Work Text:
JAEHYUK
Jaehyuk stares outside the Café, getting lost in his thoughts. His heart is heavy again just like the weather today. It's been raining all morning and afternoon.
Ah. Rain.
It was raining that day.
Ah. Pain.
He's feeling it again.
"Jaehyuk? Hey, are you listening?" Junkyu called him and shook his shoulders.
"Oh, I'm sorry. What was that again?" He replied
"Are you sure you're okay? We can do this tomorrow" Junkyu looks worried.
Junkyu knows his history. His friend was there when it happened. He was there when he was at his lowest.
They were deciding on a new menu in their Café, they launched this business together right after college and now they have five branches in the city.
"No it's fine, we can add that mini cakes in the menu"
"Okay, I'll just call our supplier for that if they can provide enough amount for all the branches"
"Is that all for today?"
"Yes. You can go home now, I can sense your not yourself today because its raining"
Jaehyuk just smiled sadly.
"I'm fine. It's just the weather making me feel gloomy today" Junkyu looks at the rain again, it's pouring hard.
"If you say so, just remember I'm here to listen" Junkyu says
"Yeah I know, stop acting like mom, I'm fine" Jaehyuk just laughed
"I'll go first, Mashi is waiting for me at home" Junkyu stood up and put the papers on the table in his file case.
"Send my regards" Jaehyuk waves goodbye to his good friend
He stayed for another hour in the Café to wait for the clouds to stop crying.
It was raining hard and Jaehyuk had no umbrella with him. Today's not a good day, he ran from home. His parents are divorcing, his mom is moving out and he's left to decide who to go with.
He doesn't want to go to either of them. He wants a complete family. He didn't even realize his parent's relationship was going downhill because he never saw them fight. Maybe they do, when he's not at home.
It breaks his heart more. He loves both of them but they don't love each other anymore. Is that how love is?
Jaehyuk sits on one of the benches in the park and let the rain pour over him, letting the rain wash his tears and broken heart.
He cried his lungs out until he felt that the rain stopped on top of him.
An umbrella is hovering over him. He looked up and saw a pretty man with a poker face holding it.
"Thank you" Jaehyuk says
The stranger smiled at him. It gave Jaehyuk's heart a jump.
Maybe, he'll let this person stop the rain for him.
That's how they met. Asahi, the stranger with the umbrella filled his empty heart with love.
His parents really divorced but it's okay. He has Asahi on his side now. He has Asahi in his life.
Until Asahi decided to leave.
He left to choose his dreams over Jaehyuk.
Jaehyuk understands, he really does. But what he doesn't understand is why Asahi needed to break up with him before he left.
Jaehyuk's world crumbles down like a sand castle being devoured by the ocean.
Asahi, his Asahi leaving him broken and alone.
Is a long distance relationship that difficult?
Is his love for Asahi not strong or not enough for the other?
Is he not enough?
He cries some more when he remembers that day at the airport how he begged for Asahi not to break up with him. How he walked home, soaking himself with the heavy rain.
But it's all over.
Two months but his heart still aches.
Asahi is on another side of the world achieving his dreams and here he is still hurting.
He opens his Instagram account and stalks Asahi's posts. He does that once in a while. Stupid as it seems but yeah, he want to see if Asahi is doing fine.
He sees a picture of Asahi with that man again, Yoshi? That's what the post says.
'Take good care of him for me Yoshi' He whispers and closes his phone.
I guess it's time to move on.
******
ASAHI
Asahi shuffles on his bed. He opens his eyes and scans the room that's painted white, around him are machines beeping.
Ah. Yes.
He's in the hospital, he forgot. He's been here for two months.
He lied to Jaehyuk. He did not leave him for an apprenticeship to an Art guru. He left because he was dying. Stage 4 lung cancer.
He doesn't want to drag Jaehyuk halfway around the world and see his body deteriorating.
He loves Jaehyuk so much that it hurts. He loves Jaehyuk so much that's why he left him with a lie for him to move on and live the rest of his life not thinking about the younger.
He knows Jaehyuk will check his SNS accounts so he posts random old pictures of him, sometimes with his cousin Yoshi who's taking care of him now.
"You're awake" Yoshi speaks and hands him a peeled orange
"Thanks" Asahi stares at the fruit, he remembers Jaehyuk peeling oranges for him.
"You're thinking about him again" Yoshi says looking sad and concerned to his sick cousin
"Always" Asahi replies
"Why don't you tell him?" Yoshi asks
"I can't. I can't hold him down. I can't have him take care of me, a dying man, and waste his prime years" Asahi's eyes are damp with tears now.
"I want to see him live his life to the fullest" Asahi finishes
"But what about him? What if he wants to be with you? What if he wants to spend his prime years with you, sick or not?" Yoshi asks again
Asahi is speechless. He doesn't want to answer Yoshi because it's true. If he tells Jaehyuk about his condition, the other would not leave his side.
"It's better this way" Asahi put away the orange and laid down to sleep again.
He just wants to sleep away the pain in his body and heart.
