Something inside Hoon instantly broke. To him, it suddenly felt like his whole world was crumbling down before him. He didn’t stop the lone tear from running down his face as he continued to stare at not-so-beautiful-to-him sky. The sun was out, the trees were swaying slightly in the breeze and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.

He looked over his shoulder at the sleeping figure huddled up in the bed; the only thing that put’s a smile on his face. He wondered if he should wake the younger now or just leave him to sleep while he gets ready and leaves for work. But he didn’t have time to think as Dongho stirred from his sleep and cracked an eye open. Hoon didn’t know what to do. It seemed kind of sussed that he was standing at the edge of the bed just watching the younger. He fiddled on the spot but decided to just walk up to the other and touch his shoulder.

Dongho jumped in surprise and turned around to see who was touching him. But he felt like he knew this person so his heavy heart beat slowed down instantly.

“D-don’t be scared” Hoon said nervously.

“I know” Dongho said softly and nodded his head. Hoon removed his hand from the younger’s shoulder surprised.

”You remember?” He made himself comfortable on the bed by leaning his head on the headboard of the bed.

“Remember what? I don’t know who you are but I just know that I know you and not to be scared of you, w-who are you … again?” Hoon smiled a sad smile but he knew that there was still improvement.

“Hoon” he sighed.

First the rain stopped, Dongho still didn’t remember FULLY who he was and … … he had to go to work. He looked at the time.

, it’s ten past seven. He muttered to himself as he stood. Dongho just kept staring at him trying to remember, but nothing really came. Hoon grabbed his work clothes from his dresser and ran to the bathroom to have a quick shower.

Dongho just watched him and giggled to himself. When he heard the bathroom door close and the shower turn on he suddenly remembered something important. He stretched, stood up from the bed and walked to the lounge room. For some reason he knew where everything was, as if this is the house he grew up in, or stayed in this house for a long period of time. He immediately walked over to the couch where he put his hand under the pillow and pulled out a little book.

He sat down and started to read it …

My name is Shin Dongho …

…

Hoon has taken care of me from my stab wound…

…

…… Today I tried to escape thinking he would eat me ….

…

….. Today I realised that this guy takes too much care of me and it’s really flattering … I think I like him…

…

…. OH MY GOD we shared our first kiss … my heart was beating so fast and I just didn’t want it to end …

…

… Im starting to remember more now, but im still forgetting a lot …

…

…I just want to be able to remember everything about him …

…

… It’s been a week now and, I’m in love with him, I love him so much and I really just cannot forget this …

…

…It’s his touch, every time I touch him; I remember the way he feels when he holds me …

…

Dongho skimmed through the book with his mouth hung open; he wanted to see if this was real, he heard the bathroom door open and he stood up. He got to the door just as Hoon was exiting he made no hesitation to grab the elder by his collar and pull him down for a kiss. Hoon was taken aback by the kiss and leaned back against the wall with the younger still attached to him. His eyes were wide open in shock but he soon closed them in comfort. He s his arms around the younger’s waist and leaned more into him. Dongho let out a slight moan into the kiss and he felt content. The book was right. His touch … that was the memory he remembers. The way he holds him in his arms as if no one will be able to hurt him. He feels safe, he feels ... loved.

Hoon broke the kiss and looked the younger In the eyes.

“What on earth have you written in that book?”

Dongho smiled and leaned into the elders embrace.

“That I love you”

Hoon chuckled at the youngers cuteness but let him go as he was in a hurry.

Dongho looked at him and pouted but Hoon kissed the pout away.

“I have to go back to work, will you be okay here by yourself? You can do whatever you like, just .. Don’t leave okay?”

Dongho nodded his head and gripped the hem of Hoon’s shirt to bring him closer. He hugged him for a little while longer before he abruptly grabbed Hoon by the shoulders and lead him to the front door.

“W-what are you doing?”

“As much as I don’t want you to leave I also don’t want you to be late” Dongho opened the door and pushed Hoon out with a loud bang of the closing door. Hoon stared shocked at the sudden change in the younge’rs actions but remembered something …

“Yah! Dongho! I need my keys!”

Seconds later the door opened and Dongho threw the elders keys at him. Dongho bid him good-bye with a small, cute wave before shutting the door once more. Hoon started to walk down the stairs chuckling as he walked towards his car.

Meanwhile Dongho was leaning against the door smiling and biting his lower lip with a tinged red colour in his cheeks. He shook his head trying to rid his mind of the thoughts ofhim and stood up to go eat something. He opened the cupboard … Ramen; that was pretty much it. He clearly hadn’t been shopping in a while. So ramen it was.

Hoon pulled into the car park of his workplace and noticed the building looked … soggy. Instead of the white colour  it used to be it had brown water stains running down the sides. As he looked to his left he could see dirty debris scattered along the ground and when he stepped out of the car, even the underground car park was flooded.

