“Wait here.”

I know, I should have held him back, like he did me. How could I just let him go and save my first love when he was in that shape. I should have said no. I figured Seungho had already bled out, what point was there in allowing Joon go back there and be hurt as well.

He turned back to me one more time in the pouring rain. His grip on my face was tight as he forced his lips to mine for a moment. “I love you.”

I was so afraid then…I can’t remember anything after that.

All I remembered was the bright lights I saw when I opened my eyes, they were blinding.

Joon p.o.v

“How’s your head?” I asked looking down at Thunder, I never wanted to see him back on a hospital bed after that night, some many days ago. It hurt to see him then and it hurts now.

“Yah! How’s your wrist?” He questioned furiously when he caught eye of my heavily bandaged arm.

“Fine, don’t get so worked up okay?” I told him his hair back then leaning in to kiss his forehead. “Need anything?” I asked before standing up from the bed.

It hurt too much seeing him on that hospital bed, so I didn’t take him to the hospital. I turned to head down the long latter to the living room.  “Joon” He called to me “what happened to him?”

I froze, I gulped hard. I glanced over my shoulder at him, now sitting up on the bed, his eyes wide.

“He’s alive” I heard him softly exhale “but maybe I should have left him be.” I hoped that was all I had to say. I heard him groan as him tried to get up. “Thunder don’t.” I told him sternly “What is it that you really want to know? What happened? Why I saved him? Where he is? What is it, just ask me and I’ll tell you.” I clenched my fists.

“Would you have killed me, if circumstances were different?” I turned to him completely and neared the bed again.

“I wasn’t assigned to kill you Thunder, I never would have laid a hand on you. From the beginning all I wanted to do was protect you, physically, even though I could never protect you emotionally. I wanted to tell you before…”

“I know. So tell me now Joon, how is he?”

I sighed. “Paralyzed,” I squinted trying to recall the situation. “After I went back for him, it wasn’t good. I fought off the guys that were there but-“”by fought off you mean killed?”

“Thunder, just let me finish. I went back for him, so you could have closure and so could I. I wanted him to be truthfully sorry about what he did to you.” I paused. “His grandfather passed away…now what?”

I saw him shudder. Realizing very well, how bad things had gotten so quickly. “and the sharks?”

I shook my head. “Aside from the guys I fought, myself and my father there weren’t many people but they always got the job done. My father never did any of the work and I...they are all gone now except one. But we still have to leave here and soon. My father will get more people, right now he’s at a lost. But you can’t keep him down for too long. So Sang hyun” I took both his hands in mine “Where is it that you want to go?”

“Too see him.”

Something told me he would say they. “He’s downstairs”

After I fought, after I dragged him back to where Thunder had passed out I attended to his wounds but all his feeling was gone. There was nothing I could do. I left him in Pandora, empty and dark.

There was nothing I could do to help him but being alone with him I had so many thing I could do to him in my head.

“He’s here, in Pandora, you can see him. I can’t look at him anymore. I’m sorry. I wish someone had warned you about him.”

“Me too.” He whispered. I watched the constant tears splash onto the white sheet. He quickly swept them from his eyes with his shirt sleeves. “Is this all even real Joon?”

 I didn’t want to answer him. So I didn’t.

“Go see him.” I commented. “I’m just about ready to leave so, say your goodbyes.”

“Goodbyes?” he repeated. All I could do was nod to him and smile “It’s time you got treated like the gem you are, I could never leave without you.” I finally made my way down the latter “and before you ask” I called up “Mir and G.O are just fine, we can see them…if you want. They know where we live now.”

I meant it, I had already picked out a place, that I knew no one would ever find.

“Joon, the person you mentioned” I looked up to Thunder as he spoke “The one who was left. It’s that woman from Pandora isn’t it?” I nodded “She’s your sister isn’t she.” I let my eyes close and open slowly as to admit to the accusation.

“Go see him. “ I said in the calmest tone I could muster. I really was going to protect him this time.

Thunder’s p.o.v

“Are you in pain?” I asked looking down at him. He was stiff he couldn’t move he just shifted his eyes to look at me. He was fighting so hard. “It really didn’t have to be this way.” I said smiling, but letting tears pour from my eyes. I could hardly see. “In all honesty, I think this was the hardest on you.”

