Thursday morning, 9am, Hyesung and Tiana’s place

Minwoo woke up with a slight headache and he gritted his teeth as he opened his eyes, the light coming through the window felt like knives stabbing his eyeballs. As he rolled to get out of bed he encountered something warm and soft. He squinted and saw a headful of messy curls and sat up in a hurry and looked at the bed. He vaguely remembered being carried into a spare room and being tucked into bed by Tiana. But somehow he was tucked between the sleeping forms of Hyesung and his girlfriend. Hyesung looked silly in sleep, his dark hair a messy nest and his cheek scrunched against the pillow. Tiana looked, on the other hand, like a slumbering angel. Her full lips were curved in a soft smile and she had one arm tucked under the pillow while her other hand cupped her cheek. Her hair was another story. It looked like a wild wind had tossed the curls every which way and he wondered how she would manage to tame it once she woke up. He slid down the length of the bed in an attempt to leave them sleeping. Once his feet hit the floor, he moved slowly to the door and looked behind him as he exited and closed the door behind him softly.

A trip to the bathroom was his first stop, where he washed his face, brushed his teeth, using the couple’s toothpaste and his index finger, and hair before heading to the spare room. His bag wasn’t there, most likely it was still in the living room. He made his way there and saw that they had cleaned up the mess from the night before. They had ended up playing cards until he passed out from many glasses of wine. In the kitchen he pulled a glass out of the open fronted cabinets and filled it with water from a pitcher on the table. He drank greedily and cursed himself for drinking so much the night before. Luckily his boss had given him the rest of the week off so he could spend time with Hana. He spied a bottle of aspirin on the counter and grabbed it, refilling his glass with water to take a few of the blessed pills, hoping they would dull the pain behind his eyes. He leaned against the counter one arm over his eyes as he waited for some kind of relief. Luckily it didn’t take long and he was able to open his eyes without much pain.

“Food….. hmmmm I wonder if they would mind if I cooked some breakfast”, Minwoo mumbled to himself as he went to poke around in the fridge. Inside he found stacks of clear glass containers filled with sides, chopped veggies, and cuts of meat. Nothing seemed to be marked in such a way that it might be planned for a certain meal so after looking at everything, he pulled out some white kimchi, a container of seasoned soybean sprouts, a few filets of white fish, and a container of soup that would just need reheated. After he set everything on the counter he turned back and grabbed some eggs to make steamed eggs. He went through the cabinets to find rice, the pans he needed and got the table set before he started to cook. He was so focused with the food he didn’t hear the muted footsteps that made their way into the kitchen until a pair of slim arms wrapped around his waist as he stood in front of the stove. He froze in place, the spatula in his hand dropping to the stove top. He turned his head slightly and saw Hyesung’s tall form behind him.

“Morning Minwoo”, Hyesung said cheerfully and kissed the top of Minwoo’s head in a friendly gesture that Minwoo’s heart skip a beat. He released Minwoo and moved to lean against the counter to watch Minwoo, the shorter man’s face was bright red and he grabbed the spatula and handed it back to him.

“I-I didn’t hear you come in. I hope it’s okay that I’m cooking…..I woke up hungry”, Minwoo said, deciding not to mention where he had woken up. He flipped the meat and went over, a few feet away from Hyesung, to push the start button on the rice cooker and grab a pan to heat up the soup in. He refilled his glass of water and drank it down, hoping it would cool the flush in his cheeks.

“It’s fine, we usually go out for breakfast the day after I perform but this is nice too”, Hyesung said as he flipped the fish and added a little seasoning to it. “The smell of your cooking woke me out of a dead sleep”, he said with a grin and went to start a pit of coffee. “I’m glad we went for a king size bed…. it fits three rather nicely.” Hyesung winked at Minwoo, who went bright red again and set the glass on the counter with an unsteady hand before he went back to the stove, deciding to not respond to Hyesung’s teasing. Hyesung thought it was cute how shy Minwoo was acting but decided to leave him alone.

