~.~.~.~.

The next morning, Hoon had gotten up earlier than usual. The sun hadn’t even risen at this time. He wanted to make sure that Dongho was getting the nutrition he needed so his wound would heal faster. So he decided to make a huge Pancake buffet with bacon, eggs, sausages fruit salad and freshly squeezed orange juice from the orange trees perched outside a dozen metres away from his apartment’s yard, of course the rain hadn’t stopped and he had gotten drenched in the process, but it was for a good cause. Yeah, it was supposed to be his weekend of relaxing and not caring about anything, but now he had a responsibility, and that was to make sure that this boy was safe, and well, that was his main priority.

And the fact that he was nosey and wanted to know more, but he would never admit it to himself.

He made sure he was being quiet in the kitchen, cautious not to make a sound to disturb the resting. But it was impossible, pots were clattering, the bacon was sizzling and popping a sound so loud even the dead would wake. But as he peeked over his shoulder, there wasn’t even movement coming from the pile of blankets that were bundled on the small couch.

Hoon was slightly worried, no, scratch that, Hoon was petrified that the boy might have died in his sleep or even disappeared in the night. So he slowly walked over to the couch carefully noticing that yes the boy was still currently the occupant of his lounge sofa, which gave him slight relief. But in order to see if he were breathing he would have to remove the blanket from his head since there was not even a little bit of skin showing from under the blankets. So he carefully reached out and slightly pinched the corner of the doona and carefully peeled it back to reveal the boys head.

And what he saw was a peaceful face, beauty in all, quietly snoozing. All of his worries immediately vanished. He knelt down beside the boy and hesitated a little before brushing the boys’ bangs from his eyes. He loved to just stare at him, his peaceful form sleeping soundlessly on his couch. And then the figure started to move and flutter his eyes open. Dongho furrowed his eyebrows and shot up in shock.

Hoon jumped back, blushing furiously. He started stuttering trying to find an excuse but his face just got redder. He mentally face palmed himself. Dongho still looked at him in shock before he spoke.

“Wh-who are you, where am I, why did you touch my face and why am I in so much pain!” He gradually got louder expressing his fear and worry in his voice. He looked at him gobsmacked waiting for a reply but Hoon just stared at him in shock.

“Are you for real?” Hoon asked, disbelief evident in his face.

Dongho just stared at him still waiting for an answer. Hoon let out a little snicker and laugh.

“Oh I get it, you’re just joking around, you must be feeling a lot better then huh?” Hoon stood still giggling and walked towards the table where all the food was set out nicely, sat down and began to eat.

Dongho was lost for words.

“You better eat something or else your wound won’t heal ….. You need the nutritional value in your blood for it to be able to help seal the wound …. I’ll stitch it up later, there’s no way I can get you to a hospital in the rain, and the phone lines are still not working, and besides, we are flooded in anyways. So, come, eat.” Hoon said between mouthfuls. Dongho complied, but walked towards the table cautiously, holding his stomach where the wound was. He sat down across from Hoon and eyed him suspiciously.

“I don’t trust you” Dongho said with confidence in his voice as he analysed his food for trails of poison.

“I know, that’s what you said yesterday when you wouldn’t tell me your first name” Hoon replied, finishing his mouthful.

Dongho looked at Hoon confused. “What are you talking about, I don’t remember saying any of that,”

Hoon looked at him and laughed again but Dongho’s face was expressionless. “Ha-ha! Your funny, but the jokes old, now eat, the foods not poisonous in case you were wondering, but it will be if you let it go cold.” Hoon gave a cheeky smirk towards him and continued to eat.

Dongho slowly lifted the fork to his mouth still glaring at Hoon trying to analyse him. What’s his deal. Dongho thought, I don’t know what to think about him, is he nice or is he trying to me or ….He stopped chewing on the current piece of food he had and stared at Hoon wide eyed in fear Oh my god, the food! He’s trying to get me fat so he can eat me! That creep! I have to get outta here but how? hmmmmm. He glanced around the room trying to find a secret way to escape and then he looked out the window. That could work. He then started to shovel his food in his mouth and store it in his cheeks so he could slowly finish what he had in his mouth but also clean his plate so he could get out Faster.

“Finished!” Dongho suddenly announced, mouth still full with food, showing his clean plate to Hoon and then slowly getting up not to hurt his wound and rushing over to put his plate in the sink.

Hoon watched the boy in confusion, scurry around to the kitchen. What’s gotten into him? He thought. Hoon too had just finished his meal and he started cleaning up and walking around to the kitchen.

When he got there he was surprised to see Dongho filling up the sink to wash his dishes, still chewing on the food he had in his mouth. He slowly walked up to Dongho, put his dishes down and put his hand on his shoulder. Dongho turned around in surprise and Hoon jumped back also. Dongho clutched his side where his wound was and crouched to the floor in pain and swallowed the rest of his food.

“Dongho, are you okay? I-I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to frighten you” Hoon said reaching down to help him but his hand was suddenly slapped away lightly.

“I-I’m fine” Dongho said, standing up slowly in pain. “I don’t need your help, I’m 18 and capable of handling things myself,” He said starting to walk over towards the couch. Hoon watched him and he didn’t know what he was feeling. One thing he knew he was feeling was that he didn’t feel like so much of a e anymore as they only had a couple of years between them. But other than that, it was a mix between anger, relief, sadness and longing.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a grunt of pain and a sudden sound of someone hitting the floor. Out of worry Hoon forgot about everything around him and ran towards where he heard the sound and when he saw Dongho on the floor almost in tears he quickly picked him up carefully and placed him on the couch.