I recalled. “You had a sick grandfather, a great boyfriend and a nice life. And you threw that all away. You betrayed me, and our friends, you jeopardized your life.” I paused to catch my breath, realizing I was being too harsh even for someone who almost had me killed. “I can’t say I would have ever done the same…I understand your reasons but there was more than enough alternate solutions. And now what?” I heard him sniffled. He was shaking, just slightly. He just lied there, his arms by his sides, staring at the ceiling, tears falling to either side of his face. I wiped them. “I’m sorry you lost your grandfather, and I’m sorry you’re paralyzed. I tried to feel sorry for myself, I did, Seungho but really this is all about you.” I stopped crying I felt stronger.

“I feel sorry for you, I hate to pity someone who I always saw as the strongest person in my life. You’ve fallen so far so I’m sorry for you. You lost me, when I loved you the most. You hurt your friends and you have nothing to show for it. I’m so sorry Yang Seungho.” I stood up from the loveseat side.

Where I had once sat, where I met Joon’s sister, where I first saw Joon where Seungho hurt me.

It was a good place to leave him. “Seungho-ah” I said, looking at him, listening to him cry more hysterically as I spoke. “Thank you for warning about Joon. Nothing does the trick like reverse psychology right? I will go be happy now because of that.” I leaned over his stiff and sorrowful body and kissed his forehead.

I knew I would never see him again. It hurt a lot to have to leave knowing no matter what, my heart had already forgiven him. Joon had him moved, we didn’t leave him there, but I never saw him again, I never wanted to know where he was and how he was. I had to forget it all.

2 months later~

Mir p.o.v

“Yah! Hyung what are you doing in there?”

We all got to move and start fresh, but honestly sometimes I felt like Joon was harder to live with than druken Seungho. I’d been banging on the bathroom door for almost half an hour waiting for him to open up. I had to use the bathroom and was too lazy to run upstairs to the other one. Thunder had already gone to school I assumed, his bed was empty when I checked.

Finally after staring at the doorknob from across the hall, it started to twist and the door cracked open. Some steam escaped the bathroom room and entered the hallway. The door opened all the way and I saw Joon standing with just his towel wrapped around his waist. He was still practically still soaking wet, with water droplets rolling down his chests, arms and abs. His hair soaked. “You do know there is another bathroom here, instead of waiting here for an hour you could have just ran upstairs.” He stepped out of the bathroom giving me a better looking at his impressive body then I noticed that Thunder was behind him. He didn’t say anything or even look up at me. He just looked down as he and Joon exited and headed for their shared room. Suddenly I didn’t have to use it anymore I could barely pick me jaw up from the floor. I ran to G.O, who was having a bowl of cereal at the dining room time.

“Hyung! Did you know-“”Doongie and Joonie shower together now? Yeah they really are close. I like it, that he’s happy. They both deserve to be happy don’t you think? If they can help it I hope they never have to stay away from each other for too long.” I was shocked by the words G.O were saying, and so simply.

“I love you Joon, be mine forever?” he asked shyly, blushing. Thunder tried to cover his face with the bed sheets but his partner pulled them back before climbing on top of him.

“Forever is a long time.” Joon admitted looking down at his embarrassed love. “But honestly, I could never be away from you too long.” Thunder smiled, attempting to reach up and steal a kiss from Joon’s lips. “How else would I get to hear my name so much?” Joon joked. Cheondoong tried to hit Joon but his reflexes were too quick, his wrist was caught before Joon flipped them both over in bed, putting Thunder on top.

Joon slid his hands up Thunder arms until his hands met with Thunder’s and they locked fingers. He pulled the younger boy’s body down to his. “You know I love you, why would you have to worry?” The younger boy shook his head staring down at Joon’s eyes that were warm with love as he stared back up at him.

“Please say it one more time.” “Joon I love you.”

“Keep saying my name.” “Oh why, Joon!”

“Because you clearly can’t help it, without even being provoked.”

Cheondoong tilted his head in confusion. “Let me provoke you.” Joon soothed. “because I’ll never leave you. Even if I had to, I can never be without you.”  He pulled his partner’s face down to his and tied their lips into a deep passionate kiss that seemed to last forever.

“You never called.” Joon teased. “I gave you my number and you never called.”

“I wasn’t exactly allowed to talk to you then, they kept telling me to stay away from you so…” Thunder admitted causing the two to laugh.

“Just keep saying it.”

“I love you Joon, I love you, I love you, I love you Joon.”

“I love you more.” He said kissing his cheek. “don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”