Niel's P.O.V

I couldn't quite tell when I had actually passed the line between dreamland and the actual world. Only a dark shade separated sleeping and being awake. The first real memory I can recall is the maid who stood in the door frame looking a bit shocked at someone behind me. I turned my head to see what had caught her attention, noticing that it was just Minsoo.

Wait! Min-soo? I imitated the look on the maids face, while the girl slowly quitted the room most probably scared by the man sitting in front of the bed. I sent Minsoo a glance that was trapped between untamed happiness and unlimited lack of understanding. Like how the hell did I get here and why was Minsoo just sitting there saying nothing.

But there was another overshadowing question: Why wasn't there any sign of rage in the elder's expression?

In my memory had Minsoo been more than furious learning that I wasn't disabled at all. Not because I was perfectly healthy, but because I hadn't bothered to disillusion him, even though it had been needed. In my mind there were actually plenty of scenarios of how I could have gotten back to Minsoo's mansion, but none of them seemed to be the solution as every single one of them had a detail that didn't want to make sense.

For instance there was a chance that I myself had found the way back to Minsoo, in despair or something, and that I had lost my memory due to exhaustion. But then there was still the question why Minsoo had even let me in. Of course, he had told me that he loved me more than once, but honestly if that was true, why did he throw me out in the first place?

And really why should Minsoo start searching for me again? It wasn't as if I had been an interesting housemate. However, now I was laying here, in Minsoo's bed, staring at the man hoping to get at least a hint of an idea. What I hadn't expected though were the tears I then spotted in the elder's eyes, not daring to leave them, but still dangerously being there.

“Niel...” The movement of the elder's lips shot through the silence of the room, letting me gasp, knowing it was one of the first times I got to hear my own name out of his mouth. I closed my eyes for a moment, wanting to decide how I should react. What would Minsoo think if I jumped in joy, throwing my arms around the man? On the other hand I couldn't just keep silent. I had done that far too long.

“Minsoo...”, I replied his name, blowing out the air like a whisper. It must have sounded like the first time I had tried to speak to the other, when he had thrown me out. Friable and blunt like rusty metal. I saw how his eyes grew watery as I spoke, probably because I sounded awful. Couldn't he just tell me why I was here?

Before I could think further, Minsoo wasn't sitting on his chair any longer, but had moved to the bed, so that he was so much closer now. It wasn't that I felt uncomfortable now, but the nearer he came, the stronger I could see the memories in front of my inner eye. Us in the restaurant. Us walking through the zoo. Us shopping groceries...

I had to say something and I knew that, but how to start a conversation with someone you lied to for so long? I sat up, making myself comfortable beneath the covers before I searched for eye contact with the elder, knowing I had grown to be good at facial expressions.

“You know Minsoo... um... why... how... h-how did I get here?” I was sure he hated me after finding out I hadn't been truthful while he had played Mom, Dad and boyfriend for me, though he hadn't been one of them, had he?

The man in front of me nodded and I was sure to see him scooting even closer to me. “Niel, do you know what today's date is?”, he began talking and I started to wonder what he was going to say. Biting my lip I thought about the last days before I mumbled: “Christmas?”

I knew I had to be right, because Minsoo lowered his gaze. Only some seconds after he started talking again. “And you know that Christmas is called the celebration of...” His last word went down by a sob that was leaving my lips without noticing. I fought the urge to hug him tightly, pressing myself against him, never letting go again. Instead I sat there, feeling the tears run down my cheeks in realization. After all the man had never stopped loving me. He had never stopped thinking of me.

I felt how my limps were shaking uncontrollably so that I clawed into the blanked to conceal that. The tears were falling onto the covers, wetting the bed, but I couldn't will myself to wipe them away. Instead my whole body was stiff, while a wish slowly was building up inside me. I wanted this strange atmosphere between us to disappear.

Feeling the mattress next to me dip down, I soon noticed his warmth next to me. And slowly, almost shyly his arms wrapped around my torso, embracing me. Immediately I leaned into the familiar hug, still not believing that this was really happening. This was just too great to be true. A stone I haven't known was even there fell from me, relieving me totally as I breathed in the scent of the elder. Just let this moment last forever.

