It's been a while since the last update, I've been caught up with work and assignments. But it kinda fits, considering the time gap between the precedent chapter and this one. I hope you'll enjoy it and upvote/comment to let me know what you thought.

P.S. HUGE things are revealed in this chapter.

It’s been a month since Dongwoo woke up from coma. After being intensely watched over by a heady combination of nurses, doctors, his mother, his sajanim, his friends and his lover, Dongwoo received the news of getting discharged with a profound relief. But even that feeling was short lived as his mother, his producer and Sunggyu engaged in an intense debate to decide where would he live.

“It’s obvious he would be better with me.” His mother stated. “It’s his home, it’s familiar, and I can be with him always, which is more than you can pretend.” She eyed Sunggyu in particular.

“Ommonim, try to be reasonable.” Dongwoo’s boss tried to soothe her. “Dongwoo isn’t anyone, he’s an idol. It would be better for Dongwoo to go home, to catch up with his routine. A manager will always be with him, and I’ll appoint someone to drive him to his medical appointments.”

“I rather have Dongwoo with me.” Sunggyu spoke. “I already took measures to adapt the house to his wheelchair and engaged a professional nurse full time to take care of him. Dongwoo needs a break from the entertainment industry. I don’t think it’d be good for him to be in the scrutinizing eye of the public and media while in convalescence.”

“Sunggyu-shi, from what I know, you two broke up months ago and you got engaged recently !” the sajanim said with temper. “I don’t think being anywhere near you is good for Dongwoo !”

Sunggyu looked about to snap when Dongwoo put an end to the discussion.

“Stop it !” he exclaimed loudly. “Omma, I’m not a child anymore. You don’t have to coddle me ! Sajanim, as much as I respect you, you don’t have a say in my personal life and decisions. I will be the one choosing what is best for me, and I would like each of you to stop fighting over me like I was some trophy to bring home !”

The three of them looked at him in surprise, either because an outburst was so out of character for him or because in their heated argument, they forgot he was here. A long silence followed, until his mother walked closer to the bed and took his hand.

“I know you’re not a child anymore.” She said quietly. “As much as I want to keep you with me and shield you from all the bad things in the world, I’ll respect your decision, whatever you choose.”

“Thank you omma.” He pressed her hand back, grateful.

After a deep sigh, his producer walked close to the bed and squeezed his shoulder in a paternal way.

“I will as well.” he promised. “What will you decide then ?”

Dongwoo fixed his eyes on Sunggyu, the only one keeping away from the bed. He looked at the bangs of hair falling over his eyes as he ducked his head low, looking at the pristine floor. Then, as if he felt his gaze on him, Sunggyu raised his head and their eyes met. For a second, all Dongwoo could see was Sunggyu’s eyes staring at his own.

“I need to talk to Sunggyu alone.” He stated, gaze unwavering.

He noticed Sunggyu’s eyes flickered with surprise but kept holding his own, unwavering. He barely heard the agreement of his mother and producer. He only noticed they were gone when Sunggyu came closer, eventually sitting on the edge of his bed. He took his hand free of medical monitors and tubes in his like always and rubbed circles in the inner side of his wrist. The pattern was so familiar Dongwoo almost put aside his concerns to embrace the comforting feeling. Instead, he straightened as much as the inclined bed allowed him and looked over his lover.

“What are you hiding from me ?” he asked softly.

Sunggyu, who had been looking at their intertwined hands, raised his head suddenly, his eyes flickering to his own. Dongwoo might seem unfocused and oblivious to most people, but he was attentive and observant when it came to people he cared about, and there was no one he paid more attention to than Kim Sunggyu. Dongwoo could read him like an open book through years of focusing all his attention solely on him. He read the glimpse of surprise in Sunggyu’s eyes, before a spark of uneasiness flashed in his dark eyes.

“Gyu, you can tell me anything, you know that ?” he couldn’t help but ask in a pleading tone. “No matter what it is, you can talk to me.”

“I’m not hiding anything from you.” Sunggyu said, holding his gaze. “I would never.”

“There is something you’re not telling me.” Dongwoo insisted, not fooled. “I may be stuck in a wheelchair but I’m not blind ! Say something ! Anything, so I won’t have to speculate things in my head and go crazy over them ! How can you say you’ll take me home ? You’re engaged now, even if it means nothing to you, it is official ! You’re a public figure, and so am I ! How do you think people will react if they find out that you’re living with a man while you’re engaged to be married ? And what about me ? How can you expect me to leave in a house we planned our life and dreams together now that I know they’re out of reach ?”

