Chapter 12
Immortals2 Days later…
“That,” Sungmin tells the others, one eye peeking through a slit in the blinds, “is a lot of people.”
“What can I say? I’m popular,” Heechul says with an exaggerated toss of his head.
Kyuhyun wouldn’t have dreamed of dishing out he punch that Sungmin gives the Strategist (he has a little something called self-preservation), but that doesn’t stop him from thinking that it’s rightfully deserved.
“You dare lay a hand on━”
“Cut it out, you two,” Leeteuk interrupts. “They’re going to give us our cue any moment now.”
The reminder makes Kyuhyun nervously readjust his suit for the hundredth time and wipe his sweaty palms on his dress pants. There aren’t many things he’s afraid of, but sometimes he has this...thing...about crowds. It’s an irrational fear when compared to others like imminent death (see the previous almost-turned-suicide mission) or Heechul’s wrath (see fear #1), but even Kyuhyun isn’t always bound by laws of reason.
This is, in fact, the ceremony that Jonghyun had tipped them off about two days ago. It had been strange to enter the Capital without being stuffed into the back of a wagon, and even stranger to not be attacked when they were recognized, but Kyuhyun is far from complaining about the warm reception. The group had been ushered inside the government building to wait, while a stage was set up and citizens were gathered for the event.
If it’s really as crowded as Sungmin says it is...aish, you'd think we were an idol group instead of Resistance fighters…
A young woman approaches Leeteuk, speaking at a level that only the Resistance leader can hear. He nods a few times, and thanks her as she leaves before addressing the group.
“That’s our cue. Ten more seconds, and we walk out that door; stand in a row just like they told us when we got here. Any funny business ━yes, Heechul, I’m looking at you━ and I’m kicking you out of the group.”
“And our order?” Siwon asks him.
“Damn it, I didn’t even...just stand in the order you joined. Zhou Mi and Henry can stand after Donghae and Hyukjae. They’ll want me by the podium anyway, and━ time’s up. Let’s go.”
Kyuhyun waits for the others to file out the door before he does the same, bringing up the rear of their 13-man chain. The thunderous applause that reaches his ears takes him by surprise, but he has to admit: it feels good getting recognition for everything they’ve accomplished, every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears they’ve sacrificed for the sake of what’s right.
When their line across the stage is complete, the speaker at the podium holds up his hands, signalling for the crowd to quiet down.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he says into the microphone, “Look carefully upon these faces. These are the faces of thirteen men who risked everything to bring you the freedom and justice you deserve.” Another round of applause follows his words. “To honor their dedication and perseverance, we have prepared medallions for every single one of them, as a tangible reminder of all that they have done. Jonghyun, if you’re ready?”
The unexpected appearance of said man is even more of a surprise than the crowd turnout, though also much more welcome. Most of what Kyuhyun can recall from the prison break is muddled by fear and adrenaline, but he can definitely remember liking Jonghyun’s magnetic presence. In fact, dressed in a suit just like the others, Jonghyun looks arguably even more charismatic than before. He stands at the end of the stage with a genuinely happy smile on his face and a group of medals looped over his arm, looking like he’s the one that belongs on stage.
“While we hand the medals out,” the speaker continues, “allow me to formally introduce each member in this group of remarkable individuals. First, we have Park Jungsoo…”
Leeteuk inclines his head for Jonghyun to slip the medal’s ribbon around his neck, and the crowd responds with renewed vigor. As the speaker continues down the line, however, Kyuhyun’s mind isn’t focused on the ceremony. Instead, he lets his eyes sweep over the people that are assembled, seeing how the massive group extends all the way down the street.
It’s mind-boggling, he thinks, to consider how many of these lives he’s affected. Is that weary-looking woman one of the freed prisoners? Would that young man have been brainwashed and made into a Drone if not for the Resistance’s intervention? Would that little girl have been forced to share the same fate as the others Kyuhyun had seen locked up in the compounds? It’s just so strange to not think of those he’s been protecting as an abstract ‘them,’ but a more concrete one: these people that stand in front of him now.
A body suddenly blocks Kyuhyun’s vision, bringing him back to the present, and he looks up to see Jonghyun’s familiar face ━ which is a dead giveaway that something is off.