It was quite weird returning to work, knowing that the last time he had worked he had never even met Dongho. While thinking about the younger a smile plastered on his face but it soon disappeared when he saw the face of his annoying pigeon-faced co-worker.

“HOON! It’s so good to see you! We’ve been stranded here for a whole week with all these oldies, ick. You’re lucky you got to go home before the rain started pissing down, ing ridiculous!”

Hoon sighed as they began to walk towards the staff room “Your humour against the elderly offends me Eli, but it’s nice to see you to” Hoon gave him a little smile.

“WOHOHOHO!! Wow just kidding my brother!” Eli slapped a hand on Hoon’s shoulder in a ‘Brotherly’ way. Hoon flinched but took it any ways.

“Anyway, Soohyun’s been non-stop worrying about you he thought you had died! I was getting a bit jealous to be quite honest with you”

Hoon continued to walk nonchalantly, his hands in his pockets and Eli … leaching on his shoulders.

“Yeah he called me, and don’t be jealous you know he’d choose my death over yours any day.”

Eli looked at him surprised, a sudden blush illuminating his cheeks. “R-really? Y-you think so?”

Hoon nodded his head not looking the other in the eyes.

“Thanks Hoon! I’m gonna go talk to him!” Eli punched Hoon’s arm and ran down the hall to go find his “Beloved” Hoon continued to rub his arm from the sudden pain inflicted on it.

When he arrived at the staff door it was opened before he could even put his hand on the door knob.

“Ah Hoon! You’re here, welcome back!” Soohyun said with opened arms as he embraced Hoon in a tight friendly hug.

Hoon couldn’t hug him back since his bones were being crushed to death by the latter and he couldn’t breathe.

“i-it’s n-nice to see y-you too” Hoon said gasping for air when Soohyun finally let go of him.

Soohyun looked at him with a smile and gave him his paperwork for his work for the day. Hoon bid him good bye and but stopped in his tracks as he remembered something.

“Oh Soohyun” Soohyun turned around and looked at him with another smile.

“Eli is looking for you” At the mention of the latter’s name, Soohyun’s cheeks grew bright red.

“R-really?” he clasped his clip board tight to his chest and smiled the biggest smile Hoon had ever seen on the elder’s face.

“Yep, really” He confirmed, “If I see him I’ll tell him to come here” Hoon smiled and began to walk towards his assigned room.

“O-okay” Soohyun said closing the door behind him. Soohyun’s face lit up as soon as he closed the door. His smile was up to his eye-brows and his heart was fluttering. All the other co-workers looked at him with furrowed eye-brows. Soohyun recollected himself and coughed into his hand.

“G-get back to work” He said walking with his head hung low but with a smile that still adorned his face. He got to his window-less office and closed the door. He threw his clip board on table and ran around the room like a teenage girl who just found out her crush liked her back.

He calmed himself down and sat in his chair; steadily breathing. He closed his eyes and just giggled in excitement.

~.~.~.~

“Oh, Eli!” Hoon yelled down the hall to the latter while walking towards his direction.

“Hey, Hoon, have you seen Soohyun?” Hoon looked at him and smiled knowingly.

“Yeah he’s In his office, I think he said he was looking for you”

“Okay, Thanks!” Eli ran past him and Hoon just shook his head, smiled, and continued to walk towards his destination.

~.~.~.~

Soohyun was swinging on his chair like a child and grinning like an idiot when all of a sudden his door swung open. He turned around in his chair and saw Eli standing at the door completely out of breath.

“E-eli? W-what’s up?” Soohyun asked, stumbling with his words as he slowly stood up from his chair to walk towards the other.

Eli gained control of himself and walked up to Soohyun who just looked dumfounded but still had a slight tinge of pink in his cheeks. Eli cleared his throat awkwardly.

“H-hoon told me you wanted to see me”

Soohyun looked at him confused.

“Hoon told me you wanted to see me?”

They both looked at each other knowingly and just sighed.

“Listen” Eli started, “I-I don’t know how to tell you this but I really like you, a-and it’s okay if you wanna fire me and-“ Eli was cut off his words by a soft finger being placed on his lips. He looked up towards the other who had a soft smile placed on his face.

He removed his hand from Eli’s face and grabbed his arm to pull him closer. In a split second their bodies were flushed between each other and Eli was burying his head into the latter’s shoulder.

“I like you too” Soohyun said almost inaudibly. They stayed like that for a while but soon realized they had to go back to their jobs or else, yes, they would probably get fired.

~.~.~.~

Hoon had arrived at Mrs Lee’s door and he knocked softly. When he didn’t hear a reply he made his way in anyway. He noticed the elder staring out into the window and he walked up to her side and sat on the bed. He grabbed her hand to make her look at him but she was still unresponsive.

