Shortly after their return home, food was delivered to them, which they had ordered in advance for lunch. Following Dr. Gleeson's recommendation to temporarily abandon McDonald's, they took a few dishes from a local restaurant - salads with the addition of fried meat and soup. Jihong deliberately chose something light, knowing that Jaekyung would go to bed right away. The food looked quite hearty, there were many different ingredients in the salad, and the portions were huge. I especially liked that the steaks were cooked over an open fire.

For some reason, however, Jihon had completely lost his appetite. Either this is fatigue after a morning visit to the doctor, or the side effects have already begun to take their toll. He ate some soup and finally put down his spoon.

"Hyung, are you done yet?"

"yes.

"You haven't eaten much."

"I have no appetite," Jihon replied, pouring water into a glass. "If I'm hungry, I'll eat later."

However, while silently watching, Jakyung suddenly turned to him, "Hyung.

Jihong looked at him inquiringly, without taking his glass from his mouth. Jaekyung, putting down his fork, leaned his elbows on the table and clasped his hands. And then, with a worried expression on his face that Jihong had never seen before, he asked, "Are you pregnant?"

Jihong thought about what to say in such a situation, and silently put the glass on the table. Then, completely mirroring Jaekyung's posture, he continued to tease him, "Are your sperm so strong that they can overcome even modern medical technology?" Are you so confident?

He very politely hinted to Jaekyung to stop talking nonsense, but apparently too veiled. After all, the guy, not at all embarrassed, objected: "Who knows. They say that the only true method of contraception is abstinence. After all, one sperm cell is enough to succeed. If there is at least one swimmer as tenacious and excellent as me...

— There are none. If the sperm is stubborn and swims well, then it is no longer a sperm. And even if it exists, who will give birth to it and raise it, it's scary. It's hard for me with one of you, but how will I raise another one like me?

Jaekyung looked at him as if Jihong spoke like his mother, but still took up his fork again.

"In general, it's good that you're not pregnant.

Jaekyung took a short breath, and Jihong noticed that he was really relieved. He expected Jaekyung to dream of having a baby and getting married, and then he would be very disappointed to learn that Jiheon was not pregnant.

"You don't like children?"

"I don't like it," Jaekyung said without hesitation. "But it's not that I don't like children as such. I don't like people at all, regardless of gender and age.

"What about your own children, not someone else's?" Do you want to live without them?

Jaekyong was already hanging, munching on a large piece of lettuce. And finally, swallowing, he added: "I don't know. I never thought about it.

"Why are you glad that I'm not pregnant?"

"Because I don't want you to suffer," he said casually, reaching for the bottle. "You can't stand pain even when you feel physically bad.

And then he poured water into his glass.

— Yes, I don't like to get sick. I don't like it very much.

Jaekyung, looking at him, frowned slightly, and then pushed the containers of broccoli soup and potato salad towards him. "Then eat a little more, because you need to drink medicine." And with these words he handed Jihon a glass.

Jihong assumed that he had poured water for himself, but it seemed to be in order to wash down a pill.

"He cares so much about my health," Jihon chuckled in his mind.

However, Jihong had already taken the medicine at the pharmacy. It was a drug in case the side effects intensified.

"I've already drunk it at the pharmacy. You don't need it now.

After lunch and cleaning, it was past one o'clock in the afternoon. Jiheon was sitting on the couch checking his phone email when Jaekyung, having just brushed his teeth, came out of the bathroom, "Hyung, will you be back in the company?"

— Of course.

"Even sick?" Can't they leave you alone, even if you were in the hospital? Just don't go," he demanded, sitting down beside him.

As soon as he settled down, he immediately hugged Jihon by the waist and buried his nose in his shoulder. He clung to it as naturally as if it were his birthright. Such boldness no longer seemed impudent - but rather looked cute. Jihong put his cell phone on the sofa and, stroking his beloved's hair, agreed: "Okay.

