Hi!

 

it has been two hours since then

 

you got the time now?

 

unlike you, I have a son to take care of

 

i was busy making dinner for him

 

did you have yet

 

i did

 

did you

 

i did

 

Smiling a little to himself, he drops the phone beside him when the elder doesn't respond in the next five minutes. He waits some more, watching as the dots appear and disappear, before sighing to himself.

 

His eyes feel a little heavy by the tenth minute that he keeps staring at his son in silence. He checks his phone once, before placing it on the bedside table and closing his eyes to finally fall into a slumber.

 

He wakes up in the morning with his son wriggling in his arms, insistent of getting up from the bed.

 

“Morning, sunshine,” he says, placing a kiss to the boy’s head before allowing him to sit up on the bed. “What happened?”

 

“Pee.” The boy answers and quickly runs out of the bedroom. Jongin laughs to himself. The boy comes back a few minutes; hands washed as his father had taught him.

 

“Did you wash your hands with ?”

 

“I did,” the boy replies, showing his small, wet hands to the elder. He jumps on his father's body, Jongin quickly takes hold of his small frame in his arms. “Good morning, Papa!”

 

“Morning,” he replies, ruffling the boy's hair in adoration. “Now let's get ready for school?”

 

“Will uncle come, too?” The boy asks, surprising Jongin.

 

“Who?”

 

“Sehun uncle,” the boy answers, hesitant as if worried that his father would get angry at him.

 

“Why—don’t you like Uncle Sehun.”

 

The boy shakes his head, worrying him further. “I like him, of course, b-but you just…”

 

“Do you not like that I spend so much time with Uncle Sehun?”

 

“I don't like that you forget me.”

 

Jongin is silent for some moments, taken aback at what his son just admitted.

 

“You even forgot your promise. You remember you promised me that you'll bring me to that ice cream parlor on Sunday? You were with uncle Sehun that day.” Jongin keeps mum. “You keep doing that, Papa. You don’t even pick me up…” the child stops, fiddling nervously with his small fingers when his father stays silent. “Even on days that you used to.”

 

Jongin shakes his head and sits up on the bed, making sure to grab the five-year-old’s small frame when he slips a little. He settles the boy on his lap and nudges him to look at him, instead of avoiding his gaze. “Papa is neglecting you?”

 

The boy’s eyes widen for a fraction of second before he cutely—according to Jongin—furrows his little brows in confusion. “What does the word mean, Papa?”

 

“What?—ah, I mean, do you think Papa is not paying attention to you?”

 

Jin shakes his head, his eyes filling up to the brim with new tears. “No,” he answers in a timid voice.

 

“Then, do you think Papa has forgotten you, for... for uncle Sehun?”

 

“Papa loves uncle more than me!” He cries out a second later, hiding his face in his father’s chest as he always does when he cries. “My friends ask me about Papa, but…”

 

“Hey, look at Papa,” Jongin says, understanding where this is going. This has happened for the first time that he has done something like this; something in which his son has felt neglected. Jongin cannot be more embarrassed at himself more than now. Embarrassed and ashamed of himself.

 

The boy shakes his little head, tears rolling down chubby cheeks. “Papa is angry?”

 

“Why Papa would be angry, baby?” He gently wipes the tears, rocking his small frame on his lap. Oh no, he feels like breaking into tears himself. How can he be so irresponsible that his kid felt neglected?

 

Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo would be so angry.

 

“I love you more than anyone else in this world,” he claims, sighing in relief when the boy finally stops crying. His son hiccups a little and looks into his eyes as if searching for something that may give a sign that whatever his father is saying is, after all, a lie. Jongin’s heart breaks a little. “That’s a promise; I cannot love anyone more than you.” He places insistent kisses on his son’s face, hoping to deliver the message of his unconditional love to his son through the loving touches.

 

Jin doubting his love is the biggest heartbreak for him; something that he may never get over from.

 

“I love you more than anyone else,” he repeats over ten times. “I love my baby the most.”

 

“Promise?”

 

“Promise,” he says, placing a kiss to the boy’s forehead. “That’s a promise, for life.”

 

“I love Papa, too.” He giggles, hugging him with small arms wrapped around his neck. “I love Papa more than anyone else.”

 

Jongin hums, rubbing a hand down his son’s small back. “I am sorry that you felt that, baby.”

 

“I am sorry, too.”

 

“Why?”

 

The boy shakes his head before pulling back completely. “You don’t love Sehun uncle then?”