“Please, let me help you, I really mean no harm, I just …. I just want to help okay?”

Dongho looked at him with tears b the rim of his eyes as he nodded. Maybe this guy isn’t so bad after all. Maybe I’m just in over my head, why am I thinking like this … such an idiot. OUCH. Dongho was removed from his thought by his plaster being torn off of his wound, he went to touch it but his hand was guided away calmly as he felt a shiver of comfort and protection run through his body.

“Don’t touch it, you’ll make it worse, I’m going to stitch it up, I have the materials here, I’ll be back in a second okay, don’t touch” Hoon said with all his sincerity and kindness in his voice as he stood up quickly to grab the supplies he needed.

It was going to hurt more than it would have at the hospital but it had to be done.

~.~.~.~.

“There, all done” Hoon said with a smile of affection on his face after he had finished covering Dongho’s wound in another plaster and given him some pain killers.

“Wasn’t too bad Huh?” Hoon asked, kneeling on the ground looking at Dongho while he slowly sat up and drank his water. Dongho just shook his head and lay down again after putting his water to the side. Hoon curved his mouth into a small smile hoping that all he had done for the boy would have made him trust him, but, it didn’t. He sighed and sat down and leaned his head against the couch.

They stayed in silence for a while. It wasn’t awkward; it was just nice knowing they both had the company of each other in the same room.

Dongho sighed and looked at the figure at the other end of the couch. He stared for a while admiring the features of the pretty man. He felt warmth in his heart, like, belonging. He smiled to himself.

“Thank-you,” Dongho muttered quietly but loud enough for Hoon to hear. Hoon looked at him, smiled, then looked at the floor and blushed while playing with the carpet under him.

“You’re Welcome” He looked back at Dongho and smiled showing his pretty teeth and giggled.

Dongho’s heart started to flutter and he smiled back, but not so confidently, and then he realized something.

“You didn’t tell me your name, and how do you know mine” Dongho’s eyebrows furrowed.

Hoon looked at him and saw the honesty in Dongho’s eyes. Something inside him just burst and he felt like screaming.

“Y-You really don’t remember?” Hoon said, kneeling and getting closer to Dongho.

Dongho shook his head. He really was telling the truth.

“B-But I don’t understand, W-Why?”

“I don’t know, you tell me, you seem to remember more than me, unless my speculations were true and you’ve also drugged me so I won’t remember anything and then you make me fat and eat me.” Dongho’s eyes widened and then he realized how pathetic he must sound, he mentally face palmed himself and relaxed back on the couch and looked towards the ceiling.

Hoon started to burst out laughing after a while and he was almost in tears rolling on the floor laughing. It took him a couple of minutes to regain himself but after a couple of deep breaths and occasional fits of laughter, his laughing spree was over.

“Oh god, you seriously thought that?” He tapped Dongho’s arm lightly to grab his attention. “Yah, why are you so cute, huh? You almost killed me right now with your five year old imagination.” He started his fit of laughter again but it wasn’t as violent as before more like heavy chuckles.

Dongho looked at him, still waiting for a response. He was growing quite impatient since every time he asked a question it was never answered.

“So, what’s your name? You still haven’t told me.” He stated clearly.

“Oh, uhm, Hoon” He stood up and walked towards the kitchen. Dongho heard loud rustling of draws and paper and whatever else there was in the draws. He looked over the head of the couch, and Hoon was rummaging through the kitchen. He laughed to himself quietly when Hoon jammed his finger in a draw and started on it.

After a few minutes, Hoon had come back into the lounge room with a pink notepad and pen and he handed them to Dongho.

Dongho looked at him confused.

“What’s this for?” He asked.

“Remembering. Write down what you do every day in this book and put it under your pillow, and every morning I will tell you to read this book and remember everything okay?”

Dongho nodded his head. “O-okay.”

“Hey can I ask you something?” A blush started to creep up on Hoon’s face. “W-who was your girlfriend and why did you guys break-up?” Hoon looked down and started playing with his fingers.

Dongho giggled a little at how adorable a guy could be.

“Well, her name was Suzy” Dongho started. Hoon nodded and sat on the end of the couch nearest to Dongho’s feet.

“She was the same age as me, a little younger. And she was, still is, the most beautiful thing on earth.” Hoon looked back down on his lap and continued to play with his fingers.

“I thought I was in love with her … I still think I am, but …” Something inside Hoon hurt, really hurt, he didn’t know what it was.

“But she cheated on me, with some jerk too. I gave her my everything, she was my everything. I don’t know what I done wrong, but she just left. And …. I just remembered how I got this wound.” Hoons’s eyes shot up and he looked at Dongho with wide eyes.

“You do?” Hoon asked stunned.

“Yeah, a stab wound right. That jerk.”

“This is good if you’re starting to remember. Maybe you only remember important events and people in your life. It’s common for people with memory loss.” Hoon’s expression softened as Dongho sighed and lay back down. Hoon placed his hand on top of Dongho’s and he was surprised the younger didn’t flinch.

“Hey. If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you why I’m alone, since you know, we are talking about relationships and stuff” Hoon scratched the back of his not-so-itchy head and looked down again.

“Yeah, I’d like that” Dongho said lifting his head up with his hand and resting his elbow on the couch to support the head weight.

“Okay, well, where to begin, right well, my first love was when I was 17 years old ….”

~.~.~.~