“Nice shoe-lifts,” Kyuhyun teases as the medal is hung around his neck.
Jonghyun grins back, giving him a wink. “Laugh all you want. I’m still the one with a Council seat.”
Touché.
With the awards handed out to all of the members, the speaker goes on with the ceremony, speaking dramatically into the microphone. “But what kind of thanks would it be if we stopped here? We have something else we want to offer you just as we’ve offered to all those who have been liberated from the prisons: a place for you to live in the Capital. As many residencies as you’ll require, and right near the center of the city.”
The crowd cheers, and Kyuhyun looks down the line of Resistance members to see their expressions of varying surprise and excitement. The Council had certainly spared no expense in expressing their gratitude.
“I have only one last thing to say to our city’s heroes. This isn’t a gift, but rather a request. Park Jungsoo, leader of the Resistance, the Council has discussed it and the people have agreed to it...will you accept our humble offer of a seat on the Council?”
Leeteuk looks like he’s been completely taken-off guard, which Kyuhyun can’t help but agree with. He’d thought for sure that after the Council’s request earlier that day to run tests on Yesung’s radiation resistance (a request that said man had readily agreed to), they would be out of bombshells to drop. But really, if there’s someone who deserves to have a Council seat, if there’s someone who can be depended on not to let that power go to his head, it’s Leeteuk.
The Resistance leader is ushered to the podium, and he hesitantly adjusts the height of the microphone, looking out into the sea of people.
“I don’t know what to say,” he admits. “This is a huge honor. I’m not sure if it’s something I deserve, but if you trust me to do this...I will do everything I can to honor that trust. I’ll accept the position gratefully.”
The members on stage join in with the crowd’s impassioned clapping this time around, pride coming off of them in waves.
The speaker leans around Leeteuk so that his voice is picked up by the mic. “Any last words you’d like to give the Capital’s citizens?” he asks.
“Actually, I don’t. But my fellow member, Lee Hyukjae, has something important to say.” Leeteuk slides the mic out of its stand while he talks, much to the speaker’s visible distress. It seems he hadn’t prepared for the ceremony to veer even a little off-course.
Eunhyuk takes the microphone with a grateful nod, tapping it twice as a quick check before he says, “Hello, everyone. First of all, I’d like to give another ‘thank you’ for the kindness you’ve extended to us; knowing that we were able to make a difference is enough of a reward, but we will cherish the gifts you’ve given.”
Predictable pause, perfunctory clapping.
What is he getting at?
“There is, however, only one thing I need to make me happy, so I hope you won’t mind me taking a few moments of your time.”
Kyuhyun catches a glimpse of a knowing smile flashing on Leeteuk’s face, and he has just enough time to wonder what those two are up to before Eunhyuk sinks to one knee in front of the man standing next to him.
“Lee Donghae,” Eunhyuk starts, meeting the brunet’s shocked expression. “I’ve known you since we were five years old, and ever since that day on the playground I haven’t left your side. In all honesty, I don’t think I could, even if I wanted to.”
His voice softens, sounding so intimate that witnessing the moment almost seems like an intrusion. “You complete me, Hae. You’re my other half. And I was already planning on spending the rest of my life loving you, but I remember what we talked about the night before this last mission. I remember what you told me...so here I am now, doing this on my terms and no one else’s.”
Donghae looks like he’s either about to burst into tears or pass out on stage when Eunhyuk withdraws a small box from his back pocket.
“Lee Donghae, center of my universe and love of my life...will you marry me?”
So that’s what it looks like to be the happiest man in the world, Kyuhyun thinks with a surge of affection for his two members ━ and he could have been referring to either of them after Donghae’s immediate nod, his jumbled, mostly inaudible reply of “yes, of course, of course.” Eunhyuk hardly manages to slip the ring onto the other man’s finger before drawing Donghae into his arms.
Sungmin is the first to applaud, the rest of the members quickly following his lead, but the reaction from the crowd is...more than a little disappointing. The occasional clap can be heard, but it’s nothing compared to the hushed muttering that replaces the silence.
Don’t do this; don’t ruin it for them, Kyuhyun starts to think. He’s about to give them a piece of his mind when Leeteuk pries the microphone from Eunhyuk’s death grip and faces the audience.
