“Who gave you that?” Minwoo asked quietly, eyes staring at the healing wound across the older's face. He reached out, but paused when he saw the older man flinch.

Donghyun narrowed his eyes on the younger, watching him slowly withdraw his hand.

“Did I do something wrong?”

The voice was so small, so barely audible. Donghyun saw more and more of this Minwoo. The confident Minwoo he knew was disappearing. This Minwoo was almost constantly afraid, frightened, cautious.

He pressed his lips together and watched the younger man fidget in his seat, eyes almost tearing up. The tension was apparent, and Donghyun fought the urge to bite down on his lower lip.

“Let's break up.”

Donghyun watched the younger flinch at those words, and as if already knowing this was going to happen, the tears that welled up fell.

“Why?” Minwoo whimpered, hand reaching for Donghyun's. The older folded his arms and watched Minwoo grasp thin air, himself avoiding the pleading eyes.

Without any warning, Donghyun rose from his seat and made a sharp turn to the entrance of the cafe.

This was goodbye.

-

It was a mess.

His life was a mess.

Minwoo ran into his colleague and distractedly said an apology, then picking up the broken pieces of the wine glass he was supposed to clear away.

His colleague hissed at him, not that it was audible with the booming music, and then left him to do the cleaning up.

Gone was the Minwoo that was loved by customers and his colleagues alike.

He was barely aware of what was going on around him anymore, just like dragging an empty shell. His manager couldn't bear to give him a termination letter, but modified his contract to have him only do simple waiter duties.

Minwoo blinked when he felt a sharp pain at his fingers, watching them bleed. He continued placing broken pieces of glass on his tray, ignoring the frequent bumps people made because they didn't care that he was squatted down trying to clear a dangerous area.

“Use a broom.” The words were almost lost, but Minwoo noticed the said broom held out to him. He raised his head, watching a familiar face.

“You're a wreck.” A simple statement, and Jeongmin squatted down to match Minwoo's eye level. “I'll just help you this one time, so get up and go to the staff room. I'll clear this for you.”

Minwoo stared back silently, puffy eyes welling up with tears. “How is he?”

“I said, to the staff room.” Jeongmin repeated, helping Minwoo stand when it didn't seem like he would do so himself. Giving the younger a small nudge in the direction of the staff room, he then swept the mess, screaming at drunkards to stay away. “Seriously.”

Jeongmin then made his way to staff room, knocking and asking for permission to enter.

“Can I help you?” A man in his mid-30s asked as he opened the door.

“I'm a friend of Minwoo and was wondering if his bleeding hand is treated.” Jeongmin explained, holding up the broom and the dustpan containing shards of glass.

“My goodness, he's hurt?” The man winced, then taking the broom and dustpan from Jeongmin. “Thank you for your help, and please bring him home. He hasn't been in a good condition for a while now.”

Jeongmin nodded slightly and entered the staff room, which the supposed manager gave him way for. He followed the directions given, watching Minwoo stare blankly at his bleeding hands in the changing room.

Sighing, he reached for Minwoo's hands and watched him stare back.

“Where is he?”

“We'd need a trip to the convenience store. I'm honestly not that good with first aid but my subpar skills will have to do.” Jeongmin re-assessed the wounded hands and reached for his phone.

“Are you calling him?”

“Let's see...how to treat a bleeding hand...” Jeongmin then searched the Internet for the said method, looking at the things he would need. “Right, need to wash your hands first. This will hurt.”

“Like a heartbreak?”

Jeongmin pressed his lips together and took in a deep breath. He pulled Minwoo by his wrist and felt like he was dragging a lifeless body around. Managing to find the staff washroom, he placed both of Minwoo's hands under the tap and offered his arm for Minwoo to bite.

Minwoo stared blankly, waiting for cold water to gush out.

“Don't you like to bite me?” Jeongmin asked, and though it might be his way of trying to lighten the atmosphere, it did bring back memories of Minwoo's ways.

“Is that why he left me?”

Jeongmin pressed down hard on the tap and watched as the water turned red. Minwoo barely flinched, but Jeongmin could imagine how painful it was.

Contemplating between drying the bloody hands with paper towels or just letting it air-dry, he chose the paper towels and gently dabbed Minwoo's hands dry. Leading the younger back into the changing room, he asked Minwoo's colleague who was about to head home where Minwoo's locker was.

He pointed it out but didn't look too amused. Jeongmin guessed he's used to it by now, but still didn't like the attitude.

At least Minwoo was nice to him before. He could have expressed some concern, couldn't he?

“I'm gonna help you change if you don't do it yourself.” Jeongmin raised his eyebrow and offered Minwoo his shirt. The younger stayed unmoving, and Jeongmin groaned. “I should really just leave you alone.”

“Like he did.”

Biting down on his lower lip as if biting back a reply, Jeongmin removed Minwoo's top and helped him wear his own. Haphazardly throwing it into Minwoo’s staff locker, Jeongmin then closed it and led him out.

Time to get some bandage.

-

Minwoo sat by his bed while Jeongmin watched him.

“What can I do for you?”

“How is he?” Minwoo replied almost immediately, as if already knowing, as if waiting for Jeongmin to ask the question.

“Look, the most I can do for you is be a listening ear. If you don't need it then I'll head home.” The standing older man then turned to the door, brows furrowed.

He halted. There was a tug on his shirt, not strong enough to stop him, but the unspoken plea already evident.

