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"Is it recording?"
The camera shakes slightly, as if the person holding it is shifting his grip to better hold everything. "Yah, Doyoung I'm talking to you."
"Yes it is I think. The red circle blinking means that its on right?"
The pink haired man merely shrugs, turning his gaze away from the camera. "Probably, I'm not all that great with technology to be honest."
"I know, all your selfies are so grainy."
The pink-haired man pouts. Doyoung laughs. The camera pans from left to right to take the surrounding view in. The room is pristinely white, the sound of a machine steadily beeping by the bedside in small, tinny but steady beeps echo like an ostinato. The pink haired man stands up and opens the curtains. The camera zooms in towards his face. Too close. It zooms back out.
The man's eyelashes are long, curving upward and kissing his cheeks everytime he closes his eyes to blink. He had a long, pointy nose and a jawline that could cut glass. It's undeniable that he is handsome. The sunlight filtering through the glass windowpanes bathes him in golden light. Dust motes sparkling, spinning round and round the room. The ostinato continues.
"Smile for the camera, hyung!"
The camera shakes slightly, Doyoung's muffled laughter rings through the device as Taeyong gives it a sheepish sort of half-smile. "Should I wave?"
"Probably."
Taeyong waves, the cuffs of his pajama sleees pooling at his elbow. He tucks it away in embarrassment, ruffles his hair and makes his way back towards the man sleeping in the bed.
"Do you think he'll wake up anytime soon?"
The pink haired man holds long spindly fingers in his grasp. He leans forward to give it a small, lingering kiss right in the middle of a palm. He continues to cup it towards his face, gently carressing the slumbering man's knuckes with a thumb.
"The doctor said that the anesthesia should be wearing off. It wasn't that much of a life threatening surgery."
"Thank god for that. You ever going to let him out of your sight again?"
A deep chuckle, Taeyong glances towards the camera and shakes his head. "No way. After that ordeal? Jaehyun's on house arrest. He's never crossing the street without me holding his hand."
Doyoung laughs. The camera shakes again. "I thought he couldn't get anymore whipped but then here we are. You've proven me wrong yet again."
The argument is cut short when a small groan escapes the boy's lips. Doyoung shifts the camera to focus on Jaehyun lying on the hospital bed. "Oh god, he's finally awake." The camera moves closer, as Doyoung sits on the chair near the hospital bed.
"It's been two days Jaehyunnie," Taeyong whispers in the boys ear. His hand pushing the bangs gently away from the younger boy's forehead in slow, measured strokes. The boy hums, turning his face away. Taeyong gives him a small kiss on his temple. "Rise and shine sleepyhead. I've missed you so much."
The brown haired boy's eyes blink open, opening and closing in slow deliberate movements. His nose scrunches adorably as if it to shield his face from the unnatural amount of sunlight poring through the window.
"You awake now?"
"Where am I?" The young man mumbles, carefully taking in his surroundings. To his left is a vase filled with several marigolds, dozens of get well soon cards littered on the bedside table. He tries to stand up, only to be met with the most intense pain he's ever felt in his life. Taeyong pushes him back to lie down, "press this, if the pain gets unbearable."
Jaehyun does, and he starts to breathe more easily, the pain shooting from his side and his leg numbing itself, the splitting ache slowly receding like a snake retreating back to its cavern. "that feels really good," the boy mumbles. "What is that, it's like a cloud. I'm on a cloud."
Jaehyun peers at the silver button, near his IV drip with newfound appreciation. "It's so so small, but its so so good." The brown-haired boy carresses it lovingly. "Feeling better?" Taeyong asks.
Jaehyun smiles, "I feel like... a marshmallow. I'm a marshmallow."
Taeyong smiles, exchanging glances with Doyoung, who snickers in the background. They watch on as Jaehyun, clad in a hospital gown, awake and wide-eyed gushes about his morphine drip. "It's like happiness, in this small, tiny thing."
"Happiness?" Doyoung prompts him. The camera focuses on his face. Jaehyun smiles, "yeah, doctors are amazing aren't they? They can put happiness in this tiny, tiiiiiny thing. I want to put it in my pocket."
