Hello there. This chapter is quite long, but needed. Hope you can understand.
As usual, two warning to mind. Read carefully. Always care of yourself !
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The room was in the dark, curtains drawn to block the sun from entering and disturbing the resting person laying in the bed. She was on her back, her head on a pillow, her small slender hands on each side of her body over the cover that was pulled to her armpits. Her light dark hair had been whipped out of her face with a wet towel by the young man hovering at her side.
She didn't blink, didn't move. She wasn't expressing any kind of emotion nor any of the pains she must by feeling. Psychologically or physically she was unresponsive to anything and everything around her. She was broken, she couldn't hear anything nor cared to anyway.
« How are you feeling today Ji Su-ya ? » asked softly Hyeon Jae.
He was seating on the edge of the bed, his legs hanging outside of it. A bucket of water was put in front of him where he could rince the wet cloth as he was gently cleaning the unresponsive body next to him. The fact that he continued to speak and ask questions with almost no blank was a good indication that he wasn't waiting for an answer. His whispering voice was the only noise in the room and it was only aimed at the wounded person. To try and get through her.
« Did your sister come today ? She is worried about you, you know. I have tried to talk to her again about the cancellation of our engagement but she hasn't agreed yet. But don't worry, I will convince her. » Hyeon Jae faintly smiled and got closer to Ji Su's ear, whispering for only her « You are the only one I love. »
Weirdly enough those words went through Ji Su's haze, making her blink one or two times as she registered the information. Against her will, she had waited for those words and had fought the hope to ever hear them again.
« You are so precious to me. Seeing you, has always been my personal remedy for any difficulties. Just the fact that I can meet you at some point in the day, make it worth it to go along with anything. Since the first time I had laid my eyes on you, you were the one for me. I am sorry, I took so long to realize it, to understand my feelings, so long that you got hurt while waiting. The promise I made you, I will keep it ! I will protect you. »
The confession, the obvious sincerity in his voice as well as the tenderness she could feel in the light touch he was dropping on her hands, face and hair was breaking Ji Su's blocked and wounded heart. She was begining to feel again. Anxiety, panic, exhaustion and frustration were taking over her numbness. Tears were escaping from her blinking eyes, a silent, breathless cry going out of her opened lips. Hyeon Jae's heartfelt words were slowly warming her raw heart. Her hand clutched, a visible manifestation of her struggles, of her internal torments.
It's only when she felt his stronger and bigger hand in hers that she finally let out whimpers, later on increasing to a loud cry. She couldn't stop crying now, her emotional breakdown was overwhelming and needed to get out. Rolling toward Hyeon Jae, she put her head in his lap, burying her face in his toned abs and clutching on his shirt with her second hand.
His gentle humming and loving, comforting, mumbles were what was helping her calm down after all her pant up emotions vanished with her tears. Exhausted by the crying mess, she didn't want to move and just shoved her face closer to him, fearing that he would disappear.
« Shush, I'm right here. » he whispered « Lay down on the bed. »
As she protested wordlessly, he chuckled, stroking her hair.
« I'm not leaving you, trust me. »
And then, without a word, he pushed her further on the bed. She felt him stand up and stuck her head up in panic. But he came back right away, letting her know about the bucket of water while he laid down next to her, cuddling her possessively.
« I'm not letting you go. Never ! » he murmured in her hair, dropping little kisses as she snuggled closer to him to finally fall back to sleep.
Liam was feeling funny.
A part of him was the happiest he had ever been and he couldn't stop looking at the sleeping body cuddled on him in the bed. He rounded his right arm under the slender body and made small tender gestures on the tanned skin. Dean was probably tired after all they had done yesterday night. Far from wanting to wake him up Liam was enjoying the fact that he could take care of him in small ways like this.
The fact that Dean had trusted him enough to let him make love to him was overwhelming. He had let a complete beginner and an inexperienced lover make the trickiest moves. And under his lead, Liam had found the pleasure of sharing the most intimate moments with the loveliest man he knew.
Heaving a deep and contented sight, Liam went back to his earlier reflection. He did feel complete and over the moon with what was happening with Dean. But ...
It wasn't about Dean. Well, it did have a link to him ... but it wasn't his own actions that were making him uneasy. It was all about these dreams and the story they were letting him know. In a way, he was thankful for those as they had made Dean approach him and let him know of this wonderful person. On another side, he hated what they let them see.
He didn't have to be a genius to know how the story ended. Logically speaking if they were the reincarnated life, present now and remembering fragments of the past, it was because the past life had died. And from what both Halabeoji and Khun pu had said, as well as his mom, Ji Su had died a long time before his grandfather, Hyeon Jae, had himself died.
The way Ji Su had died was not exactly clear for now. The former generations seemed so saddened, remembering it, that he hadn't had the mind to ask for specificities. He had more than his share of worries too.