“Stay with me...for the night.” Minwoo whispered, and Jeongmin didn't need to turn around to see what sort of expression the younger wore.

“Then sleep soon. I'll make myself comfortable on the sofa outside later.” The older man sighed, pushing on Minwoo's shoulder lightly as if to make him fall onto his bed.

The younger resisted, grip on Jeongmin's shirt still unreleased.

“Sleep with me.”

“What the hell are you asking me to do to D-”

Jeongmin caught himself, knowing the younger probably couldn't catch the implicit meaning of his words with his current state of mind, but watching Minwoo's eyes widened. There was anticipation in them, waiting to hear the name he wanted to hear so badly but at the same time, fear.

Fear that the name would break him, again, and again.

Jeongmin pressed his lips together, cursing at his slip of tongue. “I'm not his replacement.”

“You're not.” Minwoo said quietly, watching Jeongmin join him on bed. “You can't.”

Minwoo curled up against Jeongmin, hugging his arm tightly. He pressed his face closed to the older's shoulder, nuzzling gently.

“This...isn't very comfortable for me.”

“Sorry, I need it.” Minwoo whispered back.

“Because...?”

“To know that there's someone present. To fight the urge to open my windows and jump down.”

“You would commit suicide?” Jeongmin turned sharply, watching the younger shift closer. “You know, I tried not to tell you this, but this is the first time I see you so broken.”

Minwoo kept quiet, and Jeongmin tried to find his words.

“When I said you were gay, and when the whole school turned against you, you fought back.” Jeongmin started, staring at Minwoo's ceiling. “You kept your stand, you let them hurt you but you never let them break you. Hell, you let me hurt you but you never let me break you.”

“You never loved me. But he...did.” The last word was so inaudible Jeongmin almost thought he hallucinated it. He felt Minwoo tremble, the words he said stabbing him again.

Right.

He used past tense.

“Would you listen?”

His tone hopeful, his grip desperate.

Minwoo looked up to Jeongmin with eyes pleading and Jeongmin managed a small nod. “That's what I'm here for.”

“You were the one who introduced us. Honestly, I was skeptical. I didn't know what he wanted, I didn't know if it was you behind it all, out to get me.” Minwoo started hesitantly. “I didn't let him in much, but he didn't force himself in either. I tried harming him to see if he would give up, but he never did.”

Jeongmin felt the sleeve of his shirt turn slightly damp, his grip tightened.

“We've dated for about six months now, and at first I loved the way he loved me. I didn't care if it was true or not, but the fact that someone cared.”

“And then...and then somewhere along the way I started finding myself in love with him.”

“And I was so scared. So scared of losing him.”

“And I did.”

“But you kept hurting him.” Jeongmin quietly replied, watching Minwoo struggle with his words. The younger man was trembling and Jeongmin found himself pulling him closer, as if offering whatever warmth he had. “Even till the end you never stopped physically abusing him.”

“I was scared.” Minwoo coughed. “That was how we started, and I wasn't sure if that was what kept him with me. I thought if I stopped, he would have thought I was too easy and eventually leave me. He never...told me...anything. I didn't even know we were done until he told me. There wasn't any sign of it coming...”

“So the problem was that I introduced him to you? If you guys met by yourselves you would have treated him better?” Jeongmin frowned. “Are you still hung up on me or something?”

“No.” The words were firm despite the low volume. “I just didn't dare let anyone come close. This would have happened anyway. But that's why I want you to tell me, how is he?”

“How?” Jeongmin finally addressed the questions related to Donghyun that he had so insistently avoided. This was weird, Minwoo's question was weird. “Not where?”

“I just hope he's well.”

“Even though he broke up with you suddenly?”

“He did. But he cared enough to tell it to my face. It might be naïve of me, but I think that’s enough evidence to show that he loved me.” Minwoo bit his lower lip, face contorted in pain with every word that brought back memories after memories.

The Donghyun that smiled at him softly.

The Donghyun that held him tightly.

The Donghyun that took his hand.

The Donghyun that-

“Stop!” Jeongmin yelped, feeling Minwoo’s fingernails dig into his skin. “Hell, your lips are bleeding!”

Minwoo ran his tongue over his lips and felt the coppery taste lingering. He then blinked, loosening his grip around Jeongmin’s arm when he realised what he had done to the older man. “I’m sorry.”

“Go to sleep.” Jeongmin shook his head, readjusting the covers around them. “Try not to bite your lips again. It should heal fine by itself.”

“Thank you.” Minwoo replied quietly, closing his eyes and resisting the urge to ask.

Jeongmin hasn’t answered his question.

The silence started sinking in, and Jeongmin thought Minwoo would move about in his sleep, but he never did. Minwoo still had his cold hands holding Jeongmin’s wrist, the grip loosened as he slowly fell unconscious.

“He…” Jeongmin whispered, wondering if there is a possibility that Minwoo isn’t asleep. “He might not be that well.”

-

How's that...?
This was sudden. Uhhh, let's see, I wouldn't call it a sequel, and I wouldn't promise that there's something coming after. I might though, depends on inspiration.
This was written on a whim, like I was queuing for yoghurt and I just mass spammed and suddenly this came out lolz.
It's just I was rewatching an anime I liked and the plot made me have so many feels that I remembered about this fic and thought I should give Minwoo a deeper story, yaknow.

Gonna leave this as completed 'cause I might or might not continue writing. Don't wanna uncomplete it 'cause that's unnecessary stress :P