Twelve

The two first days of the following week are a proper disaster—never mind the fact that it’s almost Christmas. Apparently, disasters don’t care about forthcoming holidays. As a result of a major catastrophe that occurred near the busiest district of the center of Seoul, injured patients have been flooding in the hospital for hours. And it seems like it’ll never stop. Although he’s an obstetrician by formation, Hyukjae was also summoned to the emergency ward to help with the rush, along with a few other colleagues from different departments. He’s been mostly helping the nurses with the more minor injuries and redirecting the serious ones to the right professionals, all the while trying to keep an eye on his own patients up at the maternity ward. Fortunately, Siwon has been taking care of almost everything there and has promised to tell him if anything happened.

It’s a little over forty-eight hours, but Hyukjae still hasn’t had more than few hours to sleep. Coffee is the only thing that still keeps him awake and alert. Slumping down in the nearest chair he finds, he sits so low in it that his almost slides off and then allows himself to groan aloud. He grimaces good-naturedly when a nurse of the ER gives him a sympathetic smile before rushing back to her own task, looking just as exhausted as he is and maybe even more.

Donghae? Hyukjae calls as he opens his mind link tentatively, feeling whiny.

The two soulmates still don’t have a complete, perfect control over their link, but it’s been getting better—much to their satisfaction. Building metaphorical walls around their minds is a terribly hard task to learn and yet is more than worth the trouble, they both know.

If he focuses hard and long enough, Hyukjae almost won’t hear anything of Donghae’s thoughts anymore. It’s rather tiring and his brain would feel like someone trampled over it all day long, but he knows it’s promising progress.

Yes? Donghae answers softly. Hi. Is everything okay?

Hyukjae sniffs petulantly, glancing around the lesser busy room of the emergency ward. He sees one of the nurses he doesn’t get along with sending him a sharp look, which he ignores dutifully, and sighs in relief when he realizes he won’t be needed in the immediate future. The flood of patients calmed down an hour or two ago and there’s definitely still a lot of work to do, but he knows that he deserves to take a small break at this point. He wouldn’t be of much help if he fainted in the middle of a consultation, anyway. No, he mumbles half-sincerely, half-whiningly. Can you come over? The head of the ER practically ordered me to take a break. I want to cuddle.

Chuckling, Donghae hums comfortingly. He sounds soft and careful, as if he knows how to soothe Hyukjae’s pounding headache. Yeah, of course. I’ll be there in a few. Are you back in your ward?

No, he replies with a shake of the head. Still in the emergency department. Ground floor. Turn left when you’re in the hospital and then go straight.

Got it.

A wave of warm fondness reaches Hyukjae’s mind from his soulmate, and then there’s silence. Blissful silence, in which he relishes readily.

It’s only about ten minutes later that Donghae finally steps inside the ward, looking a little lost in the unfamiliar place until he finds him, and then walks over to him with a soft smile. Whining aloud yet once again, Hyukjae stands up on unsteady feet and rushes to him. Without a word, Donghae opens his arms and welcomes him into a tight hug, whispering sweet nothings in his ears.

Hyukjae hums happily and buries his face into the crook of his neck, inhaling strong coffee undertones as he soaks in their physical proximity. Donghae, he thinks mindlessly. Donghae—soulmate. Donghae, Donghae, Donghae.

“Well, well,” the mean nurse scoffs sarcastically and eyes them as he walks by. “You look quite clingy for someone who claims to be aual, Doctor Lee.”

Hyukjae stiffens, thrown. He straightens up and opens his mouth to retort furiously, but Donghae beats him to it.

“Yes, well,” his soulmate grits dangerously through his teeth. “You’re talking quite a lot, for someone who’s supposed to be busy working.” Then, with a last hard glare, he spits, “Go away and leave my soulmate alone.”

Spluttering, the nurse huffs and walks away briskly. A wide smile spreads on Hyukjae’s lips as he watches the man disappear in another room. He leans over and shares a sweet kiss with Donghae, who signs in contentment. My hero, he snickers.

“Sorry about that,” Donghae mutters. “I don’t know if I was supposed to say anything, but he… he was being rude.”

“I know,” Hyukjae shrugs. “He is—has always been, not just to me. I think he heard me talk about it with Siwon once, and apparently, he’s one of those guys who think I can’t be a good soulmate and match if I don’t feel ual attraction like a ‘normal person’. He’s not been very pleasant since then—not that he was in the first place.”

A frown creasing his forehead, Donghae leans over and gives him a firm kiss. Hyukjae—soulmate, he murmurs distractedly. Do you want to move somewhere else? You sound stressed and you said you wanted to cuddle.

Yes, he nods with an unconscious pout. Please. To the maternity ward? Stay with me?

“Yeah,” Donghae whispers into his mouth. “Of course. Whatever you want, Hyukjae.” I’ll stay with you for as long as you want me.

Hyukjae smiles and then leans in to kiss the soft skin under Donghae’s eyes, pecks the side of his nose, presses his lips over his temples. He loves the sound of that—he does very much.

*

Settled on the couch of the empty staff room, Donghae shifts a little more comfortably on the cushions and tightens his hold around his soulmate, who is lying on top of him. As he makes sure that they’re not about to fall off, he idly runs his fingers through Hyukjae’s hair and then smiles when the latter blinks sleepily.

Keep doing that, Hyukjae mumbles. It feels good.

Sure. “Can I ask you a question?” Donghae asks him, eyes hopeful. “Since you kind of like me and everything?”

His soulmate grunts under his breath and snuggles closer into his arms, unwilling to