"You can't do that, Jaehyun, it's illegal," Doyoung chides him. "I won't be caught aiding and abetting a blossoming drug addict."
"Where am I?" Jaehyun asks the camera, giving it small enthusiastic waves that make his drip line sway dangerously.
"You're in a hospital sweetie. You got hit by a sports car," Doyoung quips. Taeyong levels him an unimpressed gaze. The camera moves as if the owner is shrugging. The older man holds Jaehyun's hand and places it quietly on his stomach.
"I won a sports car? When can I get it?" Jaehyun turns towards the pink haired man and gapes. His eyes widening his mouth dropping in a silent O. The room is quiet for a while. Jaehyun blinks repeatedly, rubs his eyes, blinks again.
Taeyong frowns, he cups the younger boy's forehead with the back of his hand. "You sure you're feeling okay?"
The heart monitor starts to beep faster.
Taeyong turns towards the camera. "Doyoungie I think you should call the doctor and tell him Jaehyun's woken up now. He might want to check his vitals--"
"Are you an angel?"
The camera shakes widely, before it zooms in to Jaehyun's face. His mouth parted, pupils blown wide, an expression mixed between wondrous awe and fascination.
"I'm sorry?"
"Are you an angel?" Jaehyun asks again, reaching towards Taeyong's cheek to cup it lightly. The older man blushes furiously, his cheeks painted a dark red, ears burning. The machine continues to beep faster.
"I'm an angel? Jaehyunnie what are you talking about? Not that I'm not flattered but-"
"I must be in heaven right now. Really. I'm dead." Jaehyun looks at the camera dead center, almost as if he's channeling his Steven Carrell, having his own spoof of The Office happening right now. "I'm dead. I must have died."
"No you didn't die--"
"It's the only possible explanantion."
Taeyong sighs exasperatedly. He takes several deep breaths to calm his nerves. "What do you mean 'only possible explanation?' Jaehyunnie you're scaring me."
"You're so beautiful like an angel. The most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life."
Taeyong chokes on his spit. Doyoung struggles not to laught but the camera pointed at the couple is shaking. Jaehyun continues to inspire secondhand embarrassment, lightly caressing the older boy's eyelashes.
"God, you're eyelashes are so long and thick. They're like little people grouped together." Jaehyun sits up slightly and cups both of his hands to Taeyong's face. He brings it closer to his. "Your eyes."
Taeyong smiles bemusedly, "What about my eyes?"
"They're so big and gorgeous. It's like the ocean. I could get lost in it. Oh my god I'm really lost." Jaehyun smiles to himself, deep set dimples carving its way downwards on his skin, revealing themselves. "Your eyes are really an ocean. I love the ocean, do you?" Jaehyun whispers loudly. Which, shouldn't even actually be classified as a whisper at all.
Taeyong laughs, his cheeks having blossomed into red apples. "I know you love the ocean, Jaehyunnie. You're part-otter aren't you?"
The boy gasps in surprise. "I can transform into an otter? Am I an animagus? I'm a wizard?"
This time, Taeyong and Doyoung laugh themselves silly. "Oh god, he's really high," Doyoung cackles joyously. "This is a literal goldmine." The camera shakes in his grip. The lens refocus after a few seconds.
"Hey, whats your name, Angel?" The boy asks rubbing his thumbs gently against the older boy's cheeks.
The pink-haired man smiles and nudges his nose against Jaehyun's. He gives it a small peck before moving back slightly. The younger man's face transforming itself into the likeness of a ripened tomato. "Taeyong."
"Hello Taeyong, I'm Jaehyun. Or at least I was before I became an otter." The younger male gives him a dopey smile. Not quite all there but endearing nonetheless.
"Nice to meet you, Jaehyunnie." Taeyong whispers. Jaehyun merely hums in contentment, gazing into the latter's eyes contentedly for a short while.
"I'm going to hug you. You look like you need a hug." Jaehyun looks at him seriously. "We really should hug." He opens his arms wide, settling back into the headboard. Wincing slightly at the pain that shoots up his left leg and hip. "That felt painful. My leg felt like a potato being sliced into french fries."
"Should I hug it better?"
