Are You There - Chapter 50: Chapter 50

Sohn Hyunwoo loves to visit his parents when he has the day off. Today is no different, though he would usually make the trip on a Tuesday. Saturdays are often spent at the comic shop, but he had been given a period of rest from his manager. Something about a death in his family that had him away from business for the day.
Hyunwoo is not upset in the slightest. He relishes in the long drives home to visit his family. The small borough his family resides in, a corner of Seoul hidden away from the towers and urban landscape. Far more docile and residential than the center. Though he can usually make the trip once a week, or sometimes biweekly, he always apologizes to his parents for being away too long.
He stops at the same florist he visits each time, gathering his mother's favorite colored chrysanthemums in the usual bundle of twine and paper. The same 14,000₩ is passed between hands, two separate shades though of the same town. He stops at the same sundae vendor and picks up a double order with a gallon of peach tea, just as he always does. He sends the same message to his father that he will be arriving soon. He gets the same response of excitement and glee that he often does. Yet something is missing.
In the last few months, Hyunwoo has gotten quite used to Kihyun. Moreover, he has gotten used to how attached Kihyun is to him. Moreover still, Hyunwoo has gotten completely used to just how god damn stuck to his side that Yoo Kihyun can be.
Yet Hyunwoo has been awake for four hours now, the sun is at a high ten in the morning, and he has not received a single message from his supposed adoring boyfriend. Hyunwoo would like to write it off as the younger man has yet to wake up. Or perhaps he is caught up in some romance novel. That one seems far-fetched, as Kihyun detests reading no matter how often he attempts to deny it to Hyunwoo. The incubus absolutely hates sitting still and trying his hardest to focus on the things that are not real. He would much rather go out and make those things real.
That is something Hyunwoo has always found so fetching about the younger. While the world may scare him, and physically harm him, Kihyun is never one to back down and beg. He always charges forward for what he wants. Even when what he wanted was not Hyunwoo, the large man found Kihyun impossibly endearing.
It is no surprise when Hyunwoo's mother asks him where his young friend is upon the large man's arrival. Kihyun has accompanied Hyunwoo on many of these long trips, finding them absolutely adorable. Though the incubus does not often open up about his family life, or more so the family of this lifetime, Hyunwoo knows that the smaller did not have much of one.
"You didn't bring Kihyun-ie along this time?" Hyunwoo's mother, a waifish woman stood barely to his chest, plants both hands atop her hips as she glowers up at her son. Though she is slight, she is fierce. "You're going to have to take extra food home with you today to feed that boy! He's too small, always walking around in those tight pants like it's nobody's business-"
"Missed you too, Mom." Hyunwoo stoops down to hug the woman, the flowers pressing between her shoulder blades for a moment long enough to waft their scent towards her. She sighs in content, the familiarity of it all too soothing to ignore. "I dunno what Kihyun is doing today, he hasn't texted me yet." As they lean back, Hyunwoo has to guard his expression as best he can. His parents, both kindhearted people with rather open minds in this day and age, have no clue about how positively pansy their son is. And though it hurts Hyunwoo to hide it from them, and hurts him each time he catches that desperate glimmer in Kihyun's eye, he has never found the perfect moment to tell them.
He supposes now, when Kihyun is not around to witness the possible aftermath, would be as good a time as any. He gestures for his mother to lead her way into the home, not surprised to have arrived to find her outside in the garden. Her and her husband had taken up the hobby in their recent years of retirement, enjoying the small yard they had been graced with around their home. Hyunwoo lets his lungs fill with the fresh scents of floral and sunlight as he enters the small house.
His father has a similar question on Kihyun's whereabouts when Hyunwoo enters. Both of his parents had taken easily to Kihyun, never having met any other friend of their son's. Though the large man was never quite the popular type, he always told his parents otherwise so they would not worry. In more ways than one, Kihyun is a near savior. Despite his insistence that he once came from the blood of a demon-
Hyunwoo would absolutely beg to differ. Kihyun may have come from the darkness, but he had brought along with him nothing but light.
[ x ]
Nobody has told Hyunwoo of what has happened. Nobody has the heart to kill the man and tell him that his possible soul mate has passed on. Not even Hyungwon has stepped forward to do so out of mere spite. It is a job none want to take the blame for. Three men, all capable of the task, instead embark on a new journey that will surely leave them stuck together for a long time. Too long, perhaps.