However, his dreams and more precisely the one he just woke up from were starting to show him glimpses of a bleak future. Liam was feeling his heartbeat go into a frenzy each time he woke up. Panic was not far but more than anything, it seemed a shape of doom and unhappiness was hovering over his head and shoulders.
Warning him of what was to come.
Squeezing closer the toned body against him, Liam focused on the touch and warmth he could feel through their nude chest. He didn't want to think about it. He would rather bury it and forget. Later. Later he would try to understand and to accept everything.
Right now, he would rather observe the one resting on his side. Liam himself needed a reality check of what he really had in his own world. So he took another cushion to rest his head on a bit higher and lost himself in the delight of ravishing the handsome man in his arms, with his eyes.
« ฉันร้อน (C̄hạn r̂xn - I'm hot) » a voice lamented in a grunt, steering Liam away from his contemplation.
Obviously not understanding one word that had crossed the border of his lover's lips, Liam still got the meaning behind it as Dean was fidgeting and getting rid of their cover. Chuckling, Liam helped the younger man push the linen away from him and relaxed his hold too. The motion was too cute for words and he didn't want anything to disturb Dean. Even himself.
However, before he could get away and down from the bed, he was forcefully pulled back to his previous position.
« 어디 가 ? (Eodi ga - Where are you going ?) » mumbled Dean, draping himself on Liam.
Dumbfounded, Liam was shocked by the sudden action. Dean's position on him didn't leave any doubt on his state of mind. He wanted to cuddle and wouldn't let anyone tell him otherwise.
« Même en dormant, tu es polyglotte petit Lion ? ( Even while sleeping, you are multilingual Little Cub ? ) » Liam whispered, downing the fact that he had been interrogated in yet another language.
« I know, I'm the best. » Dean cockyly answered, a smile visible on his face even though his eyes were still closed.
« Oh really ? » smirked Liam, playful now that he knew his boyfriend was awake « I should give my respect to the best man on Earth then ... »
Without another word, Liam slided his arms under Dean's armpit and using his legs as a lever knocked around the younger man. Swiftly grabbing the younger man's hands he held them, with his, on each side of the black haired man and dived in the offered neck to pepper it with feather like kiss. Licking and kissing his way down, he took a taste of every inch of Dean's skin. Said man wriggled under his ministrations, whining for more. When Liam was sure that he had not left any hook or corner untouched, he lowered his own chest, ghosting over Dean's in a sensuous manner.
« What do you think, Oh greatest man on Earth ? » he smirked, the green circle of his eyes only winning on the black pupil in the center by a hair « Was that enough reverence or would you like some more ? »
Dean looked up at him, only his pupils visible in his lust filled eyes. Judging by the effect they had on each other, his sanity was probably nowhere in sight at the moment. Liam's smirk grew wider when he felt his hips being pulled down by his lover's legs, who had found their way around his back.
« Who said you can stop ? » purred Dean breathlessly, bucking his hips up.
Liam couldn't stop the moan that escaped his lips at the sensation created by the younger's action. Locking their eyes together, he gave back a stroke of his own on their hardness and kissed hungrily his boyfriend.
Laying side by side, the two lovers were struggling to find back their breath after the intensive and exquisite exercise they just had. Dean, who had fought for the right to be on top of Liam in their last 'game' was now resting his head on Liam's chest, the air escaping his lips brushing it, sending delicious shivers running on the lightly tanned skin.
As for Liam, a small smile was hitching on his lips as he rested on the bed, his long fingers caressing lavishly the black strand of hair. He had successfully changed his earlier mood and distracted his over-thinking mind.
« Don't you find it fun to think that my mom and your dad knew each other ? » asked Dean suddenly, his voice low as if he was lost in his own world of contemplation.
Liam didn't answer, focussing solely on the sensation of his fingers in the silky hair. The weight of his boyfriend's head that was moving along his chest as he breathed in and out the much needed oxygen. Or even the fact that their legs were intertwined. He liked to feel the firmness of Dean's muscled limbs.
« I wonder if they would have had something going on ... » wondered the Thai man « Can you imagine if we had been brothers ? »
Shivers and a deep frown was all the reaction Liam's body showed to this frightening idea.
« Why would you daydream about such disturbing things ? » he groaned, pulling the younger man higher and locked their eyes together.
Liam frown disappeared once he saw the mischievous look in the dark orbs that were alway fascinating him, since more than six month ago. The fact that Dean was now leaning on him and grazing his eyebrows with his slender finder might have something to do with it too.
Uncontrollably Liam's mind still walked on the path of Dean's day dream. What if really ? If they had been brothers then they wouldn't have had to meet and be together in such a dramatic way. But then again, they wouldn't have been able to work together, travel together and learn so much. And Liam himself wouldn't have gone through all those delicious discoveries of Dean's every aspect.
« I would never exchange our meeting for anything else. » Liam pensively concluded, his strong arms circling around Dean's waist, securing him over him.
« Right. As if it had been all pleasant from the beginning. » retorqued ironically the younger man.
