“Are you crying?”

A pause and a soft sniffle. “No.”

“Kibummie, come here.”

Everything was still a little disorienting, even if the pain in his eyes had finally faded. Jinki lifted his hand in the direction he thought Kibum was. His fingertips found nothing until Kibum’s cheek pressed against his palm from slightly to the left.

“Don’t cry.”

“I’m not.”

Jinki smiled, feeling a fresh wave of tears against his thumb. “Liar.”

“I’m so sorry,” Kibum whispered. His hand pressed against the back of Jinki’s. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”

Kibum only sniffled quietly again. Jinki would have given almost anything to be able to see his face, but he settled for running the fingers of his left hand across Kibum’s cheek.

“They say it might not be permanent.”

“Maybe,” Jinki agreed. He let his fingers run down to Kibum’s jawline and then down his throat, feeling his Adam’s apple shift as he swallowed. Kibum clenched his teeth; Jinki could feel the muscle bunching.

“Jinki, I--”

Jinki traced Kibum’s lips. They quivered beneath his touch. He could almost remember what they looked like, the perfect bow of his upper lip and the pink fullness of his lower lip. His hands moved up, running across Kibum’s defined cheekbones and up to the outer corner of his eyelids.

Kibum’s eyes were closed, his long lashes fanning across Jinki’s thumbs. His eyelashes were sticky with tears, but it didn’t feel like any fresh ones were falling. Jinki had loved Kibum’s eyes, the way they crinkled when he’d laughed or even the way they’d looked when he was upset or crying. They had been so dark and so beautiful. He supposed they still were as beautiful, but it wasn’t like he could tell anymore.

He couldn’t bear that thought, so he traced the bridge of Kibum’s nose and up to his forehead, which was crinkled.

“Don’t be so upset,” Jinki said.

“I’m not.”

Jinki smiled and began to smooth the frown from Kibum’s face with his fingertips. It took Kibum a few seconds to react, but gradually the lines faded from his forehead. Jinki found Kibum’s lips again and bent them into a smile. It was forced at first, but after a few seconds, Jinki felt Kibum’s lips curve into a real smile.

“There,” Jinki said. “Now you’re better.”