Beginning of the end

Valentine special pt 2

Plopping Choi Han on the bed, Cale was ready to leave when a sudden pull made him crash back into bed. Before he could get his bearings back, he felt a light touch brush the hair away from his face. Looking up, Cale came face to face with Choi Han, who was staring at Cale with hyperfocus.

"...you. You look....just like..... Cale-nim." Choi Han slurred.

Realizing that he wouldn't be free until Choi Han tired himself out and fell asleep, Cale slowly spoke. "That's because I am Cale Henituse."

With how intensely Choi Han stared at him after hearing that, Cale hoped that the man would come to his senses a bit and let go of Cale but his hopes were instantly dashed. "You can't be Cale-nim." As if judging his answer to be correct, Choi Han nodded to himself multiple times over before sitting up and speaking passionately.

"Cale-nim wouldn't be here. He would be sleeping in his room right now. He would be snuggled with the kids and covered by a fluffy blanket while his silky hair falls on his face. Every time the kids move in their sleep, Cale-nim would pat them back to sleep. They all look so cute sleeping like that. I want to join them too."

Unsure of how to respond, or if he was even supposed to respond, Cale just sat there quietly, listening to Choi Han's drunken confessions.

"A-and when Cale-nim wakes up in the morning, he looks so cute. He is all soft and sleepy and dozing off. Since we are at peace now, he is able to eat properly which has made his cheeks chubbier! Do you have any idea how unfair that is?" Choi Han's face was suddenly super close to Cale's.

"How does Cale-nim expect me to hold myself back when he looks so beautiful? Should I go away to the Forest of Darkness to train myself?"

"We already are in the Forest of Darkness." Cale mumbled tiredly. He isn't really paying attention to Choi Han's words since he is sure that the other man has no idea what he is talking about. 'He will forget everything when he sobers up.'

He is broken out of his thoughts by a watery gasp. "We-we are in the Forest of Darkness? What if Cale-nim gets hurt? He gets hurt a lot. I don't want Cale-nim to get hurt."

Cale watched with thinly veiled horror as Choi Han's eyes filled with tears. "Hey, I won't get hurt! There are a lot of strong people here besides the monsters can't come near here since they are scared of the presence of multiple dragons here! We are safe here!" Frantically spitting out whatever words came to mind, Cale tried to stop Choi Han from crying. The sight made him feel strangely guilty too.

After all, wasn't Choi Han crying from thinking about Cale getting hurt?

"Are you sure Cale-nim will not get hurt?" Choi Han sniffled, looking like a puppy stuck in the rain. "Will you tell Cale-nim to take care of himself?" Big watery black eyes were aimed at Cale who felt something stir within him. 'What if Choi Han isn't saying all this just because he is drunk...?'

Normally Cale would have brushed the thought away easily but something about the situation made him tentatively ask. "You really care a lot about Cale Henituse, don't you?" Cale wasn't really sure what he expected to hear. He had learnt during the course of the war that the people around him truly cared for him and he had started accepting it but something about Choi Han's behavior seemed different from the usual care.

But whatever he had expected, Cale hadn't expected Choi Han to shake his head in refusal. "You have it wrong. I don't care about Cale-nim."

Before Cale could process those words or figure out why his heart dropped after hearing it, Choi Han continued, his voice more passionate than earlier.