Rainy Days- Rainbows [ Sequel to A Step Behind You ] Chapter 6/6 II
Title: Rainy Days- Rainbows [ Sequel to A Step Behind You ] Chapter 6/6 II
Pairing: Donghae / Hyukjae
Rating: PG
Genre: Angst, Drama, Friendship
Summary: Years after Hyukjae died, Donghae found someone who looked exactly like Hyukjae . But he says his name is Spencer Lee. Is the man Hyukjae or is Hyukjae really dead?
[ Prologue ] [ Chapter 1 ] [ Chapter 2 ] [ Chapter 3 ] [ Chapter 4 ] [ Chapter 5 ]
Narrator's POV
A week and four days after Donghae started camping in the hospital, Hyukjae woke up. He was groggy and teary when he woke up and for a moment, Donghae was at lost. He simply stared at Hyukjae who was blinking up painfully, trying to clear his vision. When Donghae snapped out of his daze, his voice crocked as he called out to Hyukjae.
“Hyukkie?” the words felt light on his tongue, despite the years he had abandoned it.
Hyukjae's eyes focused on him as soon as he spoke. A second passed and Hyukjae suddenly started crying, startling Donghae. “H-Hyukjae!” Donghae exclaimed, rushing to his side and collected the trembling male into his arms. “Are you hurt? Does your head hurt? O-Or a- d-do you need me to call the doctor?”
Hyukjae shook his head furiously, ignoring the pang of headache that followed right after. Donghae looked at him worriedly, his heart forgetting to celebrate in victory that Hyukjae had woken up and that he was the first one there. He twisted his body awkwardly and reached out for the glass of water behind him. “D-Drink first,” Donghae whispered, pulling Hyukjae up as gently as possible and bringing the straw to the tips of his lips.
When Hyukjae finished the whole cup in a go, Donghae ruffled his hair tenderly. He wiped Hyukjae's wet cheeks and stared at him until the male had no choice but to look at him too. “I-I’m sorry,” was Hyukjae's first words.
Donghae froze. Suddenly the meaning of those words doesn’t matter. What mattered was the sound of the voice he had missed oh so dearly. Suddenly that voice sounded so different than when it had came out of Spencer’s mouth.
The person in front of him was Hyukjae, he realized. And this was the Hyukjae he loved. He shuts Hyukjae up by kissing him senseless.
::::
Hyukjae was released after two weeks of his consciousness. The very next day, without word, he didn’t protest when Donghae had booked them both flights back to Seoul. The relationship between them was tainted, Hyukjae knew. But he doesn’t say much because he was afraid of hurting Donghae more.
Before they left, Donghae had dragged him home to Jonathan, Ilsuk and Sumin. He cried when Donghae thanked them on his behalf, as if he wasn’t hurting or angered. “He’s as precious as a gem,” Ilsuk had whispered to him as Donghae packed his bag in his room where he had lived for the past years.
“I’m scared,” Hyukjae confessed softly to Ilsuk and Ilsuk held his hand tightly.
“Even after so many heart breaks,” Ilsuk whispered to him. “After so many lies and tears, he came back to you. To us who had wronged him, he bowed down so low to thank us. He showed us gratitude we don’t deserve.”
Hyukjae nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. “Even if you look for a millennium, you’ll never find a man like him,” Ilsuk advised. “While he’s still here, need him more than he needs you. Care for him more than he cares for you. Love him more than he loves you. Because whatever you do, it will be hard to cover what he has gone through because of you. It will be hard to mend his broken heart. But doing that is enough. That’s the only thing you can do.”
Just like a father, Ilsuk hugged him, comfort him and advised him wisely. Just like a father, Ilsuk cried as he waved them off in the airport. Just like a father, Ilsuk told him that he love him; to take care of himself and of Donghae. Just like a father, it felt as though he had left a part of him behind as soon as he reached Korea.
Even after they reached back home -to the place where Hyukjae had abandoned over five years ago, Hyukjae didn’t say much.
