Man - y.kh

twenty-seven.

Eventually, Hyungwon stayed stable enough for him to come home. The biggest struggle we came across was Hyungwon's memory. It suffered a lot. Even at home, I found myself policing Hyungwon's memory. He'd try to get Luna's attention while she was on duty for Jooheon. And I always had to remind him that she wasn't just a pet. Against my own wants, Minhyuk decided to stay to help out with both Hyungwon and Jooheon. "Kihyun," Minhyuk said, handing me a dish from the dinner table.

"Hmm?" I asked softly, beginning to do the dishes. I was so tired of everything.

He stayed quiet a bit before taking a breath. "Are we good?"

I dropped my sponge in the water, my own breath stiffening. "What?" I turned back to look at him. "What did you just ask me?" I couldn't believe him.

"A-Are we good?" He asked again.

I scoffed. "I didn't think you had the audacity to even repeat that bullshit." I turned back to do the dishes. "You're my boyfriend's brother and you're another man just like my mother's boyfriend. Nothing more. Nothing special to me. Nothing different from any other man in this town." I rinsed the plate I was washing and set it to dry. "I don't even know why the fuck you asked some stupid fucking shit like that. You apologized to Hyungwon, and not me. You just played your sob story for me. You told him you were sorry for feeling me up. But didn't ever once even attempt to address me. You're like a goddamn roach that pops up uninvited. Only difference is you don't bring your friends to stay with you." I sighed softly, turning off the water and laying my head on the edge of the sink.

"Kihyun," Minhyuk sighed. "It's hard. It's really hard." I didn't want to hear it.

I stood up, turning back around to him. "All you ever wanted from your father was an apology, didn't you?" Minhyuk hesitantly nodded. "Why's that?"

A simple answer, but a question that would open up his conscious. "Because he was wrong." Minhyuk began to shift uncomfortably.

"In what ways?" I asked.

He thought for a second. "What he did to me... He was clearly wrong for that. Uhm... I can still be a man and ask for what I want. Men are allowed to cry. They don't have to me so abrasive and aggressive all the time. They don't have to crush spirits... You can be a man without being a dick." I saw tears brim his eyes.

"And you just took on everything you hated about him. So you need to be the bigger and better man. Apologize and change." I folded my arms, doubtful that my lesson would serve any purpose.

Minhyuk took a deep breath. "I'm so... So sorry Kihyun. I really am so sorry. I-I need help and I'm angry and hurt and I took it out on you. You've done nothing to me... I'm so sorry."

My eyes widened slightly. I didn't expect him to actually apologize. "Let's get them to bed and then let's talk, okay? You need someone to talk to... And I can listen well." With that, I dried my hands off, heading upstairs.

Minhyuk helped Jooheon get ready for bed while I took care of Hyungwon. "Hey, sweetheart." His smiled was weak in one side still, but he was getting better at it.

His pet names still never failed to bring peace to my earth. "Hey, time for your medicine."

Hyungwon immediately whined. "Once I take it, I'm out... You spend all the time you with me taking care of me..." He took my hand. "Why can't I take it a little bit later?" He was so sad, holding onto my hand tightly.

"You need the rest, baby." I sighed, getting his medicine ready. "You're going to wake up early, anyway. I'll be up for you okay?" He rolled his eyes. I didn't say what was on my mind. It was just a condescending lecture he didn't deserve.

I handed him his medicine. "Goodnight," he frowned softly.

I turned off the light, kissing him goodnight. "I'll be up later, okay?" He nodded, turning to lay down. I felt bed for sending him to bed, but I couldn't trust him to be unsupervised. I headed back downstairs to Minhyuk. "Alright. Talk." To be honest, I wanted to go to bed, but I promised him a conversation.

"My father was an evil man. And he was in my life until I was 9 or 10. He left because he said Jooheon was..." He looked upstairs and leaned in to whisper. "Fucked up." I nodded, following along. "And he ruined me, my mother... Even Jooheon. He's the reason Jooheon hates fighting and loud noises. But he was just abusive. I don't want to go too deep into it, you've probably heard it and seen it all before. He was just awful... And it hurts me still to this day. And I want to stop hurting." Minhyuk sighed softly. "I guess, I try to stop hurting by putting the hurt on others."

Before I could speak, I heard Hyungwon speak from the top of the stairs. "And? Gives you no right. You've done so much to me, who knows who else you've touched? That shit hurts in the same way. And luckily, I don't feel the need to hurt innocent people." Minhyuk went to respond, either with an apology or a confession.

I stopped him, getting up. "You are supposed to be asleep, what did you do with your medicine?"

"I just set it on my nightstand. I was going to take it, but damn it, I wanted my boyfriend and I wanted to spend time talking to him like an adult." He was getting upset quickly. "I tried to kill myself and failed. But living day to day, feeling sad for us is enough to drive me crazy enough to do it again." He scoffed, running his hands through his hair as he began to cry in frustration. "I just want to spend time with you, as Hyungwon and Kihyun. Not the suicide survivor and his nurse. You're more than that. You're my everything. And I want my everything." I shushed him quickly.

I helped him stand up, "Okay, okay baby. Let's go to bed." I let him lean on me as we went to our bedroom. I sat him down on the bed so I could change in the bathroom real quick. When I came back, the speech started. "Hyungwon, you're not gonna lose me, okay? I'll always take care of you, you always take care of me. Hell, you didn't even know me, and you watched over me. It's gonna be okay. You keep doing your therapies, I'll start mine... We'll get through it." I kissed him softly. And then it started.

Hyungwon pulled me closer to him, deepening our kiss. Eventually, I found myself straddling him, his hands resting on my thighs. And then he let out a frustrated groan, breaking away. "The doctor did say that it's possible for me to... You know. Didn't she?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm positive it is." I ran my fingers through his hair. "Get better first, then we'll worry about that." Hyungwon nodded, laying his head down. "Uh uh," I lifted his head back up. "I didn't say we had to stop doing exactly this." Hyungwon smirked and returned back to our kiss.