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Yeon-oh could have very easily missed it. It was by no means a big bruise, nor was it very prominent, it was actually no bigger than a fingernail if you were to measure it, but against the fair skin on Jaehyuk’s hand it attracted Yeon-oh’s curious gaze as he was making his way to the kitchen. Seeing it, a complicated emotion surged in his chest and he couldn’t make himself stop on his way to give Jaehyuk a welcome kiss as he normally would.
Two steps into the kitchen, he actually turned back to the living room, Jaehyuk having taken off his coat and shoes in the meantime, his face more tired than Yeon-oh had seen in a long time.
“What’s that on your hand?”
“I got an IV drip earlier, I was feeling a bit under the weather but don’t worry,” Jaehyuk replied after a moment's hesitation. He had no way to lie, the small injury very easily identifiable.
He didn’t get to see the look on Yeon-oh’s face as he turned, rudely signalling the end of the conversation.
“Kwon Jaehyuk-ssi, would you still forget you have a boyfriend if you were on your deathbed?” He knew the words were particularly cruel as soon as they rolled off his tongue but he couldn’t stop them, nor could he take them back.
Jaehyuk froze in place, the button on his shirt’s left sleeve half-open under his fingers.
“You’re exaggerating, I was just a little tired. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry.”
Yeon-oh scoffed, then, even before Jaehyuk had finished his lame excuse. “What kind of double standard is that? You can worry about me but I can’t worry about you?” Hotly, he added on, “We’re two people in this relationship. I worry about you anyway because I like you. I also want to take care of you if you’re sick and comfort you if you’re sad. Why won’t you let me?”
Jaehyuk, who had turned to face him, stared at him with a complicated look on his face. His thick brows were knitted together in a mixture of distress and confusion and his clear grey eyes that Yeon-oh loved so much moved in agitation across Yeon-oh’s features, searching for something.
The corners of Yeon-oh’s eyes and the tip of his nose started to burn. He didn’t want to cry but all the little things that had accumulated in time were bubbling up to the surface and threatening to shoot out like a geyser.
“I’ve made efforts to rely on you more but why can’t you do the same?”
“I’m sorry,” was all the other man said, but he strode over to Yeon-oh’s spot in an instant, his arms extended in an invitation.
Up close, Yeon-oh saw the bruise again, such a small thing that had caused such a big reaction in his heart. Seeing his lover’s remorseful eyes and his still sickly face, he was unable to hold onto the grudge anymore, it slipped through his fingers as quickly as sand. With a deep sigh, he stepped into his arms and buried his nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling his familiar scent.
Jaehyuk’s hand moved to the nape of his neck, caressing it warmly, while his other arm wound around the small of his back, keeping him tightly pressed against his own body.
“From now on, I’ll tell you even if I get a tiny scratch.”
Feeling like he was mocking him, Yeon-oh untangled himself from the embrace and shot him a glare. However, his tone unconsciously turned whiny. On Jaehyuk’s usually impassive face, he could see the vague hint of a suppressed smile. “You’re not taking this seriously.”
“I am, I promise.”
Not quite convinced, Yeon-oh barrelled on. “You’d better be. I know you have your own issues but we need to work on them.” More shyly, he added, “Otherwise how could this relationship keep working? I really want it to.”
“I really want that too.”
Jaehyuk gathered him into his arms again, kissing his head and promising again to try harder.
“Okay… I’ll go draw a bath for you and then we can have dinner.”
“There’s-” Jaehyuk hurried to reply, on habit, but caught himself quickly enough. Instead of no need, he thought for a second and said, “There’s something you could do to take care of me better since you want it so much. Join me in the bath?”
There was no way for Yeon-oh to deny him, so he agreed merrily and stepped into the warm and soapy water with him. Jaehyuk even let him massage his shoulders for a short while and rewarded him with a deep kiss that almost took Yeon-oh’s breath away in the humid atmosphere of the bathroom.
“What’s that?”
“A cream. For your bruise.”
Yeon-oh’s skin, fresh out of the water, gave off a faint warmth and a lovely scent. From where he was sitting on the edge of the bed, Jaehyuk reached out to him to bring him even closer. Yeon-oh almost tripped, being dragged forward, but he fell safely into the older man who then stuck his face into his tummy, breathing in the comforting smell and giving it a kiss through the fabric.
“Thank you.”
Flushed from head to toe, Yeon-oh mumbled that he was welcome and took his hand to apply the medicine and put a bandaid on it. After he was done, he even placed a small kiss on it, just like Jaehyuk had done to him before. Seeing life return to the other man’s face, he was even more pleased with himself.
“Let’s go eat so you don’t feel sick anymore.”
“I’m already better,” Jaehyuk teased as he pulled him in for a short, sweet kiss.
With this kind of treatment, he thought that he would definitely never break the promise he’d made.