The next morning, Yi Jeong woke up first. The daylight, shining through the curtains, tinted the room in warm colors.
He watched Woo Bin for a while, who looked especially beautiful with that light, flattering his features.
Yi Jeong sighed softly and decided to sneak out of bed to prepare breakfast.
Since they had to change the sheets anyway, they might as well enjoy breakfast in bed.
Yi Jeong looked around in the messy living room and started picking up the bottles.
He wasn't even mad and though he told Woo Bin to clean up his mess, he didn't mind doing it for him.
Woo Bin needed some extra love, after he had to deal with his issues on his own for the last few days.
After the living room looked like a decent place again, Yi Jeong went to the bathroom.
Now it was his time to shave. His facial hair grew a bit slower than Woo Bin's, but since he was able to change to full fur now, why couldn't he enjoy no hair in places he didn't want it to grow for a change, but that was too much of wishful thinking.
He was searching for his shaver, but couldn't find it until he remembered that Woo Bin used it last night.
"Idiot. Put my stuff back in my drawer." he mumbled and opened Woo Bin's drawer, where he found his shaver and a pair of funny looking glasses.
"What the hell is that.." he picked them up and twisted them around in his hands.
It certainly didn't look like a pair of glasses someone with some sense for fashion would pick from a store, more like for a costume and Yi Jeong decided to give it a try, just for fun.
He looked into the mirror and almost got a heart attack, because he was not looking at his own reflection, but into a different universe and slapped the glasses off his face hastily, his heart beating fast.
Yi Jeong had no idea for how long he was staring at the thing before he slowly picked it up, his hands shaky.
Feeling like he was controlled by a higher force, he put the glasses back on and this time, he kept looking.
Meanwhile, Woo Bin was slowly waking up, finding himself alone in their comfortable double bed and rolled over. Yi Jeong's side was cold already, how long did he sleep? Their last conversation shot through his mind and his heartbeat started rising. The idea alone, that Yi Jeong would take his life to go with him made him feel sick.
But well, he had about at least 60 years left to change his mind, though he knew how stubborn his boyfriend was. He wouldn't change his mind on this..
Woo Bin sighed and closed his eyes again. It was so quiet in the apartment..
He eventually forced himself to get up.
If Yi Jeong was having breakfast on his own, he would usually watch some TV program, so he assumed he went somewhere and decided to better start cleaning up before he would return.
To his surprise, the living room was clean, with no traces left of the mess he made.
He looked around for a note, because they never left without leaving a note. He couldn't find any.
Woo Bin scratched his head and toddled to the bathroom. He splashed some cold water into his face to wake up his brain and while grabbing for a towel, he noticed that his drawer was open and a sudden adrenalin rush made him wide awake. The glasses were gone.
"Shit!" he said out loud and turned around in a rush, but froze because he found Yi Jeong, on the ground, leaning against the wall.
He had the glasses in one hand and stared right through him, his cheeks covered with traces of tears.
"Babe.." Woo Bin asked carefully and Yi Jeong's empty eyes found his. He lifted up his arm and offered Woo Bin to take the glasses. "Look.." he said hoarsely and Woo Bin took the glasses from him.
"I'm so sorry.. I forgot to tell you about this.. You weren't supposed to look through them... not yet." Woo Bin mumbled and wanted nothing more than to punch himself in the face.
"Look at me." Yi Jeong repeated and Woo Bin frowned. "I don't care what those glasses show me. I'm looking at you right now."
"Look at me, and tell me if you can still love me after you know what I am.."
"Yi Jeong.."
"NOW!" Yi Jeong's jaw was quivering, his angry eyes tearing up again. He had never yelled at Woo Bin like that before.
„What if I don't want to?" Woo Bin asked dryly, while crossing his arms in front of his chest. He could do stubborn, too.
„Then I'm leaving today and you will never see me again." Yi Jeong blinked away a tear, followed by another.
„What the hell are you talking about? This isn't you.. I don't care what Yi Rang did."
„I am Yi Rang."
Yi Jeong looked so terrified, Woo Bin saw no other way than looking at what he saw, to help him now.
"I'm doing this to help you with what you just saw and this is the first and last time you try to extort me like this, do you understand?"
Woo Bin's anger was clear in his voice and his eyes, still Yi Jeong kept the eye contact, seemingly not affected by his harsh words.
"Maybe you should get used to be with an asshole.." he replied apathetically and Woo Bin took a deep, shaky breath.
"Well. Since you won't get rid of me under any circumstances, I guess it's on you how you want to treat me."
Those words hit hard and Yi Jeong's features changed from cold to desperate. "I'm sorry.." he whined, his voice thin, then he started sobbing.
Woo Bin settled next to him, leaned his head against his shoulder and took his hand, their fingers intertwining. He wasn't saying anything, just waiting for Yi Jeong to calm down.
It took a while until he stopped crying and a little longer until he managed to say something.
"What I just said.."
"it's forgotten." Woo Bin squeezed his hand.
"I'm so sorry.."
"I know. Don't worry about it.."
"No, for what I just said alone, you would have all the rights in the world to leave me.."