 

“Eh,” Jongin replies, dumbfounded.

 

“You don’t love Uncle, Uncle will be so sad.”

 

Jongin goes red in his face, poking his son on his cheek to change the topic. “Let’s get you ready for school.”

 

“Uncle is so good to me,” Jin blabbers insteadm, face looking tomato red with all the crying he did just a few minutes ago. “Uncle is so good to Papa too. But papa doesn’t love Uncle, and Uncle,” the boy stops for a second. “Uncle will be so sad!”

 

Jongin sighs and shakes his head. “Uncle is a good man, yes. Jin loves uncle, yes. That’s... it. What do you want?”

 

“You don’t love uncle?”

 

“I--Jin, let’s go, get ready for the day.”

 

“Uncle will be so sad. Let me call uncle and tell him—” Jongin grabs his son before he could get up from his lap to, probably, grab his phone to call Sehun.

 

“Stop this.”

 

“Let me tell uncle the truth. He needs to know the truth.”

 

“Uncle doesn’t love hearing truth, darling.” He bites his lower lip, not really understanding what he should or should not do. “Um, let’s go—”

 

“The truth.”

 

“I love Uncle, okay,” he says, almost not realizing what he just said. “Yes, like a good friend, I love him like a good friend; like you love him like a good friend.” Not noticing the blush on his face, he only passes his son a warning glare; although he looks more like a pleading puppy, but what does Jongin know?

 

“Good.” The boy passes a toothy grin to him before saying how he needs to take a bath before getting ready for the school. “Papa you will come with me to school. You have to meet my friends.”

 

“Well, if you want that.”

 

Meeting his son's friends wasn't really Jongin's priority seeing how he was intent on making sure that they get a good life… but now that his son has mentioned it (and cried in the morning), Jongin doesn't think if there's any room for argument.

 

Getting off the cab and gently helping his son down, he passes a kind smile to the driver and bids him a safe drive.

 

“Do we need to thank the driver too, Papa?”

 

Jongin hums, tightening his grip around his son's hand. “Yes, you do. They work hard and we should always thank them for their hard work.”

 

Jin promises that he will thank everyone for their hard work.

 

“We won't get a lot of time to meet before the school though.”

 

“We need a few minutes only.” Jongin reassures and waits on the same spot his son says he waits for his new friends. “What are their names?”

 

“Jungkook,” the boy begins excitedly; “Taehyung, and Yoongi.” He stops for a few seconds and bounces on the ball of his feet. “They were a little mean to me first, but Papa, you remember you told me once how we should always behave kind to everyone?” Jongin smiles at him. “I did, too, and they soon gave up making fun on me. We became friends, and now we are best friends forever!”

 

“Well,” Jongin begins and ruffles his son’s hair. “I am proud of my baby very much. He remembers what I say, and that makes me very proud of him.”

 

“Really, Papa?”

 

“Yes, baby.” He is proud of his son, if anything, he has always wanted to make sure that the moral qualities in his son remain high and admirable one. He wants his son to be an ideal child. “Look there, there are three kids coming our way.” He points to the three boys, watching as their steps falter a little before they run towards Jin. They are adorable, he thinks with a smile, like small penguins they jump around in a group and hug each other good morning. Oh, he was once like them. Good old days.

 

“Meet my Papa,” Jin begins, wrapping a hand around his father’s hand. “Papa, this is Jungkook, that one Taehyung and the last one Yoongi. They are cute, no?”

 

“They are adorable, all of you actually.” He ruffles each one’s hair and greets them personally. “Jin talks about you three a lot, I am sorry that I never got the chance to meet you three.”

 

“They are mean to me, Papa. Scold them,” Jin says, teases; Jongin knows his son like the back of his hand, he knows what his son is doing. “Papa was really angry when I told him about you three.” His son is just pulling their legs. Jongin is scold his son for scaring his friends instead.

 

The boys step a little back from Jongin, probably afraid now. Seeing the expression on their faces, Jongin shakes his head and smiles, crouching to their level so that he could look into their innocent eyes. “I am not. Jin is just a little naughty.” His son breaks into a fit of giggles beside him before squealing how he had been joking. The boys, now relieved, smile at Jongin in nervousness. “But, I am a little upset at what you three did to him.”

 

“We are sorry, Uncle,” Yoongi apologizes, asking the other two to bow in apology. They follow him. “We will never do that again. We are friends now.”