But, of course, my wishes went unanswered. Only a few minutes later I could hear the bell ring. The high-pitched tone hurt my ears and made my head ache, reminding me that I still wasn't really awake. What I also disliked was the fact that Minsoo withdrew his arms from me, making me frown. I really didn't want him to stop touching me. Letting out an almost inaudible sigh, Minsoo stood up and left the room without further explanation. Whether that was because he wasn't used to tell me anything, or because it seemed obvious: I wasn't sure. With a throbbing head I crawled off of the bed, trying to remember how you got from Minsoo's room to the front door. I only knew it has been really difficult, but after two times walking into a impasse, I finally found the way to the hallway, that had a direct connection to the front door.

When I was able to face the door and my brain began to connect all the information it was getting, my jaw fell. There were two persons that had gotten into my view. One of them, the slightly smaller one wore a flashy bobble head, making him look overly cute. The other one had his hands stuffed into black gloves, letting him look like a female, having his hands folded like this.

I felt like fainting again, seeing them there, knowing Ricky was his usual noisy self. I couldn't possibly be near him longer than a few moments. But the pabo of my, yeah how to call him, let's just go by friend, let them in, pointing in my direction. Sighing I backed away, walking to the living room, where I could nestle myself onto the sofa.

Just as I had pulled the blanked over my limps, three caring gazes met mine, when the incidental persons walked into the living room.

“How are you?”, ChunJi immediately asked, the concern readable on his face. Maybe he was sorry, maybe not. You never knew when it came to him. Ricky just stayed silent, watching me with a terrified expression. What the did they tell him to make him like this?

I allowed myself to inhale and exhale a couple of times before answering, as I needed to figure it out myself. “I'm okay, I guess...”, I eventually breathed, sounding hoarse, for whatever reason. It was really nice, that they had come to visit me, but I needed to know something. “May I know how you know where I am? And, anyhow, why are you all this concerned about me?”

At first, ChunJi and Ricky were looking at each other before turning to Minsoo, who faced them rather apologetically. I believed to see Ricky mumble something like: 'doesn't know yet.', but I really couldn't class it. Minsoo cleared his throat and turned his attention back to me. “I know I haven't told you, yet. It's right, that I searched for you, because I missed you, but what I haven't told you is that you were under very bad conditions. You have fallen asleep out there in the cold and I fear if I hadn't picked you up and took you home...”

My eyes widened not wanting to believe it, but slowly it began to make sense. However, when it was like this how could Minsoo possibly have found me? Was I really this lucky that this man found me out of pure coincidence? I nearly wanted to tackle him in a hug, realizing that it had to be like this. How could I ever make it up to him?

My ears perked up when ChunJi let out an 'aww' sound. In inhuman speed I turned to the pabo of a friend he was to stare at him rather annoyed. Jjinjja? Was he really doing this right now?

Minsoo cleared his throat as if making obvious that he wasn't finished talking, yet. “Niel, … aish Baby I'm so lucky that I did find you. I just realized how much I missed you and how much of an idiot I was to send you away. It's not that I'm not hurt or anything, you've lied to me and that's a serious issue, but I learned, no actually I knew it from the moment you left my house. You had your reasons and....” At this point of his little speech the guy cleared his throat, but regardless of his attempts the tears began to roll.

“Love has always been stronger than anger.”

A mix of various sobs mingled in the air between the four of us. As cheesy as it sounds – Minsoo and me became like the main characters in a romance movie, letting us stand out and look special. Even my two best friends turned unimportant for a moment. Plus, my headache was like blown away. Though, the foreign feeling only lasted so long until Ricky suddenly cried: “Hyung, we've got a present for you.”

If there was an award for ing, or saying the wrong things at the wrong moment Ricky would surely have won it a couple of times. Blinking, I came down from my high, returning from the pink dreamworld I had been in. I suppressed a groan, but turned towards the younger, who, I knew it, hadn't have done it in order to anger me.