“I hope,” he says, a practiced smile still on his face, “that you’ll show the same generosity as before in granting Hyukjae and Donghae this one happiness.”
Looking uneasy, the speaker moves to intercept the microphone, but Jonghyun gets there first.
“After all you’ve done, we’d be more than willing to recognize their marriage,” he agrees with a pointed look into the crowd. “But I think our audience was a bit in shock over the sudden proposal; they forgot how to cheer. Let’s take a moment to extend our most sincere congratulations to Hyukjae and Donghae!”
I could almost kiss him right now, Kyuhyun muses, though with the strange look Ryeowook sends his way, he realizes he may have been thinking out loud.
Instead of embarrassment, he feels a sudden rush of nostalgia. Ending my time in the Resistance the same way I started, huh? By completely ruining any hope I had for an image.
Now all he needs is for someone to back him into another wall, and it would be a mirror image.
He’ll have to see if Zhou Mi is busy later.
~*~
The Resistance members are standing around backstage giving Donghae and Eunhyuk their congratulations when a woman barrels into the center of the group.
Kyuhyun’s first thought is that they must have started attracting fans (does he even have a signature picked out to use for an autograph? How interested is he supposed to act without seeming ridiculously lame?), right up until Shindong takes one look at her and loses all color in his face.
“Mom?”
He’s just gotten the single word out when she closes the distance between them, crying as she latches on to him.
“Donghee,” she says through her tears. “My beautiful son...it really is you.”
“Mom…” Shindong holds her at arm’s length, staring at her like he can’t really believe she’s there in front of him. “I thought you were dead.”
She smiles, reaching out to wipe away a lone tear that escapes Shindong’s wide eyes. “Don’t cry, my Donghee; I’m here now. When the Drones took your father and I, he made sure I never made it to the prison. I managed to stay alive here in the Capital, even when I had to start from nothing.”
Her voice falters. “I thought for sure that you were dead, or at the very least that I would never see you again. But then, then I thought I heard your voice on that broadcast. You didn’t give your name, and it was different than I remembered, but I had this feeling. That feeling brought me to the ceremony today...and I recognized my handsome son the moment you stepped foot on that stage.”
Kyuhyun sees the exact moment Shindong’s composure slips, and he chooses that moment to turn away, giving the other man some privacy. To his surprise, he feels someone’s arm circle around him ━ Zhou Mi’s arm, he amends with a quick look. All it takes is one shared glance for him to realize why: Zhou Mi expects Kyuhyun to feel devastated, jealous, something, after realizing that he can never be in Shindong’s shoes.
Except the thing is...he isn’t devastated.
He isn’t jealous.
He’s just goddamned happy that Shindong is able to hold his mother again.
Which is why, in its own small way, that little moment means more than Kyuhyun can properly express. He’s healing; he’s been hurt but far from broken. And standing there surrounded by those he’s come to call his friends, held by the one he’s come to love…
Kyuhyun finally feels like he’s home.
~*~
3 Days later…
The sound of a doorbell ringing pulls Heechul’s focus away from the speech he’s been revising ━ Leeteuk’s speech, he should clarify; he’d sooner shave his own head than have to present one of these in front of the Capital’s citizens...though, on second thought, if that’s really the choice he’d have to make…
The ringing grows more insistent, and on the couch across from him, Leeteuk’s eyes flicker up from his book, shifting to Heechul.
“Who do you think it is this time?” Leeteuk asks, sounding understandably weary.
“Probably another one of the Council’s errand-boys here to bother you about something ‘of the utmost importance’ again.”
The other man sighs. “I should still answer it.”
“Honestly, Jungsoo, you’re going to work yourself to death. Let me see who it is, and if the Council sent them, I’ll have them bring a message back from me.”
“Is that the best idea?” A tired smile pulls at the corners of Leeteuk’s mouth. “Knowing you, you’ll cost me my position and give the poor boy nightmares for at least a year.”
“It sends a message, doesn’t it?” Heechul stands, stretching his spine with a faint pop, and goes to answer the door before Leeteuk realizes he’s only half-joking.
Ring-ring! Ring-ring!
I’m going to rip that thing out of the wall first thing tomorrow. Jungsoo will never notice.