 

“I know, that’s why I am asking you three to be my friend as well. Will you be my friend? Jungkook, Taehyung, Yoongi, am I good enough to be your friend?” He asks, showing big hopeful eyes to them. Jin hugs him from one side, kissing his cheek and saying what good father he is.

 

“Yes,” the boys exclaim together, shaking hands with Jongin when he asks them to.

 

“Friends for life?”

 

“Friends for life.”

 

Jongin bids them bye about ten minutes later and promises his son that he will invite his friends the same evening at their house, after asking their parents, of course. Jin had been excited the moment, his friends, too. Jongin couldn’t be happier.

 

His phone had rang a few times while he was busy conversing with the kids, but keeping in mind how he’d promised his son to not use his phone while talking with his friends, he’d not checked the caller.

 

... but now that he’s finally gotten the time to check it, he can’t help but worry that Sehun would be worried about him. The man has called over fifteen times within fifteen minutes; a part of him wants to roll his eyes and the other part wants to call the elder and apologize for it. Jongin follows the second part and calls the elder, hoping the man to be not angry on him.

 

“Where have you been?” Sehun asks the second he picks up his call.

 

Jongin clears his throat and apologizes first. “I was busy with my son, I dropped him today.”

 

There’s a sigh from the other end, Sehun doesn’t speak for the next few minutes. Jongin hears nothing from the other end, and he has to make sure that the elder hasn’t hanged up after five minutes of absolute silence.

 

“Um, hyung—”

 

“I was worried,” Sehun cuts him off, voice heavy. He goes silent for another minute before clearing his throat. “J-just tell me if you do not want me to come over beforehand. I can’t bear the fact that you are avoiding me.”

 

Jongin shakes his head, then realizes that Sehun cannot see that. “I am not avoiding you.”

 

“I know Junmyeon came at your place last night.” He is silent for some moments. Jongin stops in his track, just beside the road. “I-is something going on between you two?”

 

“Who told you?” He asks instead.

 

Sehun scoffs from the other end. “Of course, Junmyeon.” He goes silent for another minute before sighing. “You two are good at playing games, huh?”

 

Jongin clenches his jaw in irritation. This is too much now. “What is wrong with you?” He shouts into the phone, not caring about the onlookers. “Who am I to you to explain about my personal life anyway? This is not the first time that I am saying that we are nothing. Junmyeon hyung and I are nothing, we are not dating. No, no, no, we are not. Can you please stop repeating the same thing?”

 

When Sehun still doesn’t speak anything, he sighs. “I-I am sorry, hyung. I-I did not mean that.”

 

“Where are you?” Sehun asks; Jongin hears a door being slammed shut, presumably a car door. “I am coming to pick you up.”

 

Jongin looks around himself, just an hour drive to the company. “I can come, I am just an hour away.”

 

“Well, then wait for me there.” With that being said, Sehun hangs up the call.

 

Jongin sighs, shakes his head and then pushes his phone inside his suit pants. He doesn’t know what has happened to Sehun, but what he does know is that he kind of wants to slap some sense into the elder and tell him that he isn’t his responsibility. Sehun is haughty, controlling man, Jongin has known him for over two months now, and he thinks even the ever perfectionist Oh Sehun has some flaws.

 

“Then again, what do people know?” He mutters to himself, walking towards a nearby bench.

 

He waits there for the next an hour, avoids looking into the eyes of the people who stare at him in confusion, and then plays some games in his phone when Sehun still doesn’t come. The hour passes in silence, he finishes his game, but Sehun doesn’t come. It’s not until he checks the time and realizes that he has been sitting on the bench for more than two hours already that he scrolls through his contact list to call the elder, now completely worried.

 

The elder, however, calls before he could call him. He sighs in relief and picks up the call. The relief is short-lived though.

 

“Hello, is this Jongin?” A very unfamiliar voice asks. Jongin gets deja vecu.

 

“Yes, I-I am.” He clutches his phone tighter by his ear, hoping this isn’t what he’s thinking it is.

 

“Jongin, I am sorry to deliver you this message, but I would really appreciate if you come to see Mr. Oh at Hyosung Hospital. He was involved in an accident.”

 

Jongin has never run this fast in his entire life, to a hospital no less. Breath now erratic, sweat forming on every part of his body, he runs straight into a man. The media already knows about this. Jongin can’t help the bitter roll of his eyes at the crowd gathered around the front gate of the hospital. No way the guards are going to let anyone in.