“Dongwoo stop.” Sunggyu said firmly to cut his panicked rant, cupping his face between his hands, soothing his panic with soft caresses from his hair to cheeks before leaning forward to kiss him.

Dongwoo gasped at the feeling of Sunggyu’s lips on his own, and the older man took the opportunity to deepen their kiss. Dongwoo felt about to melt at the combined sensation of plush lips and silk tongue. It was tender and slow but with an intensity that made his heart pounding fast and feeling about to burst. Of course, in the last month, they had opportunities to share a few pecks, but that was a complete different thing. It wasn’t rushed by the fear than someone would walk on them or squeezed to a few pecks on the visit limitation they got together. It was kissing for its own sake, its own pleasure, its own necessity, for them to feel as close as possible despite everything going wrong in their lives. Right now, Sunggyu was kissing him, and in that moment, Dongwoo stopped thinking about the wheelchair, dancing or his career. He had Sunggyu, and that was all his mind needed to be at peace. They separated eventually, out of need for air, faces so close he could distinguish every eyelashes adorning Sunggyu’s eyes. Sunggyu’s hands were still cupping his face, a veil of desire shadowing his eyes.

“Are you trying to distract me ?” Dongwoo said, a little breathless.

“It depends. Is it working ?” Sunggyu replied, giving him a happy grin for the first time in ages, the sight made Dongwoo’s heart swell in joy.

“Pabo-yah…” he said, smacking his shoulder.

Sunggyu laughed at that, a real, genuine laugh, and Dongwoo laid back on his cushions, savoring the sound of it.

“I know something’s on your mind you know ?” Dongwoo pouted, crossing his arms.

“Am I so transparent ?” Sunggyu grinned at him, leaning forward to ran his hand through Dongwoo’s hair.

“To me only.” Dongwoo said, grabbing the collar of his blazer to pull him forward and steal a kiss. “I know you, you can’t hide from me.”

“I guess you’re right.” Sunggyu chuckled, taking Dongwoo’s hands in his, pressing a fervent kiss above them. “I planned on telling you later, when you’d recover…” he said, stopping to grin at him. “But I guess I have to tell you everything now since you seem to see right through me.”

“Don’t make me languish like that !” Dongwoo protested.

“Fine.” Sunggyu complied with a chuckle. “You remember when I returned from the US at the end of my studies ? We met with a college friend of mine who became a lawyer ?”

Dongwoo scrunched his nose as he tried to recall. ““Was it Lee Jonghyun-shi ?”

“Yes, he’s the one.” Sunggyu nodded. “Remember that time he came over to our house and I made you sign some contracts. I told you it would be better to put the house under your name to avoid people from finding out our relationship ?”

“Yeah…” Dongwoo frowned as he recalled the thing, but not understanding how a banal event from four years ago mattered in their current discussion.

“We also agreed to put some stocks and assets I managed to get during my college years under your name to avoid that my family’s conglomerate took them for themselves, remember ?”

“I remember what we agreed upon. I don’t know why it’s relevant in this conversation.” Dongwoo pointed out.

“Dongwoo please, let me finish… I need you to understand.” Sunggyu pleaded, sounding uneasy.

“What’s wrong ?” Dongwoo asked, catching on his lover’s nervousness.

“Remember how Jonghyun was surprised that you didn’t read the papers I made you sign ? Remember what you told him ?”

“I told him I’d sign whatever you needed me to in the blink of an eye because I trusted you that much.” Dongwoo remembered with a smile before a realization hit him and he lost it completely. “Don’t tell me you took advantage of that.” he said, voice sharpened by an emotion he couldn’t yet name.

Sunggyu couldn’t manage to meet his eyes, and Dongwoo gasped.

“Kim Sunggyu, I swear that if you abused my trust I’ll never forgive you.” he said quietly, tears starting to make his eyes glassy.

As Sunggyu kept his head low, Dongwoo mustered all his strength to not break.

“I just wanted to protect you.” Sunggyu said, trying to take Dongwoo’s hands back in his own but the younger pushed him away. “I’ve always known there was a chance for us to be separated. By life, by our mutual careers… That fear had always been here, in a deep corner of my mind… I just wanted to make sure that in case we had to separate, you wouldn’t be left without nothing. I needed to make sure that even if I had to leave you, you’ll have something of me, for all the years I