Seungho rubbed his eyes as he and Byunghee left the police station. 

They had stayed at the hospital until the other kids arrived.  Cheondoong had turned ghostly white at the sight of Joon’s tattered body.  It had brought back a flood of nasty memories of Dara’s accident and Chulyong had to him out of the hospital room to calm down. 

After Byunghee described to them Joon’s injuries in much less detail, he had sent them home.  It didn’t make sense of them to stay at the hospital, especially when Cheondoong was still so upset by Joon’s injured state.  Shortly after the kids left, Seungho and Byunghee left for the police station.  On the way there, they’d received a call from Mun Hyunsik.  He hadn’t been able to get out of a meeting with the big bosses so he couldn’t visit Joon until the next day.  So rather than waiting to hear about Joon’s status the next day, he’d called Seungho to get an update.

After they’d arrived at the station, Seungho went through an extensive process of making a statement.  The police asked him question after question about his relationship with Joon, the events that had left up to Joon’s disappearance, and information he might’ve had about those four men.  Seungho was forced to recount the fight that had led to Joon’s departure.  He was careful to leave out the small details, such as the ambiguous relationship he’d had with Joon.  He avoided mentioning the reasons behind the fight.  Until he figured things out with Joon, he didn’t want to complicate their relationship further by having to try and explain it to outsiders.

Once they’d gotten as much information from as possible, they allowed him to leave.  The sun had already begun to set; it had gotten late.

As Byunghee and Seungho walked to the bus stop, Byunghee turned to him and said, “You should go home and get some sleep.  You look worse than you usually do.”  He nudged Seungho gently in the ribs.

Seungho smiled briefly before shaking his head.  “I’m… I think I’m going to head back to the hospital for a bit,” he said softly.  He didn’t want to go back to an empty apartment.  He needed to be beside Joon; there was no other place he would rather be.

“Then I’ll come with you,” Byunghee said.

Seungho shook his head again and pushed him gently towards the bus that had slowed to a stop.  “Go home,” he said, “I’ll be fine.  You’ve already done so much.”

Byunghee looked at him for a few moments before sighing and nodding.  “Call me if you need anything,” he said.  When Seungho nodded, he made his way on to the bus and waved.

As Seungho watched the bus leave, he sighed and leaned against the lamp post.  What a day… he was absolutely exhausted.  The emotional rollercoaster had been one wild ride.  He didn’t think he could ever feel so much relief, sadness, and fury in one day.  After the turmoil, he was drained.  Now… he just wanted Joon.  He just wanted to be in his presence, to hear him breath.  He wanted to hear his soothing heartbeat and to feel his warmth.  He wanted to physically feel the proof that Joon was alive… he needed it like he needed the air that he breathed.

On the bus ride over, Seungho thought about all of the things that transpired over the past week.  He thought about the fight and how it had escalated so quickly.  He had been such a fool.  He had let his jealousy and pent up frustrations out on the one person who deserved it the least.  He was the reason Joon got into this predicament… it was because of him.  If only he had accepted his feelings earlier.  Even just a few hours earlier… things might’ve been so very different.  Joon never would have left that night.  And instead of getting kidnapped and brutalized, Joon would’ve been safely in Seungho’s arms in the warmth of their bed.  And although Hyunwoo may have still tried to hurt Joon, at least Seungho would’ve known about his existence.  He would’ve done everything he could to shield Joon from Hyunwoo…

Seungho exhaled deeply and leaned his head against the window as the bus rumbled on towards the hospital.  He shouldn’t dwell on the past; the guilt only ate at his remaining strength.  He needed to focus on the now.  He needed to be there for Joon now because there was nothing he could do to change the past, no matter how much he wished he could.

As the bus slowed to a stop, Seungho stepped down and made his way to the front doors of the hospital.  The time it took for him to reach Joon’s hospital room seemed much shorter than that morning.  And upon reaching the door, Seungho gently pushed the door open and let himself inside the dark room. 

As he took a seat by Joon’s bed and reached out for Joon’s hand, his gaze fell on Joon’s face.  That morning, he had been utterly terrified to see Joon.  His doubts had returned and had threatened to tear him to pieces yet again.  He had been so scared to discover his feelings for Joon were only skin-deep that he had hesitated to enter Joon’s room.

But now… he could only shake his head in disbelief at the Seungho of that morning.  As he stared at Joon’s sleeping face now, he could only see beauty.  Sure, Joon’s face and body were covered with wounds and scars… but none of it mattered in the least.  The bruised hand in Seungho’s hands was warm; he could feel the gentle pulse through the veins in his wrist.  The heart monitor beeped gently as Joon’s heart thudded in his chest… The bruises and broken bones didn’t matter.  What mattered was that Joon was alive.  He was breathing; he was warm. 

Scooting closer, Seungho brought Joon’s hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on top of the IV puncture.  He pressed the back of Joon’s hand to his cheek as he propped himself against the bed and gazed at Joon’s beautiful face.