“So what’s on the menu, Chef Minwoo?”, Hyesung asked as the coffee started to drip into the glass pot and the aroma began to fill the kitchen.

“Grilled fish, some sides, what looks like ox bone soup, and the rice I just started”, Minwoo said as he put his back to Hyesung and focused on transferring the soup into the pan.

“Oh yeah, I forgot we had that. Tiana has been teaching herself to cook Korean food. She got tired of everything tasting like sesame all the time”, Hyesung said with a giggle.

“Are you talking crap to Minwoo about me”, a voice grumbled and Minwoo turned to see Tiana in the living room. She was still in her pjs and as he predicted, her hair was a total birds nest. She stumbled her way into the kitchen and grabbed a coffee mug shaped like an owl and waited by the coffee for it to finish brewing. Hyesung chuckled and went over and pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead.

“Only good things, baby. I was telling him how good a cook you are becoming.”

“Yeah it was that or dying of sesame poisoning”, she grumbled and stared at the coffee, willing it to brew faster with an intense gaze.

“She’s not a morning person”, Hyesung whispered over her head at Minwoo, “I usually bring her coffee to her when I wake her up to avoid dealing with the beast.”

“Yah! I heard that! You make it sound like I can’t function without my coffee”, Tiana said and smacked him on the chest before she turned to fill her mug with the coffee that was finally ready. She added a ton of sugar and cream to it before she brought it to her lips and took a sip. She sighed happily and turned to face Minwoo.

“Good morning, Minwoo. I hope you slept well”, Tiana said, a smile on her face as she noticed the food that was being prepared, “Aww you didn’t have to cook. You’re a guest after all.”

Minwoo chuckled at the sudden change in her mood and went back to finishing the fish.

“I woke up starving. I actually slept well even though I woke up a little hungover”,he replied as he took the fish out of the pan and placed it on a serving dish. Hyesung went over and grabbed it to take it to the table, where Minwoo already had the sides waiting.

“What’s left?”, Tiana said as she padded over to the rice cooker and checked the time on it.

“Eggs….. I made some steamed eggs”, Minwoo just barely remembered them and went to rescue the eggs from the steam bath on the back burner of the stove. He took the lid off and lifted the bowl out and carried it to the table with a couple of pot holders shaped like orange slices.

“Everything smells amazing. Why don’t you sit down while I get the rice dished up”, Hyesung said as his girlfriend and Minwoo sat down at the table, leaving a chair for Hyesung in between them.

Hyesung joined them after a moment and the three began to eat. They talked about the night before and Minwoo told them a little more about his sister and how her condition had improved.

“Will you go see her after you leave here?”, Tiana said as she helped Minwoo take their dishes to the sink where Hyesung waited to wash them.

“Yeah, I need a shower first. I had planned to go earlier than this but….”,Minwoo said with a chuckle as he handed Hyesung his place setting.

“You drank quite a bit last night. Sleeping in was probably a good idea”, Hyesung said as he took them and sunk them into the sink of soapy water. “Why don’t you go ahead and get ready, we can handle this”, he said and shooed Minwoo away with soapy hands. Minwoo nodded and headed for the living room where he saw his bag by the couch and grabbed it as he headed for the bathroom.

“Did you again, Syung?”, Tiana said as she poured another cup of coffee and watched her boyfriend wash the dishes.

“Only a little, I promise. I was surprised when he crawled in bed with us. It was almost like having a kid”, Hyesung said with a grin as he rinsed the plates and put them on the counter to dry.

“He looked a little red in the face when I came in here so I figured you had. You just love to tease people, don’t you?”, Tiana said as she grabbed a towel and started to dry the plates.

“Not all people…. only ones as adorable as him. I figured he could use some cheering up. Plus he’s staying with Jinnie tonight…..”, Hyesung said with a concerned look on his face.