"They won't just let us take him-"
Changkyun cuts Minhyuk off, feeling queasy as he stares past the telepath at Hoseok. "My glamour is pretty good. If you just talk like a stand-out citizen, I can get them to finish the process for us right away."
Minhyuk, ready with another excuse, huffs out a heavy breath as he drags his friends to a stop. "Guys! None of us are prepared to raise a child!"
Hoseok shrugs, caring quite little about how much work it will be.
Minhyuk turns his glare on Changkyun, eager to stop this madness before it becomes permanent. "You haven't even had contact with your family since your turning! Do you actually think you can take care of some baby without help? Where do you expect to get it from?"
Hoseok wraps an arm firm round Minhyuk's waist, drawing the thin man flush against his side. "Stop it." Just two words. Minhyuk blinks a few times, clearly annoyed, but he silences himself with obvious difficulty. "There is no reason that Kihyun shouldn't be with us. He should grow up with people that know about him and can help him develop the right way."
Minhyuk opens his mouth to object again, but Hoseok only tightens his hold on the smaller man's waist. Silence engulfs the trio as the hospital grows before them. Changkyun's thoughts drop back to six months ago, while Minhyuk wonders if he will run into any of his coworkers. Hoseok catches both their thoughts, yet he knows not which to console first. Changkyun's footsteps stutter when they reach the stairs that lead up to the entrance. He has been to the hospital a few times since his turn, but never this one.
He does not have many good memories of his change, more of pain and fear than anything, and he does not want to relive them right now. The arching sun does not help him any as he stares at the looming fortress. Without realizing, his left hand has reached out for Hoseok; both fae men let the thought of a scared child pass their minds as they watch the action. Minhyuk naturally steps away from Hoseok so the older can speak to Changkyun himself, though he cannot offer proper privacy here on the pathway.
"Kyun," Hoseok murmurs as he grabs for Changkyun's outstretched hand. The vampire jolts at the contact, not having noticed yet that his hand was aimed toward the fae. "You'll be fine in there. You can't change what happened back then, and you can't let it hold you down like this."
Changkyun purposefully blocks his mind as best he can; this proves far harder while Hoseok has skin-to-skin contact. The vampire does not want to let anybody know about his abilities. He had thought of telling Hoseok at least yesterday, but he does not want to run the risk of being used. He trusts his friends, but he also knows that his talent can help them when they really do not need it.
"...so just take a deep breath and forget about that for now. Alright?"
Changkyun nods, pretending that he has not blanked on most of what Hoseok has said to him. He wants to be strong for his friends right now. For the kid trapped behind these hospital walls like he had been months ago. For the man that same child will become eventually. Changkyun does not want to see another worrisome Kihyun to wander the streets in twenty years hopelessly lost without a heart to hold onto his own. Changkyun does not want that for anyone, incubus or not. He knows even without knowing the future that without his friends and himself, that kid will go through the same cycle again this time around.
A life of pining and stealing for love that is not reciprocated. Not until it is too late.
"Do you think the Counsel will support this?" Minhyuk, still the worrier, speaks up one last time as the trio approaches the hospital entrance once again. He cannot keep from piping in, his thoughts too loud to keep to himself. Not even the blaring of an approaching ambulance can stifle the fears that circle and ensnare his mind.
Only Hoseok's hand around his own can cancel everything else out. Somehow, the fae knows this; he takes the telepath's hand in his and guides the thin man forward on light feet. They move as one, breathing together in a slow, gentle manner. Minhyuk did not think he would still be breathing this near to the entrance yet he can feel the oxygen as it fills his lungs and fills his lungs again.
He is nervous. Nothing will change that. But something about Hoseok soothes that top layer of terror and puts Minhyuk at ease. Nothing else can, and Changkyun somehow realizes that nothing else ever will. That seems to be the way love works. He hopes one day he can be that strong for Jooheon. And if he cannot, he can at least hope that Jooheon will find someone who can.
One deep breath in, Changkyun reminds himself. They are under the cool shadow of the hospital now. One long breath out, he adds as his lips purse around the air. One final step forward, and he takes it. One more change before the end.
One more.
Just one.