Chapter Text
College sweethearts, that's what they were. Asahi and Jaehyuk's relationship has been steady all these years. They're happy and content.
Until they weren’t.
Two years into the marriage, Asahi has yet to bear a child. The immense pressure from their parents is not helping either. They went to many doctors, went to many churches— still nothing.
They tried. They did.
Yet Jaehyuk can't help but feel jealous when his friends have children of their own and he doesn't. Asahi too, but there's nothing he can do.
It started with small fights, petty ones. Jaehyuk being sensitive over small things like why the remote is not on the remote stand or why there’s dust on the table.
Just small petty things and they'll fight like it's a huge deal.
From small arguments to shouting.
Asahi just bottled it in. It got more painful when Jaehyuk pointed it out in one of their big fights.
"Only if you can give me a child then we wouldn't be fighting like this!" Jaehyuk shouted but he didn't really mean it. It took him a few seconds to process what he said.
Asahi was hurt by what his lover said. Jaehyuk can see the pain written all over his face.
"I'm trying, you know that... we're trying. But why do you say it like I'm the one at fault, like I'm defective, useless" Asahi can't help but let the tears fall. He's very much hurt.
He wants a child of his own too but Jaehyuk being like this doesn’t help at all.
"I'm sorry love. I didn't mean that, I'm sorry" Jaehyuk proceeded to comfort the other but Asahi avoided him and walked out.
Asahi slept in the guestroom that night and the topic was never brought up again.
The marriage went downhill after that.
They didn’t talk as much as they used to. They didn’t sleep in the same room anymore. Well sometimes they do— if one of them is too drunk to remember they're not supposed to be on good terms.
No more date nights. No more out-of-town trips.
Asahi knew then they should talk about their relationship but Jaehyuk barely goes home. If he does, he goes directly to sleep or changes his clothes and goes back to the office.
It's as if they're avoiding each other.
Avoiding another petty fight that can hurt them both.
So it was not surprising when Asahi handed Jaehyuk a document after dinner.
Divorce papers
Jaehyuk was quiet. Asahi too.
"Are you sure?" Jaehyuk asks after a few heartbeats.
"Would you want me to stay when we're being like this?" Asahi replies.
Jaehyuk was not sure either. Asahi’s silently hoping Jaehyuk would tear up the divorce papers and say it's absurd, that they should still try but that didn't happen.
Jaehyuk signed the papers and gave it to him.
They looked at each other's eyes hoping to find something to hold on to.
But there wasn't
The love is there but it wasn't enough to keep them together.
The marriage is beyond repair, they both knew.
They both gave up. They both stopped trying.
Asahi moved out the next morning, packing just a few of his clothes. Jaehyuk just watched him walk out their door.
"This is goodbye I guess" Jaehyuk whispers
Jaehyuk never heard of Asahi ever again.