 

He bites his lower lip and thinks of something; after coming with one, he quickly wears the mask he carries and pushes past everyone to reach at the front. The guard passes him stink eyes at first, but relents when Jongin starts begging.

 

“I have someone inside, I am not with them. Please let me in.”

 

“Who is there?”

 

Jongin stops, taken aback for a few seconds before nodding insistently. “M-my boyfriend. He is in inside, let me in.”

 

At first the guard looks like he won’t, but then with a shrug allows him in. Jongin passes the man a smile, even though he is perfectly aware the the man can’t see anything through the mask. He runs towards the reception desk and hopes the lady won’t point out his less than elegant entry into the hospital.

 

“Oh Sehun,” he says, tapping on the desk with a shaking hand. “H-he got into an accident.”

 

“Who you are to him, may I ask—” Jongin quickly removes his mask, hoping the lady will recognize him with how they have been in news for weeks already. “Oh, okay. Mr. Do, I—Mr. Oh—”

 

“Where is he?” He asks, annoyed. The lady tells him the direction and tells him that Sehun was fortunate enough to not be involved in a fatal car accident. He forgets to thank the lady, but hopes that she’ll understand his desperation and the current situation. Following the path where the lady had asked him is hard, keeping in mind how he has always hated the fact how every wall of the hospital resemble the same thing, and also how much he hates himself for stepping foot inside a hospital after all these years.

 

He hates hospital, hates it with a passion enough to burn all the hospitals around him.

 

Memories of the past come rushing all at once, and he has to take a deep breath before walking inside the room number the lady had given him. Jongin gets another deja vecu. The familiar, horrible smell of the hospital, the same air of the place. Everything is just a mere reminder of what he’d lost all those years ago.

 

Tears appear in his eyes at the sight of the elder lying on the white bed, but he refuses them any exit.

 

“Jongin,” the doctor greets, a man looking in his late thirties. “I—Mr. Oh were involved in an accident. It wasn’t fatal, but he was badly injured. Mr Oh—”

 

“Can I see him?” He asks, desperation leaking through his words.

 

“He is unconscious, Mr. Do,” the doctor says his last name with an exclamation, as if he remembered it all of a sudden. “I can assure you that he is out of danger. There's nothing fatal.”

 

“You can see him, of course, but I don’t think if he will wake up anytime soon.”

 

Jongin hates the doctor for saying that; he contains his anger within himself though, realizing it wouldn’t be the right time.

 

“Okay, Mr. Do, I’ll leave. We are around here, if there’s something, please don’t hesitate to inform us.”

 

He stands perfectly still on the same spot, refuses to move in fear of waking up the elder and hence putting him in more pain. The doctor leaves shortly after; he, however, doesn’t bother to thank the man. The constant beeps of the monitor get on his nerve, and he has to look away from the small screen to the man lying on the bed to not break down into a fit of tears. Sehun is covered in bandages, some cuts, and bruises that are already treated and are too small to cover peek at him. Jongin absolutely refuses to break down into tears.

 

What exactly happened? He wonders to himself, steps hesitant when he walks towards the elder. He sits on the stool kept beside the bed, and hesitantly grabs the elder’s hand in his own, avoiding to touch the bruises at all costs.

 

“Hyung,” he whispers, eyes tearing up when he’s met with absolute silence. “Hyung, I—wake up, please.”

-

-

“Hyung, Kyungsoo hyung, wake up, please!”

 

He avoids to pay attention to his swollen belly, and pushes more into the bed, a part of him hoping he wasn’t pregnant with how he could not even hold his husband’s cold hand.

 

“Kyungsoo, please—”

 

“Jongin, h-he isn’t—”

 

“I said shut up!” Rubbing his warm hand all over his husband’s cold arm, he screams in agony, not paying attention to the onlookers, even the pain spreading inside his belly.

 

“Kyungsoo, wake up please—I love you. Please.”

-

-

“Hyung, wake up or I am going to slap the hell out of you!”

 

Despite the doctor warning him beforehand that the elder won’t awake for a few more hours, he can’t help but beg the elder and fight a losing battle.

 

The only thing that his mind is providing is how the man is in no danger, but then again, there's this other part who keeps reminding him how he'd lost someone precious in the same situation. Now in a dilemma to either keep pestering an unconscious man to wake up or wait till he wakes up himself, he can’t help but break into a fit of tears.

