Final
Tomorrow never comesAaannnndddd! Its done! Whew!
The things I do for my readers! This is supposedly the longest one shot that’s fit to be written into chapters.
But I just didn’t wanna prolong it any further than it already was.
Since this was an OS I had to cut down on the details along the way so please excuse me!
This is a fic I’ve spent the most time on so its quite close to my heart. I hope you guys would give it lots of love.
For your convenience I have separated it into sub-chapters plus an epilogue at the end so you guys wont get bored.
I hope you’ll patiently go through this and tell me what you felt!
Because I am pooped from typing so much, there wont be any updates from me atleast not until the weekend.
So here it is! Enjoy! And please comment and subscribe to this story of mine!
Lots of love (P.S No proof reading done so kindly excuse if there are any mistakes.
I’ll do them tomorrow and update freshly.)
Chapter 1
The first time those black eyes beheld the wonderful sight; Choi Siwon knew he was head over heels. He just couldn’t tear his eyes away from that person, that gorgeous being who simply came like a breath of fresh air and blew him away like the wind.
It was the first day of hand to hand combat training. The Seoul Defense force prided itself in providing world class training with its state of the art facility. It was a soldier’s dream come true. Siwon joined the special task force with a vision to protect his beloved country as he had dreamed right from childhood.
Yes. That was his sole focus. Until……
Until he laid his eyes on a certain Cho Kyuhyun, a talented trainee with a brilliant mind and extreme deftness. He swooped past his opponents and handled state of the art weaponry like they were child’s play.
To say that Siwon was wonderstruck would be an understatement because he had never encountered a freshman with such advanced skills. To put it shortly, Kyuhyun was giving the higher-ups a run for their money.
“Hello…earth to Siwon! Its our turn.” Urged Hyukjae, his platoon leader.
Little did Hyukjae know that his best buddy had a thing for the new recruit.
“Who is that?” was the response Siwon gave.
“Who? Oh, that guy! His name is Cho Kyuhyun. Aside from that I don’t know a thing about him.” Siwon simply nodded.
Cho Kyuhyun was a name he would remember for the rest of his life.
Hyukjae eyed him suspiciously. Siwon wasn’t one to lose his focus so quickly and easily. And he simply cant afford to be distracted by anything let alone a newbie.
After his session was over, Kyuhyun walked straight past the tall male and his friend without ever so sparing a glance in their direction. Siwon was intrigued by his condescending behaviour rather than be appalled by his rudeness.
“Tch! What a cocky bastard! Just because he did well he thinks he’s better than everyone else. Come on Siwon! We haven’t got all day! Lets do this!” Hyukjae practically dragged Siwon to follow him to the training grounds.
The next encounter was during dinner. It goes without saying that Kyuhyun very much preferred solitude. He was sitting alone on a table at the farthest corner of the cafeteria looking not so interested at the cold soup and the dry bread.
“He is a loner I see!” Siwon voiced out. Hyukjae was part listening to his friend and part ogling at the sturdy police trainee named Lee Donghae.
“I am gonna see if I can give him company. You coming?” Siwon asked but Hyukjae merely passed him a nonchalant look. Shaking his head, Siwon took several long strides till he reached Kyuhyun’s table.
“Hey.” He called out and Kyuhyun’s glittering pair of brown eyes met Siwon’s black ones. Kyuhyun’s brows knitted in confusion at the latter’s actions.
“You know you can acknowledge my company by greeting me back.” Siwon smiled and settled comfortably opposite him.
“Considering you’re basically throwing your presence at my face, do I have a choice?” Kyuhyun asked propping his elbows on the table, his eyes downcast. Siwon took his time admiring him, the little nuances, the subtle twists in his expression that made him look absolutely ethereal.
“I guess you don’t!” he agreed as Kyuhyun scoffed and took another sip of his soup.
“The name is Choi Siwon, 53rd STF battalion. And you are?” Siwon feigned ignorance because he wanted to hear more of that gorgeously soothing voice.
“Cho Kyuhyun, 53rd NDRF squadron.” He said.
“Oh. The Disaster Relief squad. You guys need to be on your toes. Its not easy at all.” Siwon said.
“Since when was protecting the country an easy task?” One of Kyuhyun’s eyebrows cocked up. Maintaining a civilized conversation with him proved to be a challenge for Siwon as he was shut down time and again no matter what he came up with to keep the conversation going.
“You were amazing out there.” As Siwon complimented him, there was the tiniest hint of a blush painting that beautiful face.
“Thanks I guess.” Kyuhyun thanked him, his eyes gleaming due to the dim lighting. Siwon’s breath hitched in his throat and he almost missed his cue to ask Kyuhyun if he could see him again as the latter got up.
“We should do this more often.” Siwon said confidently.
“We?” Kyuhyun sounded skeptical. He’d never seen anyone so thrilled to be spending time with him. He was boring as hell and downright anti-social or so he thought. Siwon’s friendly nature and smile were disarming and Kyuhyun couldn’t find any reason to deny him and his attention any further.
