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Another beautiful day was drawing towards evening, Gun-woo and Woo-jin had, as usual, spent the day training in their boxing gym they owned together. It was an immaculate looking gym, Gun-woo loved being there. Not because of the high reaching pretty windows, or the pristine and new gym equipment, but because he got to spend all day with Woo-jin.
Today was mostly cardio for them, they of course synced up their workouts. They were wrapping up the day doing some sparring in the ring.
"That all you got Gun-woo-ah?! You slacking on me? You haven't hit me once!"
Gun-woo suppressed his smile, trying to stay focused. 1, 2, Woo-jin dodged his punches again. He hopped around the ring, his hair bouncing around his face. His long curly locks were back and more charming than ever. (Gun-woo wanted to run his fingers through them.)
Woo-jin counterattacked, jabbing Gun-woo's chest. (Funnily enough, unspokenly they had stopped ever hitting each other's face).
As Woo-jin stepped back from the strike, Gun-woo saw a brief window of opportunity. Not wanting his Hyung to think him a slacker, he heartily swung in with his left fist, punching directly to Woo-jin's rib cage area.
Right where he had been brutally stabbed less than a year ago.
It took him all of .2 seconds to realize what he'd done.
"Hyung, are you okay?!" Gun-woo rushed over to Woo-jin, who was doubled over. He had let out a horrible wheeze when Gun-woo's punch landed, which triggered a memory in the back of Gun-woo's mind: bluish purplish bruises all over his Hyung's face and body, unable to move out of bed, wheezing all through the night, not knowing if he would suddenly stop breathing altogether.
Woo-jin gave a silent thumbs up, while bent over holding his torso with his other hand. He grabbed for the top rope of the ring, leaning over it. He was trying to catch his breath.
Gun-woo ripped off his training gloves and was holding Woo-jin's shoulders. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," he found himself frantically saying.
"It's okay, I'm fine," Woo-jin said, but he was still completely out of breath so it didn't sound too convincing. Gun-woo hurriedly brought up a chair for Woo-jin to sit on.
After a few moments of Gun-woo kneeling in front of the seated Woo-jin, who was slowly regulating his breathing (trying very hard for Gun-woo's sake to not show any pain), Woo-jin suddenly stood up. "Okay, ready for round two?!"
"Hyung are you joking? We need to get you checked out by a doctor, I could have messed something up on your liver even further..."
"Oh come on Gun-woo-ah, I'm all healed up it's fine! Your left hook is just killer..." Woo-jin shudders at the thought.
But Gun-woo is giving his stern, stubborn face, and Woo-jin concedes because he knows there is no convincing Gun-woo. "Aishh... Alright. Happy?"
Gun-woo smiled and nodded, but he wasn't that happy. He started unstrapping Woo-jin's training gloves for him, while his mind wandered, anxiety creeping when he thought of his Hyung's long standing wound.
They quickly showered and got dressed to leave. They did even this together, showering in the same stall all while Woo-jin was animatedly going on and on about the inaccuracies in this boxing movie the two of them had watched together the night before. Gun-woo's eyes lingered on Woo-jin's backside, steam clouding the room, hot water pouring over his muscular shoulders, back, and lower...
They walked to the nearby clinic, which actually was one of the small businesses they'd recently helped get out from under predatory loan sharks. Woo-jin and Gun-woo had given the elderly doctor an interest free loan, which allowed him to get out of a ridiculous interest rate, and stay in business. Needless to say when the two of them came in, the receptionist (who was the granddaughter of the doctor) and the doctor himself were extremely happy to see them, and saw to Woo-jin right away, leading him into the back office.
Gun-woo stayed seated in the small front waiting room. The young receptionist tried to make conversation with him, but he politely let the conversation go dead. He let himself get lost in thought.
It all reminded him of several months ago, when he had despairingly been waiting for his Hyung in the hospital. Not knowing if he was alive or dead. He thought of Woo-jin's stab wounds. He thought of the weeks he spent nursing Woo-jin back to health.
How he was so weak, for so long. Mr. Oh offered several times to help Gun-woo tend to him, but Gun-woo insisted that he do it himself. He really could not stand to be away from his side. He slept restlessly next to him, fed him, gently bathed him every day. Gun-woo thought Woo-jin was sort of like an endangered and rare bird with two broken wings, on the verge of death. Something very precious was almost lost to the world forever.
Woo-jin burst out of the back office doors just then, startling Gun-woo out of his reminiscing.
"Doc says I'm all good to go, happy?" Gun-woo actually was happy with this, and he breathed a big sigh of relief and nodded.
"Aishh..." but he was laughing. He ruffled Gun-woo's hair and put an arm around his shoulders, as they exited the clinic and started walking home.