One hand on the doorknob, he takes a deep breath and aggressively swings it open, yelling, “Can’t you idiots realize when someone is over overworked and━ oh , sorry, Hyukjae.”
Said man stands in the doorway with Donghae at his side and an unimpressed eyebrow raised a few inches higher than normal. “Expecting someone?” he asks dryly.
“No one I wanted to see. But I have to say, you two were probably the last people I expected to show up. I thought you’d be up to your necks in wedding magazines by now.”
“You do realize we’ve only been engaged for three days, Heechul. There hasn’t been a lot of time for thinking about…” A nudge and a pointed look from Donghae has him trailing off. “But that’s not why we’re here.”
“We need you to come with us,” Donghae tacks on, finally speaking up. “Get Jungsoo and we’ll leave right now.”
Heechul sticks a hand out, pressing the back of it against Donghae’s forehead. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
The younger man’s expression doesn’t change. “I’m serious.”
“We really don’t have time to explain,” Eunhyuk agrees. “Just trust us for now and ask your questions later.”
You put someone on Shadow Squad for two years and suddenly they think they’re a super-spy. Honestly…
“Fine,” Heechul concedes, holding his hands up in mock-surrender. “I’ll go get Jungsoo. But if you’re being over-dramatic to con me into looking stupid, you’ll face my wrath.” He pauses, reconsidering. “Or at least you will, Hyukjae. Your fiancé’s puppy-dog eyes are an indomitable defense.”
At last, Donghae smiles.
~*~
When the group walks through the front doors of the hospital, Heechul feels his heart sink to his feet.
No, this was supposed to be over! No one else was supposed to get hurt!
This would explain Donghae and Eunhyuk’s unwillingness to reveal anything to him, why they had refused to tell him where they were going until they were literally inside of the building. But who would have been hurt? It isn’t any of the four of them, and he’d just seen Kangin that morning...could that blockhead have gotten into trouble so quickly?
“Seriously, you two, what the hell is going on?” Heechul demands, making a few heads turn his way.
Leeteuk places a calming hand on his shoulder, but seems to share the same sentiment. “We’ve let you string us along for long enough. Now we need answers.”
Eunhyuk shoots Donghae a quick glance. “Your answer is in one of the back rooms. We’re almost there.”
“And you can’t just tell us?” Heechul asks sharply.
“We...weren’t sure how you’d react, to be honest. It’s better this way.” Eunhyuk stops walking in front of a room, bringing the group to a halt. “Just in here,” he says, and swings the door open to reveal the room’s interior.
Heechul takes one look and runs back out.
“Heechul!” Donghae’s voice rings out through the hallway. “Heechul, wait!”
. . This isn’t happening.
He runs blindly down the maze of whitewashed halls, not caring where he ends up as long as it’s far away from there. A sick feeling bubbles up in his stomach, to the point that he nearly vomits, and he feels wrong, wrong.
“Will you please stop running, Heechul!?”
That’s it: wrong. I’m dreaming again. This is almost exactly what happened the other times.
He looks down at his hands as he runs, counting his fingers one by one. If there aren’t ten, then he’ll know for sure...but there they are. Ten shaking fingers, just as they should be.
Dammit!
The discovery brings him up short, and in no time, Donghae catches up to him. He’s panting, showing the signs of fatigue that Heechul would be feeling had he not been running on panic and adrenaline.
“Give me your arm,” Heechul says suddenly. The other man looks at him in confusion, but complies anyway, only to have his wrist forcefully snatched.
“Ow, that hurts!”
But Heechul isn’t concerned about this illusion of Donghae that his mind has created; his full attention is on the clockface of said man’s watch. The narrow hands on of the clock point to exactly 2:09. He closes his eyes for a few moments and takes a deep breath before checking once again.
2:10. Time flows as usual.
Why isn’t it working!? I know I’m dreaming!
Letting go on Donghae’s arm, he feels his heart speed back up as his desperation reaches its peak. What is he supposed to do now? He’s tried the only two tricks he knows, and they’ve gotten him nowhere.
He must seem bat insane, because when Donghae looks at him, it’s a look of fear. “Heechul,” the younger man says uncertainly, “I know you’re upset right now. I know you’re feeling a lot of different things, but if you’d please━”
“I need to wake up.”
“...Wake up?”