 

The door opens behind him, but he barely pays any mind to it.

 

“Jongin,” Junmyeon says, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine, don’t worry.” The man squeezes his shoulder once, the comforting touch of the man brings him a little relief. However, it’s little to nothing. “He will wake up soon.”

 

That. Jongin trusts the man enough to know whatever he’s saying is true. So he clutches the elder’s hand for the time being.

 

Sehun wakes up somewhere after two in the morning, his first words being a loud whining of “what the ?” He tries to get up at first, all by himself, but then realizes that he couldn't do that himself, so he stops, lies back down and looks around himself. He doesn't forget to swear.

 

Apart from the dim lighting in the room, there's nothing else, but even after that, he locates Jongin sleeping on the couch kept in a corner of the room nonetheless. He looks troubled; from whatever he can see, the younger's face looks swollen, flushed and unnaturally pale.

 

Oh. He looks like he had been crying.

 

“Done staring at him, ?”

 

Sehun turns his head to find Junmyeon standing on the other side of the bed, as anxious looking as Jongin, if not more. “W-water?” He asks instead, now realizing how parched he feels.

 

“Oh, of course.” Junmyeon picks up the glass and helps him to drink a little. “I will call the doctor, wait for me.”

 

“I am fine.”

 

“That’s what I am supposed to do, Sehun. The doctor needs to check on you.” With another warning to the younger to not move much, he quickly walks out of room and probably in search of the doctor assigned to him.

 

Sehun sighs a little to himself, groans in pain and then finally decides to not move at all. His whole body is aching, if anything, he doesn’t want to move even one muscle of his body. From the couch, he hears a little shuffling and he looks in time to see Jongin adjusting his frame on the couch to, probably, find a comfortable position before going back to sleeping with a small sigh.

 

Sehun feels bad for him. He doesn’t even exactly remember what had happened just before the accident; the only thing he remembers is how anxious he had been feeling, angry too, and hadn’t paid mind to the traffic. Thus, where he is currently. After the accident, he probably lost his senses and fainted. There’s nothing else that could explain how he couldn’t remember anything after that.

 

How Jongin found out about this is another mystery to him; he, however, doesn’t think about it much when a headache almost turns severe enough to bring tears to his eyes. He looks at his right arm and sighs in irritation. It’s plastered, which means he’s basically useless for the next few weeks. After making sure that his legs aren’t in the same state (which is a surprise in itself), he tries to move a little so that he could take a good look at the sleeping man.

 

He, however, doesn’t get much success, seeing how the doctors and his friend appear soon inside the room.

 

“I told you to not move much.” Junmyeon reprimands gently. The doctors repeat the same thing. “I called for you as soon as he woke up,” Junmyeon answers when the doctor asks how long Sehun has been awake.

 

“Let me check him a little, Mr. Kim,” the doctor says and stands next to Sehun. Sehun almost tells everyone that they don’t need to talk as loud as they’re talking, they may wake Jongin up. Sehun does not want that. The doctor does a few check ups on him, his eyes, however, are fixed on Jongin’s moving, shivering frame. It’s not until the nurse places the stool back on its place that Jongin sits up straight on the couch.

 

He looks around himself for a few seconds, as if wondering where he is, before turning his head towards them. Their eyes clash almost immediately, and Sehun has to restrain himself from telling Jongin how adorable he looks right now.

 

He doesn’t though, before anyone can understand anything, Jongin is already pushing past the doctor to hold his hand gingerly. “Hyung,” the younger says, he sounds pained. “You’re awake.”

 

“I am,” he answers, not noticing the interaction between the onlookers. “I am sorry, I did--”

 

“Shut up,” he hisses, raising a hand when he opens his mouth to speak. Sehun flinches and cowers a little in fear, Junmyeon shares an amused glance with the doctor. Jongin turns to look at the doctor to ask him about the man’s condition. The doctor replies that Sehun is fine now, and just needs to eat a little so that he could take medicines. Jongin nods his head and turns to look at the state Sehun is in. “When will he be discharged?”

 

The doctor clears his throat. “The accident wasn’t fatal, Mr. Do, but he’s injured nonetheless. We will have to keep him for at least five days in our care.”

 

“Well, in that case,” Jongin begins, sounding determined as he stares straight into Sehun’s guilty eyes. “I am going to stay here.”

