Upon A Time (JoongNine AU)

Upon The Edge Of Sanity

Joong

I was put under surveillance for an overnight. Nine and his family, came and now they're gone. Nine sent them to the nearest inn from the hospital, so that we could go back together tomorrow after my discharge. As I looked at Nine's eyes, and the little shake of his head while standing a bit behind his family, I knew he didn't want me to talk about what had transpired between us at the beach.

I was not surprised, when the sound of a door to my ward room being opened and closed carefully. This was already midnight, couldn't be any other person than the medical staff. But, I was wrong. The person who stood at the edge of my bed, was none other than the person whom I couldn't wait to see the most tomorrow. He pulled the visitor chair to sit beside my bed, slowly took my hand and caressed them.

"They allowed me to stay, I registered as your emergency contact, during your ward check-in. Your aunt and family, all was already notified on your condition, so don't worry", Nine said quietly, soothing me.

"Nine...how come we survived? I wanted to believe in miracles, yet it is impossible too, as soon as I saw all your family, was here...my only conclusion; just liked some of the movies that we watched together; either I am in a deep comma, or... already...died. This must be what people said, that your soul will visit every member of a family or your loved ones, before it is sent to heaven", I said and smiled to Nine sorrowfully, "and you know what, whichever it is, I am glad, that I got to see you, even if it turned out liked this...".

Nine looked at me with worry, "You're mischievous, and also have an imaginative mind; but please....don't ever play around and joke about death so easily liked that, Joong. My heart almost burnt with pain, beating crazily, when you suddenly was engulfed by the water".

I was stunt, but looked again carefully at Nine. I pulled my hand from his hold, and my fingertips ran slowly mapping his face. Nine just stayed still, letting me do whatever. The skin was warm, the contours of his features felt real, the chubby munchkin cheeks, of him in his youth were there, soft, fair, just as I remembered them. His lips tightened in a controlled manner, must be he didn't understand why I behaved liked this, but didn't want to hurt my feelings too.

"How old am I, Nine?", I asked, suddenly feeling liked I was caught in a dreamy state that felt too real.

"What?", Nine was baffled.

"You said I am mischievous, I was back then in my youth. But, that was so long ago, I grew out of them as the years passed by. I am even a father of a five years old, now. Gosh, how come you looked still liked in your 20s. Must be this cheeks", I said as I pinched them and smiled. Nine hated it when I did this, because he used to say he was fat, his face looked chubby on screen, when indeed, he was not.

"Joong...I am in my 20s. And you're younger by two years. So, please, stop trying my sanity. Enough!", Nine said, but then...took a deep breath, "sorry...so sorry, you're unwell, and I raised my voice at you. But, please Joong, just please, get out of this play, we're not in a training room, nor I am ready to play along with you. Just rest, alright, I beg you, I am tired too, with all the stress for today...", Nine voice was pressed, he really thought I was joking around.

I nodded a little, and he released a relief breath, kissing the back of my hand and brought them to caress his cheek,"Thank you, for coming back to me...I'm not ready, and might go insane, should anything worse, happened to you". The dampness in his eyes, caused a certain pain in my heart.

I closed my eyes, pretending to take a sleep, and heard Nine moved too, to take a nap at the sofa near the window. When the light was turned off, I gulped to clear the tightness in my throat. Suddenly, everything, make sense a bit, but also didn't.

I realised, my wish was granted; that time...is given back to me, in a landslide; straight to the moment of when I am the happiest; that was, with someone that I... really, really...love.

Nine

I came back to the hospital after sleep refused to befall me at the hotel. There's something that kept pulling me, to go to him. He must felt disoriented and alone, in a ward at a different city than where we resided. I gave my mother a message, as she must be already asleep, at another room with my little brother. My sister, wake up as I changed my sleeping pants into a proper attire. As I told her briefly, she nodded and asked me to stay there until the time for Joong's discharge. Only after then, should I come back to the inn, to fetch the family for a drive back.

Although his speech was incoherent, and borderline, ridiculous, somehow, my gut feeling told me that he was not playing around. But, I didn't have any other explanation other than that. If he wasn't, then it couldn't be that he lost his sanity in a blink of an eye. There wasn't a concussion to his head, so where did the weird speech come from? I knew, he stopped just now, to not agitate me further. Argh! It is both; worrying and frustrate me too.

But, what I said to him was the truth. I really couldn't imagine, what my life would be without him. I refused to think about that at all. Joong was a breath of fresh air; cooling-off the temper that I had, and also bringing lightness and laughter, to keep my mind off from the heavy burden that I felt on my young shoulders. I study and worked at the same time,so it seemed, there's never a spot for me to take a rest, until he came into the picture, embracing me tightly and lending me his shoulder; whenever I felt overwhelm and needed a break. He did both; brought chaos and also a calming existence, too. I smiled thinking of such contrast.

As I heard his breathing became heavy, deeper, I knew he had fallen asleep, after pretending to be in one, since an hour ago. He must be really tired, so was I. But, my heart felt happy; really happy and grateful, that there would still be tomorrow...for me and him.