Jaehyun nods enthusiastically. "Hugs make everything better. You seem like a hugger." He tugs the older boy's hands again for good measure. One can never be too sure. "We should hug now. I think I'm a great hugger. Spectacular."
Laughing, Taeyong sits down next to Jaehyun on the hospital bed, careful not to jostle his injured leg and wraps his arms around him. The younger man settles into his shoulder sighing contentedly. "This is the best. You are literally the best."
"Really?" Taeyong laughs, Jaehyun hugs him tighter. "You are my new favorite person."
"Glad to hear it." They stay like this for a while, in this small cuccoon of a loving embrace until Taeyong feels a slight tug in his hair and a lingering feeling of wetness.
"Oh my god, Taeyong he's eating your hair!" Doyoung exclaims excitedly.
Pulling back, he gazes at the young boy sharply. "Jaehyunnie what the hell?!"
The younger man looks sheepish at having been caught out. He fiddles with his fingers. "I'm sorry Taeyongie, it's just that you didn't tell me your hair is made out of cotton candy. It looks so delicious. I'm hungry."
Rubbing the back of his head, Taeyong sighs and stands up. He strides over to his overnight bag and pulls out a sandwich he bought from the cafe across the street from the hospital. Gently, he opens the wrapper and offers half of it to the hungry boy. He accepts it happily.
They watch him eat in silence, the sounds of food being chewed and soft happy hums fill the quiet room. The machine beeps on happily. Distractedly, Taeyong turns his head towards Jaehyun. "I'm sorry I didn't catch that."
"Swallow your food first, Jaehyun," Doyoung quips from behind the camera. Jaehyun obeys.
"Do you want to be my boyfriend?"
Taeyong chokes and the camera wobbles, moving out of focus as its helmsman tries to inhale in big gasps of air. Apparently, shy Jung Jaehyun is a true noona-killer underneath all that second hand embarrassment. Or in this case, a hyung-killer. The camera is repositioned to be more steady. There is no way in actual hell is Doyoung not taking this great opportunity to embarrass his friend. No way.
"Why do you want me to be your boyfriend, Jaehyunnie?"
"Because." He looks pointedly at him, as if he was exasperated by the way this conversation was unfolding. Slowly. Like a chicken being slowly roasted in tender fire. "You seem someone worth holding on to."
"Oh god," Doyoung is living. Jaehyun is never going to recover from this. The Lord's will be done, Doyoung will make sure of it. That cool and chic persona? Crushed. Obliterated. Gaseous smoke. All that's going to be left is a reputation left in tatters and a facebook video, Doyoung is half sure will go viral. The camera repositions itself to zoom out, focusing on both of them, staring at each other shyly atop the hospital bed.
"But I already have a boyfriend." Jaehyun visibly wilts at the statement. He curls into himself but keeps his hands firmly encased around Taeyong's bony digits. Squeezing. Taeyong squeezes back.
"Have you been together long? Do you really love him?" Jaehyun asks whining. "Like, really really really love him?"
Taeyong smiles and nods his head shyly. "Yes, we've been together for almost 3 years now. I'm surprised he hasn't grown tired of me yet."
Jaehyun pouts, still seemingly put out about this rapid turn of events. "Is he treating you right?"
"yes, he's the best boyfriend in the world," Taeyong replies. As if for good measure he glances towards the camera. "You can goddamn quote me on that, I wouldn't give a shit."
"Duly noted," replied Doyoung.
"I'm sad." Jaehyun wails. His eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I'm devastated."
"Big words," Doyoung quips making sure to adjust the lens to capture the brown-haired boys teary eyes. Perfect.
Taeyong levels Doyoung a look that could visibly communicate his desire for the other boy to please just shut his pie hole. "Why are you devastated Jaehyunnie?"
"Because Taeyong. I wanted to be your boyfriend." Jaehyun whines, Elongating the vowels as if it would make them better. He buries his face to the side to the side of the pillow. His fingers fisting through the bedsheets in frustration. "I wanted to take you out on dates and spoonfeed each other bingsu and spend time hugging on the couch and bundle you up in sweaters and make you drink hot chocolate when you feel cold."
"What else would you do then?"