Doctor's say he's got six months to go when he discovers his condition. He's got four months left. Doctor's advised him to get treatment in the US but chances of survival are low.
He's hoping maybe if the gods are on his side they'll grant him more years but if not, well he can't do anything about it.
He closed his eyes and dreamed of a man with a whisker smile.
*****
Jaehyuk never thought that travelling this far, so fast, was possible. Jaehyuk is nervous and his heart is breaking at the same time.
Yoshi called him. He was surprised by the call but was more surprised by what Yoshi told him.
Asahi is in a coma.
Jaehyuk cried after listening to Yoshi.
He cries so hard for Asahi, being so selfless and kind. He cried even more when he stood in front of Asahi's hospital room.
Jaehyuk comes in and sees Asahi sleeping, in tubes, losing a lot of weight and skin as pale as the tiled floor.
He cries again seeing the love of his life fighting for his life without him knowing. He holds Asahi's hands and cries more.
"I'm sorry for doubting you. I'm sorry for not being here. I'm sorry love" Jaehyuk whispers
Jaehyuk never left Asahi's side ever again.
Yoshi was thankful for Jaehyuk's presence, he thinks Asahi is getting better every day, his color is improving.
Yoshi wishes that his cousin wakes up, he wishes his cousin can hear Jaehyuk's sweet words for him. They say people in coma can hear the people around them so he's hoping that Asahi will fight for his life for Jaehyuk.
Jaehyuk would talk for hours about random things, about the weather, his Café, his friends, Asahi's pretty hands, Asahi's art works. He would not get tired of talking endlessly.
It was a beautiful morning when Jaehyuk saw Asahi's hands flinching. Jaehyuk's heart so fast, he called in the doctor to check Asahi.
"He's improving" the Doctor said
"I guess it's all thanks to you" the Doctor smiles at him
Jaehyuk prays that's really the case. He prays every second of every day for Asahi healing.
"So doc, is there any chance that the cancer cells will be gone?" Jaehyuk asks
"I can't really say 'gone', we'll never know, but from the charts I'm seeing, the treatment is working on him, the cancer cells are gone. It's a miracle honestly, even though he's in a coma, he's fighting for his life" the Doctor finally says
Jaehyuk cries again. He's glad to hear Asahi is doing his best even though he's in this state. Jaehyuk prays more as he holds Asahi's hands.
A month passed by with Asahi still in a coma, although the doctors said he's improving, there's no sign of him getting out of his deep slumber.
Jaehyuk was sleeping soundly beside Asahi, head on the bed, one hand on Asahi's when Asahi slowly blinks.
Asahi felt sore. His whole body felt numb from sleeping so long. He looked around and got bewildered when he saw Jaehyuk beside him.
"Am I dreaming again? I must be dreaming" Asahi whispers
Asahi slowly removed his hand from Jaehyuk's, pulled his body to a sitting position and caressed the older hair. He looks tired. Everything looks so real, Asahi wishes not to wake up if this is a dream.
Jaehyuk shuffles and that's when their eyes meet. Jaehyuk stood up in surprise and held Asahi's shoulders.
"Asahi!? You're awake?! Does it hurt somewhere? Should I call the doctor? Wait I'll call the doctor" Jaehyuk was about to run but Asahi stopped him
"I'm fine, I'm okay" Asahi's voice sounds tired "Where's Yoshi?"
"I need to call the doctor first, you're finally awake, just want to make sure you're doing fine, I'll be back and Yoshi just went out for a bit" Jaehyuk kissed the top of his head and Asahi felt like crying.
Is this real, it feels real. He feels like he's floating when a band of doctors and nurses came in with Jaehyuk and check his vitals.
"How are you feeling Asahi?" the Doctor asked
"I'm feeling sore but I feel good" Asahi replies
"You're such a fighter, a few more weeks and you'll be out" the Doctor says in glee
"How about my—" Asahi stops himself and looks at Jaehyuk, he doesn't want the older to hear that he has cancer but then his brain cells are not working well now. He just realized Jaehyuk is here in the hospital so he probably knew already.
"The cancer cells are gone, well most of it. We can say you're healed, it's a miracle, you're a miracle Asahi" the Doctor finally says.
Asahi cries and Jaehyuk too. The older hugged Asahi tightly assuring him that he's here with him.
"Well then that's all I guess, stay healthy Asahi" the Doctor bids goodbye
"Thank you Doctor Park" Jaehyuk thanks the doctor and the he nods
"Congratulations Asahi, you beat cancer. I am proud of you" Jaehyuk smiles
"Jae, how did you come here? How did you know? Don't you hate me for lying?" Asahi asks with his head hidden in Jaehyuk's chest
"Yoshi called me and I flew here immediately. I didn't hate you. I had so many questions back then but when Yoshi told me everything, it all made sense. I hated myself for not being here with you" Jaehyuk caressed his back
"Thank you" Asahi hugs him tight
"I love you" Jaehyuk replies
Asahi looks up and sees the man he wants to spend the rest of his good days with. He's here and he's here to stay. Asahi's safe place is here in Jaehyuk's arms.
"and I love you too" Asahi smiles.