“You heard me. I can’t stand being in this dream any longer. Just pinching myself doesn’t work, so I guess I’ll have to try something more drastic. There should be a scalpel in one of these rooms, shouldn’t there? I’ll just━”
“No!”
Heechul suddenly can’t move from the tight hold Donghae has on him from behind. In the waking world, the protective gesture would have left him touched, but not when he has his mind set on escaping this plane of illusions. “Get off of me,” he snarls.
“Not until I know that you won’t hurt yourself.”
“You’re not helping by keeping me here! Like I said, I need to wake up, and I don’t know how the hell else to do it!”
“Why are you so convinced that you’re dreaming?”
Something in Heechul snaps. “Because only my worst nightmares are this cruel!” His outburst is met only with silence. In a more restrained voice, he continues, “I already know what’s going to happen. If I go into that room, when I wake up...I will break, Donghae. It won’t be the first time.”
The younger man’s hold on him slackens, turning into more of a real embrace. “How about this,” Donghae says gently. “Tell me what it would take to convince you that this is reality.”
A short bark of laughter leaves Heechul’s lips. “Like I’m falling for that. I’m not about to help some figment of my subconscious trick me into believing a lie.”
“Where were you this morning?”
“What kind of a question is that? And will you please let go of me?”
Donghae ignores his second question, still insistent on making his point. “Think about it, Heechul. The thing about dreams is that you can never remember how you got there or why you’re in a certain situation; the timeline doesn’t make sense. But I’m guessing you can remember every detail of today before Hyukjae and I showed up at your door.”
“Not true. Before that, I was...okay, I went to get Jungsoo from the government building. But before that…” He breaks off, feeling all at once like a complete idiot and like his world has turned itself upside down. “Holy ,” he manages to get out, and finds himself sagging against Donghae, overwhelmed.
“It’s a lot to take in. But don’t overthink it, okay? All you need to do is walk through those doors.”
Let my feet do my thinking for me. I can do that. Pull yourself together, Heechul.
“Well, then,” he says, sounding much more confident than he feels, “Why am I still standing here?”
~*~
This time, when he steps over the room’s threshold, Heechul doesn’t bolt. He does feel a little light-headed, almost like he might drift away or pass out entirely, but this is too important for him to miss.
Leeteuk hardly acknowledges Heechul’s return, but Eunhyuk gives him a soft smile before he speaks to the room’s other occupant.
“He’s here.”
Deep brown eyes gaze at Heechul from the hospital bed, the smile that rests beneath them even more beautiful than he remembers. All of the air is from his lungs in one great rush, leaving him breathless.
“Hi, Heechul.”
His legs seem to move by themselves again, only this time they don’t rush him out the door; they practically fly across the room, carrying him to the one he thought had been lost forever. Every part of him screams to reach out, to hold, to touch, yet this close he finds himself frozen in place. His wide eyes drink in the sight before him like it’s the only chance they’ll ever get.
“Geng…” he whispers, barely audible even to his own ears. “Is it really…?”
“It’s really me, yeah.” The smile on Han Geng’s face could outshine even the brightest star. “Listen, I know you have a lot of questions and it’s much too soon to be asking for favors, but all I could think about for the past four months was holding you and…”
And Heechul just loses it. He clings to Han Geng with all thoughts of appearances thrown aside, unable to suppress the broken sound that issues from his lips. He has to stop himself from digging his nails into the other man’s back, from finding any way to convince himself that he’s really here. Even the fingers softly running through his hair and the sweet nothings whispered in his ear feel surreal.
“How?” Leeteuk’s awestruck voice comes from the other side of the room.
“It’s...quite the story.” There’s a pair of successive pats on Heechul’s back, and he reluctantly pulls away. “You could be a little more comfortable, hmm?” the other man asks him. “Donghae, if you can move me to the side a few more inches, Heechul can sit next to me.”
The man in question agrees with an understanding smile, but Heechul is at a loss as to why Han Geng needs help in the first place...until he sees his legs being dragged uselessly across the hospital bed. Then the puzzle pieces start to click together.
“You can’t move your legs?” Heechul asks, cautious but admittedly curious. He doesn’t want to bring it up if the other man doesn’t want to talk about it, but ignoring it seems even worse. Or maybe he’s just grasping at straws, trying to get answers to something, even if it isn’t the one question he can think of no answer for.