Donghae didn’t speak to him much. And Hyukjae didn’t bother trying because he was afraid. He felt guilty as Donghae ran around, taking care of him silently. He felt guilty when Donghae had to deal with the media when they found out that Hyukjae was alive. He felt guilty for always standing by the side while Donghae do all the hard work.
He had voiced out this once to Donghae when he found the courage to speak to the male but Donghae only ruffled his hair and kissed his cheeks. “I’m just glad you’re with me now,” Donghae said, sincerity embedded in his eyes that Hyukjae could only nod his head stiffly.
A month passed quickly. Maybe it was just Hyukjae, but everything seemed calmer. Even Heechul had came to him, talked to him tenderly and told him that everything was going to be fine; that Donghae will learn to get over his shock.
Hangeng came too, when he was crying. “Donghae,” he said. “Was very lonely when you weren’t here. Those laughter that you remembered him by, they weren’t there for these five years. He loves you. Everything he does is for you. Give him time.”
Three weeks later, it was night time, Donghae who had separate rooms with him ever since he came back, crept into his room, slipping in beside him. He froze when Donghae hugged him from behind. “I’m bringing you to the beach tomorrow,” was what Donghae whispered before kissing the back of his neck lovingly and drifting off to sleep. For the first time in years, he slept soundly that night.
::::
“I’m sorry,” was the first thing Donghae said as soon as they settled onto a blanket by the beach.
“H-Huh?”
“We’re supposed to be spending more time with each other now that you’re back, but I’ve been busy,” Donghae explained. “I’m sorry that I neglected you.”
“No, Hae, it’s fine,” Hyukjae shook his head, quickly. It wasn’t Donghae's fault. Never was, never will be. He doesn’t want Donghae taking the blame.
“No,” Donghae interrupted before he could say more. “I’m supposed to be taking care of you. I’ll do better from now on.”
Hyukjae stared. This was the man whom he had hurt. This was the man whom he had seen and heard crying because of him for years. But this man is now apologizing to him, for the mess he himself had created.
“How’s everything?” Hyukjae asked, because he doesn’t want to hear Donghae apologizing anymore. He doesn’t meet Donghae's eyes until the male himself tapped his chin lightly with a finger. “Yes?” he asked.
“Why do you look so uncomfortable with me?” Donghae questioned, looking very much hurt.
“I’m not,” Hyukjae defended.
Donghae sighed, pushing his body backwards till his back hit the tree trunk. He doesn’t close his eyes but instead stare out at the vast ocean that stretched for miles and miles by them. “Lonely,” Donghae suddenly said.
He cocked his eyebrows at Hyukjae's confused face. “When you left, it was lonely,” Donghae rephrased. His eyes fluttered shut, head slumping down onto the tree trunk. “When I went home,” he continued. “The bed was too big. The dining table was too wide. The house…it was empty.”
“Donghae…” Hyukjae breathed heavily.
“Because you weren’t there,” Donghae muttered. “Everything felt empty.”
Hyukjae stared, sighing when Donghae didn’t bother opening his eyes again. He pushed his body back, leaning against the tree trunk beside Donghae, arms touching. Donghae's eyes finally fluttered open slowly; startled as Hyukjae took his hand and intertwined them together with his. They fitted perfectly, as though they were meant to be together. He looked at Hyukjae, waiting for him to speak but he doesn’t. Instead, Hyukjae was staring at their hands and Donghae did nothing to break the silence, choosing to gaze at the other’s face; flawless if you overlook the scar that crossed his left cheek due to the broken vase.
“I missed you,” Hyukjae said suddenly. He blushed instantaneously at his own words and Donghae just had to chuckle.
“I don’t think you even remembered me though,” Donghae countered.
“I’m sorry,” was all that Hyukjae was able to say that very moment.
“You don-”
“I wanted you to be happy,” Hyukjae confessed. “I really wanted nothing else. I just wanted you to be able to move on; to be able to be happy without me.”
“Without you?” Donghae retorted, sounding just a tad bit angry.
“I didn’t know,” Hyukjae shook his head slowly. He wanted to cry but he didn’t. He needed Donghae to understand; to understand that he didn’t mean to hurt Donghae. “I didn’t know I meant that much to you.”
