“Good morning.” Jonghyun said when Jinki opened the door. 

“Morning.” Jinki answered, his voice proving that he had almost just woken up. Jonghyun almost broke into a squeal at how attractive the older looked, hair tousled, eyes still a bit cloudy, and voice slightly husky.

He went straight to the couch, when he entered the apartment, seeing as it was their usual hangout spot. 

“Do you want something to drink? Or something to eat?” Jinki asked. 

“A cup of coffee would be nice.” Jonghyun said. Jinki went into to the kitchen. 

Jonghyun looked around the apartment. He had been here many times by now, but it always seemed like the first time he was there. He didn't know why, since nothing ever seemed to change. 

Suddenly, he heard a sound of something breaking, followed by a loud “thump” from the kitchen. He hurriedly stood up, almost running into the kitchen. 

What he saw shocked him.

The breaking sound probably came from the 2 coffee mugs now laying splintered on the floor. Jinki was lying next to them, his hand massaging his head. 

“Jinki? Are you okay?” Jonghyun exclaimed worriedly, gently grabbing onto the other’s shoulder. 

“What? Yeah, I just got a bit light headed all of a sudden.” Jinki said. He looked around, his eyes falling on the broken coffee mugs. “Aww, look at the mess I made. I'm so clumsy.” 

“It's not your fault. Come on, let's get you lying down, then I'll take care of this mess.” Jonghyun said, helping the fallen man stand. 

“No, I can handle it, you don't need to clean up after me.” Jinki insisted. 

“Actually, that is my job. So let me do my job of taking care of you, which involves cleaning up after you.” Jonghyun smiled. He gently helped Jinki over to the couch and made him lie down, before going to fetch a broom, removing all the small shards from the kitchen floor. 

Then he went back to the kitchen to get Jinki a glass of water, before also moving over to the couch. 

“Feeling a bit better?” He asked, handing Jinki the glass. 

“Yeah, I think it was just momentary. Must be the illness.” Jinki said, the last part only being a quiet mutter. Jonghyun had to really strain his ear to hear it. 

Jinki was still dying. Jonghyun sometimes tended to forget it, since the older usually seemed so happy. But here the evidence was, right in front of him. Jinki was dying, and it would be soon. 

A sort of fear gripped him. What would he do when Jinki was gone? Who would light up his day with a blinding smile? Who would make him breakfast when he had woken up late and forgotten it at home? How would he handle the loss of someone whom he had grown so attached to over such a short period of time? 

“Jonghyun? Jonghyun, are you okay?” Jinki asked, while waving his hand in front of Jonghyun's face. Jonghyun woke up from being trapped inside his mind. 

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Jonghyun said. It was kinda ironic, how Jinki was asking him if he was okay, when Jinki was the one dying. 

The rest of the day went by as a blur, at least for Jonghyun. 

The day where Jinki would die was not far away, and with every passing day, Jonghyun hated the mere concept of “time” even more.

Kim Jonghyun was now certain of 2 things. Firstly, He was absolutely in love with Lee Jinki, and there was no point in trying to deny it anymore. And secondly, Jinki was dying, soon. And there was no a single thing that Jonghyun could do to stop it. 

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An: Finally, Jonghyun realized his feelings. The next chapter is going to hold a BIG event turning point in this story, so stay tuned. 

Merry December 13th❤️