“Oh I’m sure he will behave himself. It’s not like he’s a freak, just a little….different”, Tiana said with a giggle. She knew about Jinnie’s proclivities and though it may seem strange to others, to her it was just part of who Jinnie was. A man was allowed to blow off steam when they worked as hard as the stern faced JunJin did.

“Well if he can handle a night with a gangster and a drag queen, I’m sure he will be fine”, Hyesung said as he washed the last of the dishes and let the water out.

Minwoo finished his shower and got dressed once he was dry. When he came back out to the living room Hyesung and Tiana were cuddled on the couch together, their heads bent over a sketchbook.

“I think I’ll head out now. Hana is probably anxious to see me”, Minwoo said as he headed for the front door.

“Stop right there!”, Tiana said and shoved the sketchbook into Hyesung’s hands as she got up off the couch and went over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a quick hug and ruffled his damp hair,”you can’t leave without a proper hug and I figured it was my turn since my naughty bird has been teasing you non stop since he met you”, she said with a laugh at the pout on Hyesung’s face.

“Thank you”, Minwoo said with a cute smile that went all the way to his eyes.

“Let us know when Hana gets out of the hospital, I’d love to have you guys over for dinner”, Tiana said as she released Minwoo, who was almost the height as she was.

“I will. I’m sure she would love to meet you. You guys are very similar”, Minwoo said with a soft smile as he kissed her on the cheek.

“Hey that’s my woman”, Hyesung teased playfully from the couch. Minwoo put his hands on his hips and gave Hyesung a smirk, “Now we are even after that kiss you gave me this morning.” Minwoo grabbed the door knob and slipped out to the sound Tiana and Hyesung’s laughter. He whistled as he walked to his truck and headed for the hospital.

10am, Hana’s hospital room

Minwoo stared as he walked into Hana’s room. Every available surface was covered with vases of flowers, stuffed animals and there were even a few boxes of chocolates.

“They were all just delivered”, Hana said excitedly as she turned from of the vases and smiled at him, a little white card in her hand. Minwoo crossed the room and took it from her hand.

We heard you are doing much better. That’s very good news, maybe we can all meet one day.

The note was signed with Eric’s name and the signature contained a bunny head. Minwoo shook his head and smiled.

“So is it from one of the guys you met?”, Hana said as she picked up a large Hello Kitty and hugged it to her chest.

“Yes”, Minwoo said, his cheeks took on a slight flush as he remembered the tall dark haired man that he’d had dinner with the first time. It seemed that no matter what he did, he couldn’t stop thinking about him.

“Speaking of that….. how did last night go? You’re pretty late coming to see me”, Hana said with a smirk as she skipped over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. Minwoo froze and started to laugh,”You wouldn’t believe it unless you saw it yourself”, he said and sat on the foot of the bed and started to tell her everything, not leaving out a single embarrassing detail.

They were laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes when Dongwan walked into the room in his white doctor’s coat.

“I wish I could have seen you dressed in drag, oppa”, Hana squealed as she flopped to her back on the bed, Hello Kitty still in one hand. She was careful because the stitches in her scalp were still healing.

“So how are you feeling today, Miss Hana?”, Dongwan said with a grin as he looked around the room. He knew that this was exactly Eric’s style and when he saw the Hello Kitty the patient held he had no doubt that his ex had been the one to fill his patient’s room with a riot of colors and scents.

“Boooooored”, she said as she held the stuffed toy by it’s ears and made it dance in mid air above her. “I wanna go home already.”

“Well you will be happy to hear the news I came to give you. As long as all of your test results for today come back clear you can go home tomorrow evening”, Dongwan said and watched a look of relief flit over Minwoo’s face.

“More tests? What this time? I already feel like a freaking pin cushion”, Hana whined jokingly as she tapped the place on her arm covered by a thick white gauze pad. The IV had come out this morning before Minwoo showed up and the nurse that checked her stitches said they were healing wonderfully.

