Forbidden flame
Title: Forbidden Flame (Part 9)
Pairing: HanHae
Rating: PG
Summary: Donghae was just a plaything who was bought to please. And it's not even fun when he falls for the one who paid to keep him, who also vowed never to love.
The sirens were deafening, his mind was a whirl, and his world seemed to spin around him. Hangeng took Donghae’s limp hand in his-gripping it tightly as he kissed the knuckles over and over as if the other would wake up if he did it long enough. His eyes stung, and his throat felt choked. It all happened too fast. “Please, no, Donghae, please…” He chanted over and over even as the ambulance reached the hospital, and he was shoved out of the operating theatre.
Hangeng paced up and down the walkway and nearly stumbled when he saw his best friend. “Siwon!” He ran into the comforting arms and buried his face in the strong shoulders. The taller man stroked his back in a soothing gesture as his tears soaked up the other’s outer coat. “I’m so sorry, but I really didn’t know who to call. I needed some-“ He broke off on a sob and his friend hugged him tighter.
“It’s okay,” Siwon whispered. “I know, I know… and he’ll be all right.” He assured his desperate friend.
“He will?” Hangeng suddenly felt like they were teenagers all over again, when Siwon used to do be the one giving him assurance and supported him in whatever he did.
“Of course he will,” Siwon gave him a dimpled smile. “Trust Donghae, trust the man who loves you.”
***
Hours passed and the operation is still on. Hangeng couldn’t sit still and it had taken his best friend a huge amount of effort before he was willing to sit down on the bench beside him. Just when he was near to pulling his hairs from their roots in desperation, the doors to the operating theatre opened. Both men shot to their feet.
“Doctor-“
“He’s fine for now, but we’ll need to closely monitor his condition. Hangeng ssi…” The doctor paused as if considering. “Please be prepared… but if he gets past tonight,” The shorter man quickly added. “- then his ordeal will be over.”
***
“Call me anytime if you need me.”
Hangeng nodded silently. It was a long moment before he finally spoke. “Thank you Siwon, thanks for everything.”
The taller man pulled his best friend into a tight hug. “Silly man… Just call me anytime and remember-trust Donghae.”
***
Hangeng sat staring down at the younger man who released hissing breaths with the oxygen mask secured over his face. He had been so frightened, so afraid he felt his heart nearly drop when the door of the operating theatre opened. The news from the doctor hadn’t too much solved his inner turmoil yet- after tonight, Donghae just have to hold on for a few more hours.
Hangeng frowned at his own reaction towards the man. It shouldn’t feel this right, worrying for Donghae. It shouldn’t feel this scary- waiting outside the operating theatre had been the longest 3 hours of his life. Hangeng puts his hand to his thudding heart, it feels so… heavy.
The young heir had thought a lot. Ever since the moment when he saw the car coming, to the splitting second when it hit Donghae, to the moment they were both literally hauled up onto the ambulance. Everything had been a chaos, and so had his mind. Memories came flooding back to him as he saw their moments together flashed past his vision. The burning anger in the other’s eyes when they just met, the lust filled eyes during those passionate nights, and the pleading eyes when the younger had confessed-all seemed to replay right before his very eyes in that few ticking seconds. Hangeng sighed heavily as he put his head down onto the bed beside the unmoving man.
What is this feeling?
Above his head, he gripped Donghae’s hand tighter, unwilling to let go. He hadn’t felt this warm achy feeling in a long time. It was not unwelcomed, just- weird. It feels weird to be able to feel again, to feel for someone ever since… Hangeng swallowed thickly at his foolishness. How much he must have hurt the other, when Donghae loved him so much and all the elder did was hurt him time and time again.
“Geng…”
The almost inaudible sound had him snapping his head up. “Donghae?!” He leaned down closer to the other to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. The eyes twitched and slowly blinked open. “Donghae! D-doctor!”
Hangeng stood close when the doctor checked on Donghae-peeking over his shoulder, eagerness overflowing from him. He was surprised that the nurses haven’t hauled him out of the room yet.
“Good job Donghae ssi.” The doctor said on a light tone and patted lightly on the weak man’s shoulder before he turned to Hangeng, and smiled. “He’ll be fine now.”
“Thank you doctor.” Hangeng gushed before sitting down next to the bed. “How are you feeling?” He held the other’s hand in his tightly.
“Better?” Donghae struggled to get the word past his lips as he tried to desperately push the sharp pain in his ribs out of his mind. He smiled when the other’s lips lifted at his reply. And for long moments, both men said nothing. The silence was warm and comforting- Donghae loved it. But while eyes started drooping as fatigue starts to overcome him, the younger man struggled to stay awake, not wanting to let this precious moment of peace slip through his hands.
“Just a few more days and you’ll be out of here.” Hangeng ran his thumb over the other’s knuckles and whispered, not wanting to disturb the now sleeping man. And for the first time in those long agonising hours, the weight in his heart was finally lifted.
***
“Careful,” Hangeng put his arm around the younger man’s waist as he led him into his house. He could barely contain his excitement at having the other back and out of the hospital. Those few days have almost left him exhausted having to juggle his time between his assignments, which were taking off quite successfully, and Donghae- not that he was complaining though. He actually found it rather stress relieving when witnessing the joy that purely lit up in the other’s face upon seeing him.
“I’m good,” Donghae tried to pry away the hand at his waist. “I’m all good Hangeng. You don’t have to treat me as though I’ve lost a part of my body.” His lips stretched wide as he looked at the man who was now busying himself with Donghae’s belongings that was brought back from the hospital.
“I almost lost you, so just shut up and let me take care of you.” Hangeng’s voice was a muttered response as he now busied himself with the other’s medications-reading the instructions on every pack of pills carefully and frowning in concentration.
Donghae couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled up at the reply. It warmed him inside out as he just sat on the couch grinning at the back of the young heir. He loved Hangeng, had always felt that way, but then Donghae decided he really liked the Hangeng now. The warmth from the other’s actions, they weren’t cold and icy anymore, and that pair of eyes that looked down at him right now- was like a huge sunny blanket of tenderness that made him yearned to embrace and snuggle in the heat forever.
Hangeng sighed as he cupped the other’s face and tilted it up to meet his gaze. He wanted to be sure that Donghae heard it clearly when he said it. “I won’t lose you again Donghae.” He watched every expression carefully on the younger man’s face as the eyes slowly widened before the face turned serious, the smile slowly faded and Hangeng drew in a deep breath and held it before he whispered.
“I love you.”
To Be Continued--
P.S. Next update will be the last and final part! \O/