— … For real? Jaekyung asked excitedly, raising his head, although just a minute ago he was pressing on Jihon.

"Hey, well, again. You yourself told me to do so. Why should we be surprised now?

"I thought you'd refuse as usual. Are you really not going to the office after lunch? Jaekyung clarified, not believing his own ears.

"Uh-huh," Jihon grunted. And touching the cheek of the guy, who was still tormented by doubts, he added: "You're going to rest now, aren't you?" Maybe we can sleep together?

Because of this, Jaekyung's eyes became twice as large, they literally read a silent question: "What's wrong with this person? Is he really sick?"

The next second, he straightened up sharply and continued the interrogation with passion: "You're not going to say, 'Well, how did you enjoy your day with your boyfriend? I hope this will help to hold on until the end of the Olympics. And now I'm going on a business trip," right?

"What kind of nonsense?" Jihon laughed, unable to stand it, for he was well aware that the previous one would have done just that. Which gave the situation a certain comicality.

"I'm not going on a business trip.

"Won't you go at all?"

"Yes," Jihong smiled and got up from the sofa. And then he took Jaekyung's hand. "Let's go to bed."

In shock, Jaekyung automatically followed him. In the bedroom, Jihon laid him on the bed and sat down next to him. And, covering him with a blanket, he sternly warned: "Don't even dare to do anything strange.

Jaekyung's eyebrows, who had clearly hoped for more, twitched slightly. But then, shaking his head negatively, he muttered: "I didn't plan anything. Who will pester the patient?

Jaekyung didn't even blushed, spewing out obvious lies as if he had some kind of conscience after all.

"And today is not even a day off.

To which Jihon, watching him, put his hand under his head and said: "We are now in a relationship. What difference does it make if it's a weekday or a weekend?

Saying this in a deliberately calm tone, he saw Jaekyung fall silent for a moment, not knowing what to cover. A wide variety of emotions flashed through his handsome face in this short moment.

"Then why not right now?"

"What do you think, blockhead?" Jihon laughed, wrapping up the impudent man. "You're having a training session in three hours." What crazy manager would allow his ward to be exhausted in front of her?

"Oh, what the—" Jaekyung, indignant, furiously threw back the blanket. "So you really don't want to just because of that?"

"Only?"

— Of course! Do you really think that I will lose all my strength? Aren't you underestimating me too much, by any chance?" Jaekyung retorted.

"I don't underestimate you. But before training, still behave decently and do not waste energy on trifles, otherwise all the protein will pass by the muscles.

Jaekyung looked at him for a moment with an expression of "what does protein and muscle have to do with it?" and then, understanding the joke, sighed heavily, "Oh, really... Where did you get such phrases, as if you have been in sports for a long time and you are under fifty years old?

"Well, I'm the one who is already retired," Jihon grinned.

"What kind of old man are you?!"

The stubborn man looked as serious and angry as possible that Jihong quickly covered him with a blanket up to his neck so that he wouldn't start ranting again about how "hyung his is wonderful."

"Okay, let's go to bed." You're twenty-one years old, not twenty-one months old. What kind of whims?

Jihong patted him gently on the shoulder, but Jaekyung didn't even try to close his eyes.

"How can I fall asleep in such a state?"

"Why?" You always slept in the same bed with me. And we often just lay there and did nothing.

"Back then, we didn't lie facing each other.

Jihon suddenly remembered that it was so. Usually, he slept against the wall, and Jaekyung hugged him from behind. And when asked to turn around, Jihon always waved him off: "Go to sleep."

Perhaps that's why Jaekyung never had sex with him from behind. And when Jihon covered his face, he kept repeating, "Don't close yourself, look at me."

It turns out that sex and feelings are completely different things. Which made Jihon sad at the thought that his seemingly insignificant actions could hurt Jaekyung. He was sorry that he realized everything so late, and at the same time, he was surprised at how stubbornly Jaekyung continued to love him. Although everyone else gave up. And no matter how well Jihon treated them, they quickly lost interest and left.

