Chapter 4

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When he awoke in the morning, Jongin didn't open his eyes, his mind tormented.
He hadn't dreamed the night before, no, it had been real. He had indeed stolen the skin of the lake creature and brought it home.
He knew it, because it was only afterwards, once he had fallen asleep, that he had dreamed of him. And the images, although as clear as if he had actually experienced them, could only be a dream.
...
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...
The scene seemed to take place in another century, he couldn't say when, but it was Baekhyun, who had been the main actor in this vision and his costume, a brown and orange hanbok with oversized sleeves, the setting, placed this vision beyond the present time, perhaps that of the Korean dynasties.
Placed himself in a participatory role and not a spectator, he pursued it, in a maze of hedges and flowers ... a garden it seemed ... guided by the laughter of the young man who seemed delighted with the childish little game that brought them together in this location. Then he was gone from sight and fell silent.
Baekhyun seemed to have changed the rules of the game into hide and seek and by dint of twists and turns in this plant labyrinth of an impressive size, but which he seemed to know perfectly, he found Baekhyun in the recess of a hedge in angle, his face flushed with his run and the excitement of the game itself.
"-I found you Petit Trésor. He heard himself say, coming closer to him.
Chuckling shyly, Baekhyun then intertwined his fingers with his in the same way he had done the day before in reality.
Then, narrowing his eyes, he put his hand on his chest.
"-Kai, I'm sure you cheated by taking advantage of your tall size… it's not fair My Prince.
"-No need to cheat, my heart will always find you, Baekhyun.
Blushing again, but timidly this time, Baekhyun then wrapped his arms around his neck, clearly inviting him to come closer and he leaned over him to kiss him.
...
He then woke up and sharply opened his eyes to the darkness, before closing them as he tried to get back to sleep as quickly as possible, but he only returned to a dreamless cycle. He hadn't made it back and that was what bothered him the most. He would have preferred to live that, rather than his current life and this small extract had been too short.
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Eventually opening his eyes to fill his mind with his image, however, he frowned at the empty couch.
. Could it be possible that he took advantage of his sleep to escape? But no, not without his skin!
Lifting his head to see past the sofa, the rest of the cabin, he did not see it then and suddenly realized a small detail. Something was clearly touching the back of his legs and sending his hand behind him, it was no surprise that his fingers made contact with the silk of the hair of his forced roommate, who was curled up in his lower back, the awakening at the same time.
Turning, as Baekhyun himself lifted his head and moved up to the headboard, a cute little smile immediately illuminating his face, Jongin tried to put on a good face, despite the pain this maneuver caused him upon waking, and rested his head on his pillow.
"-What are you doing here ? He said then.
"-You were in pain ...
"-What?
"-You… you were hurting during your sleep… why do you hurt when you sleep?
"-I… how do you know that?
"-I heard you ... you were , you were crying in pain ... tell me what hurts you so much, why are you in pain?
"-I have cancer.
Baekhyun frowned.
"-What is ... cancer?
"-It's… uh… a disease. He summed up.
"-We have to do something ... you ...
"-No !
Baekhyun jumped.
"-No… Jongin said in a lower tone. No need. Not needed anymore. Nobody can do anything for me anymore.
"-What do you mean ?
"-The disease that gnaws at me cannot be cured.
Coming closer, his face pained, Baekhyun put his hand on his cheek.
"-But you are in pain ...
" -Yes. He said closing his eyes to his contact.
"-Kai, I don't want you to be in pain.
" -I'm not K…
Interrupted by Baekhyun's lips touching his own, Jongin felt a shiver run through him.
Then their kiss amplifying into the most natural deep kiss in the world, Jongin suddenly tensed up, when Baekhyun slipped one of his hands under his T-shirt. Pulling himself away from that intoxicating kiss, he then removed the intrusive hand.
"-Kai ...
"-I'm not your Kai damn it! How many times will I have to repeat it? He said turning to sit on the edge of the bed, wincing.
Raised on his knees behind him, Baekhyun rested his forehead against his shoulder.
"-Stop saying that… I waited for you here so long… You asked me… I did. Why did you forget? You said love me, why did you forget about me?
"-I don't know what you're talking about, that doesn't make sense. We do not know each other. The last time I was here in these woods ... it was ... in two thousand and four, I was nine!
And ...
Baekhyun looked up in horror before collapsing.
"-Baekhyun ...
"-No no no… he said as he curled up on the bed, his hands on his face, weeping in pain that broke Jongin’s heart.
"-Baekhyun… I'm not rejecting you… I… I want to know you, but I'm not the one you say you're waiting for.
But Baekhyun said nothing more. The love of his life, of all his eternity, had forgotten him. Kai had forgotten the promise he had made to him, but now he understood why… He understood why his wait had been so long, why Kai didn't remember anything… Because it was over three hundred years ago, because it was in another life and that with time men must have lost the ability to recall instinct ... are there really no shaman in this new world?
Calming his tears as he felt Kai's… Jongin's hand his hair, filling his body with never-forgotten sensations, Baekhyun huffed softly, in order to calm his pain. Even though he couldn't remember anything, Kai had come back to him. So all he had to do was make that he remember their love. He already knew that their bodies in contact during their sleep had given them common dreams, it was more than certain, because it was a memory and not a creation of the mind. Kai's instinct was still there and it was enough to remind him ... so he was going to have to find some plants and it wasn't going to be too complicated, because the memories of the lessons of his father, herbalist at the court of King Yongjo, were remained intact despite the number of years ...
Yes, soon, Jongin would remember Kai and they could finally resume the course of their too abruptly interrupted story.
../ ..