39

      After three more weeks at the hospital, Minwoo could finally walk around with crutches instead of this damn wheelchair. He had thought he would never be able to stand ever again.

Heading to Eric's room, he had a small smile on his lips when he opened the door.

With a psychologist's help, the dancer was making progresses and dealing better with this guilt chewing at his insides. He still had moments when at Eric's bedside making him feel like the worst human being, but being able to talk about it later on helped get at peace with himself.

He still had a long way to go, and he knew it, but along his physical recovery, the mental one was in progress too.

      Sitting on the usual armchair close to the leader's bed, Minwoo watched over his friend like every other days and prayed for him to wake up soon. He could not stand knowing Eric was in a coma for so long, but the doctors had said it was normal and he would wake up when he wanted to.

Minwoo knew too well what a stubborn man his friend could be, and waiting like this for weeks made him feel like Eric was doing it on purpose. As when he was hiding for hours in a corner waiting to give a scare to someone. It was feeling exactly the same after so many times passed.

      Staring at the wall in front of him, the dancer's mind started to wander away. Minwoo was often losing himself in his thoughts since what had happened, and after Lee's visit the previous day, he could not stop thinking about what the detective had said.

It was feeling weird to finally know this monster's motive -even if they were incomprehensible even after hearing them- it helped deal better with everything that had happened now he finally knew. It was what had tormented Minwoo the most over the time : to ignore what all this was really about.

But today, he could eventually stop wonder about it and settle with the fact this man was just a sick son of a enjoying hurting others for his own pleasure. It was the only explanation Yang had given : that he just liked to observe others' downfall. Minwoo hated the fact this guy had hurt so many people just for this, but he was glad to have the so awaited answer too.

The thought of what this man had done just because he wanted some entertainment was making his stomach twist, and the fact he was killing people for the fun felt the most enraging and disgusting.

Everything was feeling too much like a 'Just because'.

Just because this man wanted to, people were dead and hurt. Just because this guy could, he had harassed and tortured others. Just because, all this had happened.

The tears were burning in the dancer's eyes, and sniffling, he blinked and forced his mind out of such tormenting thoughts. Looking at Eric, he felt a deep sadness engulf him, before the guilt was back.

Biting his lip, he tried to control it and remind himself it was not his fault, but everything was saying otherwise, and taking a breath, he closed his eyes a second to calm down.

"Hmm…" Hearing the low, muffled noise, the dancer's eyes snap open then widened in shock.

"Eric ?" He called, lunging forward to his friend's side. "Eric, can you hear me ?" He was so hopeful, and when he saw the twitch on the older man's face, his heart raced in his ribcage. "Eric !"

Holding the leader's hand in his, he kept his balance with the other pressing on the bed, but it did not seem enough when Eric started to stir under his eyes.

"Oh my God." He breathed, looking around for any other witnesses, but he was alone.

Grabbing the call button with hurrying and shaky hand, he pressed it several times until a nurse came rushing inside the room.

"He's waking up !" He announced right away, and frowning, the woman eventually looked at the unconscious man in bed.

Minwoo stared down at his friend too and felt a wave of panic when all he saw was the motionless body of Eric. So many thoughts crossed his mind at the moment, and he wondered for a second if he was crazy, but then Eric's face twitched again.

"See ?" He snapped energetically, and the nurse rushed at the leader's side to check his vital points.

When she flashed her light in Eric's eye, he groaned and tried to close it back.

Everything went spiraling in the dancer's head from this point. In a snap of a finger, too many people were in the room surrounding Eric and checking on him. Minwoo was pushed away and found himself staring from the door at the nurses and doctor speaking too much and too fast for him to get a grip of what was going on.

He could not really understand what was said, the sounds and voices reaching his ears only distorted noises making him dizzy.

The moment he felt weak in his knees and feared he was about to collapse, strong arms wrapped around him to catch him up just as he was wavering. Startled, his senses crashed back into him as he looked up at Junjin holding him up with a small smile on his lips.

"You okay ?"

Minwoo could just nod and looked back at the working staff around Eric's bed.

"What's going on ?" Asked another voice, and looking over his shoulder, Minwoo noticed only now Dongwan was here too.

"He's awake." Answered the dancer, and the shock filled silence was the mutual reaction following such news.

"Step out of the room, please." Spoke up a nurse before walking to them, and having no other choice, the three men exited the room and watched as the door slid shut on them.

Minwoo felt some dull panic arose inside him to be kept away and ignorant of the situation.

"It's okay." Said Junjin in a soft, reassuring voice when he felt the shorter man tremble against him. "Come on, I'll get you back in your room."