Han Geng grimaces. “I can’t even feel anything from my waist down. When that beam collapsed on me in the warehouse back in July, it crushed something in my spine. Still, I’ll take being paralyzed over being dead nay day.”
Leeteuk’s voice is quiet when he asks, “And Kibum?”
The other man shakes his head, expression somber, and Heechul sees the Resistance leader take a shaky breath.
“But…” Heechul runs the words over in his head, struggling to pair what he thought were the facts with these new revelations. “I watched the building collapse. How could you have possibly made it out?”
“Would you believe it if I said Mayor Park’s men rescued me?” At the others’ incredulous expressions, Han Geng lets out a half-hearted laugh. “It’s true. The beam actually protected me from most of the falling debris, and the policemen were insistent on taking me to one of their prisons to use as leverage. It took a while, but they pulled me out.
A grin flashes on his face. “The joke was on them, though. As soon as I was processed at the prison, I was forgotten ━ passed off as a no-name cripple who’d been unlucky enough to get thrown in with everyone else. It was a challenge to survive without being able to walk, but...I managed. There were noble people in that prison.”
“And they didn’t brainwash you?” Leeteuk asks, sounding just as overwhelmed as Heechul feels.
“They wouldn’t waste their resources on me; I still wouldn’t be able to use my legs after the brainwashing, so I’d be useless as a soldier. I was overlooked for four whole months...until all of you managed to turn the Capital on its head, and the prisoners from every compound were suddenly free. I was admitted as a patient here the same day, and as luck would have it, Donghae and Eunhyuk ran into me this morning while they were searching for any survivors they knew.”
“Hyukjae,” Eunhyuk corrects him, blatantly avoiding any comment on what he’d been up to. “The days when we needed second identities are behind us.”
“Hyukjae...the last time I called you that, it was on accident soon after I joined, and I thought you were going to smother me in my sleep.”
“Not if I had anything to say about it,” Heechul chimes in with a weak voice. The shock has started to release him from its tight grip, but that hasn’t stopped him from reverting back to standing awkwardly in the spot by Han Geng’s bedside.
Han Geng’s smile softens. “I don’t doubt that for a second.” He seems to realize that Heechul is still standing, because he insistently pats the narrow space next to him, saying, “Sit down. I promise I won’t bite.”
Heechul takes a hesitant seat beside him. “Sorry” he apologizes a bit sheepishly. “It’s not that I don’t want to be next to you. It’s just…”
“Hard to adjust?” the other man suggests, his tone becoming even more gentle.
“Something like that.” Heechul glances in the others’ direction before he says something more personal, but his eyes find only the empty room. So they’re going to give the two some time by themselves, are they? Heechul is going to have to thank them later, maybe even spare them from the sharp talons of his sarcasm for a few weeks.
“Hey, Geng, is it okay if…? You know…”
A low laugh precedes Han Geng’s immediate answer of “Of course. After all this time, you’re still above asking to cuddle, huh?”
“It’s not cuddling. I just want to hold you, and you happen to be trapped on a hospital bed.”
“Ah, the great Kim Heechul’s pride is still as inflated as ever, I see.”
“Did you think that would change?”
A soft smack from Han Geng collides with Heechul’s arm, and it’s only then that the latter realizes just how wide of a stupid smile is stretched across his face. Not the smirk that’s so often plastered there, not the slight upturn of lips that signals when Shindong has told a particularly ridiculous joke ━ a legitimate, wholehearted smile. The last time he was able to do that…
The rush of emotions that follows that thought sweeps through him all at once, and he doesn’t think twice before sinking down to stretch out across the hospital bed. He welcomes Han Geng’s embrace with open arms, breathing in the familiar scent from where his head is tucked beneath the other man’s chin.
“I missed you so much,” he says quietly, all traces of humour abruptly discarded.
Fingers trace along Heechul’s spine. “I missed you, too, more than I can put into words. There were so many times I wanted to pull off an escape, but…” Han Geng’s deep sigh runs through both of their bodies. “It would have been nearly impossible even if I could use my legs, so you can imagine my chances in this state.”
