Make Our Days Count : Domestic

I'm sorry, Love

He glanced through the marks and recommendation paperworks he received from his instructor, but he felt numb. It does not make him happy. He dreads going back home. He did not know what to expect. 

CLICK. He unlocked the door.

He walks into the house and find Haoting standing abruptly in the living room. Looking at him with pleading looks.

He said nothing and walks to the bedroom. He walks pass Haoting and keeps his face straight. 

Haoting follows him.

'Babe, I'm sorry'

Shigu placed his keys and bag on the desk. Silence fill the room. He turns to Haoting. 'Why are you apologizing?'

'It was a misunderstanding, I swear! I can prove it!', Haoting closed their gap quickly but Shigu put his palm of Haoting chest, stopping him midway. Then he crosses his arms in front of him. 

'If...Just... If you saw me kissing someone else. Would you be willing to listen to my explanation?'

Haoting tries to picture it in his head. But even his mind hated the idea so much that it was ripped apart before it was formed. Men? Women? Kiss? His Shigu?

'It happened.' Shigu tries to organize his thought. ' I know you well and trusted you... I still trust you after seeing that photo. But I am disappointed. ' He tries to control his breath. Each word is uttered with heavy emphasis. 'Those two girls were the one that I met when I visited you last time, right?'

Haoting nodded. 

'I warned you about them, did I not?'

Again, Haoting nodded. Shigu had mentioned it to him a couple of times about how he doesn't like how overly friendly those girls are but Haoting brushes it off. They're just Zi Xuan coursemates being friendly, he reasons. 

'Can you promise me that you will do your best to make sure this won't happen -  ever again?'

Haoting nodded fast but Shigu hissed, his composure gone. 'If this EVER happened again, I will do the exact things. THAT...is my promise.' 

Tears fell from Haoting eyes.  

Shigu walks away, grabbing his towel and slammed the bathroom door. 

'I want to sleep alone tonight!' He yells from the bathroom. He turned on the hot shower and slumped to the floor. The tears came out again. 

For the first time in many years, his heart hurts so much. More than anything he ever felt before. 

*

Shigu laid down on the large bed alone. He locks the door. He doesn't want to see Haoting tonight. He might feel better to talk tomorrow but he doesn't want to talk now when he is still angry. Hurtful words will also leave a scar, even worse that physical ones. 

He understood this well enough. Sometimes people's insult or mindless remarks hurt more than the physical bullying. He loves Haoting more than than his own existence. Haoting IS his existence. 

He turns to his phone. The notifications bombarded him, the phone buzzing in his palm the second it comes alive. 

He clicks on Haoting's messages. This is more than 2 years worth of notifications. 

'Babe, please answer my call.'

'I'm sorry, I can explain'

'Babe, I swear I can explain, please'

'Curse me, beat me, just talk to me babe'

'I'm on my way home. Where are you? When are you coming back?'

'I have proof. Babe, please talk to me.'

Shigu clicks on the videos clips. He closed his eyes when he saw the sudden kiss.

He watches the other clips. He bites his lips as emotions surged.

He reads through the texts, all of them. 

The latest one came in just less than an hour ago. After he yells at Haoting to leave him alone for tonight.

' I could not imagine you kissing or being kissed by someone else. I'm sorry for being selfish and wanting you for myself. I should have been more careful about the drink. 

I promise I will never drink again without you by my side, not even when I'm just by myself.

I promise to never talk to those girls again. 

I promise to never join any of those parties again.

Anything you want, I will do it. 

I will sleep here for as long as you want. Hurt me as much as you want.

Forgive me, please, babe. I'm so sorry. I am careless. I'll work hard. Just forgive me. '

He got mad at Haoting for the 3 seconds mistake. He collects his thoughts, staring at the ceiling.

Then he received a new message. 

'Good night love. I love you.'

Shigu clutched the phone tight. He wonders if every lovers in the world, at some point of their lives, would ever feel so overwhelmed as he is now.

"...Love..." He likes it more than Babe. 

He walks to the door and unlocked it. Then he returns to the bed after replying Haoting's message. He put his phone face down on the night stand and cover himself under the warm duvet.

'I'm cold.'

...Message Seen...

Tap, tap, tap

He hears the door opened and closed. Footsteps closes in and the weight shifted on the bed. The familiar arms pulls him into a tight hug. Shigu turn his body towards the heat and placed his palms on Haoting chest. He can hear the fast heartbeats.

Haoting pecks him on his hair and rubs his back slowly, then he place his hand on Shigu's waist, caressing it with his thumb.

' I'm sorry love, I'm sorry.' He repeated his apologies. 

Shigu said nothing. 

He nuzzles his nose on the crook of Haoting's neck, then he bites him at the spot he was kissed by that woman. He licks it, bite on it again to frame it, suck on it hard, then bites at it again. Under the bedside light, the mark is already obvious. Tomorrow, it will be bolder once it's fully formed on the skin. Haoting cringed at the pain but he lets Shigu be. Shigu never marks him this way.

'Good night Ah Hao'

Haoting hugs him tight. 'Good night Love. I really really love you.' 

Shigu smiles. 

After 3 days, they finally able to sleep peacefully.

***

A/N:  I hate angst. But they are unavoidable in relationships. If you read my first story on Wattpad about the alternative ending, they got married after close to 10 years. Relationship is a journey, mixed between the good and the bad. I want to highlight more on the good sides but the angsty bits are necessary too. But you know, just a bit, not till killing off the character out of nowhere * cough * cough* Damn original scriptwriter.