Cuddled deep under the blankets with Jackson by his side, Hakyeon slept soundly and comfortably until yet another knock on his front door woke him. Much to his dissatisfaction, the warmth beside him faded away as Jackson slipped out of bed to confront the commotion. Mind fuzzy from sleep and a potential fever, Hakyeon sat up, mildly confused as to why anyone would be there. Was Jaehwan coming to check on him? No sooner had the question crossed his mind than the memories of the cold, angry words the other man had aimed at him earlier resurfaced. Jaehwan wouldn’t be checking on him anymore…

“Hey, Hakyeon.” Jackson reentered his room, crouching beside him. Gentle hands wiped tears from his cheeks and pulled him against his chest. “Shhh. I know. I know. I’m so sorry.” Clinging to him, nails digging slightly into Jackson’s shoulders from Hakyeon’s effort at keeping himself together, he allowed Jackson to rock him gently until his grief began to subside.

“Who was knocking?” Finally able to find his voice again, Hakyeon released the other man, blushing slightly at the soft kisses that brushed his cheek and forehead.

“Me.” The voice startled him and Hakyeon jumped slightly, looking over Jackson’s shoulder to see Wonshik leaning against the door frame, a small smirk on his lips. “Hey, baby boy~ It’s movie time.”

“Oh. Oh yeah.” Hakyeon got to his feet with more than a little effort from Jackson. He felt emotionally and physically drained but he was starving so maybe humoring Wonshik for a few hours while he ate wouldn’t be too bad.

“Come on, Hakyeon.” Jackson scooped him into his arms and carried him to the living room, nodding at Wonshik as he walked by. As they settled on the couch, Hakyeon curled up on Jackson’s lap, using the man’s shoulder as a pillow, Wonshik seemed to be surveying them with a contemplative expression on his face.

“I brought a horror movie. I hope you don’t mind.” Grinning, Wonshik handed the case to Jackson, his eyes not leaving Hakyeon. Sighing, the sick man moved out of the comforting embrace to get to his feet.

“Hey. Sit back down.” Jackson followed after him, easing him back onto the couch as he snatched the movie up. “I’ll put this in and get you some medicine.” Nodding, Hakyeon leaned into the cushions. He wasn’t in any condition to argue and insist on doing it himself, and it was quickly becoming second nature for him to give in to Jackson’s pampering.

“Alright.” Yawning, he closed his eyes, almost wanting to slip back into sleep, but a hand on his knee startled him. Laughter filled the room as he jerked his knee away and turned to face Wonshik.

“You forgot I was here for a second, didn’t you?” Wonshik’s amused smirk almost irritated Hakyeon as he waited for his heartbeat to even out.”

“I might have…” Sitting up to keep himself awake, Hakyeon was relieved when Jackson returned to his side with some medicine. “Thank you, Jackson.”

“Don’t thank me. I do it because I want to.” Rubbing his head, Jackson smiled at him and Hakyeon felt his heart flutter. This wasn’t right. He wasn’t allowed to feel these things… “I’m going to go pick you up some breakfast. You two can go ahead and watch the movie without me.” Reluctantly, Hakyeon agreed and watched as Jackson left him alone in the apartment with the other man.

“Not your boyfriend, huh?” Wonshik’s chuckle irritated him and Hakyeon shook his head frantically.

“No. No. Jackson is too good for me. He doesn’t know it but I do.” Sighing, he bit his lip, finding the truth more painful to admit to than he thought it would be. “Jackson… He deserves so much more than what I’m worth.”

“Maybe.” Scooting closer, Wonshik’s hand found his way to Hakyeon’s thigh, causing the man to freeze in confusion. “But even if he were your boyfriend…”

“What are you doing?” Trying to scoot away, Hakyeon found the arm of the couch at his back, Wonshik somehow looming over him. “This isn’t funny…”

“I’m not laughing.” Smirking, the other man leaned in, forcing his lips on Hakyeon’s. “This isn’t a joke, Hakyeon. Come on. We’re friends, right? Do I get a discount?”

“Get off of me. I don’t sleep with my friends.” Trying to push Wonshik away, Hakyeon felt fear creeping in, causing a blankness to wash over his mind and emotions. How was he supposed to stop this? Could he stop it?

“Don’t be a baby, Hakyeon.” A hand wandered over his thigh, getting uncomfortably close to places Hakyeon wasn’t willing to let Wonshik touch but he was too weak to get the other man off of him. “I’ll make you feel great, I promise.”

“Wonshik, please… I don’t want to…” Tears were beginning to sting at his eyes as Wonshik forced him into another kiss. A slamming noise sounded through the apartment and next thing he knew, Wonshik was being pulled away from him.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Jackson’s rage was evident in his voice as he threw Wonshik to the floor.

“Come on. He wanted it.” Terror flashed across Wonshik’s face as he scrambled to his feet. “I hate to break it to you, but your boyfriend will sleep with anything.” Hakyeon pressed his knees to his chest, hiding his face in his arms. Shame ate away at him as tears burned a trail down his cheeks. Wonshik wasn’t wrong. Jaehwan wasn’t wrong. Hakyeon was nothing and he needed Jackson to realize that before he got hurt.

“Jackson, just let him go. I deserved it..” Getting up, he took a step forward, wanting nothing more than to get away. Everything hurt. His body hurt, his heart hurt, and he just wanted everything to end. One more step forward and he stumbled, dizzy and sobbing, into Jackson’s arms.

“Get out…” Jackson held Hakyeon tightly to his chest, not even bothering to spare Wonshik another glance. “Get out or I’ll break your legs.”

“Whatever. He looked fun but I could do better.” Wonshik’s voice was aggressive as he stomped toward the door. “He’s probably a giant let down anyway.” The door crashed shut as he left Hakyeon cowering in Jackson’s arms.

“He’s wrong, Hakyeon.” Jackson rocked him gently, kissing the top of his head gently. “You were dealt such a hand in life and you did your best. And I don’t blame you for what you’ve have to do. And I don’t think your parents would either. But your work doesn’t define you, Hakyeon. It doesn’t.”

“Jackson… You should… You should leave…” Whimpering, he tried to step away from the other man, only succeeding in finding his face inches from Jackson’s, their bodies still close together.

“I wont leave you like this…” Their eyes lingered on each other and, slowly, Jackson closed the space between their lips, kissing him with more passion than Hakyeon had ever felt in his life. “I love you, Cha Hakyeon. And I wont force you to love me, but I wont leave you believing you don’t deserve to be loved. I can’t do that to you. I’m sorry… But I promise, I’ll do whatever it takes to make your life better. To make it a life that you deserve to live, whether you’re with me or not.”

“Jackson…” All of his resolve melted away and Hakyeon pulled him into another kiss, clinging to him like his life depended on it. “I love you too.” And he did. He hadn’t wanted to admit it, especially not to himself, but all this time, Jackson always made him feel at home. No matter what his future had in store, he couldn’t ignore it anymore. His life had fallen apart and the only good thing he ever truly had was Jackson all along. So he’d trust the other man to save him. For the first time since his parents had passed away, he was putting his fate in someone else’s hands.