Mingyu shifts in his sleep. Something feels different. He's sure he's asleep, but it doesn't feel the same. He cracks one eye open, just to be sure.
Yeah, nothing seems off. He remembers falling asleep on the couch last night, while Wonwoo was away talking to someone on the phone. Maybe he didn't want to disturb Mingyu from his slumber. Mingyu sighs, and goes back to sleep. Or rather, he tries. He tosses and turns around on the couch, until he hears Wonwoo come out of the room with the house keys jingling in his hand. "Won?" Mingyu asks.
"I'm going out just for a while, I'll be back soon," Wonwoo answers, as Mingyu nods and dives back inside his blanket.
Mingyu doesn't even know what time it is, since his phone is somewhere in the room. Eventually, he does end up falling asleep. But not for long.
A deafening crash from outside the window, probably on the road, jerks Mingyu awake. There's another noise, urgent honking to be precise, and Mingyu finds himself suddenly standing on the sidewalk, all alone as he looks at the scene in front of him in horror.
It's the same car from that day, a dark blue and its headlights glowing menacingly in the fading darkness of dawn. The most terrifying part of the whole scenario is that there's another Mingyu, in the same exact clothes he wore that day, sitting in the driver's seat of the car, instead of the actual person who'd been driving. But Car Mingyu is crying, and he speeds away, not caring about the commotion he caused.
Street Mingyu screams something undecipherable, and Mingyu wakes up in cold sweat.
"BABY!" Mingyu urgently shoves his blanket away, and runs to the room. The throws the door open, and his heartbeat accelerates when he sees no sign of Wonwoo in the bedroom. Mingyu gasps for breaths, clutching his chest as he grips the doorknob with his other hand to prevent tumbling.
An additional sound, different from Mingyu's ragged breathing, approaches nearer to the room. Mingyu looks around, although his tears blur everything, and his eyes land on a shirtless figure standing frozen in the doorway.
Wonwoo. Mingyu leaves the doorknob, and traps Wonwoo desperately between himself and the wall. Mingyu, as a coping response, presses himself harder against Wonwoo - who's so utterly confused and worried - and kisses him so aggressively, hot tears running down his cheeks, Wonwoo thinks he's going to end up with bruised lips once he realises.
Wonwoo has no fucking idea of what's going on, but he can't even bring himself to push Mingyu away, especially when he looks so troubled and out of it. Wonwoo taps the back of Mingyu head, which now trails down to his neck to press wet kisses on it, in hopes he stops whatever he's doing and understands the situation.
But no. No matter how hard he tries, Mingyu doesn't seem to register anything. He claws onto Wonwoo's back, now moving on to his shoulder, as he leaves warm, sloppy licks and kisses everywhere he can find purchase.
It finally occurs to Wonwoo that he can use his words too. And so he does. He yells Mingyu's name.
Mingyu immediately stops whatever he's doing, and looks up at Wonwoo - who's absolutely clueless as to why Mingyu's behaving this way.
Mingyu, poor Mingyu, looks so desperate and traumatised as he deliriously stares at Wonwoo. The latter leans down and kisses him lovingly, and that's when he feels Mingyu relax. "I'm here, Gyu, I'm right here." He whispers once he pulls away.
Mingyu isn't looking at him anymore, he hides his face in Wonwoo's bare chest, as he whimpers like a lost puppy and refuses to let go of Wonwoo.
Wonwoo leads him to the bed, hoping to sit down and ask Mingyu what happened. But Mingyu insists with a shake of his head that they lie down. "If that's what you want," Wonwoo assures, and Mingyu swiftly pulls Wonwoo's back towards his chest and spoons him tightly.
Wonwoo decides it's not the best time to get anything out of Mingyu right now, and he settles with running soothing hands on Mingyu's, as a way of silent reassurance that he's here with him. Wonwoo wants to turn and press kisses to Mingyu's head, but when he tries to, Mingyu doesn't let him move, and holds him in his place.
Mingyu's head is tucked in the curve of Wonwoo's neck, as he still hasn't stopped biting and kissing it. It gets unbearable at one point, making Wonwoo forcefully twist himself to look Mingyu in the face. The boy whimpers, crying again, as Wonwoo places light pecks on his forehead and nose. "Gyu, it's alright, it's just me."
"Wonwoo... you're here?"
"Yes. Yes, I am."
"You didn't go out some time ago?"
"No? I was here all the time."
"Then the car crash... Why was I driving the car?"
Wonwoo doesn't have to ask further to understand. "Mingyu, you're okay, both of us have been in the house since last night. None of us has gone out."
"But then why were you bleeding? You weren't in your room..."
"Mingyu, I was in the bathroom, and no, I never bled. I was sleeping."
"Really?" Mingyu finally opens his eyes and looks at Wonwoo. He sobs when he sees Wonwoo exactly like he'd seen him yesterday, holding him close.
"Your leg..." Mingyu points, and loosens his arms from Wonwoo. He shifts down until he's eye-to-eye with Wonwoo's left leg, and kisses it continuously.
Wonwoo wants to cry, looking at Mingyu so small and desperate as he clutches at his leg.
That's the leg which took most of the blow that day, and there's an ugly scar etched from his upper calf to his quad, which Mingyu tenderly pecks. "I'm so sorry, Baby," Mingyu whispers, and then rests his head on Wonwoo's knee.
"Why are you sorry, Gyu?"
"For letting this happen to you." He points at the scar.
"What are you saying Gyu?" Wonwoo's worried this isn't Mingyu speaking.
"I could have stopped it..."
"There's nothing you could have changed, Gyu, it's alright. I'm fine now, aren't I?"
Mingyu remains silent after that. Wonwoo's knee is wet now, from all the tears Mingyu shed on it. Wonwoo bends forward and cradles his head, on the verge of tears looking at Mingyu so miserable. "Mingyu..." Wonwoo says after a while.
"Yeah?"
"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? It hurts me so much to see you like this,"
"I can't help it, Won, this is never going to leave me alone."
"Why do you say that?"
"I don't know..."
"If you say it, there's a higher chance it actually won't leave you..."
"I'm sorry."
"Stop apologising, goddammit!"
Wonwoo has no idea of what he should do. Hug Mingyu to sleep so he forgets this? Or should he talk it out right now?
"Hey Gyu?"
Mingyu hums. "What's your favourite memory with Jieun?"
Mingyu stills. Not quite the question he'd expected, but he's more than ready to answer. "Almost all of them, to be honest. It's hard to not like any of the time spent with her,"
"Pick the most favourite, then." Wonwoo prods.
"Hmm... Maybe the times she hugs me. Her hugs are so warm, just like yours."
"That's nice."
"What's with the sudden question?"
"Are you still thinking about it?"
Oh. Mingyu realises he's actually quite calmer now. "No..."
"I'm sorry I was so rough on you earlier," Mingyu says in a small voice.
"It's okay, you were scared, it's fine."
"I didn't hurt you," Even the thought of him hurting Wonwoo in any way makes Mingyu shudder. "Right?"
Wonwoo chuckles. "No, silly,"
"I love you."
"Love you too, Gyu, go back to sleep now."
"Do you want me to sleep away from you..?"
Wonwoo rolls his eyes. He pulls Mingyu back up, and hugs him securely. "No, you're sleeping here with me."