Heechul doesn’t offer a response. After having spent the past months forcing himself to try and move on, he would be content to lay like this for as long as time allowed.
“Heechul...I know it’s been a long time. Far too long.”
“Mmm.”
“And I never expected you to wait for me. There was no way for you or any of the members to know I was alive. I still care for you, just like I did before, but I’ll understand if you’ve found someone else.”
If there’s one thing that could almost convince me of the existence of a god, it’s that Han Geng exists.
Shifting so that he can look the other man in the eyes, Heechul replies with a rare tenderness, “No one could ever compare to you.”
“So, does that mean…?”
“Don make me say it again, you idiot. I’m still yours, and you’re still mine.”
The dazzling smile that appears on Han Geng’s face lasts for only a fleeting moment before it’s replaced by a look of regret. “You know I won’t be able to do a lot of normal things now.”
“Stop it. You don’t need to do this.”
“We won’t be able to━”
“I love you,” Heechul blurts, effectively shutting the other man up.
“What?” Han Geng looks like he doesn’t know whether to be elated or utterly confused. Even Heechul has to admit that he himself is surprised at his sudden outburst.
“That’s what I forgot to tell you,” he admits. “The day of the mission. I don’t know how much you remember, but when we both thought you were going to die...that was the first time you told me you loved me. And being the idiot I am, I only realized after Sungmin dragged me away that I forgot to tell you the same thing.”
Warm hands envelop Heechul’s own, and he nearly cries at their feeling of familiarity. Even after being unable to hold them for what seems like an eternity, he can still feel that same steadfast comfort that Han Geng’s touch always brought him.
“That’s what’s been on your mind this whole time? Heechul…” Han Geng reaches out to cup the other’s face, a thumb across his cheek and giving him a look so full of emotion that Heechul almost can’t believe it’s meant for him. “I’m never going to leave you again. That’s a promise.” The conviction in his voice feels strong enough to move mountains, like even fate itself would change course if it means Han Geng keeping his word.
“And I promise never to get sick of you,” Heechul murmurs. A breakdown lingers behind his words, but he wants to keep it together. He wants to make this moment last, especially when Han Geng’s answering smile is the only thing filling his vision. He could have drifted off just like that, with Han Geng’s arm stretched like a lifeline between them and an aura of warmth lulling him to sleep, had the other man not spoken up.
“Heechul,” Han Geng asks in hardly a whisper, “Can I kiss you?”
Happiness bubbles up in Heechul’s chest, curling his lips into an immediate grin. “What kind of a question is that?”
After a good-natured shake of his head, Han Geng leans in to close the distance between them, managing yet again to take Heechul’s breath away. Even without words, the unspoken ‘I love you, too’ is as clear as day, the connection undeniable as two souls reunite in joyous harmony.
A second chance is a rare gift. Neither of them are going to take it for granted.
~*~
Not all humans, Kyuhyun has concluded, are inherently stupid lifeforms. And it’s not just the thrill of victory that triggers this revelation. The proof is everywhere he looks: in the hope of a breakthrough with research on Yesung’s radiation resistance, in the endless possibilities for change that Leeteuk is helping to create on the Council, in the loving way Heechul looks at Han Geng ━ Han Geng, who was welcomed back with immeasurable joy and more than a few tears ━ when he pushes the other man around in his wheelchair. Really, ever since the unexpected raid on his Cluster months ago, Kyuhyun has witnessed enough to become surprisingly optimistic.
Maybe there’s hope for humanity yet.
~END~
A/N: Well, everyone....it's finally done. (You didn't think I could actually bring myself to kill off half of Hanchul, did you? I apologize for leading you on~) I've had it (mostly) written for a while, of course, but it's still crazy to think that it's really over. Thanks to all of you that have been there along the way reading and subscribing, and a special thanks to all my lovely commenters who never failed to make my day brighter. You all have really inspired me to continue writing, which is why I have another announcement...
If you stay subscribed to this story at least through tomorrow, I'm putting up an extra "chapter" tomorrow with a special surprise - don't miss it! I hope to see you all then. :) Once again, thank you!
In the meantime, if you liked this story and are looking for something else to read that you'll definitely enjoy, you should go and check out this story by one of my good friends and favorite authors, bitterkitty. I promise you'll love it!
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