“Joon-ah,” he murmured, “Wake up.”  He once again felt his throat constrict as his eyes stung with tears.  “Wake up, Joonie-yah,” he said softly, “So I can tell you how much I love you.”  As the tears overflowed, he exhaled deeply and begged, “Please… please forgive me.  Please wake up…” 

“You’re kidding me right?” Hyunsik said, dumbfounded as he stared at his boss, “You have got to be kidding me…”  He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

“No,” his boss replied irritably, “It is what we have always done with our other talents.  When they are unfit to continue in this line of work, they receive a severance package and we end their contracts.  Why are you acting so surprised?”  He sighed in exasperation as he packed his paperwork into his briefcase to call it a day.

Hyunsik gaped as his boss slipped on his winter coat.  “Why?” he replied sarcastically, “Maybe because Lee Joon’s circumstances are outrageously different from the other talents we’ve let go of in the past?”  He exhaled in frustration and said, “The ones we’ve let go of in the past were either cut at our customers’ request or because they aged!  We’ve never fired anyone for… for being disfigured as a result of a crime committed on them!”

His boss sighed as he wrapped a scarf around his neck.  “Hyunsik-ah… I know what happened to your boy is upsetting,” he said heavily, “But you know this isn’t a decision I can just overthrow.  It’s part of the process.  And the process is to cut anyone that can no longer perform their job.”

“So what?” Hyunsik said angrily, “Leave the kid, who was victimized in a disgustingly heinous crime, to fend for himself?  How is he going to pay his hospital bills while he’s lying there unconscious?  Isn’t this the time to prove to the industry that KTA is different from everyone else?  That we care about our talents?”

“Stop yelling at me,” his boss snapped, “I can’t do anything about it.  I feel ty about this too but you know I can’t do about it.”

“Can’t…” Hyunsik said, waving his hands in the air, “Can’t we appeal the process?  If we explain the Lee Joon’s situation to the big wigs, they can overthrow the procedures and grant him a special pardon.  And maybe we can-”

“No,” was the response he received as his boss made to leave, “Look, Hyunsik-ah.  Lee Joon was a great talent and… who knows, once he heals up and gets some plastic surgery, he might still be a great talent.  But until then, I’m afraid I’m in no position to help him keep his job.”  He sighed and said, “You should do yours, Hyunsik-ah.  Stop taking things personally and maintain your professionalism.”  He gently patted Hyunsik’s shoulder before walking out of his office.

Hyunsik stood rooted to the spot as he stared at the door, stunned at what had just happened.  He hadn’t been able to leave right after work to visit Joon because his boss had called him into a meeting… Apparently, it was to tell him to cut Lee Joon from KTA.  

It wasn’t fair; none of them even knew the extent of Lee Joon’s injuries.  The media had got wind of the incident and although KTA had exercised all their power to keep things under wraps, word had gotten out that one of KTA’s new talents had become involved in the case.  So before things could get any worse, KTA chose to cut their losses…

As Hyunsik made his way back to his office, he was fuming.  Even if he put personal feelings aside, KTA had jumped the gun in their decision to cut Joon.  They knew nothing about the extent of his injuries and whether or not if he was still able to perform his job; they were doing it to cover their own .  Besides… the kid didn’t need this right now.  Sure he had paid off his debt to Hyunsik in just a few short months, but how did they expect him to earn a living now?  From what Yang Seungho had told him, Joon had suffered a broken arm and damage enough to keep him in bed for over a month.

Hyunsik sighed as he sat down and leaned back.  Closing his eyes, he dreaded when he would have to deliver the news.

He woke to the sound of soft beeping.  

His eyelids felt too heavy to open; his arms were like lead at his sides.  He could distinctly smell disinfectant in the air as something pumped air into his nostrils.  Using every ounce of power he had, he cracked open one eye.

He gasped softly as darkness filled his sight.  His vision was blurred and all he could see was the soft glow of a light from one corner of the room.  The darkness was suffocating; it terrified him.  He tried to move but his right arm felt constrained by something rigid and heavy.  His left arm was also weighed down by something heavy and warm.  

Joon panicked as he tried to open both of his eyes.  One was swollen shut and the other didn’t help so much in orienting him to his location.  His head felt both light and heavy and his body felt numb.  For a brief moment, sheer panic coursed through him as he tried to remember where he was…

And then the memories of the past three days flooded through his mind.  The kidnapping; the pain; the … The last thing he remembered was a pain that intense he had wanted to die.  After that… nothing. 

Joon squeezed his one good eye shut and tried to clear his vision.  Where was he?  Was he still at the warehouse?  It was still so dark but the smell of rust had been replaced by a lemony disinfectant.  Was he constrained?  They hadn’t kept him tied up because he didn’t have any more strength to struggle… so why was his arms so weighed down?  And… what happened to the pain?  All he could feel was… nothing.