“To a man that stayed by you through the years and months that you were sick…” Donghae said softly. “How could you even doubt me? H-How…can you even say that?”
“I was wrong,” Hyukjae said, turning his body slightly to face Donghae. He gulped when he was unable to tear his eyes away from the younger male’s; as if being sucked in. “Sorry wouldn’t even be enough, but that’s the only thing I’m able to give right now.” To the you I’ve wronged, I’m sorry.
Donghae doesn’t answer. He stared. He stared because the man talking before him was the man he had spent years crying for. He stared because the voice he was hearing before him was the voice he had begged the heavens to be able to hear again. He didn’t want to cry but a few drops of tears fell anyway.
“Do you…”
“Do I, what?” Donghae prodded when Hyukjae stopped midway.
“Never mind,” Hyukjae shook his head and began pulling his hand away when Donghae clutched onto it tighter.
“Finish your question,” Donghae glared. The effect was a little lost since he had tears in his eyes. “I do not like to be left hanging.”
“Same as always,” Hyukjae mumbled grudgingly but Donghae could see the shadows of the smile he tried to hide.
“Finish it,” Donghae repeated, prodding Hyukjae with his shoulders softly.
“Love me…” Hyukjae whispered, eyes looking down with cheeks; a crimson red. “Do you still love me?”
Donghae froze for a while before scoffing and shaking his head. Suddenly crying seemed to be a stupid to do right then. Hyukjae was right in front of him. That was enough, he figured; more than enough. He pulled his hand back only to knock Hyukjae's head with it. “Stupid,” he said. When Hyukjae looked frightened, he weaved his hands around the older male’s waist and pulled their bodies closer. “Is that even a question?” Donghae murmured in Hyukjae's ear; lowly and tenderly. It sent a visible shiver down Hyukjae's spine and Donghae smiled slightly at that.
“W-What?” Hyukjae stammered.
“I loved you,” Donghae answered. Hyukjae froze at the clear past tense. “I still love you. And I will always love you.”
::::
Hyukjae smiled awkwardly as Siwon stared at him with an opened mouth. He didn’t do anything because he figured that Siwon deserve at least that; to be able to process everything that he had said.
“You’re Hyukjae?” Siwon repeated for the umpteenth time and Hyukjae nodded patiently.
“I’m sorry, Siwon,” Hyukjae said. “For asking them to lie, for not remembering you, for only thinking about myself, I’m sorry. I know it’s going to be hard to forgive me, but I’m just really sorry.”
“I’ve made a mistake,” Hyukjae continued. “I ignored you -and Donghae. I’ve ignored all of your feelings because I was afraid that if I live, it’ll hurt you more. I thought that maybe someday, even if it’s hard, all of you will learn to forget me and move on. I was stupid. I’m sorry f-”
His words were cut short when Siwon pulled his body in a tight embrace; as if afraid that Hyukjae will vanish again. Siwon was breathing heavily, Hyukjae noted. When Hyukjae recovered from the shock, he hugged the male back, slowly and tenderly. He smiled at Donghae who was standing behind the tallest of the three.
He’ll be fine, Donghae mouthed and Hyukjae nodded thankfully. He smiled at the male beside Donghae though. I’m sorry was written all over his eyes but the male shook his head understandingly. The male was Kibum, Siwon's fiancé.
“I missed you,” Siwon whimpered, shuddering against his body. “I missed you so much.”
“Siwon-ah…”
“You left so suddenly that I didn’t know what to do,” Siwon muttered against his ears. “I was so used to seeing you everyday. I was so used to running around; helping you when you were sick; scolding you when you were being hard; playing with you when you wanted to cry. My life was all about you that I didn’t know what to do when you weren’t there. I was so lost.”
“When I got promoted to America,” Siwon continued. “The only think I thought was this is my chance. This is my new beginning. But that wasn’t it at all. When I arrived, no matter what I do, I’ll always think about you. It was so hard. It was too hard for me.”
“But you made it through,” Hyukjae comforted, feeling like the world’s biggest asshole especially since Kibum was there. “You met Kibum. You made it through and you met him.”