"Why?"

Jihong raised his eyebrows questioningly, and Jaekyung, a little embarrassed, added, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Ah," Jihong realized that he had been staring for too long, and smiled involuntarily, "Because I like you.

Which made Jaekyung blush to the tips of his ears. And, briskly turning away, he muttered: "Well... again." And as the crimson on his skin increased, Jihong himself almost went crazy because of how charming his partner was.

"Jaekyong-ah," Jihong said to him, straightening the hand on which his head rested. "Do you want me to be your pillow?"

— … A what?

"It's just... Want to.

Completely confused, Jaekyung asked cautiously, "Hyun, are you always like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're always like that... Treating your boyfriends?

Jihong wanted to know what he meant by "treat you like that," but instead he whispered playfully, "No, only you."

To which Jaekyung narrowed his eyes incredulously.

Nevertheless, he could not resist the temptation. And, awkwardly settling down, he laid his head on his arm. Jihon laughed again, seeing how he was trying to lie carefully so as not to accidentally crush him.

"Hey, you're not heavy. Lay down normally. With that, Jihong pulled him even closer, so that Jaekyung's face almost buried in his chest. "Are you comfortable?"

— Yes. But it's too comfortable a position to put your nipple in your mouth, so a little...

"Don't you dare," Jihon blurted out, tugging lightly at the impudent man's hair. "You'll regret it."

"No, really. They are right in front of me, my teeth are itching.

"Do you have teething?" Are you sure you're not twenty-one months old?

Jaekyung, wanting to take advantage of the opportunity, agreed: "Exactly. I think I'm twenty-one months old."

"Jaekyung," Jihong exclaimed, grabbing his wrists as he tried to unbutton his shirt on the sly. "You're not a baby anymore, even if you're twenty-one months old.

To which Jaekyung obediently stopped. At another time, he would have insisted on his own, growling something like: "If you don't insert it, then you can. Hyun, you have no right to refuse." Now the bulldozer became more accommodating, as if it had found some kind of peace of mind.

Jihon could not help but be touched. And hugging Jaekyung, he gently stroked his back.

"Tomorrow you can do whatever you want. For now, just sleep.

Jihon was sure that he would be happy, although, as usual, he would pretend to be indifferent.

But to his surprise, Jaekyung reacted in a completely different way: "Hyun, don't say that anymore.

"How?"

"Well, that you'll let me do whatever I want."

Jihon was taken aback. Jaekyung then explained that there was only humility in these words, as if he was allowing all this to happen.

— It used to be like that, but now it is not necessary. After all, everything has changed," Jaekyung added with pressure. "If you don't want to, I won't insist.

As a result, Jihon was speechless. He had many thoughts and feelings, but he didn't know how to express them. He wanted to justify himself, saying that this was just his habit and a normal approach to relationships, and Jaekyung shouldn't pay attention to such things. But this would be tantamount to admitting that he was wrong.

So Jihong just smiled, "Okay.

"Don't do it," Jaekyung whispered and hugged Jihon by the waist, burying his face in his chest.

"But why did you start taking off my shirt even though I forbade you?" Why do your words diverge from your deeds?

After a short silence, Jaekyung muttered, "... But I still didn't do it.

"Are you serious?" Jihong laughed.

Jaekyung quickly raised his head and said with unprecedented firmness, "Well, I told you that I would no longer act against your will.

—...

"True," he repeated.

His brown eyes, turned up at Jihon, were so clear that his heart ached. Looking into them, he felt a tickling tenderness spread through his body. Instead of words, Jihong bent down and kissed Jaekyong's eyelids. And then he moved to the tip of his nose. And, sliding over his cheeks, at some point he reached his hot lips, barely perceptibly said: "Hyun will not be like this again.

"So please don't lose interest in me too quickly," he wanted to add, but after swallowing a desperate plea, he kissed Jaekyung again.