“Yes, we. As in you and me. I’ve heard someone say military food tastes good when you have good company.” Siwon knew he was blabbering but if it could enable him to score some brownie points he was up for it.
This time he was greeted with a chuckle so faint he could have missed it if he wasn’t paying attention. And it was effervescent as it was beautiful. He could only stand and estimate the rarity of such a thing happening in the future.
“And who told you that?” Kyuhyun’s face lit up with a mocking smile.
“Just someone out there. So I’ll see you at dinner tomorrow?” Siwon phrased his words carefully.
“I am not really a fan of talking though.” Kyuhyun said.
“No problem. I’ll do the talking, you just listen.” Siwon’s persuasion was annoying but endearing as well.
“Suit yourself. But trust me you’ll get bored. Everyone does.” Kyuhyun said sullenly and left quietly. Siwon could sense Kyuhyun’s desire to break out of his shell and make friends and have a good time. If he was having difficulty doing it, then he sure as hell wanna help him through it.
Chapter 2
And so day after day, Siwon made it a point to sit with Kyuhyun not only during dinner but breakfast and lunch too, sometimes even dragging Hyukjae along with him no matter how many times he had protested.
“You’ve got it bad, haven’t you?” Hyukjae asked once after their target practice session.
“Excuse me.” Siwon’s eyes shifted momentarily from the target to his friend.
“You are in L.O.V.E. I can see it in your eyes.” He said as Siwon’s downcast eyes met his, sincerity gleaming in his irises.
“You’re right. I am in love with Kyuhyun, have been ever since I first laid eyes on him.” He confessed.
“So when are you planning to tell him?” Hyukjae asked eagerly.
“Honestly I don’t know. He gives me no signs, he’s always in his own world, like he’s busy with his own thoughts. I wish I knew what he thought about me. Heck! I don’t even know if he’s gay or straight!” Siwon said as he sat down and sipped on his bottle of water.
“How’s he opening up to you?” Hyukjae asked him.
“Most of the time its like a single lane traffic but yeah, we’re making progress. He told me a lot about himself, his family, where he comes from, but that’s just about it. And then we suddenly hit a dead end and go our separate ways.” Sighing deeply Siwon ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling it in the process.
“I know he’s a tough nut to crack, but he’s a nut nonetheless. He’s bound to crack sometime or the other.” Hyukjae sympathized with his friend to cheer him up.
“Hey, who’re you calling a nut huh?” Siwon then charged at his friend.
The next day, the NDRF and STF had a joint target practice session. Kyuhyun and the others of his squadron had arrived on the training grounds well before schedule while the STF came a little later. By the time Siwon and Hyukjae came prepared, they saw Kyuhyun shooting the targets with utmost concentration. His posture was straight and sturdy and despite his skinny built he handled himself well during recoil.
“You’re about to witness the master work his magic! Brace yourself.” Siwon said to Hyukjae.
“Just make sure to come back in one piece. I am really not a fan of reassembling your body if they ship it to me in crates.” Hyukjae yelled as Siwon boldly showed him the middle finger and approached Kyuhyun.
“Hey Kyuhyun.”
“Hey” Came the nonchalant response. Well, even this much was an accomplishment for Siwon.
“Umm. Hey listen. I’ve got to tell you something.” He began hesitantly. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Hyukjae nearing him as well.
“What is it? I haven’t got all day.” Kyuhyun said in a slightly annoyed tone. That was Siwon’s cue to speed things up.
“Umm. Well Hyukjae and I were…um..planning to go for some shopping and maybe dinner later downtown since it’s a day-off tomorrow. Wanna come with?” he asked.
“We were?” Hyukjae clarified and Siwon’s silent gestures ordered him to play along.
Just go with it!
Kyuhyun’s eyes were now on Hyukjae. “Oh yeah. We were. Almost forgot its time for Christmas. So I thought a little shopping was harmless.”
“Christmas? In the middle of July?” Kyuhyun’s eyebrow cocked at him and Siwon nearly lost the little semblance of self control he had to strangulate his best friend at his stupidity but instead stomped his foot hard.
“Owww! Did….did I say Christmas? I must have meant Halloween. Ha ha ha….I think I should shut up now!” He whispered to Siwon and began caressing his leg.
“You think?” Hyukjae visibly shrunk into a ball as Siwon gave him death glares while Kyuhyun was still clueless about what was going on.
“Sorry about that. The bottom line is we’re heading out and it would be wonderful if you could join us.” Siwon said half pleading.
“Fine. Whatever.” Kyuhyun agreed as he wiped his sweat with a dry towel. Siwon could only refrain himself from fist bumping or hi-fiving his best friend because he didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of his crush.