“I met Kibum only a year after I was there,” Siwon said, his tears soaking Hyukjae's shirt. “He was the most annoying person I have ever met.”
Hyukjae laughed when Kibum chuckled affectionately. “You weren’t the best of person either,” Kibum retorted and Hyukjae could feel the smile Siwon bore against his shoulder even while crying.
“But I fell in love with him,” Siwon said, missing the way Kibum smiled. “I swore to the heavens that I’ll protect him with my life. I swore across my hear to never lose him like how I had lose you.”
“Treasure him,” Hyukjae whispered to Siwon, hands holding the taller male tightly as he cried and eyes locked with Kibum's. “To the man you had promised your life to… to this man right here, please love him now. Love him more than you have ever loved me. When he gets angry, hold him close and tell him that you love him. When he feels down, hold him close and tell him that even if the world goes against him, you’ll be by his side forever. Hold him close and never lose him.”
Hyukjae smiled softly when Kibum started crying and had to be held by a proud Donghae. This is it. Everything’s going to be alright.
::::
“Hyukjae, calm down,” Heechul scolded. “You’re messing up my makeup.”
“Hyung, do I really need to put on makeup?” Hyukjae whined, eyes blinking up pleadingly at Heechul. “It’ll make me look like a girl.”
“You’re bottoming anyway,” Heechul shrugged, bending down to put on the light blusher over Hyukjae's delicate cheeks.
“Hyung!” Hyukjae shouted, protesting. “That doesn’t make any sense! What position I was in during sex doesn’t matter!”
Heechul puckered his face in disgust. “Are you saying you had sex already with Donghae?” he asked.
Hyukjae looked offended as he answered. “I am good enough to take to bed, okay!” he said defensively.
“That wasn’t what I meant at all,” Heechul shook his head in disgust. “Just stay still and shut your trap. You tell me too much information sometimes.”
“But hyung-”
“You just be grateful that Donghae didn’t ask you to put on a dress,” Heechul scolded. “You’ll be a girl then.”
Hyukjae sighed, defeated. He allowed Heechul to ruin his face. He only realized he fell asleep when Heechul shook him awake, knocking his head lightly go on nagging on how rude it is to fall asleep an hour before your wedding.
Heechul pulled him up from the chair forcefully, checking on his suit to make sure that it isn’t crumpled. After a few more adjusting, naggings and scolding, Hyukjae was led to stand by a huge golden door.
Hyukjae smiled when he heard the music playing; a signal for the doors to be opened and for him to be led inside the room. Their wedding wasn’t grand; something Hyukjae had requested for, firmly but there were still over a hundred people who attended. As he walked down the red carpet, the standing people by the sides didn’t matter. Heechul, who was holding his hand, didn’t matter. The pianist playing the piano didn’t matter. What mattered was the man, who stood tall and proud at the other end of the alley. What mattered was the smile the man was giving him.
“Take care of him,” Heechul said as he passed Hyukjae's hands over to Donghae, and Hyukjae had to smile at that.
The words of the priest were barely heard, but Donghae's words were strong and loud; drumming against his eardrums, not allowing him to miss it. “To stand by his side, through thick and thin; To be with him through his riches and his poor; To be his legs when he can’t stand; To be his soul when he has none; To love him, till death do us apart,” Donghae's voice boomed through the entire church. “I do.” Hyukjae cried as they kissed.
For years, they have suffered, but right then, as their lips touched, they knew... They knew that this was their rainbow; their rainbow after the long rain. The painful fight in between, the tears shed before, the hearts broken along the way; none of it matters anymore. They were reunited in the end. This has been their story; the story with no end - because their love is everlasting. This has been Rainy Days; Rainbows.
The End.
Hello.
The Everlasting Series started on 04 MAY 2011 @ 11:08 PM. Today it's 9 March 2012 @ 6:34:10 PM . More or less, those of you who had been with me from the start, it's been a long journey, no?
In between, some of us fought. I broke down. I grew up. Friendships were broken and friendships were made. But it's the end now.
Rainy Days- Rainbows, KEUT!