“What is it?”, I caught myself voicing it more blunt than I actually intended to. I loved him like my little brother, so it was okay I guess. He was innocent (or at least I wanted to believe that). Ricky nibbled at his right index finger before grabbing a packet so huge that I was surprised it had come unnoticed by me since they entered Minsoo's house. Putting it directly in front of me, Ricky invited me to open it with a smile.

What? Was this one really for me? And if it was... why... I cocked my head to the side eying the huge parcel. Have you ever watched “The Polar Express”? What Ricky had put in front of me looked exactly like those presents the children got from Santa. Wait! Wasn't today...? Was this by any chance my very first … Chrismas present?

Breathing in and out slowly I looked for the end of the cello tape, wondering which idiot had wrapped up the damn parcel. Of course, I knew. Only my two pabos were able to do such a thing, even though they knew how it would piss me off. “Hate you...”, I mumbled with a smirk, earning an equivalent smirk and a pat on my shoulder from ChunJi. “I see you're fine, dongsaeng.”

Poking out my tongue, I managed to almost violently rip open the packet, now being able to open it properly. The first to jump on me was white packet isolation, which I threw away, hoping this wasn't some joke and the packet didn't actually contain anything. Nevertheless, shortly after removing the first layer of white paper I spotted red fur. What the actual...

Now my curiosity has finally been roused, so that I more or less ripped the thing out of his cage, though careful enough not to damage it. My eyes widened, making them look two times as big as usual, when I realized what my two besties had gotten me. I really didn't want to know how they managed to 'steal' it, but everything I had wished for in the last couple of weeks was a jacket like this. I pulled it into my arms hugging it like a precious plushie, closing my eyes as I felt pure delight.

When I opened my eyes again, I remained speechless, really not knowing what to say. I suppose my glance told more than thousand words when the two guys leaned nearer to envelope me in an embrace. “Very welcome bro.”, ChunJi mumbled before leaning away again. I only nodded, biting down on my lower lip.

Suddenly I heard the most beautiful voice on this planet speak. “I bet I wouldn't have found a better one. I'm really glad you're there for him. Thanks.”

I turned to Minsoo wanting to thank him with my glance and when we made eye contact I was overwhelmed by his loving expression. Not that I had never seen it before, but in combination with everything that had happened before, it was the most wonderful sight to watch.

After some happy hours of eating cake, talking, laughing and having fun, ChunJi and Ricky excused themselves, saying they needed to return home. I had learned that they had also moved back in with their significant others.

As soon as they had left the house Minsoo and I ended up walking to our his bedroom. Having reached the door, I stood still turning to him. I had my arms put onto my hips, suddenly asking: “Did you mean what you have said?” No answer. He just stood silent. Was he kidding me? Was he trying to show me how it is to speak against a wall?

“Minsoo... “ I sighed frustratedly being totally overcharged from the situation. “You know I really didn't want to lie to you. But you have to understand. I had to cover my friends. And also... see what the truth caused.”

And that was the moment where his expression turned soft. He took a final step towards me, pulling me into a hug. His breath hit my ear when he whispered: “It caused me to realize how serious I'm feeling about you.” Ohmygosh! Has my heart just skipped a beat? Was he really saying what I thought he was? “Niel?”, he cooed lowly, letting me get goosebumps all over my body, while his hands were caressing my sides. “Can I kiss you please?”

The next thing I remembered was how he ever so softly laid his lips against mine, as if fearing to hurt them if he did it rougher. My body again knew so much better than me what to do. My arms looped around his neck, which wasn't as easy as it sounds, since he was a bit taller than me. The man immediately wrapped his arms tighter around my waist, pulling me closer, pressing me up against his upper body. Through his shirt I could feel his muscles, making me close my eyes in delight. Whatever had happened until now didn't seem to matter anymore. This was the start of something new. A new era.

Hey guys...

So again it has been a month. A freaking month since I have uploaded the last time. But there were a few problems... Either I had no time to write or I had no ideas how to make this chappie interesting. You have to know I usually at these chapters where practically nothing happens. But now I'm back with this one for you, guys ^^

It seems that this fic will come to an end... like I see it we will manage to finish this fic more or less around its first anniversary. I can't believe it but soon it's happening.

But tell me what you think about this chapter.

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Luv Ya :*

~ Annemarie00