Chapter 3
Siwon found Donghae tagging along with them since apparently Hyukjae thought he’d get bored with Siwon sticking to Kyuhyun practically like glue all the time. Also because Hyukjae deemed this a double-date sort of thing.
“Umm. Donghae and I are gonna go window-shopping. You guys have fun.” Hyukjae winked at him and left in the opposite direction. Siwon was half glad and half worried about being left alone with Kyuhyun. Just being in his presence made him break into cold sweats.
Siwon took his time admiring Kyuhyun and taking in his casual beauty. The younger looked extremely good and several passers-by glanced at him that didn’t go unnoticed by Siwon. He was wearing a plain white tee and blue jeans. His hair was carelessly tussled giving it a spiky look and his fair skin glowed making Siwon go weak in the knees. He was amazed at how his real beauty was masked by his oppressive persona while he was out in the field.
“So we’re just gonna stand here all night?” Kyuhyun voice broke his reverie.
“Oh..Sorry. Lets get going.” Both of them went shopping for clothes, shoes and accessories. Seoul’s night life was bustling and there were tons of food stalls and joints which sold little trinkets. Kyuhyun’s casual state was much livelier than his demeanor at work and Siwon thought he’d give up anything to see more of it. He was addicted to Kyuhyun like he was a drug he could get so high on. At that thought, he wished he could voice out his feelings more openly to him. He desperately wanted to but what would Kyuhyun think of him.
As they were mingling with the crowds, a sudden jolt stopped them in their tracks. It sounded like a gunshot and it was pretty close. Screams and frantic footsteps shrouded them from the culprits. Another gunshot…
And it sounded pretty close. The frantic footsteps thudded close to them both and both had their eyes peeled their stance ready to nab them. Then a scream. An elderly woman was pushed down by a pair of troublemakers, one of them having a bag supposedly loaded with cash. They were robbers and they were wielding dangerous weapons to threaten and bring the whole market area to a grinding halt.
Siwon took advantage of his superior Taekwondo skills and captured him in his hold. The culprit seemed too young to be indulging in such a heinous act. He struggled to escape from Siwon’s vice grip, the bag of cash lying limp in his hands.
“Release him now or the pretty one’s head is gonna blow up!” the other one shouted at the top of his lungs aiming the gun at Kyuhyun’s temple as Siwon’s eyes went wide with shock. Just how did things spiral into something so dangerous when they were supposed to be enjoying themselves? Siwon losing Kyuhyun to this freak was out of the question, he would do anything to protect him. And so he stood true to his heart disregarding his sense of duty.
“Don’t you dare Siwon!” Kyuhyun threatened as his whole body was shaken violently, the muzzle pressing further tightly.
“I am sorry. I am letting him go. Now let go of Kyuhyun.” Siwon said as the delinquent escaped from his clutches and attempted to make a run for it with the cash. However he was halted in his tracks by Hyukjae and Donghae who had arrived at the crime scene as soon as they could make it. With a swift swivel of his heel, Kyuhyun knocked the gun off and hauled the thief’s body down onto the ground and pinned him. He then twisted the arm and knocked him out with a punch. Soon police vans arrived and Hyukjae and Donghae were filling them up with details. The ones who had witnessed the brawl had congratulated the bravery of the four young men however Kyuhyun wasn’t happy. In fact if looks could kill, Siwon would have died a thousand deaths with the way Kyuhyun’s feral eyes bore holes into him.
“Look Kyuhyun. I…” he began with a lame excuse.
“You almost let him escape, put the lives of people in jeopardy and have the nerve of justifying yourself in front of me!” Kyuhyun snarled at him.
“But I had no choice. He had you at gunpoint and…”
“Never mind me. And pray tell when did I ask you to save me? I am not some damsel in distress!” Kyuhyun’s yelling captured the attention of everyone in the vicinity. He then stormed off leaving a clueless Siwon behind.
“Don’t just stand there! Go! Shoo! Me and Donghae will take over things here.” Hyukjae ensured him.
Siwon ran after Kyuhyun. He desperately wanted to knock some sense into the younger that he meant the world to him and that if something were to happen to him on his watch he simply wouldn’t be able to go on with life.
“Kyuhyun! Please listen…listen to…” he called out as he caught up with him.
“I don’t have to listen to anyone! Especially not you!” Kyuhyun said and began walking at a faster pace. But before he could get any further, Siwon pulled him back by his wrists and locked him in his embrace.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? LET ME GO!” he struggled but Siwon showed no signs of letting go. From up close, Siwon could smell the faint smell of perfume on him. Kyuhyun smelled like a field of freshly blossomed lavender. So heavenly, so addictive.
“No. You WILL listen because I have something to confess.” Siwon tightened his hold on the slender waist.
