Mi Appartieni

Chapter Twenty-Six

         Joshua and Seokmin slept for a long time in each other's arms. The two had gone months running on the bare minimum amount of sleep and now that they were back in each other's embrace it was as if they were catching up on all the missed sleep.

Seokmin awoke first. It was late in the afternoon when he finally woke up, the already setting sun was shining in Joshua's warm bedroom. 

Seokmin looks down and sees Joshua still completely passed out in his arms. He sighs in complete relief. Everything felt like a dream that he wasn't sure if Joshua was still in his arms, still in his presence keeping the darkness at bay.

Joshua was so deep in sleep that Seokmin actually checks for a pulse. He sighs in relief at the feeling of his heartbeat. 

He pulls Joshua closer to him, breathing in his scent and feeling the softness of his hair as Seokmin strokes the back of his head.

Seokmin lay in Joshua's bed, replaying in his head the events that happened yesterday. The moment he received Joshua's message he dropped everything and got on his jet. 

He wanted to kill Joshua's bodyguard for first getting caught and then second for taking a week to get the message to him.

He hesitated in fear of the consequences and there were indeed consequences. Seokmin didn't kill him because he had done a decent job of keeping Joshua safe. 

He did reassign him to manual labor though and assigned Joshua new bodyguards. Not that he would need them at the moment. Seokmin was here now. And he would protect Joshua with his life.

Seokmin waited hours last night in Joshua's apartment for him to return. He would wait a lifetime for Joshua so he remained patient even though he was so close yet so far away.

When Joshua's door came open and Seokmin laid eyes on the real thing, not just a live video, he felt as though the world stopped and time froze altogether. And now - everything was okay. 

Everything felt right in the world with Joshua in his arms.

Seokmin listened to Joshua's soft breathing for a long time, continuously stroking the back of his head when suddenly his phone began ringing. 

Seokmin swears on his life, whoever was calling would die a painful death. Seokmin silences the phone and looks down at Joshua. He was still passed out - comatose even. 

Seokmin would have the doctor check on him again if he doesn't awaken soon.

Seokmin answers the phone in a careful whisper all while still holding Joshua tightly against his chest, as if he would lose him again if his grip loosened. 

"What do you want? And it better be good." "Sir." Mingyu says on the other end, "We found him." Seokmin's eyes go wide. "We found Hajoon."

**

"Joshua went to college in Los Angeles." Mingyu says as he and Seokmin walk with purpose down the halls of a warehouse.

Seokmin didn't want to leave Joshua's side. He didn't want to be torn away from him again but he knew he had to. He had to take care of the dark cloud that hovered over Joshua. He had to eliminate the reason for Joshua's self hate and aversion to love and kindness altogether. 

He had to show this Hajoon bastard that no one - absolutely no one - would ever hurt or lay even a finger on his Joshua and get away with it.

Seokmin took the utmost care in sliding himself out from underneath Joshua. He removed his shirt and placed it under Joshua's arm and against his chest, hoping his scent would be enough to keep him asleep.