After Eric survived his gruelling days in the hospital, he was finally free. He wasn't exactly the healthiest, but he could finally make decisions to stay with Juyeon forever.
[ alternate ending to " New York " ]
It was December 26th, the day Juyeon had to leave. He had booked a flight for the afternoon, however, so he spent his morning with Eric at the hospital. All his bags were already in Dylan's car for when he left at 3pm for 5pm.
"I really don't want you to leave," Eric muttered, looking at his hand that was intertwined with Juyeon's. He'd miss that feeling greatly — it was only for a week, and a surprise visit to the hospital really ruined it. "I want you to hold me tight before you leave."
"The doctor might scold me out again," Juyeon chuckled, lifting Eric's hand and gently kissing it. "I'll really miss you, but I'll video call you as soon as I land, or whenever I have time. I guess we have to go back to figuring out schedules."
"Too bad we couldn't make love one last time," Eric giggled, earning a rather shy chuckle from the older. "What a shame, hey? But we'll see each other again soon — and not just through a laptop screen."
"I swear, I'll video call as soon as possible," Juyeon promised, holding Eric's and tightly. "I promise. I swear, I'll always keep contact with you. We'll talk every day, and we're gonna keep our love tight. We'll last for a long time — and we'll grow old together. I promise."
Eric looked at him with tears in his eyes. "Now that things are pulling together, I believe that even more now." Juyeon stood up and kissed Eric's forehead softly. He looked at Eric's lips for a moment before leaning down and capturing them in a soft kiss. Eric pulled away when he tears fell down his cheeks. "Ah, hyung—"
"No. You deserve this right now." Juyeon wiped Eric's cheeks and put their lips together again, keeping his embrace at a comfortable level. Eric kissed back, of course, wanting to savour every moment with Juyeon before he had to leave. He'd miss his touch, his hold and most of all, his kisses, but he had no choice but to deal with it.
Eric pulled away, his vision becoming blurry due to his tears. "Hyung, p-please don't go."
"I already organised my flight — another one would be too expensive," Juyeon said with a soft tone. "Baby, I'm sorry, but I can't stay. There's nothing more I want than to spend a few more days with you, but I can't."
Eric sighed softly, wiping his eyes. "I'll come to you soon. I promise. Next year, we'll be together. I swear on it — I'll see you soon."
Juyeon smiled a bit, kissing Eric's red nose. "Don't be sad. We'll video call later."
"I'll still send you snacks," Eric smiled as well. Juyeon sat on the bed, rather than the chair, and held Eric's hand comfortably.
"I'll start hunting for apartments immediately when I get back," Juyeon said, gently tapping Eric's hand with his other one. "I'll annoy the heck out of the real estate agent for the perfect place, and video call you if I think I found the one."
"It'll be difficult, though," Eric hummed, "because of timezones, but I'll make myself available for you whenever."
"It'll be okay," Juyeon smiled, stroking Eric's hand with his thumb. They sat in silence before Juyeon's phone buzzed. He lifted it and sighed after checking the message. "I have to go now. Please stay safe, baby." He gently kissed Eric's lips and pulled away after a few seconds.
"I love you," Eric muttered, wiping his eyes. "Don't go." He widened his eyes. "No. Don't go. Hyung, do… do you want to be with me forever?" Juyeon frowned, not understanding where Eric was going. "Gay marriage isn't legal in Korea. What if… what if we stay a bit longer? What if you get dual citizenship and become an American citizen? Then… w-we can be together forever…"
"Dual citizenship isn't legal in Korea," Juyeon said with a sad tone. "Unless I renounce my Korean citizenship, which I'm not prepared to do, we c… can't get married."
Eric's heart dropped to his feet. He wouldn't stretch the range of Juyeon's love for him, so he simply nodded. "O-oh. Okay, that's fine. We can just stay boyfriends. That's fine with me — as long as I get to stay with y-you."
Juyeon smiled, putting a hand on Eric's cheek. One last time, he kissed the younger's lips and ruffled his hair. "We'll talk when I get back in Korea. I love you, Eric."
Eric smiled softly, letting go of Juyeon's hand. "I love you more."
•
SEOUL
•
Jaehyun was tired already, even if they had only been at the club for an hour, and he already wanted to go home. Changmin and Younghoon, slightly drunk already, were on the dance floor together. Chanhee sat beside Jacob and Sangyeon, making sure to flaunt the promise ring on his finger to indicate that he was, in fact, taken.
Jaehyun sighed, downing his glass of alcohol down. Maybe coming to a gay club wasn't the best idea. He wasn't ready to move on yet, and it just made him more depressed.
"You alone?"
Someone sat down beside him — someone with a much smaller figure than him. The boy had nice hair, and had pretty lips to accompany the soft twinkle in his eyes. Jaehyun nodded with a sigh. "Yeah."
"Sucks — me too," the boy smiled. "What's a handsome guy like you doing here all alone, then?"
"Just broke up," Jaehyun replied, pushing his hair back. He finally looked at the boy and smiled slightly. "What about you, then? Why are you here?"
The boy shrugged, looking out at the dance floor. "Dunno. Bored, I guess. Wanted to escape. Hoping to find someone as broken as me."
Jaehyun looked at the boy — he was drowning in the large hoodie he was wearing, but by peeking at his neck, Jaehyun saw a couple hickeys. He frowned — maybe he was drunk. "Did you come here with your boyfriend?"
The boys scoffed. "Me? Boyfriend? Haven't had one of those in a while. Men are trash — at least, all the ones I've dated."
"That's a shame." Jaehyun felt sorry for the boy, and he was really pretty. He seemed to be upset, so Jaehyun wanted to make him feel better. "Let me get you a drink. I'm Jaehyun, by the way."
The boy smiled softly, leaning to Jaehyun's ear. "I'm Yoonjae."