They ate dinner, Woo-jin cooked a ramen and vegetable concoction that was very delicious. Gun-woo ate seconds, and thirds. Woo-jin emphatically resumed his conversation from earlier, now ranking various boxing movies. He liked Rocky, but it was a little overrated and he really didn't care for the sequels. He thought Southpaw didn't stay focused enough on boxing. He liked Million Dollar Baby a lot, but swore to never watch it again because it was way too sad (Gun-woo remembered the time they watched it, Woo-jin definitely had tears in his eyes).
They were nearly headed to bed. Their beautiful top floor apartment had two huge bedrooms, and equally nice big comfy beds. But funnily enough they usually ended up sleeping together in one or the other's bed alternating.
The only time Gun-woo can recall that they didn't sleep in the same bed since they moved here was a few months ago, when his mother had set him up on a blind date. Woo-jin was awfully prickly that day, and kicked him out of his bed after Gun-woo had returned home and tried crawling into his Hyung's bed. Gun-woo sadly moped across the apartment to his own bed, and tossed and turned all night never fully falling asleep. (He spent the entire date talking about his Hyung. She did not give him a call back.)
After Gun-woo finished doing the dishes, he walked over to Woo-jin's room. His Hyung was was laying down in his bed, playing on his phone. Other than the light from his phone, the room was only illuminated by the bluish purplish light from Woo-jin's lava lamp. His sharp cheekbones cast a harsh shadow across his face. Gun-woo couldn't help but smile when Woo-jin looked up at him.
He crawled into Woo-jin's bed, poking his head between Woo-jin's arms holding the phone, burying his face in Woo-jin's neck.
"Hyung, saranghaee~."
Woo-jin couldn't help but laugh at that, putting his phone to the side table. "Yeah, yeah, I know."
Gun-woo felt very content as Woo-jin hugged him back. But after a few moments his mind drifted again to earlier.
"I'm sorry I hit you in your scar," he mumbled into Woo-jin's neck, sulking a bit.
"Aishh what did I say already? I'm fine, don't worry about it," Woo-jin said, nuzzling into the bed and Gun-woo, getting comfortable.
Gun-woo doesn't say anything back to that, but still can't stop his thoughts from flowing.
After a while, voice wobbly, he says "You know what was the worst moment of my life? Through everything horrible that happened..." Hot tears start running horizontally down Gun-woo's face, stopping when they hit the warm skin of Woo-jin’s neck.
He tenderly reaches to touch Woo-jin’s stab site through his shirt, recalling back, still lost in thought.
Pulling up to see the burning house, and his Hyung no where to be seen. Breaking in among the flames, seeing Woo-jin motionless, laying in a pool of his own blood. Waiting hours on end at the hospital, not knowing if he would pull through, not knowing if his blood was enough, or if they’d still run out.
He barely chokes out, “I thought, if I lost you, that would be unbearable.”
"OY," Woo-jin nearly shouts, breaking Gun-woo out of his thoughts. He grabbed Gun-woo’s face with both of his hands, looking at him squarely. Pained to see him cry. He took one hand off to grab Gun-woo’s hand and drag it up to Woo-jin’s chest, palm on his heartbeat.
"I'm still alive aren't I?!" He says, wiping Gun-woo’s tears with the thumb of his other hand. Gun-woo gives a noise of agreement, sniffling back loud sinuses.
"Aish..." Woo-jin can't stand seeing Gun-woo cry. Not knowing what else to say he hugs him close again, without thinking kisses him on the forehead. He paused for a second unsure if he should've done it.
Gun-woo leaned into it, wanting more. He stopped crying.
Woo-jin started kissing his face, the trails of tears around his eyes, his cheek, next to his mouth... He hesitated before moving an inch, holding himself back.
Gun-woo surged up to kiss his lips, pulling away after a second. Woo-jin immediately moved to kiss him emphatically, both of their relaxed bodies becoming rigid as they pulled each other close with strong arms, grasping at each other, almost wrestling.
Gun-woo obviously didn't know how to kiss, but was certainly enthusiastic, he had the right idea. Woo-jin would have plenty of time to teach him.
Gun-woo's heart was racing, he felt his Hyung's tongue on his, he groaned into Woo-jin's mouth. He grasped his fingers through Woo-jin's curly hair.
Arms and legs tangled, and after several minutes of making out, they pulled back to catch their breath.
Gun-woo is smiling brightly again, smile reaching his eyes and face flushed. Woo-jin can't help but return the look.
Gun-woo buries his face in Woo-jin’s neck again like before, but this time peppering kisses there.
"Hyung, saranghaeee~."
Woo-jin cradles Gun-woo's head and rubs his back. "Yeah, yeah, sarangahae."