 

“You cannot, Mr. Do,” the doctor says. “T-that’s not in our--”

 

“I’ll be staying on that couch, doctor. I will not trouble anyone, just let me stay here for as long as he’s admitted here. I promise to not trouble anyone.”

 

“It’s not about troubling anyone, Mr. Do,” the man sighs. “It’s not in our policy. You can come and visit him during visiting hours.”

 

Sehun watches everything in silence, and passes an amused look to Junmyeon, they both know he can use his power to ask for the same. The doctor wouldn’t deny. However, he doesn’t find any reason for troubling Jongin. The thought of spending time with Jongin somewhere as boring and dead as hospital sounds tempting enough, but then again, he has already troubled Jongin enough. He doesn’t think if he could (or would) trouble the younger anymore.

 

“What does it mean that it’s not in your policy, doctor?” Jongin asks, almost shouts, as he stands tall and proud in front of the doctor (despite the man being taller than him). “He is admitted here and what if he needs me?”

 

“We are here to take care of him, Mr. Do--”

 

“Look, there’s a difference between your people and me. That’s what makes the difference--”

 

Junmyeon clears his throat before standing next to his friend. “Well,” he says.

 

“Well?”

 

“He isn’t backing down anytime soon.” He provides the obvious. “If only you will say something.”

 

“I don’t want to trouble him anymore, Junmyeon.”

 

“I know,” Junmyeon sighs, watching as the younger argues with the doctor, looking as if he could start a war if the doctor didn’t agree with him. “I don’t think if the doctor would humor him more, speak something before the doctor kicks him out.”

 

“...but.”

 

“Sehun,” Junmyeon sighs. “He has been waiting for you for as long as I remember. If he didn’t want to, he would’ve given up a long time ago already. But, he is standing perfectly fine and is actually arguing with a doctor regarding this. Speak up before Jongin breaks one or two bones of the doctor.”

 

Sehun raises an eyebrow, almost saying how he knows Jongin wouldn’t even hurt a fly much less a human when he hears an annoyed cry from the other side.

 

“Mr. Choi,” he says, catching the doctor’s (and Jongin’s) attention. “Let him stay.”

 

The doctor gives in the same moment.

 

“Um,” Jongin begins when everyone leaves them alone. Junmyeon had been intent at first, arguing that Jongin couldn’t handle everything by himself, but had relented the moment Jongin had promised that he would call the elder if he needed his help.

 

“Yeah?” Sehun asks, looking too amused for a man whose right arm is plastered. “Thank you,” he says, voice genuine, sincere.

 

Jongin blushes and sits next to him, his mortification is, however, forgotten the moment he realizes the situation they are in. So with a frown on his face, he hesitantly grabs the man’s hand in his own, making sure to not put much pressure on the wounds. “How did this happen?”

 

Sehun shrugs, his eyes are fond. “I don’t exactly remember,” he answers, as confused as he had been the moment he’d thought about it all. “All I remember is that I was driving, then something happened, and alas, here I am!” He explains when Jongin keeps pressing on him to say something.

 

“Is this because of me?” Jongin asks, more to himself than the elder. “Kyungsoo--h-he was... he got into an accident because of me. You did, too. If only you were not coming to pick me up.”

 

Sehun remains silent for some moments, eyes taking in the disappointed and accusatory look the younger wears. “Jongin,” he begins at last, knowing the younger must be back to blaming himself for something he isn’t responsible for. “I am here because I was irresponsible, not because I was coming to pick you up.”

 

“If you weren’t coming for me, you wouldn’t be here, in the first place,” Jongin replies, sounding petulant, as if blaming himself is the easiest thing to do. Jongin grabs the plate from the table and asks the elder to open his mouth so that he could feed him. “Mr. Oh and Mrs. Oh had come. I will call them that you’re awake the moment you finish with your food.”

 

“They left?”

 

“I asked them to leave. Y-your mother was crying really bad, hyung. I couldn’t handle it, I have seen my mother and mother-in-law crying in a familiar situation. I couldn’t handle the memory, I had to ask them to leave you alone.”

 

“I am sorry,” Sehun says when he’s finished with chewing his first bite. “I really am.”

 

Jongin shakes his head and only smiles.

 

Living with the elder at the hospital comes with a little difficulty to him. Sehun, as Jongin had expected, isn’t as mature as he shows himself as. If anything, to Jongin it feels as if he’s looking after someone of his son’s age. Childish, whining and annoying are three of the few attributes that the elder showed him within two days of their stay at the hospital. There are moments where he gets so annoyed that he threatens to slap Sehun if he didn’t shut up talking about how boring and dead hospitals are. It’s not like Jongin likes hospitals, but the memories of the past are something that doesn’t stop haunting him in the silence of the night when the elder is soundly sleeping on the bed, and he’s lying awake on the couch in the same room.