“No more blood this time, just a CAT scan to make sure that pretty little head of yours is good to go”, Dongwan said with a chuckle as he pulled the stethoscope from around his neck and motioned for her to sit up. Hana did so obediently and watched as he placed the little round part on her chest and listened to her heartbeat. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about a heart that would never beat again and be thankful that she had survived. She knew Minwoo wouldn’t be able to take it if he had lost her as well.

“Sounds good….. maybe a little rapid”, Dongwan said and moved to the back to listen to her lungs.

“I-I’m just glad to be going home soon”, Hana stuttered as her face went bright red. She had developed a bit of a crush on the handsome older man, even though she knew he was gay. Minwoo had promised her more than once since she woke up that he indeed was and she felt that it was almost a waste of a handsome face and caring personality.

“The nurse said your blood pressure was good this morning so I won’t check it again. I imagine you would like to spend some more time with your brother so I will take my leave”, Dongwan said and slung the stethoscope around his neck again and patted her on the head before he left the room.

“So tonight is the last “date”?”, Hana said putting finger quotes around the last word. “What does he do again?”

“He’s a lawyer. He actually seems like the most straight laced of the five.” Minwoo moved over to sit beside Hana on the bed and she leaned against him, her fingers toying with the neckline of his shirt.

“Is he as handsome as the doctor?”, Hana said with a half-hearted giggle. She knew that Minwoo was only doing what he thought was best to help her but part of her worried about him. Hana knew how intently he took his role as her guardian and knew that he would do anything to take care of her, even if it meant doing something he would regret.

”Sure, if you like the tall, dark handsome brooding type”, Minwoo said and wondered what Jinnie would have in store for him.

“That’s exactly your type, oppa”, Hana said with a giggle and pinched his earlobe gently,”what will you do if he sweeps you off your feet and promises to take care of you?”

“I don’t plan on anything like that, not even if he offered me the whole world on a silver platter. You are the most important thing in my life right now”, Minwoo said and tweaked her nose gently.

“So you’re planning on dying old and alone just because of me? I don’t want that guilt on my mind”, Hana said with a frown.

“Not that but dating right now……. it just isn’t a priority. I want to get you home and make sure everything is going to be okay”, Minwoo said as he felt a slight twinge in his chest.

“Ya know…… I think you told me a lot about all of these guys except one. Tell me more about Eric…. the guy that sent me all this stuff”, Hana said with an eagle eyed glance in her other brothers face.

“What do you mean? I told you that he owns the bar that I did that one job for, with the goddess statue, remember”, Minwoo said as he tried to keep a straight face.

“And that is exactly all you told me about him”, Hana said as she cocked one eyebrow up,”come on big brother….spill it.” Minwoo twisted his hands in his lap nervously and cleared his throat.

“He’s practically perfect to be honest. He was a perfect gentleman during our date, cooked me breakfast the next day and then he goes and sends you all this stuff. But part of me….. I just can’t let myself get caught up in all this. It’s just a business transaction”, Minwoo said and bit the inside of his cheek.

“Then why would he send me all this stuff? If it’s just a business transaction, after your night with him there would be no reason for all of it.” Hana said and pursed her lips then dropped open,”Oh my god Lee Minwoo…. you like him don’t you??” Minwoo shook his head and tried to keep his face straight.

“Bull, Min….. I can tell by the way you just said he was ‘practically perfect’. And have been avoiding talking about him”,Hana said and turned Minwoo’s face to look at her.

“Is it one sided, Minwoo? Do yo think he likes you too?”, she said softly and watched his lips tremble.

“I thought he did….. but I’ve had at least two people tell me he is a massive flirt. He even dated Dongwan before….how can I even hope to compare to a handsome, successful doctor?”,Minwoo said simply, his voice soft.

“So you’re going to let little birds chirping stop you from finding out for yourself? Since when did you become a ch