"Good morning, hyung." 

Sunlight seeped through the curtain, casting shadows over the smaller boy's dream that was not known by anyone and is now consigned to oblivion as his consciousness replaced his state of euphoria. Undisturbed by the quietude that left nothing to perceive aside from the calm breathing of the two bodies tangled in their own sheets and thoughts, Jongin draped his arm over Kyungsoo's thin waist, wanting nothing but the whole day to pass them by without either of them noticing.

After a few moments of calm breathing and shifting of legs, however, Jongin surmised that, with Kyungsoo’s current state and the faint warmth inviting itself inside the lake cottage, it would be best for them to stay outdoors. “Do you want to go outside? I think the weather’s a delight today.” Without waiting for his husband to respond, Jongin got off the bed and adjusted Kyungsoo’s body so that the young man would be sitting upright against the wooden headboard. The former then again moved the lethargic body to the right so that it would be leaning against the wall. 

“You’ve lost a lot of weight over the past few months, hyung. Back then I thought we would have to sleep in separate beds because of your sudden weight gain.” Jongin softly whispered as he held the back of Kyungsoo’s knees and extended the latter’s legs to make his feet peek out of the small cut of timber Kyungsoo once proudly called their bed. 

Assuring the silent man that he would be back in a few, Jongin took slightly hurried steps to their living room, a small room just beside their bedroom with hardly anything inside apart from a rectangular mahogany table in the middle with photo albums neatly stacked on top of it. Beside the front door, where barely anyone goes through other than Jongin and his husband when they go for a morning stroll, was Kyungsoo’s wheelchair. 

When Jongin got back, wheelchair already in his grasp and in front of him, his husband was still in the same position. Cursing himself for forgetting, the taller man went to their closet filled mostly with wool sweaters for the cold seasons and flimsy shirts for the hot ones. Jongin grabbed a white hand towel and started wiping Kyungsoo’s mouth and chin where his saliva was already dripping. He then tucked a part of the hand towel under the collar of Kyungsoo’s plain white shirt like he would with an infant’s bib. “I’m sorry, hyung. I keep forgetting your, uh, discharge is kinda severe in the morning.” Jongin said as he wiped the corners of his husband’s mouth with his thumb. Looking at Kyungsoo, who was not even looking back at him but straight ahead towards the window, Jongin had to chuckle mirthfully. “You’re really like my baby this time, aren’t you?” Had the younger man said that eight years ago, he would have gotten a beating. But not anymore. 

The younger man pecked Kyungsoo’s unresponsive lips. “Good morning again, beautiful. Let’s go outside.”