneak in for him.

Also, his rental did not include a place for two hence the secretive entry through the window every night. This does not deter Hongbin from spending most of his free time with Taekwoon. After all, it has come to a point where Taekwoon is the only person who can stabilise him. He needed to be in the older man’s presence to cope.

“Dinner.” The older man excused himself softly before getting onto his feet. The limp is long gone but Hongbin is still very conscious about him hurting. Pulling Taekwoon down to lie beside him, Hongbin’s intention was for him to ready their simple meal which he had smuggled from his own kitchen. Yet, this move indirectly warranted a make out session.

Neither of them are hungry anyways and dinner was just an excuse for Taekwoon to make himself scarce before anything else happens. Stopping only when Hongbin is flushed and struggling to catch his breath, Taekwoon is incredibly embarrassed to admit he is already having a which he is unable to settle without help. Struggling to get off Hongbin once more, Taekwoon desperately needed the bathroom before things can get out of hand. Hongbin sensed his distress.

Holding onto Taekwoon’s belt tightly, Hongbin is blushing so hard it is almost painful for Taekwoon to watch. So incredibly bashful, yet Hongbin seemed eager to do Taekwoon the favour.

“You can do... whatever you want...” Hongbin whispered meekly and the initially hesitant Taekwoon cannot resist the offer.

“Give me the license to love you.” Taekwoon got down on all fours again and whispered into Hongbin’s ear rather pleadingly.

Looking directly into his eyes, Hongbin inhaled deeply and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. “Only for you. The person I love.”

They made sweet love thereafter and it is consensual.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few years later...

It’s been years since the war ended and the south is getting increasingly prosperous. The citizens were willing to donate whatever they had to rebuild their war torn nation hence the speedy progress. Many are still recovering from the grief but time had healed whatever pain was present.

A lot has happened in the Lee household too. Hongbin’s sisters had gotten married. Hongbin’s grandmother had passed on, his parents had built another house in a new neighbourhood just so his sisters would have a place to settle down with their new families.

Wonshik had moved to another neighbourhood which is in closer proximity to his newly assigned military base as well. Building his own house from scratch, he built it for both Jaehwan and himself. Their relationship was not considered acceptable in that era so they had to live off the radar in order to be together.

Jaehwan now runs a free clinic for soldiers and citizens alike who required counselling for post-traumatic stress disorders and other psychiatric issues. Wonshik is incredibly proud of him and him of Wonshik. The officer had been promoted as well and despite his busy schedule, would always make it home for dinner.

As for Hongbin, he had grown into an even more matured person. The innocent playful charm he once possessed had evolved, and he is now a studious and wiser person. His exquisite features have not changed but he is somehow able to look even more stunning than before.

Sticking to his job at the hospital in the outskirts of the new capital, Hongbin had moved out of his parent’s home too.

Taekwoon had built a house from scratch as well and they now live in it together. The man was lucrative and able to take on any hardships head on, earning himself a title of being the jack of all trades. Determined to provide his partner a good life, he would do anything from farming to mining to construction. Hongbin often quarrelled with him over his job scope being too physically demanding but there is nothing he cannot handle. According to him.

Instead, he would constantly nag at Hongbin to quit his job at the hospital. Hongbin is giving that suggestion a serious thought as the orphaned infant he had brought home from the hospital a few years ago is growing into a hyperactive boy that he can no longer bring to work with him in a basket. Not that Taekwoon was approving of him doing that to begin with.

Changing his sir name from Jung to Han, Taekwoon was able to evade capture by the north. Considered a regular refugee after having taken the longer route travelling through China to get to the south, Taekwoon had evaded Wonshik for a good half a year before finally being discovered.

Wonshik was initially adamant on exposing him and turning him in to the north for execution, but for Hongbin’s sake, he ended up letting the escaped officer off the hook. Jaehwan had put in some good words for the couple and managed to convince Wonshik that there is nothing they cannot overcome as long as they loved one another.

Wonshik empathised eventually and even helped to hide Taekwoon’s real identity at some point. Now, everyone is happy and living their lives to the fullest.

Taekwoon hadn’t considered this kind of future when he first started his mission to conquer the south. He was so task oriented nothing else quite mattered. However, he had somehow created a new family in the process and he had never been more satisfied with his current state.

Untying the shoelaces to his work boots while he rests at the porch of his recently renovated house, Taekwoon took a swig of water from his bottle and stripped off his top to offset some of the summer heat.

“Appa!” The melodious cries of his young son caught his attention and he sits up with one swift swinging motion of his muscular torso.

Spotting the now independently ambulating child tottering unsteadily towards him, the tall man swooped down and snatched him off the ground. Planting a long kiss on the boy’s rosy cheeks, the man laughed heartily when the boy gave him a wet one on the cheeks as well.

A figure still dressed in a doctor’s robe appeared shortly after on the short slope. Huffing and puffing as he struggles with the bicycle and the grocers, the man finally stopped in front of the house to wipe off the droplets of sweat from his forehead.

Taekwoon immediately makes his way over to help with the heavy paper bags while carrying the child with one hand.

“Hyoggi was too fast. I couldn’t.” The person said between breaths while the child played with his damp hair.

“Who’s a big boy now?” Taekwoon raised his eyebrows in a comical fashion, attempting to illicit a response from his son. The child giggled and wriggles out of his embrace, running into the house from between his parent’s legs.

“How’s work today?” Taekwoon asked enthusiastically, parking the bicycle.

“We lost another patient today. She delivered a baby boy... there’s no father.” The other mentioned sheepishly while locking the door behind them. Taekwoon knew exactly what his partner meant. The man is not one to act on a whim. The baby he mentioned must have had a whole lot of affinity with him for him to even bring a new adoption up.

“Do whatever you deem fit Hongbinnie. Hyoggi would be less lonely with a sibling.” Taekwoon answered earnestly.

“I will quit my job at the hospital once we bring him home.” Hongbin reassured while stripping off his robe.

“You know I’m more than capable of taking care of you and our kids right?” Taekwoon whispered in a sing song voice before pulling Hongbin in for a hug.

His family is perfect. What more can he ask for?