“I ….am in love with you. And I just cant stand and watch you get hurt because you’re the most precious thing in the world for me.” Siwon’s confession was as candid and honest as it can get and Kyuhyun could sense no underlying motive behind it. “I love you. I love you so much” Siwon reiterated and tenderly caressed the tousled locks. As he was living in the moment, he casually leaned in for a kiss but was abruptly shoved by Kyuhyun. The turn of events obviously left him in a state of shock. He then ran. Ran away even when Siwon called after him. He cried because he thought of Siwon as a genuine friend, someone he could trust and now things wouldn’t be the same between them.
Chapter 4
The days after the fateful confession were dreary and downright miserable for Siwon. He couldn’t be near him in a 3 meter radius let alone be seated beside Kyuhyun during lunch or any meal thereafter. Kyuhyun shrunk back in his old shell and refused any sort of company. Hyukjae pitied his pathetic friend and did whatever he could to get those two back together but Kyuhyun wouldn’t budge. And since Kyuhyun had plenty of time for himself aside from work, he thought more about that night and what had suddenly transpired between him and Siwon. He had acted on impulse and wasn’t in the right frame of mind to analyze.
Siwon looked absolutely pitiful, he had noticed. The other day, he had also heard from Hyukjae saying that Siwon had been admitted to the military hospital due to a nasty stomach bug. No wonder he couldn’t spot the handsome male all day. He didn’t know what came over him because the first thing he did was to rush to the infirmary as soon as he could.
Siwon was sleeping peacefully obviously from tiredness and the effect of drugs. Kyuhyun sat on a stool beside the bed and watched silently. He was clearly affected by the tumultuous feelings inside his heart since he wasn’t aware of their greater impact. Siwon was the only male that had such an effect on him. Lines of exhaustion showed clearly on Siwon’s face. He wasn’t sure how long he had been staring when he was jolted by Siwon’s sudden movement. He had a pained look on his face and was having trouble sleeping.
“Kyuhyun….” He muttered in his sleep. The muttering continued for a few more seconds before Kyuhyun shook him gently and said “I…am here. I’m right here”
Siwon peeled his eyes open and blinked a few times before coming around. “You came? I am not dreaming, am I?” Siwon’s voice sounded hoarse. If only he wasn’t strapped to the bed like this, Kyuhyun would have smacked his head hard.
it! There was no denying anymore. He had had enough of lying to himself. Siwon had showed him love and care like no other and it wouldn’t be fair on his part to hurt him any more than he already was. He had, in fact, missed him too much. He….was ready to give it a shot.
“Does this seem like a dream to you?” he said and came close to Siwon’s face until there was barely an inch separating them. Very gently he threaded his fingers through Siwon’s lush black hair and watched the male smile in contentment, his dimples showing up.
“If this was a dream, I never wanna wake up from it!” he stated and Kyuhyun chuckled, his long eyelashes swaying when his eyes were downcast.
“You look beautiful.” Siwon’s fingers locked with his slender ones.
“The drugs are making you loopy.”
“Then drug me some more ‘coz I aint gonna stop telling you, you look beautiful and….” For the moment, Siwon totally forgot about all the pain. It was as if it had been washed down by this single moment that had them both longing for each other.
“I love you. I love you so much Cho Kyuhyun.” His eyes filled with tears as he said this and Kyuhyun felt his heart break upon seeing how much he had hurt him. He didn’t deserve this love, this unadulterated devotion especially when he had disregarded Siwon’s feelings and treated them like they were trash.
“I know…” Both their foreheads touched. They cried and let their tears wash away their pain until they could no longer feel it.
“I cant live without you.” Siwon said.
“I know…” He let out a deep breath as he prepared what he was gonna say next.
“I am sorry Siwon. I’m sorry I hurt you.” A few sobs escaped those gorgeous pink lips as both their eyes met.
“Its alright….” As Siwon began he was shushed.
“Let me set it straight. I want you to know that…..I…am in love with you too.” Those words which he never expected to hear from Kyuhyun were finally told. Siwon couldn’t contain himself as he laughed and cried and then laughed some more. Finally after so long, his love had been reciprocated by this gorgeous creature who also was crying and laughing with him, his eyes glittering with unfallen tears.
He boldly leaned forward pressing his lips to those soft ones. He was delighted to know that Kyuhyun felt the same about him especially when he started kissing back. Something as innocent as a peck stirred in them a tempestuous flood of emotions that made them deepen the kiss, their previous apprehensions vanished making way for something deeper and significant. As they broke the kiss, Siwon laughed out loud and Kyuhyun stared in confusion.
“It took you two weeks and a stomach bug to confess to me? If I had known better I would have faked an injury a long time ago!” Siwon said landing a peck on his cheeks.
“Lets see if you can walk the talk when I break a bone or two of yours!” Siwon merely pulled him closer and kissed those lips again to which he received a whine.
Chapter 5
Hyukjae’s mouth was opened wide enough for the expressway to function. He just couldn’t believe Siwon and Kyuhyun walking hand in hand into the cafeteria during dinner one night. He was quick to snap out of it and nudged Donghae to witness it as well. All four chatted as they had their meal and laughed at their story.