“Mrs Lee?” Hoon said softly.

Mrs Lee slowly turned her head to face the younger and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh it’s you chap! I was wondering when I’d see you again! You know you remind me a lot of my husband when he was your age, oh the times” She sighed. Hoon just looked at her and smiled brightly.

“So you remember me Mrs Lee?”

Mrs Lee looked at him gobsmacked as if he were a total idiot.

“Of Course!” What type of person do you think I am to be forgetting my favourite worker!” She began to cough violently and all Hoon could do was rub soothing circles on her back, but soon she regained herself.

“You know,” She began, “The only thing I regretted in my life was letting go of the one I loved” She rested more comfortably in her bed and Hoon helped to tuck her in but still not letting go of her hand.

“Not matter what, never let go, or give up on the one you love, no matter what, promise?” Hoon continued to hold her hand as a lone tear streamed down his face.   

“I promise Mrs Lee, I’ll see you again sometime okay?” Hoon’s tears were uncontrolled by now and all he could do was watch the lady that so much resembled his own mother, die before him.

“Okay… just … don’t forget” And with those last words she closed her eyes and went to the place where she had been longing to go to see her husband …. Heaven.

~.~.~.~

Hoon spent the rest of the day helping the hospital with the information he knew about Mrs Lee, it was tuff, but he knew it was her time. By the end of the day he was dry out of tears and the sun began to hurt not only his eyes, but his insides as well.

As he walked to his car, all he could think of was holding Dongho in his arms for comfort and reassurance. When he exited the building he saw Soohyun and Eli standing really close to each other and smiling like gumby’s at each other. At least that put a little smile on his face.

As he was driving he couldn’t help but think of the memories that flooded his head of the place he passed when he first met Dongho. But none of that mattered right now, he just wanted to get home to his lover and hold him in his embrace.

~.~.~.~

His heart began to suddenly race as he pulled into the driveway of his apartment. He quickly got out of the car and ran upstairs. He fiddled with his keys for a little bit and cursed under his breath about how many keys he had and how pointless majority of them were. Once he finally opened the door he quickly took his shoes off and threw his keys on the table. He ran to the bedroom where he thought the boy might be, but the lack of the younger only frightened him when he reached his room.

“Dongho?” He called, rushing through the hall, “Dongho?” He said, a little louder, “Dongho?!” Now he was on the verge of screaming after he had checked the entire house and the boy was nowhere to be found.

“Oh god” he sobbed as he fell to the foot of the couch. He pulled his knees up to his chest and cried his poor little heart out like there was no tomorrow while occasionally chanting Dongho’s name.

The sound of the front door opening didn’t even alarm him. Dongho walked through the front door and noticed the elder on the floor in an emotional wreck. He immediately dropped the basket of oranges he had spent an hour picking on the ground and didn’t bother taking his dirty boots off as he ran to the other.

“Hoon!” Dongho dropped to his knees next to Hoon and wrapped his arms around him holding him impossibly close and rocking him back and forward for reassurance.

Hoon leaned into Dongho’s hold but only cried more.

“Shhh, it’s okay, I’m here, I’ll never leave you. Ever” Dongho reassured.    

Hoon tightened the grip he had on Dongho’s shirt and cried harder. Dongho wanted to cry too but he felt he needed to be strong for Hoon, he wanted to be the one looking after him for once.

“Aren’t I supposed the one crying all the time? What’s wrong?” Dongho asked softly as he lifted up Hoon’s head and used his thumb to wipe the tear streaked stains off the elder’s cheeks. Hoon smiled a little bit as he calmed down.  

“Y-you kn-know that l-lady who I was t-talking about y-yesterday” Hoon looked to the ground in embarrassment at how he sounded at the moment. His words were hitching from trying to catch his breath from crying so much, and Dongho’s could only chuckle at him for his cute behaviour.

“No I don’t remember silly, but yes keep going” Dongho brought Hoon back into his embrace and his hair comforting him. Hoon had calmed down and continued to explain what happened.

“Well, she passed away today, right in front of me. And it was sad because she reminded me so much of my own mother. And I was looking forward to seeing you all day and I come home and you’d disappeared and, and I was so scared you left and-“ Hoon couldn’t help but to break down again, Dongho just help him impossibly closer and let a lone tear escape his eye, but he recovered well and just thought of how he had to take care of Hoon this time. Just then Dongho thought of an idea that might be able to cheer Hoon up.

“Hey,” He lifted Hoon’s head up again as the elder continued to sniffle and look down at his lap because he didn’t want Dongho to see him so broken. Dongho grabbed his chin and lightly forced him to look him in the eyes while wiping away Hoon’s tears.

“What do you say we go out tomorrow, you know, like on a date; a proper one”

Hoon looked at him and smiled,

“I’d like that”

~.~.~.~

... >:D