"Jinn, it's alright. Take a deep breath. There's nothing to worry about. It was just a dream, my dear. Everything is over now." Jerome hugged his lover, holding him close to his chest. His large hand searched for a glass of water beside the bed and offered it to the man who was lying there, sweating profusely from the nightmare.

 

He asked softly, "Hmph, am I a bad son? Is Mom angry with me? She must be angry. Does she hate me now?" His voice was hoarse and faint.

 

"No way. Aunt Jan would never be angry with you, Jinn. Do you want to take your medicine?"

 

The listener was shocked. “Of course I’m angry! Mom told me not to drive fast, but I did. It was me, it was me who killed Mom. It was me. Why wasn’t it me who died?” The deranged man muttered incoherently.

 

"Don't think like that, Jinn. No one wanted this to happen. It was an accident. Aunt Jan would be heartbroken if she knew you were blaming yourself for ten years like this. She loves you very much. She would never hate you," Jerome comforted the person in his arms in a gentle voice. Every time the other person acted like this, he had to be as gentle as possible.

 

"Really? Mom won't really hate me?" The pale-faced man looked up at the speaker, as if wanting to be sure. The corners of his eyes, slightly wrinkled, were red. Despite being thirty-eight years old, his demeanour was like that of a lost child, causing Jerome unbearable pain in his heart.

 

"Seriously, I swear. Take some medicine so you can sleep well."

 

"Has Mom been reborn yet, or is she waiting for me?" As soon as he swallowed the medicine, Jinn asked again.

 

“Go and be reborn, because you won’t be going to see Aunt Jan anytime soon. You have to wait for me, understand?” Jerome’s voice was firm, yet tinged with a faint fear. His strong arms held the body, which seemed noticeably thinner lately, tightly.

 

"Gentle," Jinn said, his soft eyes turning to look at his lover. His fingers gently touched the other's cheek.

 

"Don't talk about it. I don't allow this. Go to sleep, there's nothing to talk about. Tomorrow I'll cook you ten dishes. If you can't finish it all, I'll be nice to you."

"It would have been better if I hadn't been so impulsive back then," Jinn murmured, his eyes beginning to droop, before falling asleep in Jerome's arms, his breathing steady.

 

"If only I had been with you then," the one who couldn't sleep that night gently kissed their lover's forehead, their sweet eyes welling with tears.

 

"It would have been better if I hadn't gone to see my brother back then."

 

"It would have been better if I had started dating you sooner."

 

If only I could have... that Don.

 

Jerome opened his eyes with a blank mind, but a heavy heart. Waves of pain swept through him, alternating between squeezing and releasing, until it was agonising. His vision blurred with tears before they slowly began to fall.

 

"Damn it," the young man sat up, wiping away the tears that continued to flow, a journey from the future back to the past—a future he'd suspected for a while wouldn't have the happy ending he hoped for.

 

"Jerome? What's wrong with you?" Jinn, who had just come out of the bathroom, greeted his boyfriend softly.

 

“Come here, please.”

 

"What the heck, are you being clingy? You're giving me goosebumps," teased the person who was immediately hugged around the waist as soon as he walked over. Jinn ran his fingers through the soft hair of the person who was burying their face in his stomach.

 

"I had a bad dream. I need some encouragement." Just being able to hug that muscular, strong body made Jerome feel better. At least, it wasn't like then, and it never would be.

 

He would never let the other person's body, which was practically devoid of muscle and getting thinner every day, happen again.

 

"What are you dreaming of? The future? It's not about us breaking up, is it?" Jinn rolled his eyes suspiciously. What? Giving me hope and then doing this? No way!

 

“No way, you idiot. We’re not breaking up. We’re still happily in love. It’s just that I feel like you might be sick, but I don’t know what it is.” Jerome chose only to say this much. His sweet-looking face tilted up to look at his boyfriend standing before him, his strong chin resting on his bare, six-pack abs. The view was of his beautifully sculpted chest and his handsome face as he gazed down at him.

 

"Are you sick? But I don't have any illnesses. Is it serious?"

 

"I'm not sure. Let's get a checkup. The doctor has an appointment to check your finger in two days." Although Jerome thought the other person's illness was unlikely to have developed now, but rather occurred during the time he was gone, it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

"The reward? 'Oh really? Okay then. Did you trick me into getting an STD test?" Jinn joked, earning a strong squeeze from Jay.

 

“No way! I’m going to get it checked, too. I’ll check everything. You still don’t believe what I said about dreaming about the future, do you, Jinn?” Jerome narrowed his eyes dangerously. Even this much, and he still didn’t believe it? Or would he have to do more? Like show him that he knew all of his “weak points”?

 

"Believe me, I just thought things had changed. But whatever makes you happy. Don't make that evil face, Jay, or I'll kick you." Jinn glared at the other man fiercely. He knew exactly what each look and expression meant. You're not getting me!

 

"Yeah, things have changed, but not completely. Some things still haven't been resolved. Anyway, we'll fix them gradually."

 

"Okay, go take a shower so we can get back to work," Jinn urged the person who seemed to be in a better mood to go shower. There were no regular classes today, but they had to make more clothes, a routine that would likely continue for a while, as is typical for fashion and tailoring students.

 

Regarding Jerome's concerns, it's not that Jinn doesn't overthink things, but it's the future, a future many years away. Besides, the situation has changed drastically from what it should have been, to an extreme degree. Therefore, anything can change.

 

Despite thinking that, Jinn would go for the checkup as the other person suggested. Who knows, there might be a serious illness hidden in his body, for the sake of both his own peace of mind and his boyfriend's.

