Hyukjae jumps out of bed, his body immediately recognizing that Donghae is no longer by his side. He calms down when he hears Donghae in the kitchen, resuming their usual routine. He breathes a sigh of relief and throws the bed sheets to the floor so he can replace it after a long night of making love.

Dressed with nothing other than Donghae’s sleeveless shirt, he makes his way to the kitchen to spot the latter tossing something on a pan.

Hyukjae slowly wraps his arms around Donghae’s waist and rests his head between his shoulders.

“You’re up early,” Donghae comments, his voice holding back an amused tone.

“Couldn’t stand the cold bed,” Hyukjae murmurs, rubbing his face on Donghae’s back.

Donghae chuckles. “Go sit down. Breakfast’s almost ready.” He hears the younger yawn, and feels his warmth separate from him.

Hyukjae feels Donghae’s hand ruffle his hair affectionately, before setting down eggs and sausages in front of him. No past boyfriend had ever made an effort to get to know his favorite foods and cook them for him. Somehow, Donghae managed to be everything that Hyukjae never knew he needed. Love never felt so good until he met him.

His past relationships left him so heartbroken and so thinned out, that Hyukjae forgot that he can actually be happy with someone.

“I think I’m not going to work today,” Donghae brings up.

Hyukjae glances at his older lover briefly. “Why?”

“I’m exhausted, baby. Besides, I haven’t been taking care of you properly.”

Hyukjae stabs his sausage. “You’ve been doing enough.”

“Sure, but you’re important to me. I barely saw your face the last two days.”

Hyukjae cringes inside. “That’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

Fondly, Donghae raises Hyukjae’s chin to him. “It’s the weekend, babe. Let’s go on a date.”

~

Donghae takes Hyukjae to a park, leading him towards a spot under a tree. His fingers clutch on Hyukjae’s slim fingers, and he swings them between them. He glances at Hyukjae from time to time, a gentle smile playing on his lips. He wants to wipe that sad expression on his face, which had been lingering around for a few days now. He curses at that woman for ruining their life.

He finds it hard to believe that he was married or even had kids. He had no dream of doing that, whatsoever. Until Hyukjae, that is. He wants to do everything with him.

Donghae suddenly leans forward to kiss Hyukjae, and catches his lips before he can turn away.

“What was that for?” Hyukjae asks, blinking at him cutely.

“Just because I can.” Donghae feels pleased when he sees Hyukjae’s features lighting up. He leans forward again to kiss him. “I’m not going anywhere, so stop with that sulking. You’re such a baby.”

Hyukjae pushes him away playfully, and Donghae’s heart swells.

Laughter rings in the air, and they pause in their playful fight. Hyukjae turns to the sound, and he smiles at the sight of children playing. A ball rolls toward them, and Donghae bends down to pick it up.

A little girl runs to him, her pigtails bouncing on her head.

Donghae smiles amicably, and hands out the ball to her. “Here you go.”

“Thank you, ahjussi.”

One side of Hyukjae’s mouth perks up. Then, he imagines Donghae being like this to his own children that exists and he swallows his guilt.

He can’t do this to him.

“Ooh! Ice cream!” Donghae exclaims, pointing at a stand. He grabs Hyukjae’s hand, and he runs towards it.

“One vanilla, and one strawberry please,” Donghae orders.

Hyukjae observes Donghae’s indifference and willingness to forget everything that just happened to them. He has a feeling that he should let this go, that whatever his life was back then should be left behind, but he also knew that Donghae’s stupor will not last forever.

Donghae hands him his ice cream, and turns around, slightly bending down on his knees. “Hop on.”

Hyukjae looks around, uncertain. “What? Why?”

“Just do it. You complain a lot.”

“I do not,” Hyukjae huffs. He grudgingly lift himself on Donghae’s back, and the older man began to walk.

Donghae secures him, and they start to make their way towards the river. “Hyukkie, you think too much,” he comments. Leaves crunch under his feet, and the cold crisp air made the dry leaves on the trees around them ruffle. “I know what you do when you’re stressing.”

Hyukjae sighs, unable to keep anything from him after all. “Hae...aren’t you a bit curious?”

“To be honest? No,” Donghae replies, a bit curt. “I don’t feel anything towards them.”

Hyukjae rests his forehead against the back of Donghae’s head. “I told you, that we should probably get you checked out. I’m only a student, I can’t diagnose or anything like that.”

“Why are you always looking for a problem? I’m fine,” Donghae reassures.

Hyukjae sighs. They are both stubborn, so sometimes, it feels like he’s talking to a brick wall. However, Hyukjae is never one to give up easily.

“I think you should go meet your kids,” Hyukjae insists.

“They are not my kids, I don’t even know their names,” Donghae says. “If they were, shouldn’t I have some inkling?”

Hyukjae shrugs. “Can you please just try and see?”

Donghae walks on, silent and foreboding.

“Babe, don’t you think they deserve to at least meet you? You might not know them, but they do.”

Donghae still keeps quiet. A dull pain is spreading to his temples.

“I don’t owe them anything.”

“I’m telling you what to do right now. Didn’t you ask me to guide you? This is me, trying my best to guide you.” Hyukjae flexes his leg, which is hooked by Donghae’s arm.

“Are you sure this is not you acting out of guilt?”

“I am acting out of guilt.” Hyukjae sighs. He feels the cold, sticky liquid of his ice cream on his hand. “Up to this day, you’re still a mystery to me, Donghae. There are some parts about you that are shallow, and finally, things are starting to make sense.”

