Blood Brothers II Epilogue
Epilogue
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“Sometimes I wonder if I’m dating you or your answering machine, Kim Heechul. Aish, will you just answer your phone already?”
Baengshin meowed at the answering machine, playing with the power chord.
“Aish, don’t touch that.” He was picked up and let out another annoyed mewl as he was dropped onto the couch.
Heechul walked back over to the answering machine and sighed. Three more messages, and he assumed they were all from Kyuhyun. He pulled out his cell phone and saw several missed calls and texts that he knew ranged from Leeteuk asking about his day to Kyuhyun threatening his manhood if he didn’t call later that night.
He simply texted Kyuhyun a simple, I didn’t know I was dating such a clingy girl before clicking his phone shut and sticking it back into his pocket. He looked around the apartment and for a moment, he wondered what the hell he was doing.
He was almost finished packing.
In two days the school year would end and he would finish with his teaching over at the university. He’d already applied at Yonsei and had secured a job for when he returned to Seoul.
Seoul…it was the first time in sixteen years that he looked forward to returning to that place. He still wasn’t sure if he was crazy or stupid or just lovesick. He really hoped he was just stupid, because being lovesick was going to pose problems.
The Kim Heechul was never lovesick.
His phone rang, signaling a new text. He grabbed his phone and read it before snorting.
Ya! I’m not a girl!
Heechul sat down on the couch and grabbed Baengshin, scratching her behind the ears as he texted Kyuhyun back.
So says the boy who bottoms.
He didn’t know why he was grinning like an idiot, but he just couldn’t help himself as he cheerfully pressed the send button and then got up to make some coffee. Just as he was heading into the kitchen his phone went off and he laughed, assuming it was Kyuhyun calling to pout or Leeteuk to scold him for making Kyuhyun throw a temper tantrum at an office meeting.
It wasn’t either of them.
“Hey.”
Heechul stilled, hand brushing along the rim of his empty coffee cup. “…hey Hannie.” He swallowed, and the uncomfortable, painful constricting in his chest came back for the first time since he’d gotten his last surgery a few months ago.
He hadn’t seen Hangeng since the day that Leeteuk had shot Kibum. The night of his surgery he’d gotten a text from him wishing him good luck, but other than that there had been no contact between them.
He knew that Hangeng talked with Zhou Mi, Henry, and Mama Han because that was the only way he knew that Hangeng was even alive. He’d gotten back to the apartment later that night with the others to find Hangeng’s stuff packed and moved out with a note saying he was going to secure one of their business transactions in Taiwan.
He’d stayed there.
It hurt, because to Heechul, no one was more important to him than Hangeng and Zhou Mi. The three shared a bond that was too tight to break. But it seemed like Hangeng was trying his hardest to sever it.
“…you’re heading back to Korea on Sunday, right?”
Heechul hadn’t figured that Hangeng paid attention to his schedule anymore.
“Yeah.” Heechul answered back softly. “Sunday.”
“Do you have a ride over to the airport?”
Zhou Mi and Mama Han were taking him. “No.”
“I’ll come pick you up then.”
“Yeah.” Heechul wondered if the only thing he was capable of now were one word responses. He leaned against the counter and smiled softly to himself. Hangeng’s words had reached over the gap that had formed between them and everything was good again.
It was that easy for them, because to Heechul…no one was closer to his heart. In his heart there was no one but Hangeng and Zhou Mi.
That heart just happened to belong to Cho Kyuhyun and Park Jungsu.
Heechul didn’t want it any other way. He didn’t know if this was how it felt to be happy, but he figured that this was as close as he was going to get and he’d revel in it. It had been too long since he’d been happy. He needed this.
“How is everyone?”
“Good. Henry is staying in Korea with Donghae and Eunhyuk.” Heechul poured water into the coffee pot. “Zhou Mi is keeping up the company. He’s staying here, but he said he’d come and visit. He didn’t want to leave Mama Han all alone.”
“Are you good?”
Heechul wondered how to answer that. He laughed softly. “I think so.” He grabbed the coffee from the top shelf. “I think I’m really good right now.”
“You’re happy.”
“As happy as I can be.”
“They…love you?”
“Mmm.” Heechul answered, searching for his French Almonde creamer.
“Good.” Hangeng answered back firmly, and Heechul snorted. “Well I’m glad you approve of my happiness. I would hate to have to drop it all and become a grumpy bitter man just for your sake.”
Hangeng laughed. It was a sound that Heechul had been wanting to hear for a long time now, so he drank it in as the smell of coffee filled the apartment. He looked to his boxes stacked by the door and his open suitcase. He looked to Baengshin and Heebum lounging on the couch.
He looked down to the black pearl around his neck.
This…must have been what perfection felt like.
Or at least as close as Kim Heechul could get to it.
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