 

This unexpected life, this life with Jerome as a boyfriend, Jinn wants to spend it for a long time. At least, he wants it to be worth all the years of (unintentional) sadness.

 

The next two weeks were a cycle of almost nothing changing for them. They went to class together, came back to their rooms together, helped each other, were on good terms, and even slept together. Everyone watching could now sense the change. Their former animosity had transformed into a growing friendship. Their university friends were frantically posting questions online, wondering if JJ and his rivalry were finally over.

 

But who else could be the happiest about this if not the parents from both families, who were practically celebrating their joy that their beloved children had finally stopped fighting? And they even refused to mention the move back as originally agreed, a clear display of deception. They were afraid that almost two months spent together wouldn't be enough to strengthen their bond, so they wanted them to spend even more time together. But what they didn't know was that these two children had already become "stronger" than they ever imagined...

 

Regarding Jerome's broken finger, there's no problem. He doesn't need a splint anymore, but he still needs to be careful. He bought a finger brace-like device online to wear when he goes out to prevent any further injury. It's still difficult to bend his finger, but it's much better than before.

 

Jerome and Jinn’s romantic relationship is progressing step by step. While they haven't reached the final stage yet, they've done everything necessary. They still argue and have some physical altercations, but nothing serious like before; it's mostly playful teasing. When one of them gets truly angry, the other automatically calms down. It's as if they've both set aside their pride and stubbornness to help each other maintain this relationship as best they can.

 

Although Jerome was the one who gave in the most, perhaps because he had his own opinions at an older age, making him seem a step more mature emotionally and intellectually (in some matters), which allowed everything to go smoothly without any serious arguments.

 

"Sigh, Jinn, slow down a bit."

"You said... tell yourself that, you asshole."

 

The two young men, their faces and bodies now flushed red, gasped simultaneously with lust. They lay naked on the bed; Jerome was on his side, his head turned towards the headboard, while Jinn was on his side, his head towards the footboard. In front of them were their genitals.

 

Large, erect, ready for battle, burning hot and slippery with saliva from its own mouth. Jerome said there was no rush to get to the final stage, so they were getting closer than they could be.

 

For Jinn, the shaft in front of him was the biggest he had ever sucked on, and this was another major reason why he still couldn't bring himself to let it move in and out of his own...

 

"It can go on even higher," a familiar scent filled my nostrils. It wasn't unpleasant, but it made my already heated emotions surge even higher.

 

Jinn's tongue swept over the swollen, reddened head of Jerome's penis in his mouth. His fingers kneaded the soft balls between Jerome's legs, eliciting a low moan of pleasure. Saliva dripped from their lips, making the scene messy and utterly lewd.

 

As for Jerome, the shaft in front of him was the first and only one he'd ever had in his mouth. The young man had never done this to anyone before. He remembered the first time he gave it to himself, he choked, and his face turned red, but now he'd improved. At least he could now make the person being pleasured gently thrust their hips in response.

 

"Damn! Jerome! Is your mouth a sucking machine or something?" His lover's trembling protest made Jerome chuckle softly.

 

“I really like it.”

 

"Just... uh... ed..." (Just almost finished). Because his mouth was filled with the enormous shaft, Jinn could only manage to muffle the words to the other person softly.

 

"Mm-hmm," Jerome replied, but didn't pull his lips away. That made Jinn realise that the other man intended to "exchange" them, just like before.

 

"Mmm!" The scorching hot semen gushed into his mouth and was swallowed, just as he released his own into the other's mouth.

 

Jerome swallowed his boyfriend's semen without hesitation, even though he wasn't used to the taste and the metallic tang. But after several times, he became accustomed to it, perhaps because the other person was Jinn, his lover.

 

"Why do we have to cum?" Jinn had never let anyone cum in his mouth before, either. Jerome was the first, and he thought he probably would be the last.

 

"I swear I love you."

 

"Please," the questioner rolled their eyes until they almost crossed.

 

“Haha”

 

Jerome sat up before lunging back down on top of his lover, who lay there breathless. He pressed his lips against his lover's, completely disregarding what they had just done. They kissed passionately, practically devouring each other's mouths. Their tongues, still tasting of their lovemaking, intertwined, emitting lewd sounds. Their lips pressed together intensely, the faint taste of rust still present. The taller man's large hands caressed the strong muscles of his lover's waist, moving upwards until they squeezed and kneaded his chest, finally ending with a final squeeze of his delicate nipples, causing the man beneath him to groan softly.

 

Jerome didn't hold back at all, squeezing and caressing as he pleased. The young man was completely captivated by this feeling, a feeling he had never experienced before. Usually, the men he slept with were slender, even if not perfectly thin; they were all smaller than Jinn. Now, he was embracing someone of similar size, whose entire body was almost entirely soft except for his lips, yet it captivated him so.

 

Jinn felt Jerome's body all over as well, from his firm back to his incredibly strong, slender waist. The other man's muscles seemed sculpted by God; they were beautiful and captivating.

 

The large body he never thought he'd be able to embrace came unexpectedly his. If it wasn't for Jerome, Jinn didn't know if he'd ever be able to get close to such a muscular man. The other man was his only exception.

 

From a small, doll-like boy to a big, strong young man, the difference is almost unbelievable, but he still likes him.

The two young men remained immersed in a passionate infatuation from which they could not escape anytime soon. No, perhaps they could never escape at all. They were falling deeper and deeper, and before they knew it, they could no longer escape each other's grasp.

 

They are in each other's hands, willingly and with their own consent.