Donghae stops. “I’m not a case to be solved.”

Hyukjae hops off Donghae’s back, and steps in front of him. “What am I suppose to do? Let you walk out of this without any remorse? For god’s sake, Donghae. According to them, you’re missing.”

Donghae frowns, and he massages his temple with two fingers. “I’m not. I’ve always been here.”

“I didn’t make any of this up.” Hyukjae takes out his phone, and opens it up. “Look.” He holds out his screen. “The people that you claimed to know from your university...Yesung, Siwon, Shindong...they don’t exist. The places you claimed that employed you never even heard of you.”

Donghae frowns, squinting at the messages that Hyukjae has on his phone. “I’ve been there. I worked there, and I can tell you my experiences.”

Hyukjae grits his teeth. “Donghae, you’re not well.”

Donghae yelps, clutching his head. Hyukjae’s eyes widen, and he holds Donghae as he doubles over.

“What’s wrong?!” Hyukjae cries. “Donghae!”

Donghae leans on him heavily. “My head hurts.”

~

“What happened?” Yoona asks, worried.

Hyukjae looks up and stands on his feet. “He had a headache.”

Yoona raises her eyebrows. “To this extent?”

“It was terrible enough.”

Yoona takes a seat, and Hyukjae does too.

“Yoona, I’m sorry to say this, but the doctors had said he does have dissociative amnesia. That means he just left his old life behind, and made up a new one, forgetting everything else. A new person in him came out, and that’s this Donghae.”

“I know what it means, thanks to your studies.”

“Yes, but I want to let you know that it’s confirmed. He is your husband, after all.”

Yoona shakes her head sadly. “He was...we had an average marriage, you know?”

Hyukjae nods, letting her continue.

“Everything was perfect, or normal. He is a good man, and he still is, according to you. Did you know he was never that romantic towards me, the way he is with you? The way he is with you made me question if we really did love each other.” Yoona chuckles in a low tone. “He was never open to me.” She looks down at her hands.

“I’m sure he loves you in his own way...but this Donghae, he’s not the one from before. A new person, or you might say, personality, came out from him.”

“The research says he can wake up from it.”

“Yes, but we don’t know how long this state would be. He might one day become another person, or come back to his old memories. It could happen tomorrow, or maybe in months, years even.”

Yoona glances at Hyukjae. “How are you holding up?”

“What about you? You’re the one with the missing husband,” Hyukjae deflects, ignoring his inner turmoil.

“I’ve gotten used to being alone,” Yoona replies. "I can manage without him."

Hyukjae bites his lip. “It’s the opposite, for me.”

“Why?”

“I was used to running away from my problems, and found other...outlets to ignore them. I’ve been with so many people, but they just made me feel more of a loner, but with Donghae…” He trails off, trying to find the proper words. “He’s the one who made me feel what it’s like to be truly loved. He made me so helpless around him, when I was so used to taking care of myself, of picking up the pieces after so many heartbreaks.”

Yoona smiles subtly. “In a way, I feel like this Donghae is better. The old one is so stoic, and doesn’t seem to allow himself to have fun.”

Hyukjae laughs, and gestures vaguely. “Our situation is so bizarre. Shouldn’t we be fighting or duking it outside his room?”

This time, Yoona lets out a sincere laugh. “No, Hyukjae. I know there may be a time where he will maybe have to choose between us, but we both care about him, and I think we’re willing to do what’s best for him. So what we need is to support each other.”

Hyukjae meets Yoona’s eyes, and found that she meant every word. There was no malice detected. “It’s a shame you’re sticking to an like him. You’re pretty wonderful.”

Yoona snickers. “Never thought I would be friends with his mistress, er, mister?”

Hyukjae laughs. “What’s next, Sunday lunches?”

“God, no.”

“Hm, agreed.”

~

Donghae blinks groggily, and the first thing he feels is Hyukjae’s hand in his. He slowly uses his thumb to trace his smooth skin, feeling himself calm down a little. Hyukjae had always had this effect on him-whenever he feels him, sees him, breathes him, he gets so much better. Donghae had always thought of him as his light. He had been going through his life, for what’s real to him anyways, as if he’s walking through a fog, and suddenly, there is Hyukjae. A beacon of hope, beckoning him to go above and beyond for this love that he's been looking for.

He doesn’t know how to feel about being sick. He doesn’t believe it himself, but he knows Hyukjae, and trusts his judgement. If something is wrong, they will go through it together.

Donghae glances at his peaceful sleeping face, and he tattooes it into his mind. His thumb wanders to Hyukjae’s ring finger, where the silver band that he bought for him is donned.

The sides of his mouth pull up in joy. He doesn’t care what he will go through. As long as Hyukjae is with him, he can face anything.

“Hae?” Hyukjae softly whispers.

“Hm?”

“You okay?”

“Yes, thanks to you.” Donghae really means it. Hyukjae has no idea how much impact he makes on him.

“You scared me.”

“Sorry, baby.” Donghae locks their fingers together. “I’ll do it.”

“Do what?”

“See and meet those kids.”

“Oh.”

“You will be with me, right?”

“Always.”

Donghae receives a tight squeeze from Hyukjae. The younger doesn’t often show his clinginess to him, but he takes every moment into his heart gratefully. “I need you,” Donghae murmurs. He brings Hyukjae’s hand to his lips.

“You have me,” Hyukjae replies, somewhere far from him.

Donghae closes his eyes to sleep again.

A/N: I'm too excited so...updates will come out of nowhere. Thank you all again for reading.