Amidst the commotion, Jongin fell to the ground, passed out.

He had snuck back into Kyungsoo’s room behind the team of doctors, straining his ears to hear, since he had to keep out of sight.

Everyone was shouting for tools, and equipment: someone needed to get some numbing solution or sedative, or the patient was going to be in pain when they removed the feeding tubes.

It was then, when one of the doctors moved aside, that Jongin caught a glimpse of Kyungsoo.

His eyes had been open.

Yixing was the one who discovered an unconscious Jongin, and had sent another nurse to prepare him a bed, a proper hospital one this time, for him next to Kyungsoo. The nurse’s professional eye sized him up: he wasn’t sick, just exhausted, and the shock of seeing Kyungsoo awake had caused his system to temporarily shut down. He would be fine after getting some rest.

The tests went on for another full day. Kyungsoo was asleep, but it was real sleep, not brought on by sedation or painkillers. He slept, a healing and rejuvenating sleep, full of dreams of Jongin. He would see him when he woke. He knew it.

-

Jongin’s eyes fluttered open. Slowly, groggily, he sat up and looked around him. He was in a hospital bed, and for a moment, he felt a seize of panic. How did this happen? Was he hurt? Looking down at himself, he saw that he was wearing his regular clothes and not a hospital gown. That was a good sign.

A nurse, Kyungsoo’s familiar nurse came in, smiling at him. “Good, you’re awake.”

“What...what happened?”

Yixing grinned, holding out a hand to Jongin to help him up. “Come and see for yourself.”

-

When the eyes of the two men met, the very air seemed to be charged with emotion. It was as if time had stopped, and the whole world grew still. Jongin took slow, halting steps, again, to Kyungsoo’s bedside. Only this time, Kyungsoo was awake, sitting up and propped up on pillows. There were no more tubes, no more oxygen mask, just a single IV needle in one of his wrists. There was color back in his cheeks, and he gave a faint smile.

Jongin pulled up a chair, suddenly nervous and awkward. He had been talking to Kyungsoo for the past four days, but he had been unconscious and hadn’t heard what he had said. Would he still be angry for what had happened a year ago?

They were both silent for a moment, Jongin looking down at his hands.

“You lied...didn’t you.” Kyungsoo finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. The nurse had told him that the tube that had been down his throat had pushed apart his vocal chords, but that within a night or two he would soon be able to speak normally.

“W-what?” Jongin said, looking up at him.

“When you said...that I couldn’t come back. That was a lie. Wasn’t it?”

Jongin stared at Kyungsoo, his jaw slowly falling open. Jongin had admitted that while Kyungsoo was knocked out. Did this mean that Kyungsoo…

“I heard you.” He smiled weakly, sliding his hand across the bed towards Jongin. “Every word you said...I heard you.”

“Y-you mean…?”

Kyungsoo slowly nodded. “I forgive you. And...I love you too. Always have. Never stopped.”

The burden of a year’s worth of guilt, sorrow and longing slowly left Jongin’s shoulders. With a growing sense of happiness and freedom, he slowly slid his own hand across the bed, joining it with Kyungsoo’s. Kyungsoo had forgiven him. Kyungsoo still loved him.

Jongin knew that even now, it would not be easy. He was still from the wrong side of town, and Kyungsoo was still the heir to the Do Corporation. Their relationship from here would not be any easier than it would be before, and they would have to struggle to be together. But Jongin let those thoughts fall away, just for now. He would worry about that later. All he wanted in this moment was to just be with his hyung. Both were revelling in the happiness of their reunion, grateful to have each other.

They had finally worked through all the lies, came clean, and could now start a real love.