"Just that's not us. We're not running from problems, we face them and we solve them and we grow stronger, together. It's my fault. I wasn't thinking.. I should have told you right away that we have such an item in the house. Ji Ah gave it to me because she trusted me to keep it from you until you're ready. And for me to keep it, so no one can look at me through it without my permission.."
"Did she also tell you how I gave it to her just to hurt her? I saw it.. I hurt so many people.. I just got a glimpse of my past and it was already too much. My sacrifice isn't even close to enough to deserving a second chance.. this life... you.."
"Yes.. she told me what he did. And I told you I don't care. I know you. I'm with you. You never hurt anyone."
"If my memory comes back... Like Yeon.. he remembered all after he was reborn. If my memory comes back too, aren't we the same then?"
"Does it matter if you stay the same to me?" Woo Bin asked and sat up, playing with the glasses in his hands.
Yi Jeong looked at Woo Bin, who tilted his head a little and cracked a smile.
"I want you to know me.. You always knew me best.. If this is part of who I am, you need to see me.. I want you to look at me."
"Okay.." Woo Bin nodded. "Because I want to help you through this. And I will only understand you if I see it with my own eyes. Don't be afraid, okay.. It will change nothing." with that said, he finally put on the glasses and looked at Yi Jeong.
He already had seen Ji Ah through this for a moment, so he knew what was awaiting him.
The first scene made Woo Bin smile. He saw Rang as a child and he just looked like Yi Jeong when they first met. His smile wasn't lasting for long though, he soon found out what happened to the boy.. How he got abandoned by his mother and picked up by Yi Yeon. He witnessed their happy times together and also how he lost everything when the forest burned to ashes, including his only friend.
He saw him slaughter those who did this to him and a continuation of horrible things he did to people, just to watch them suffer.
Woo Bin took off the glasses, he had seen enough.
Yi Jeong had a look on his face as if he just knew this was it. The end of their relationship.
There was no way Woo Bin would be able to love someone who did all these horrible things.
Woo Bin stood up, put the glasses back in his drawer and walked to the balcony, where he took a deep breath. He needed a moment to collect himself and wiped away a tear.
When he went back inside, he heard Yi Jeong in the bedroom and found him throwing clothes into a suitcase.
"What are you doing?" he asked quietly and Yi Jeong didn't look up when he replied.
He just couldn't stand the disappointment in those eyes that used to look at him with nothing but love.
"I will move back in with my mom.. You can have the apartment.. You don't have to say anything, I understand that you.."
Woo Bin grabbed his wrist and Yi Jeong started sobbing all over again.
"Silly.. what are you even talking about?" he asked softly and pulled his boyfriend into his arms.
"I'm a monster.." Yi Jeong tried to fight himself out of the embrace, but with very little effort.
"You might have seen a monster... I saw a pure soul that went through so much trauma at a way too young age, with no one to guide him, to tell him right from wrong.. The only thing I'm mad about is that I didn't find you sooner.. To keep you from hurting.. But I'm here now. Even if you mess up again, whatever it is.. I'll be your light..or your partner in crime. Do you understand what I am saying?"
Yi Jeong was about to drop on his knees because he had no strength left, but Woo Bin lifted him up again and finally, he hugged him back, still not able to stop crying. He had no idea why he deserved someone like Woo Bin.. How he deserved any kind of love at all. But he was grateful and if Woo Bin wanted to be with him after all, he wouldn't send him away. He was way too selfish for that.
After Yi Jeong had calmed down a little, he looked at Woo Bin, who smiled at him. There was no disappointment in his eyes, just pure love, like he was used to. He dried his tears with his sleeves and leaned in for a kiss. Yi Jeong closed his eyes and smiled against his lips.
"I don't deserve you, even if you're stupid because you stay with me..." he mumbled and Woo Bin laughed. "Do you want more you don't deserve? Because this stupid human has something for you."
Yi Jeong pouted but curiously tilted his head.
"Wait here." Woo Bin said and Yi Jeong sat down on the bed, waiting until Woo Bin returned with a familiar looking shopping bag.
"It was the last one, so don't ruin it with rabbit blood again, okay?" he smiled and Yi Jeong unwrapped the sweater. He let his hand run over the soft fabric and smiled. "I will take care of it from now on, I promise." he grabbed Woo Bin by his collar, let himself fall backwards on the bed and pulled him along. Woo Bin landed on top of him and they immediately started to exchange kisses, without wasting any more time with words.
Not even Yi Jeong's mobile phone, ringing in the most inconvenient moment, could make them stop until the ringing switched from his to Woo Bin's phone and that was unusual, because their only common contacts were family.
They parted just to exchange a look, both silently agreeing, that it was better to see whoever wanted something from them.
"It's your brother.." Woo Bin said and read the text Yeon sent after the missed call. "We're invited to family dinner, I quote.. no pressure."
Yi Jeong rolled his eyes and sighed. "Maybe it's not the worst idea.. I can ask them what was so great about past me, that they wanted me back so badly.."
Woo Bin nodded. He wasn't feeling comfortable, thinking of more than one additional person to deal with, but it would be good for Yi Jeong to meet the people who loved the one he called a monster.
He knew Ji Ah wasn't a huge fan of Rang, but there was still the woman from the park, her husband and the dog.
"Let's do it."