 

... but Sehun is Sehun, so he tries his best to annoy the hell out of the younger (by whining and being dramatic like a five-year-old). Now, it isn’t his fault that he ends up slapping the elder during one of their small argument of how he should leave the hospital and thus the elder, too.

 

Sehun stays silent throughout the next few hours after Jongin slaps him, and doesn’t speak anything, but just stares at the younger as if thinking about something but not daring to speak it (for one obvious reason, of course).

 

He speaks, though, when he’s sure that Jongin isn’t angry anymore.

 

“The way you slapped me earlier,” he begins at last. Jongin sees a ghost of a smile on the man’s lips, he knows the elder's going to speak nonsense again. “It felt as if my angry wife had slapped me.” Jongin threatens to slap him again if he didn’t shut up, Sehun immediately does.

 

They both are blushing, though.

-

-

It has been one week since Sehun's accident, and he had been discharged the morning of the seventh day. Sehun had been the happiest between everyone, although the plaster on his arm had to stay for a few more weeks.

 

Jongin takes the responsibility of driving them to the elder's home and silently hopes to not drive straight into another vehicle, keeping in mind how it has been time since he last drove.

 

“I don't know the way to your house, hyung. You'll have to guide me.”

 

“You can use GPS,” the man says from where he's sitting silently on the seat beside him. “Let's go to that way.”

 

“T-that,” Jongin stops and looks into the direction the elder is pointing at. He doesn't have much knowledge about this, but he knows that way leads to his house, not to the elder's. “Your house is that way—” he stops and points to the other direction.

 

“I want to go there though,” Sehun stops and avoids looking into his eyes, there’s a nervous smile on his face and his frame screams nothing but how nervous he feels. “To home.”

 

Jongin can only grin.

 

“Of course, if you're okay with it.”

 

“I am,” he answers, smiling into the scarf Sehun had wrapped around his neck earlier. Contradict to his own thoughts, he drives smoothly to their destination.

 

Jin welcomes them with his bubbly self, his small frame jumps up and down in anticipation, eyes wide when he catches sight of his uncle. He is covered wholly in wool, Jongin mentally decides to thank Lucas for it later.

 

“Don't touch him,” Jongin orders, eyes narrowed when his son starts whining about how cruel his father is for not letting him meet his uncle. “Look at him, he is broken.”

 

“Well, that hurts.” Sehun teases, groaning loudly when Jongin drops him on the bed, without any warning.

 

“Sorry, that wasn't intentional.” Jongin apologises, although he looks the most unapologetic he has looked in the elder's presence.

 

“He indeed looks broken,” Lucas says, just before walking out of Jongin's apartment. The boy has been avoiding Jongin for the past few weeks, Jongin doesn't know the reason. He has known of Lucas's interest in him, but had never known that the boy would start avoiding him to such great lengths.

 

Sehun doesn't ask about Lucas, although it's clear how he takes no liking to the boy. It's no wonder that he has heard Lucas complaining about Sehun almost every other evening they spent together till this day.

 

“You don't know how to drive then,” Jin concludes, small eyes looking into Sehun's in disappointment. “Papa says people who don't know how to drive shouldn't drive.”

 

“I was distracted,” the man argues. Jongin almost laughs at the sight in front of him. “I am sorry, I will pay attention from now on,” he adds when the boy goes on ranting what his father has taught him, and how he should always pay attention to his surrounding while being anywhere close to roads.

 

“Good,” the boy says and nods his head, going back to his food. Sehun and Jongin can only laugh at his cuteness.

 

“I am afraid of driving,” Jongin admits when he’s helping the elder to sit on the bed so that he could take his medicine. “It’s only a wonder that we reached safe and sound.”

 

“I trust you with my life.” Sehun replies, smile cheeky when Jongin looks through his lashes at the elder. “Um,” he begins, gulping his first medicine down. “Is it because of what happened--”

 

“It’s always because of that,” Jongin sighs, eyes tearing up when he thinks back to the old memories. “Whenever I travel in a vehicle, I am reminded of what I have lost. I hate using vehicles; that’s why I prefer walking over using vehicles. Heck, I can afford a car now, but I am afraid that Jin would get a hang of it and would always think about vehicles first.”