Opening his eyes back up again, he heard the beeping sounds match his heartbeat.  His vision had cleared a little and he could make out the large tiles in the ceiling.  Looking around slowly, he glanced at his right arm.  He was surprised to find his arm covered in a cast… so that’s what was weighing his arm down.  Looking towards his left arm…

His breath hitched as his eyes fell on Seungho’s sleeping form.  His left hand was safely clasped by Seungho’s hands as he leaned into the bed.  The weight of his body fell on top of Joon’s hand as he slept in his chair, his face half contorted in a frown.

That was when Joon finally understood.  He had been found.  The soft beeping sound was the machines he was hooked up to; he was in a hospital.  He was… alive.

A whirlwind of emotions crashed into him as he stared at Seungho’s tear-glazed face.  He felt the fear lift from his chest, replaced by a suffocating rush of relief and anguish.  He felt tears sting the back of his eyes as he opened his mouth to call Seungho’s name… but nothing came out.  He still couldn’t speak; his voice was still raw.

Using every ounce of strength in him, he squeezed Seungho’s hand that was clasping his tightly.  He watched as Seungho woke with a start and quickly shook off the sleep.  Seungho glanced around the room briefly before turning to Joon…

Joon felt his tears fall from his eyes as Seungho jumped up from his chair, his eyes wide and moist.  He gripped Joon’s hand tightly as he leaned in closer to confirm what he was seeing.

“J-Joon-ah,” he murmured softly, brushing his hand across Joon’s face, “You’re…”  Tears fell from his eyes as he pressed Joon’s hands against his cheek.  “Joon-ah,” he repeated again and again, “Joon-ah…”  He pressed his lips to the back of Joon’s hand quickly before he leaned in and brushed his lips against Joon’s cracked lips.  

Joon felt a silent sob wrack his body as he felt the soft lips against his own.  How long had he waited to be kissed by Seungho again?  The weeks following their wild had been so lonely for him.  He had craved Seungho’s kisses, his laugh, and his smiles.  And the past few days… his longing had been the only thing keeping him sane.  Now, finally…

Joon tried to kiss back; there was little he could do with his lips.  They were too cracked and rigid for him to do anything with them.  A soft whimper of frustration escaped his lips as he tried to do more than just lay there like a log.  As Seungho pulled away, Joon couldn’t help but let out another small whimper of protest.  Using his strength, he pulled his hand from Seungho’s tight grip and cupped his fingers around Seungho’s face.  The soft warmth of Seungho’s cheek seeped through his fingers.

“I’m so glad,” Seungho murmured as he brushed his own tears away in embarrassment, “I’m so glad you’re awake.”  He reached down and gently ran his thumb over Joon’s tears.  He caressed the bruised skin gently as he murmured, “I’m so glad…”

Joon opened his mouth and tried to will himself to speak.  When no sound came out, he sighed in frustration and tugged on Seungho’s hands.  

Puzzled, Seungho placed Joon’s hands in his as Joon tried to shake them off.  He relaxed his hand as Joon positioned his left hand on his stomach with his palm facing up.  Slowly, Joon ran a finger over the palm of his hand in a pattern.  As he did so, he frowned as he paused every so often and contemplated something.  

Finally figuring it out, Joon ran his forefinger over the palm of Seungho’s hands as smoothly as he could.  It has been too long since he’s said it.  And since his voice wasn’t working… Awkwardly, he wrote the words ‘I love you’ on Seungho’s palm.  

He watched as Seungho inhaled deeply as he wrote the words.  Seungho met his eyes as a soft smile ghosted his beautifully thick lips.  When Joon finished, Seungho entwined his fingers with Joon’s as he leaned forward until he was only a few inches away from Joon’s face.

“I know,” he said softly, “You’ve never hesitated to express your feelings.  On the other hand, I’ve…” He shook his head sadly as he propped his head up with his right hand as his left still covered Joon’s in a gentle grasp.  “When you disappeared, I thought I would never get to tell you,” he murmured, caressing Joon’s hand in his, “And I figure it’s about damn time.”  

Joon’s heart raced as he tried to scoot closer to Seungho.  He felt as if he would explode from his feelings.  He felt so hopeful suddenly, and he prayed that he would finally hear the words he’d been wanting to hear for the past few months.

“Joon-ah,” Seungho said softly, “I’m sorry I’ve never said this before…”  With a soft kiss, he finally murmured the words, “I love you.”

Author's notes:

YAY!  About DAMN time Seungho!!!  Right ??  Haha Joon finally woke up!  Thanks again to my readers and please don't forget to vote!

And just in case you missed it, I composed an original music piece for the story!  You can find a link to it in the Foreword section of this story!  Please have a listen!  It's a bit amateur but I just couldn't pass up the chance to produce some music!  I'm also working on a second piece so stay tuned!