“Anyway I am glad for the both of you. Atleast now Donghae and I can go on dates in peace!” Hyukjae blurted out. He had completely forgotten to tell them about him and Donghae being together now.
“You son of a . I am your best buddy for Christ’s sake. How could you forget to tell me?” Siwon yelled.
“Yes you guys! Its so not fair! Anyway this calls for a celebration.” Kyuhyun joined in. All three were stunned at the sudden change in his demeanor.
“Wh..what? Did I say something wrong?” Kyuhyun asked hesitantly.
“Uh..No…Its just…anyway, Kyu is right. And since tomorrow is the last day of training, lets have a party at the dorms.” Siwon suggested and all agreed.
The next day was the last day at target practice. Kyuhyun had nailed every target until he felt a pair of hands snaking their way around his tummy. The bullet misfired and hit the adjacent metal frame making a loud clanging sound. Huffing in annoyance he removed his protective goggles and gun and kept them on a table before glaring at his boyfriend who had the most pitiful kicked puppy look.
“You better have a good explanation before I target practice with your head right here and now!” Kyuhyun gritted his teeth.
“Do I need a reason to hug you? I just missed you so much!” he casually draped an arm around the slim waist and leaned in for a kiss.
They kissed passionately for a few seconds and broke away. “I love you.” Siwon said.
“I love you too.” Kyuhyun confessed.
“See you tonight.” He simply nodded and left leaving fluttering butterflies in his stomach.
They weren’t interested in the party. It was only an obligation to Hyukjae’s friendship and they could care less even if it were Armageddon. Because somewhere during the party, they silently slipped away from the crowd and slipped into each other’s pants. With Hyukjae busy with drinks and snogging Donghae senseless, Siwon had his room all to himself where his deepest desires were about to materialize.
Layer by layer, he took time peeling off his lover’s clothes. The mere thought of Kyuhyun being his lover drove him crazy as his nether regions burned from arousal. Kyuhyun was flushed with a beautiful hue of pink both from the alcohol and the excitement of taking their relationship to the next level. He was breathtaking to the point where Siwon wondered if he were a real person. All night, he kissed, caressed and worshipped the entire expanse of soft skin. Kyuhyun’s wonderment was one to rival Siwon’s. All that hard labour had done wonders to his body as he witnessed the rock hard muscles ripple with every movement he made. They were in their own world where they made sweet, passionate love well into the night, a world where no one else mattered.
The next day, Kyuhyun woke up to a smiling Siwon staring at him.
“Good morning beautiful.” He greeted and kissed his cheek. Kyuhyun sleepily mumbled something incoherent and straightened up while still laying on the bed. Siwon slipped into the covers and hugged him. They were both but didn’t mind dressing up.
“Kyu I wanted to ask you something important. Since training is over and our posting is due, I figured it was only the right time to do this!” he said and pulled him up from the bed, the covers falling off their bodies.
“Wait, let me straighten up. Alright! What is it Siwon?” Kyuhyun asked. The next thing Siwon did totally blew his mind.
“Siwon, you aren’t…”
“Cho Kyuhyun. I have loved you for God knows how long. You’re the most magnificent human being to ever walk this land and I only ask you this. Would you marry this earthly fool and grace his life forever with love?” Siwon was literally down on his knee holding out a simple beautiful platinum ring. Kyuhyun’s eyes filled with tears of joy and he laughed at his lover’s actions.
“You’re the most irritating, annoying and unromantic excuse for a boyfriend. To think you’d actually propose to me while we’re still ?” And then streaks of tears appeared on his fair cheeks.
“Get up you fool. Yes I will marry you. I will marry you Choi Siwon.” Siwon smiled his dimpled smile and slowly slipped the ring on to the slender finger. They were both officially engaged and the morning sun bore witness to their testament.
Chapter 6
They both dreaded their postings. While Siwon’s troop was posted on the southern part of Seoul, Kyuhyun’s was somewhere around the central parts. Siwon pleaded with Hyukjae to talk to the higher-ups about it but they never yielded to his wishes and so both had no choice but to comply.
Soon the monsoon broke out and the NDRF were working their asses off clearing the debris that came along with the rains and transporting people to safer locations. Seoul bore witness to one of the harshest rains it had seen in years. Although the city was usually well equipped for emergencies such as this, a sudden cloud burst the previous night had the city completely marooned. At some point, Kyuhyun thought he’d go crazy with all the rescue ops happening in full swing but they were falling short of men fast.
His team leader had asked for help from the Special Task Force since it was the closest to the NDRF. Hyukjae quickly relayed this message to their commander and he gave official consent to deploy men to provide assistance to the Relief squad.
“Looks like you’ll be paying Snow White a visit!” Hyukjae mocked but Siwon was in no mood to celebrate. They could hardly stay in touch because of their work and also because of poor network reception. The rains had apparently destabilized the telecommunication lines.
