sixty-six

Minho's still sitting in the kitchen. Thinking. Worried.

But... he's also feeling angry.

It's not right. Almost two centuries? What the fuck?

A sound alerts him to the time. He gets up. Rushes to the bedroom.

Jisung's up. Panicked. He's in the middle of the room.

"Hey..." Minho steps closer to him. Touches his arms.

Jisung begins to cry. "Minho..."

"I'm sorry, I should've been beside you when you woke up. I'll always be here. D-Did you have any bad dreams?"

"Dreams?" Jisung breathes shakily. "N-No... I remember you..."

Minho cups his tearful face. "That's good, right?"

"B-But I forgot you..." He says. "I forgot you— Why did I... how could I...?"

"You didn't choose to forget me, okay?"

Jisung tries to stop his crying. Minho hugs him. Gently.

"It's okay, Jisung..." He soothes. Carefully he asks, "Do you remember what exactly happened? Leaving... and how you came to forget...?"

Jisung tears up more at hearing that. He shakes his head. Seems afraid. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, don't hate me—"

"No," Minho says. Feels tearful too. He pecks Jisung's head softly.

"Why would I hate you? It's okay. This is okay. You remember you love me, and you remember who I am, and you're here. That's what matters— Hey, aren't you hungry? Do you want food?"

Jisung nods immediately. It makes Minho smile.

He kisses Jisung again. "Good, let's eat then."

- - -

- - - - - -

Minho wants to talk. Wants to get more out of Jisung. But he needs to keep him calm. Content. Feeling safe.

Jisung's got a lot confusing him.

It must be the remembrance of Minho. All the memories he's gotten. The feelings that came with them. His eyes still shift around. He's anxious. Sensitive. Lost. Uncertain.

So Minho guides him. Through his routine. To get back to normal. To okay. To hopefully the same as before.

"You remember this one?" Minho says. Holds out a yellow shirt.

Jisung's gotten out of the shower. He's wrapped in a giant fluffy bath towel. His eyes go bright. He nods. Giggles. Minho's smiling. He hands him the pants. Turns away.

"I'm done!" Jisung says. Less than a minute later.

Minho turns back. He dries Jisung's hair with the towel. Puts the shirt over his head. Minho's heart feels like bursting.

"You smell like flowers," he murmurs. Sniffs Jisung's damp hair.

"No, it's not flowers! It's cherry! The shower gel!"

"Oh," Minho says. Takes the towel off. Smooths his clothes.

Jisung breams. "Do you want to use it? You can smell like cherry too!"

"Okay, I'll use it tomorrow."

"You smell nice anyway," Jisung says. Holds his cheeks. Smooches his lips. Giggles. "You're pretty... I love you..."

Minho laughs. Hugs his waist. "I love you too..."

He places soft kisses. On Jisung's lips. Face. Then he sighs.

"Oh, I... I love you so much..."

Jisung's giggles stop. He blinks worriedly.

"What is it? Did I m-make you sad...?"

"N-No... I'm just relieved that you're back... I've been sad because you were gone... It's not your fault, though. You didn't do it on purpose. All that matters now is that you're here... and things will get better..."

He doesn't sound sure. Jisung notices. Gets tearful.

"I'm sorry..." Jisung whispers. "I d-don't want you to feel like that... I don't want to make you sad..."

"I know. Like I said, it's not your fault, okay? Don't apologize for something that's out of your control."

Jisung gazes back at him. "Was it?"

Minho smiles. Reassuringly. "Yes. It was."

"H-How do you know that?"

Minho moves with him. To the bed. He sits against the headboard. Takes Jisung's hand. Lets him sit beside him.

"Jisung... How much do you remember? Do you remember how we first met? What we did? Do you remember everyone else?"

Jisung shakes his head. Slowly. Thoughtfully.

"I... I remember you... mostly. When we cooked and -- oh! We went to get snacks! And when you worked! I remember your books!" Jisung gasps. Moves to get up. "I want to read the pretty drawings—"

Minho takes his arm. Stops him. Chuckles. He holds him tightly. "Later... They're not going anywhere. Do you remember... Hyunjin? His family?"

Jisung closes his eyes. Frowns. When he opens them... he looks upset too. "I should remember... right? I see faces... and they feel special... but I can't... I can't remember more, I'm sorry..."

"It's okay. You're not supposed to remember everything at once. It happens slowly... and in order, I guess..."

Yes... Jisung remembers the last person... he spent time with? Before with Minho, he had started getting memories of Hyunjin's grandma and father. Because that was his last experience.

There must be blanks. Where nothing happened. Where he didn't have significant experiences. Because it takes a while for him. To come alive. To not be scared. To then remember his name. To gain time. Interact. Build a relationship with someone.

That wouldn't have happened with many...

Was Jisung... remembering his earliest memories? Or... just the people that had spent a lot of time with him? The people in his past...?

Minho feels bitter again.

After seeing Hyunjin... and those pictures... he doesn't know. What is he supposed to think? Feel? Or even do?

It's not fucking fair.

He wants Jisung. But it feels like... he'll slip out of his fingers eventually... Because of whatever happened two hundred years ago?

"I'm sorry," Jisung says. Touches Minho's face. Wipes his cheeks. Kisses his lips. "I'm so sorry..."

Minho takes his hand. Realizes he's been quiet. In his thoughts. And he has teared up. "It's all okay, Jisung," he says.

It hurts. For Jisung to apologize. It's not anything he does intentionally.

Then... with his memories mostly gone... Jisung's assuming he's at fault? That he must apologize? Is it... because of that thing he'd said? About being a cursed child?

Jisung's first words were about not hurting anyone.

Those were from Jisung. Without any memories. It happened both times he's come alive to Minho.

That must have more to it...

Minho dreads it has something to do... with that village. Jisung's curse. Or it could even be earlier than that...

Why would something that old still haunt Jisung? It doesn't exist. The people. The place... But it can hurt him? Make him forget?

It can pull him away from this present. From Minho. Make him lose the happiness he has here. With the people who love him?

Minho's fished out of his thoughts. By a soft touch on his cheek. He blinks up. Sees Jisung's worried face.

"Minho... You're not happy..."

"No. I am very happy because you're here."

He looks into Jisung's eyes.

The need to say it to him... it's so strong. Even if Minho's afraid to hurt him. To affect him in a way that leads to something worse.

Jisung is still gazing back anxiously.

Minho sits up. "I- I don't know... if I should tell you this now, later, or if I should tell you at all... but I think... maybe you need to know..."

Jisung nods. Nervously. "Okay... what is it?"

To be continued...