Minwoo refused to move "No ! I…"

"Standing there would make no difference." Spoke up Dongwan, and the dancer glared at him. "You need to rest too, and Eric's in good hands." He smiled and put a hand on Minwoo's shoulder. "Just go back in your room, I'll stay here and tell you when we can get in."

Both men noticed how strongly the dancer wanted to object, but he did not resist either when Junjin pulled him away gently.

***

      Eric was awake for half a day when visitors were finally allowed to see him. After numerous tests and close observation, the doctor declared Eric would be alright even if some parts of his memory were still fuzzy. The doctor said it was normal and the leader would be just fine after full recovery.

Minwoo was asleep when Dongwan knocked on the door and entered the room, and sharing a look with Junjin sitting at the dancer's bedside, they smiled and stepped out to talk. The singer explained the situation to the younger man and agreed on the fact it was better for Minwoo to sleep for now.

Out of guilt, the dancer had strained himself too much over the past weeks, and resting would do him only good. Even the nurse agreed when she arrived a minute later and noticed the sleeping man in bed.

"I'll come back later." She said with a smile.

Everyone knew in the staff Lee Minwoo had agitated nights and few rest to watch over the unconscious Eric Mun. It was known how worried the nurses and doctors were about him because of such behavior, but they could not restrain him in bed either.

***

      It was quiet and dark when Minwoo eventually stirred in bed and rubbed his eyes. Groaning softly, a frown wrinkled his face before his eyes cracked open.

What time is it ?

He had not felt himself fall asleep, and now he was waking up to such quietness, he was confused.

Looking around without moving, he wondered if Junjin was still there, then he remembered Eric and jolted awake in bed.

"Eric." He breathed, looking for his crutches he spotted at the feet of his bed.

Getting up, he hopped to the crutches he used immediately to get out of the room.

He had no idea where the others were nor why nobody had woke him up to see Eric. Dongwan had promised to come get him when the staff would be done. It angered him and made him hate the other singer for a second.

Once in the quiet corridor, he spotted no one on his way excepted the guards for security purpose. He smiled at them just to distract them from calling someone on him and headed to Eric's room. Taking a breath once at the door, he gathered his courage and knocked. There was no answer, and as he used to do over the past weeks, he entered without waiting long for one.

Looking up, he froze in place when he found an empty bed.

Where the hell was Eric ?

Oh God ! What had happened to him ? Was he okay ? Why wasn't he here ? What the hell was going on ?

Panting in overwhelming fear and distress, the tears at his eyes blurred his vision and threatened to fall at any moment.

"Minwoo ?"

Startled by the low voice, the dancer froze in place before looking over his shoulder to the man stepping out of the bathroom. The sight felt unrealistic, and staring in bewilderment at the man he had prayed for every days, the tears fell on his cheeks.

Without a word, Eric strode forward and pulled the younger man in a tight, unbreakable hug. Emotions came crashing on the two men as they embraced each other and refused to let go. Minwoo cried silently against Eric's shoulder and hid his face against it. He had thought he would never be able to see his friend on his feet ever again. He had thought he had lost him forever and it was all his fault.

The guilt assaulted him full force before being washed away by the relief of having the older man in his arms; alive and awake.

He had thought this day would never come.

      Eric's strong arms around him held him for an unending moment, and for once, the older man's hug was the warmest and most comforting one Minwoo ever had. He had claimed Eric's hugs always felt fake, but today, at this right moment, it was the most sincere and emotional one the older man had ever gave him.

He did not need to hear anything to know how relieved, happy, terrified, worried, hopeful and reassured Eric was to have him in his arms. Alive, safe and sound. The leader had thought before being shot he would lose him, he had feared to be too late and never see again the shorter man. But here he was now, in his arms, safe and alive.

The warm, full of emotions reunion seemed to last through the night, and none of them were ready nor had the will to break away from each other.

They had been too close to lose one of them -if not both- and they could not let go before being ready and sure the moment was real.

RicMin much ? Yeah, my mind was full of RicMin when I reached the ending point of this story.

Anyway, Stalker's coming to an end T.T I was impatient to finish this story, but finishing it and posting the last chapters feels different.

I'm a bit 'sad' it's ending, and I didn't know I would feel like this. But it's okay, I've new stories to update, and if you didn't see already I posted the foreword for my very first RicMin story today. Check it out ^^

(Yes I'm advertising myself and I'm not even ashamed about it xD)

The story's called

No Limit 

Hope you'll give it a try =)

There's only one chapter left for Stalker and one Epilogue, then it's the end ='(

To next time !