“Hey relax buddy! I am sure Kyuhyun is fine out there. He is a trooper after all!”
They were quick to reach Kyuhyun’s team for aid which was busy clearing off the debris from fallen trees in a residential area. All residents were told to quickly evacuate and reach for higher grounds in case of sudden floods. As soon as the chopper landed, Siwon ran and hugged Kyuhyun like his life depended on it. The rains were relentlessly pouring down bringing the entire metropolis to a standstill. All means of transport were halted and several hundreds were stranded without food or potable water.
Kyuhyun looked like death warmed over him. Exhausted. Malnourished. He looked utterly frail and breakable.
Siwon removed the helmet and ran his hands through the flattened curls of hair. He choked up with tears as he asked “Are you ok? Kyu?”
“N..No…No..” Silent whimpers made way to tears.
And as if The Great Wall of China came crumbling down, Kyuhyun crumbled in his hold. He broke out into inconsolable tears while Siwon muttered words of comfort and rubbed his back soothingly.
“You….have no idea…how..how happy I am to see you….again.” Kyuhyun hiccupped.
“I know..I am happy to see you too, Kyu. Everything’s gonna be ok. Everything’s just gonna be ok.” He reassured.
“There were bodies….lots…just floating…and..oh god…” He broke down again.
“Siwon I think you should get him out of here. He looks pretty shaken.” Hyukjae added.
“I guess you’re…”
“No. I’m ….I’m fine. I cant leave unless my captain orders me to. And besides we need to be getting food supplies soon to all those who are stranded.” Kyuhyun reasoned and wiped away his tears.
“But…”
“Siwon if you truly love me, let me do this. I’m fine. I guess I just needed to vent it all out. So please…” There was no way Siwon was willing to risk Kyuhyun’s life but somewhere down the road he could logically see the need for him to help out all the people. They were running out of trained personnel fast.
“Alright but just wear this so that we can talk to each other. Atleast it’ll let me be in peace knowing you’re ok out there!” Siwon said as he clipped a transponder to the other’s belt and handed over an ear piece. Kyuhyun nodded and wore the ear piece and checked a couple of times to make sure it was working.
“Just make sure to leave it open at all times. We can track you down in case god forbid something terrible happens.” Donghae instructed.
“We’re all there. So just call out for help if you need it.” Hyukjae offered who was flanked by his beau.
“Thanks you guys. It really…”
“Kyuhyun, hurry! Its an emergency.” His captain called out and ran towards a chopper that was stationed a few yards from where they were standing.
“For the last time, I’m asking you so tell me honestly. Tell me you’re really ok.” Siwon asked him firmly.
Instead of replying, Kyuhyun smiled that breathtaking smile of his and leaned in for a kiss. He kissed his fiancé with so much conviction it instantly wiped out any traces of doubt and foreboding. He then removed the thin steel necklace from which his engagement ring hung like a pendant and gave it to Siwon.
“This is..”
“This was proof of the promise we made to each other a while ago. Take care of it ‘coz I intend to return and claim it from you.” He said and winked at him. And then left with a piece of Siwon’s heart.
The outskirts of the city were the worst affected. There was also the possibility of a dam breeching its barriers so rescue ops were being carried out in lightning speed. There were casualties and several homes were washed away leaving people stranded and separated from their loved ones.
Desperate pleas sounded from inside a house as the troops tried breaking into it. Kyuhyun could make it out as a little girl’s cry. The front door was jammed and couldn’t be opened. He negotiated through the waters and debris hoping to get in through the window.
“Take this rope. And this SOS torch. You know what to do. Just be careful Kyuhyun. I’ll be right here ok.” Ryeowook, one of his colleagues instructed.
“You got it.” He then slipped into the house. It was dark since all the power lines were down as well. He was knee deep in water and found the girl wedged between the wall and a book shelf. From now and then, he kept informing Siwon about his status.
“Hey there little one. You ok?” he crouched down trying to pick her up.
“Are you alone? Isnt there anyone else?” he asked.
“No…everyone got washed away..…I’m stuck..” she said in between her sobs. Her leg got caught in between the floor and the bottom most rack of the shelf.
“Its ok sweetheart. Its ok. Don’t be scared. I’ll move this shelf out of the way ok.” He said with such gentleness.
He carefully moved the shelf aside as her legs became free. He quickly picked her up as she was struggling against the water.
“Kyu? Whats going on?” The transponder crackled and Siwon’s voice sounded from the other side.
“I am fine Won. The girl’s fine and I’m taking her out now.” He could sense Siwon’s voice calming down in relief.
“Who is that you’re talking to?” she asked him.
“That’s …that’s my husband.” Siwon could hear him talk to the girl from the other side. He wished he was there with him. Desperately.
“That’s right. I am your husband so you better make it back. And once you’re back I’m not letting you go, you hear me!” he said to Kyuhyun.