Jaehyun holds his gaze. The intensity of it makes Taeyong inhale shakily. He forgets how penetrating the boy's gaze is when he's serious. "I'd give you a massage of course, after you finish work and I'll always always always ask you about how your day went and I'll cook you dinner."
"I'm a pretty good cook myself."
"I think I can cook alright as well." Jaehyun shakes his head. Scrunches his nose slightly. It wrinkles. "It doesn't matter if I suck, I'll just work harder."
Taeyong smiles, brushing the bangs off Jaehyun's nicely made forehead. His skin really is nice, even though he's sick. He whispers, "You are really determined aren't you?"
"I just...I hope your boyfriend really really really loves you okay?" He whispers quietly as if he doesn't want anyone else to hear it. Squeezes Taeyong's hand earnestly. He honest to god looks like a kicked puppy. "Please tell me he loves you so So soo much."
"Why do you care about it so much though Jaehyun?" Doyoung asks, zooming in at both of their faces.
The younger man squeezes Taeyong's hand, interlocking their fingers in a tight embrace. Doesn't let go even when the latter tries to pull away. "You deserve so much happiness Taeyong."
The pink haired boy's eyes water. He blinks rapidly to keep the tears away, biting his bottom lip. "Well it's a good thing you're my boyfriend then, Jaehyunnie." The older man gives the younger boy a small kiss on the forehead. His smile's still slightly wobbly, his eyes watery from the unshed tears. "You better take good care of me alright?"
The younger boy's eyes widen in alarm. He turns to Doyoung, who is holding the camera. He turns back to Taeyong. Turns to Doyoung again. His jaw opening and closing in surprise.
"Is it true? He's my boyfriend?" Jaehyun shouts. Doyoung laughs, the camera unfocuses by the amount of shaking. "It's not funny!" The boy pouts. Doyoung starts to cackle even louder, "Oh God, Taeyong this is too much!" Taeyong merely smiles at the camera sheepishly. "He's going to die when I show this to him later. Cool and collected my ass."
"This is a serious matter! Is he really my boyfriend?!"
The camera moves up and down, as if answering the boy's question. Disbelief shows in his face. He turns towards Taeyong again. "Are we really boyfriends?"
Taeyong cups the latters face in between the palms of his hands. "Why don't you believe me, Jaehyunnie?"
He sighs. Closes his eyes and opens them wide. Turns away. Closes his eyes. Opens them wide looking at the pink-haired man. "I'm not dreaming then. I keep thinking that you're a fairy you know."
"I thought I was an angel."
Jaehyun smiles goofily, dimples in full display. "You can be both if you want. I'll still love you anyway."
Taeyong smiles, leans in and kisses the incapacitated boy right in the lips. Keeps it simple, tilts his head slightly at an angle, presses harder. Jaehyun keeps his eyes wide open throughout the whole thing. Humming happily in surprise. Taeyong returns to his seat not long after.
"I'm the luckiest man in the word," Jaehyun exclaims happily. His voice trembling slightly at the experience.
Taeyong wraps two wiry arms around him in an embrace. The boy reaches forward, to return it. His IV however makes it difficult to find a comfortable position. They struggle for a bit, trying to maneuver both of themselves without tangling anything. "I have a boyfriend," Jaehyun whispers none to softly against Taeyong's neck. He breaths hot breath against it. Taeyong wiggles as if it tickles. "Yes you do," Taeyong laughs quietly.
"You are my boyfriend." Jaehyun moves back to look at the older man and smiles, the big one Taeyong loves so much. The one that makes his eyes turn into crescents and shows off his nose wrinkles and shows off those dimples he loves so much. "We're boyfriends."
"I love you too, Jaehyunnie," Taeyong whispers just as softly.
"Oh my god we're in love." Jaehyun smiles at the camera forlornly.
"We're in love. We're boyfriends."
"Yes you are," Doyoung whispers quietly into the camera. Slowly the camera pans towards two grown men in a tender embrace against the backdrop of an austere hospital room. What would have been a lonely picture made happy. The light filters through the window, there are flowers near the bedside, the heart monitor beeps quietly like an ostinato.
The screen turns black.