 

“You cannot always avoid it,” Sehun points out, gently.

 

“I cannot always avoid it,” Jongin says and sits next to him on the bed. Close. Too close. “... but I am going to avoid it for as long as I can.”

 

“Do you feel scared when you travel with me?”

 

“I trust you,” Jongin replies, smiling a little. “Not anymore though. I am never going to go anywhere with you when you’re driving.”

 

“Well, that’s cruel of you to say.” He snorts, and grabs Jongin’s hand when he tries to get up from the bed. He brings it to his lips, and presses a kiss on the younger’s knuckles. Jongin’s eyes widen at the gentle behaviour of the man, eyes taking in the slight flush that takes over the man’s face. “Thank you for... everything.”

 

Jongin smiles and brings his hand back, he looks away in time to not notice Sehun’s eyes falling on his lips. He bites his lower lip, oblivious to the man’s eyes fixed on him. “You don’t need to, I-I thought, that was only natural.” Brushing aside the fringes falling over his eyes, he resolutely looks straight ahead with a shy smile.

 

“Natural?” Sehun repeats with a small laugh. “Jongin,” Sehun says, and his voice has turned kind and fond than before. Jongin’s heartbeat wavers a little. “After knowing what happened in the past, I know it wasn’t easy for you to stay at a hospital. You’re kind, you’re gentle, you’re everything that I am not. You’re strong, and as much as I don’t want to admit this, I know that I am nothing more than the biggest coward this world has seen. Just because I move in confidence doesn’t mean I am confident and sure of everything. Y-you just somehow bring that stupid, imperfect part of me, and I-I love that. I love how I can be real with you and not--” Sehun stops and shakes his head, words somehow now difficult to come out of his throat.

 

“If anything, I think you bring the natural side of me. The one that I probably had lost somewhere.”

 

Jongin stays silent for some moments, he looks like he’s contemplating a lot of things. “K-Kyungsoo,” he begins at last; “Kyungsoo once said the same thing.” Sehun doesn’t say anything. A tear slips out of Jongin’s eye; Sehun wants to wipe it away, he doesn’t though. “Is that some kind of confession, hyung?” Jongin asks, laughing a little as if amused about something. “Kyungsoo had said that when he’d confessed to me. So, is that a confession?”

 

Jongin shakes his head and gets up all of a sudden. “Sorry, I--just, forget about what I said.” He makes a move to leave, however, Sehun catches his wrist before he could move far.

 

Sehun moves his hand a little as to grab the younger’s hand, his eyes doesn’t leave Jongin’s even for a second. “If it was, then would you…?”

 

Jongin feels a spark of electricity down his spine, Sehun’s intense gaze doing nothing to calm his nerves down. The man curls his hand around his firmer, eyes turning passionate the longer he stares at Jongin.

 

“Would you?”

 

“I--” Jongin stops, and he’s pulling his hand back from the man’s grasp. “I should go and sleep. Jin must be waiting for me.”

 

Although thoroughly feeling down (and heartbroken) by the clear rejection, he brings his hand back and nods at the younger, understanding the situation. “Yes, please. Good night.”

 

Jongin stands still for a few seconds, nervously fiddling with his fingers, before turning to leave the room. Sehun’s mood deflates completely.

 

Then, all of a sudden, Jongin turns around and says how he has forgotten something. Sehun raises an eyebrow and follows the younger with his eyes. Jongin stops in front of him, stays still for a few seconds, before leaning down. Sehun thinks Jongin would leave a kiss on his head or forehead as he had been doing the whole week, but Jongin doesn’t. Instead press on his forehead, he feels a press of a pair of lips on his own.

 

Taken aback at the sudden touch, he looks into Jongin’s eyes, gaze questioning. Jongin doesn’t reply anything; instead, he blushes and practically runs out of the room, making sure to close the door behind him with a gentle click.

---

 

i have been feeling so low these days. it was hard writing this chapter. it might seem 'off’ to some people, but there's only so much that I can do. tell me you still like this story, it's coming to an end soon anyway.

i have removed the 'subscribers only' to 'members only’, will remove that, too, once i finish this story. i will probably do that in my every story. so you are free to read and go. you are free to leave your thoughts behind.

all the lovely people who comment, you know i love you.

until the next chapter.

i probably gave a very depressing vibe above. and i am not even apologetic about that.