“Ha ha. Fine by me…Uh oh…” Kyuhyun’s panicked voice made his heart race. Siwon could hear sirens blaring loud and clear.
“Kyu? Kyu are you there? Whats that noise?” he asked in a desperate tone. There’s been another cloud burst and apparently the dam had breached its barriers with water levels mounting rapidly at an alarming rate. The sirens were supposed to alarm the people in the vicinity to get to safety.
“Won I need to go. I’ll talk to you later!” He abruptly cut the connection.
“Whats your name sweetie?” he asked. He didn’t want the little girl to panic.
“My name is Eun ju.” She said, her little fingers tightening against the fabric of his collar.
“Good good. My name is Kyuhyun and I am gonna get you outta here ok.” He told her. The passage way to the window was difficult to negotiate so he set her down on safe ground and told her to approach the window while he trailed behind. Taking advantage of her small size, she got to the ledge where Ryeowook was ready to get her.
“Kyuhyun. You in there? I’ve got the girl.” He yelled.
“Great now get her to the chopper as fast as you can. This place is gonna be flooded soon.”
Ryeowook ran as fast as he can even with water impeding his steps. He got the girl inside the chopper and was hoping to see Kyuhyun get out of the house. Instead he saw the SOS torch flashing from inside. Dread soon filled him as he tried connecting with him through the transponder.
“Kyuhyun whats wrong? Get outta there…the water…” he shrieked and tried reaching him but couldn’t since the water current was so strong.
“Ryeo I cant I think I snapped my tendon. I /sigh/ tripped over something and now I cant …move…I…” Kyuhyun’s voice choked up. He was sad he couldn’t see Siwon’s face before….
The deluge consumed the entire expanse of land in its tracks. Kyuhyun’s last thoughts before he heard the roar of the waves was the promise he made to his fiancé. Now it was about to be washed away never to resurface, just like him.
Chapter 7
“Any luck?” Siwon was fidgeting like he was sitting on pins and needles. Hyukjae and Donghae were furiously scouring the entire map, scanning it from where they had picked up Kyuhyun’s last co-ordinates.
“Not yet.”
“Siwon I just got news from the NDRF squad deployed 30 kms NW of Seoul. Ryeowook couldn’t make it, his body was recovered. It was totaled…As for Kyuhyun…well….” Kim Young woon, one of the troopers on field told him.
“What? What about Kyuhyun? He is ok, isn’t he?” Siwon’s entire body shook. He wasn’t prepared. He just wasn’t. Because Kyuhyun had kissed him and promised him he’d come back no matter what.
“We’re trying our best Siwon. We’ll find him I promise.” He said but Siwon has had enough of promises because they were all fake and meant to be broken.
“Enough. I’ve had enough. Hyukjae I’m going there and bringing him back myself.”
“But you cant blindly..”
“I don’t intend to sit back wondering whether my fiancé is DEAD OR ALIVE! I am going no matter what!” he said and got into the chopper ready to depart.
“In that case we’re coming with you. You need someone to haul your back in here!” Hyukjae and Donghae joined him. Something told him there was still a ray of hope, that Kyuhyun was out there somewhere alive. He threw caution to the wind and began tracking him down. There still wasn’t any signal. A few moments later they were flying directly above the flood hit area. It looked like a sea down there. No buildings, people or trees. Marooned.
“Come on. Come on Kyuhyun. Just give me a sign. Anything, just please be alive. For me” he prayed to God as he firmly clutched the steel necklace.
They lost track of time and it was getting dark soon. If they had even a little chance of finding Kyuhyun and saving his life they needed to pull up their socks and do it before nightfall. If they didn’t, then it was an entirely different story altogether and Siwon wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Just then…. A tiny flicker on the RADAR brought the attention of all three back on the screen. It was Kyuhyun’s transponder sending SOS and it seemed to be coming from somewhere a little further into the woods.
“Siwon…its…its Kyuhyun.” Hyukjae stated.
“Get us down. Get us down fast Hyuk!” Siwon screamed as the chopper touched down.
He raced into the woods and waddled through the water to the place where they had last picked up the signal.
“The signal’s getting stronger. We’re on the right track Siwon! Keep going!” Donghae urged him.
“Kyu!! Kyuhyun!” Siwon screamed his name, his eyes desperately searching for the younger. Tears filled his eyes as memories of their time spent together flashed by. Kyuhyun’s smile, that wonderful angelic smile that never failed to make his heart skip a beat, he wanted to see that again.
“! The signal’s fading away!” Hyukjae cursed.
“Kyuhyun!!” he screamed again but no answer.
He waded in the waters for God knew how long until something caught his eye. A torn piece of cloth came floating toward him. He could recognize it clearly. It was Kyuhyun’s handkerchief with the letter “K” embroidered in the corner. He frantically made his way further until he found the outer jacket floating toward him bearing Kyuhyun’s name.
