When Jisung woke up the next morning, Minho was already awake and watched him.

"Good morning, baby"

There was so much love and warmth in the words that it directly brought tears to Jisung's eyes again.

"Minho," he whispered overwhelmed. He didn't expect his fiancé to look at him like that after what the creep had done to him.

Panic caught him and he began to tremble.

Minho probably didn't know anything about what had happened. Who should have told him. The creep would hardly have confessed and even if he had, Minho was here in the hospital and did not interrogate him.

"Hey baby, I'm here! It's all good!" Minho pulled Jisung a little too abruptly and moaned in pain. The fall last night hadn't helped him to feel better. Rather the opposite.

But at least Minho pain tore Jisung out of his panicked thoughts.

"Is everything okay?" he whispers.

For a moment, Minho was really surprised to hear Jisung talk. Because so far he hadn't said anything except his name.

He smiled at him.

"My shoulder still hurts a little from the gunshot wound and I moved to jerky. But that will heal again."

"Sorry... I didn't want that"

Jisung lowered his head sadly.

Careful not to strain his shoulder any further, Minho put his hand on Jisung's chin and lifted it gently.

"Ji Baby, it's not your fault! In addition, the doctor is confident that I will get well again. I just need a little time."

A tear ran down Jisung's cheek.

"May I... May I kiss you...?" he finally asked Minho.

Minho looked at him perplexed, but then nodded quickly.

He gently put his hands on Jisung's face, but then waited for the younger one to make the next move.

Jisung hesitated for a few seconds, but then closed his eyes and kissed Minho.

And the kiss almost broke Minho's heart.

He did not expect such a shy, uncertain kiss and he was not used to from his fiancé.

At the very beginning of their relationship, Jisung had been shy and unsure. But by now he actually knew very well what he wanted and got it.

But Minho also knew that he shouldn't push him to anything now.

He didn't know what had happened to Jisung when they held him, but the choking marks on his neck were an obvious hit to what they did to him.

He gently stroked his hair.

"I'm so glad I found you! And I love you so much!"

He leaned carefully and looked at Jisung waiting. After a hesitant nod of the younger, he put his lips on Jisungs and kissed him gently.

"I love you too..." Jisung whispered.

Minho couldn't help but smile happily. He pulled Jisung to himself and the younger buried his face on Minho's unharmed shoulder.

Tears ran over his face, but he didn't want Minho to see them.

Actually, it was tears of joy, because he was overjoyed to be back at Minho. He had been so sure that he would never see him again.

But his fear and despair was incredibly big that Minho never wanted to have anything to do with him again if he knew that Jisung had been touched by the creep.

He felt Minho gently stroke his back and through his hair.

"I love you so much!" Minho whispered to him again.

Jisung felt Minho's words and their meaning reach his painful, wounded heart and made it hurt a little less.

Nevertheless, he decided to bury the cruel memories deep in his mind and never let them out again.

As if Minho had read his thoughts, he raised his chin again and looked deep into his eyes.

"Baby, I want you to know that you can tell me anything, okay? No matter what it is! I will always stand by you and stay with you!"

Jisung lowered his eyes. He simmered the feeling of not to deserved Minho at all.

"I..."

"Tell me when you're ready!"

Jisung nodded and then snuggled up to Minho again. For a moment long they cuddled closely together.

Minho took the opportunity to gently stroke Jisung's back and gently kiss him on his forehead from time to time.

Just as Jisung's thoughts wandered back in the wrong direction, Minho sat down carefully.

"I'm pretty sure that a nurse will come soon to look after us. And then I should probably lie in my bed."

Minho wanted to get up with an unhappy smile, but Jisung held him tight.

"Do you think I can take a shower beforehand? I- I want to get rid of this disgusting feeling as soon as possible..."

"Sure. I'll come with you. Yesterday I also thought I could take a shower alone. But without Chan, I would probably have tipped over in the shower. So no respeech!"

Jisung nodded and stood up.

Minho also got up, but didn't immediately went to the bathroom, but briefly over to his bed, where Chan and Changbin were still sleeping. He gently stroked Chan's arm.

"Honey, you have to wake up slowly!"

Tired, the elder opened his eyes and looked at Minho without understanding.

"Soon it's a visit by the doctor and then I'd better lie in my bed," he said with a crooked grin. "Ji would like to take a shower beforehand, but I thought I'd let you know so that you can wake up in peace."

With these words, he left Chan alone and followed Jisung into the bathroom.

He stood like petrified in front of the mirror staring at his reflection. Tears ran down his face and he trembled all over his body.

Minho needed a moment to understand what was going on, but then he remembered.

Jisung had only seen himself in a very foggy state, if at all.

What meant that he saw himself for the first time with the choking marks and bruises on his upper body.

He immediately positioned himself so that Jisung could no longer see himself in the mirror and pulled him into his arms.

"You know it..." Jisung whispered with a tear-suffocated voice. He desperately tried to get rid of Minho, but he held him tight.

He gently stroked Jisung's upper body and first kissed him on the shoulder, then after a short hesitation on his neck and finally on his mouth.

"Baby, I love you! And when I say that, I mean it! No matter what might have happened when you weren't with me..."

"Are you sure..."

And again, Jisung's words almost broke Minho's heart. As if anything could ever cause him to leave Jisung voluntarily. Above all, something that Jisung would never had done voluntarily.

"Yes, Baby! I am! And I don't care if you can or want to tell me that. I'll stay with you, no matter what they've done to you! Because I love you!"

Now tears were running down their faces.

Minho Jisung gently wiped away tears and kissed him.

"So, go into the shower! Otherwise we will still be here when there is a visit."

Jisung hesitated to take off his pants for a moment. Not that he felt uncomfortable undressing in Minho's presence, but he didn't know if there where any bruises to be seen on his lower body.

Minho noticed his hesitation and looked at him a little sadly but understandingly.

"It's okay! I'll just sit on the toilet and turn my back on you."

Jisung chewed around on his lower lip and finally took off his pants after Minho turned around.

After that, he stood in the shower and, like Minho the night before, let his tears run wild.

"Minho?" he finally whispered. Because although he felt uncomfortable, he didn't want to be alone.

Minho turned around and when he saw Jisung's outstretched arms, he stood in the shower with him without hesitation.

And at that moment he realized that they had a long way to go, but they could do it together.

Because despite everything, Jisung sought his closeness and felt safe in his arms.

꧁ ⸺ ♥ ⸺ ꧂

To all who celebrate it: Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you'll have a wonderful day! And don't fight too much with your family.

Even if Germans don't celebrate it today or that big as in the US but I want to say that I'm very tankful to everyone who's reading this story! I really appreciate each one of you and it means the world to me that you guys are here to read what I write.

Thank you for every read, like and comment!
Love you guys! ♥️

Btw are you guys interested in an advent calendar? (And do you even know what it is?)
I'm thinking about making a SKZ advent calendar.