« It was actually. I think you entered my head since your first day in France. »
« But ... » Dean was frowning, perplexed « We only met in October. I was already there for a month at least ! »
Liam chuckled and tapped Dean's sharp nose, going up afterward to smooth out the fold on Dean's forehead.
« At the campsite ? » as Dean nodded his confirmation, Liam completed « That was actually our second meeting. Or you could say, the second time I saw you. The first time being at the Train station and judging by the amount of luggage you and Win had, just after you arrived from Thailand. »
In front of Dean's puzzled face, Liam couldn't repress his smile and proceeded to shed some light on their mysterious string of meeting in different places. Liam recounted fondly how he had first sighted the Thai man being his benevolent self and then the responsible friend he was.
It was entertaining to be able to surprise Dean with their very own story. And at the same time, Liam was also analysing his own reactions, actions and could now accept the fact that Dean had never been a stranger to him. He had always instinctively looked at him and given him more attention than anyone else before.
Even if Dean might have mentioned fate or the fact that they had an invisible link, Liam wasn't sure he wanted to believe in all that. He just was thankful that he had met Dean and had been able to like him, love him and spend his time with him. They were lucky but had also worked hard to reach the point where they were now.
Liam couldn't overemphasize enough that last point. If Dean had not made that request of learning how to make a guitar. If himself, knowing well that it was an excuse had not accepted and made extra efforts to keep the younger man close to him. If they had not spent so much time fighting but always trying to communicate, explain and understand each other's point of view, then they wouldn't be here, together. They would have parted the first time Liam had seen him in someone else's arms. Or maybe when they had different views on the reincarnation dreams. No one knows.
But thankfully they had stuck, even if reluctantly at some point, to the other's side and gone past all these hurdles. Dean first, underlined the importance of his friends in that matter and Liam, himself couldn't deny that point as Julia had been a massive supporter on his part.
Reminiscing on their past and going on talking about any and everything, they spend the morning lazily in bed until they were called to have lunch with Chris' and Marc.
The rest of the day was spent at Halabeoji's house, where they both enjoyed the company of the elder along with Khun pu. Dean was so excited to have this time to talk with his grandfather and to discover more about Hyeon Su Halabeoji's life. He also, very visibly, was proud of the fact that his older boyfriend and grandfather were getting to know each other. Liam wasn't as enthusiastic about learning about the past. But just seeing how Dean and the two elders acted made him feel at ease for the rest of the day.
It had been a rough week. Mrs Hong was keeping an eyes on every and any person coming in and out of the house. Although she didn't allow a doctor to come and check on Ji Su, she wasn't heartless and let her 'dear' son recover from whatever he had encountered. She wasn't interested in what it was though. That would have been information she didn't want to know anyway.
In another family, for another mom, maybe they would have asked questions and accepted that their son was a victim, whichever was there taste in the romantic part of life. But not for Mrs Hong. She had made her mind in believing that Ji Su was the origin of all the wrong things happening, with his unnatural taste. So in continuation with her effort to convert him to follow the right path, she decided that what happened to him was his punishment.
Ji Su had been excused from school, but not Su Ji nor Hyeon Jae. As such, they were going and coming from university every day before sneaking in Ji Su's bedroom whenever they could. When the guard was too tight, they had met once or twice, Hyeon Jae still trying to convince the girl on the cancellation of the wedding.
« Hyeon Jae-ssi, can you stop it please ? » the fair girl pleaded softly.
It was Friday and they had yet again been unable to enter Ji Su's bedroom, hence meeting in one of the other room for another round of arguments.
« I can't Su Ji-ssi ... » although he felt pity for the beautiful girl, Hyeon Jae couldn't give up « We are not meant to be. » sighing, he decided to let out a half truth « I like someone else. Even if I can't guarantee that I will be able to marry that person ... I can't marry you when I feel nothing for you. I have to fight for that person and for myself. »
Ji Su was gaping, surprised by this new information. Her brows were knitting, translating the torment she felt inside.
« Do you have to ... »
Before she could finish her denial, the boy in front of her interrupted her, looking her straight in the eyes.
« I am not giving up ! I'm not joking and neither am I lying to you. This is a serious matter that begins with us but will also be a benefit for your brother. I will have to leave this house and I will take him with me. It's his only way out. He won't have to suffer anymore. »
Hesitation was visible in her eyes, she was reconsidering and taking in his words. She was clever and might have even put two and two together but didn't say anything about the strange correlation between her wedding and her brother.
Lowering her head, she let her long dark hair cover her face, hiding from Hyeon Jae's sight. Understanding that she needed time to gather herself, he looked through the window at the darkening sky. He would have to take action soon if he wanted to spare the poor Ji Su from further unhappy events. Soon she will have to go back to school where her bullies were waiting to continue on their atrocious hobby. They hadn't been punished and as such would probably never stop. A heavy sigh tore him away from his reflexion.
« Fine, I will do it. How do we proceed ? » Su Ji let out a firm and determined look on.
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