And as he stepped further and looked up, there hung the love of his life on a mere branch that was ready to snap any time. He was clearly unconscious and was hanging by his shirt. Hyukjae and Donghae shook the tree violently until it broke entirely releasing Kyuhyun. Siwon caught him and scooped him up in his arms.
“Kyuhyun! Wake up! Wake up!” he said repeatedly while tapping his cheeks but the younger’s body sagged. He showed no signs of breathing either that further drove him insane.
“Hyuk why wont he wake up?” He cried out.
“Calm down Siwon. Lets get him to the chopper now, he’s freezing.” They draped him in a thick warm blanket and carried him to the chopper where a doctor was waiting to examine his condition.
“His pulse is very very feeble. He is running a high fever. I’m suspecting pneumonia but we should be glad we found him before further complications could kick in. As for his vitals, we wont be able to say anything certain until he’s hospitalized.” The doctor said. Siwon collapsed beside him and began rubbing his palms back and forth to warm them up.
“For all we know, he could be in a critical state battling for his life.” The doctor added. Hyukjae and Donghae looked at Siwon’s pitiful state. The man had gone crazy.
“Its ok. Its ok Kyu. Take all the time in the world but please…please come back to me. I need you.” He pleaded holding those slender hands together.
Chapter 8
He was rushed into the ICU as soon as they could get to the hospital. They were later informed that Kyuhyun had to be put through a medically induced coma to speed up his process of recovery. Relief operations were taking place in full swing but as days passed by the rains had become less and less furious. On the other hand, Siwon completely refused to leave Kyuhyun’s bedside stating that he wanted to be the first thing Kyuhyun would see once he woke up. Hyukjae, Donghae and Youngwoon paid him visits everyday and stayed until the visiting hours permitted them and then it would just be Siwon and Kyuhyun again. Day in and day out, stretchers and stretchers of casualties were wheeled in and out creating ruckus inside the hospital. Despite everything, Kyuhyun continued to sleep peacefully without a care of the world.
“He will take time to wake up Mr.Choi. Don’t worry he’ll come around. We’re all there for him.” The doctors had told him but none of them had convinced him. Siwon never batted an eyelid when he was around Kyuhyun. He ate very little and soon started looking like a walking corpse.
Kyuhyun’s internal organs showed improvement day by day. But Siwon seemed less and less human until he was sedated to sleep forcefully by the doctors themselves upon Hyukjae’s request.
Waking up somewhere around midnight, he heard a shuffling sound. Kyuhyun was squirming on the bed. His fever had come down, his breathing came back to normal and so he was struggling with the oxygen mask.
“Kyuhyun….Kyuhyun! You’re awake….” He was quick to press the calling bell and a duty doctor came rushing in with a nurse in tow.
They removed the oxygen mask and checked for his vitals again. Everything was getting back to normal and they were informed that he’d be discharged in a few days depending on how fast he recovered.
“You are in serious trouble mister!” Siwon said as a few tears made their way down his cheeks.
“I..I …just came out of one, if..I remember.” Kyuhyun’s voice sounded hoarse from not being used for so long. Siwon was amazed how he could sound so calm after being pulled right out of the jaws of death.
“Welcome back.” He caressed his cheeks as their foreheads touched.
“Almost forgot. I believe this is yours.” Siwon showed him his ring and slipped it on to his finger again. Kyuhyun’s eyes locked onto it as if he were seeing it for the first time.
“I love you.” He hugged him tightly. He didn’t want relive the horror again.
“I love you too.” Kyuhyun said and hugged back.
Epilogue
A few months after the disaster, they paid homage to all those who had laid down their lives to protect the people. Life was never going to be the same not after such destruction had scarred the entire country for eternity. The President ensured that more funds would be released for the benefit of the people affected by the floods.
A year after that, Kyuhyun and Siwon stood before the priest exchanging vows as their colleagues and friends bore witness. Looking back to their days as trainees, they hardly had any idea that they’d actually end up together. Neither knew a thing about each other. And as destiny brought them together it tested out the strength of their bond by separating them from each other. Their love finally triumphed and here they were gazing into each other’s eyes, a second away from being pronounced as happily wedded.
“You may kiss him.” The pastor announced and Siwon wasted no time in sweeping his beloved off his feet and kissing him senseless in front of a church full of people.
“You are officially mine, my lovely wife!” Siwon said but got a firm smack on his head.
“If we’re doing this, I simply refuse to be called your “wife” I am not a girl for God’s sake!” Kyuhyun yelled at him.
“Then what do you wanna be called? My husband?”
“Husband seems fine.”
“Is there even a thing called ‘husband and husband’?”
“Why not?”
“Can you two just stop bickering and get in the car for crying out loud. And please throw me that bouquet Kyu. Donghae and I would like to start preparing for our summer wedding!” Hyukjae said haughtily.
Without further ado, both got in and drove off into the sunset, ready to start their new life together.
THE END
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