A/N: Sunbae if you don't surrender your book on time the next chapter won't come out on time.

-

Junmyeon dreams that he lives in a small town, a quiet town, and he moves through each day sluggishly. 

He wakes up feeling rested, he goes out and people smile at him, great him politely, and though he does nothing but pass the seemingly short hours wandering he comes back to a homely cottage feeling satisfied. 

But Junmyeon lies down in bed and feels hollow. 

“Are you unhappy?” A voice asks from his left. When Junmyeon turns his head, it's Sowon, perched on the window. 

“Are you unhappy?” She asks again. “What do you want to make it better?” 

Junmyeon wonders, because all he can do in this dreamy haze is wonder. He settles on half answer. 

“I'm lonely.” He says. 

“I can get you company.” Sowon smiles, then she flies away, and Junmyeon falls asleep. 

When Junmyeon wakes, his suddenly bigger house feels more full. He goes down stairs he knew weren't there before and enters a kitchen laden with hearty foods. 

“I made breakfast.” Kyungsoo says, from behind the kitchen island. When did Kyungsoo get here? 

“Hyung,” Jongdae calls. He reaches to pull Junmyeon into the seat beside him. “Come eat.” 

Junmyeon tries to place the sense of wrongness in this picture, bit he forgets it in mere minutes as a sleepy sensation of contentment settles over him. 

-

Jongin wakes to Sehun's voice filtering into his ears. 

“… cake. You like fruitcakes right? We'll get you that when you wake up. Or you can treat yourself for once eat a real cake.” 

Jongin squints into the hazy morning light, spotting Sehun flopped over Junmyeon's chest, trailing fingers on his cheeks and huffing at the loos curl floating at his forehead. 

“Sehun? The heck are you doing?” Jongin grumbles, unfolding his limbs out from the chair, wincing as his joints pop. 

“I'm enticing him to wake up.” Sehun says. “The doctor says he might be able to hear.” 

Jongin blinks. “Huh. So we're bribing him with cake?” 

Sehun shifts his head to look at Jongin, grinning. “Your turn.”

Jongin shrugs and clears his throat. Might as well. 

“We'll, um, do our chores for once?” 

Sehun wrinkles his nose. “That was weak.” 

Jongin scowls and says, loudly this time, “We'll make you a whole feast. All you can eat.” 

Sehun smiles in satisfaction before continuing on his end. “We'll take you shopping then. We'll pay for once. You can just buy anything you want.” 

Jongin thinks for a moment. “When you get back, we'll pamper you. Baekhyun can do your hair. We'll bully Jongdae into giving a massage. You're face is good looking enough, there isn't much we can do there.”

Sehun laughs, shaking on Junmyeon's chest. Jongin joins in, until Sehun trails of to trace Junmyeon's cheekbones. 

“We need you to wake up first though.” Sehun says softly. “Wake up hyung.” 

Junmyeon doesn't move. 

-

Minseok thumbs the pack of cigarettes, knowing it's mistake and he'll actually manage to do it. He'll drown himself in regret and self loathing later, as he's always good at. He knows Jongin smokes sometimes, and Sehun. He sees the maknaes with their heads bowed together on a bad night, long fingers of smoke grasping at their outlines, sometimes. Tao used to smoke with them, before he left. 

Minseok throws the pack to the ground and crushes it under his heel, as if doing so will crush the thoughts with it. Remembering them, the ones who left, was never a good train of thought. 

Minseok stalks away from the niche, tucking his cap low as he walks back up the front of the building. 

Maybe this time, Junmyeon will get up and say hello when he walks in. 

-

“Do you know,” Baekhyun begins, throwing the ball against the wall. The doctor had given it to him, saying it was for stress. “That only ten out of a hundred thousand in Korea get into car accidents every year?” 

Jongin and Sehun had gone for food, and Baekhyun's growling stomach hadn't protested having the act as carriers. But left alone in the room with a comatose Junmyeon like this unnerved Baekhyun. And when Baekhyun was faced with discomfort away from the eyes of the public, his emotions got heated. 

“Why did you have to be one of that ten Suho? Does this world hate you?” Baekhyun asked in exasperation. “Have you not been kind enough? Loving enough? Or have we not loved you enough? Is god trying to take you away to a better place?” 

Baekhyun's fingers slipped and the foam ball rolled under Junmyeon's bed. He stared after it in frustration, huffing out the dregs of his emotions. He stared at Junmyeon for a while longer and reached for his hand. 

“We're not letting anyone take you from us.” Baekhyun said, squeezing his hand. “If heaven wants you they're going to have to come down and fight us first.”

Baekhyun could almost imagine Junmyeon's hand squeezing back. 

-

In Junmyeon's dreams, s do nothing but smile at him, laughing happily with him. It makes him feel a little warm, to have them be so loving. But alas…

“This is just a dream.” Junmyeon announces to the sky sadly. “It's nice of you Sowon, but I know it's a dream.”

A dove descends from the sky, a speck of white breaking away from a watercolour sun. It lowers steadily, until the dove is no longer a dove but the figure of a young angel bedecked in white. 

Sowon settles herself into the grass patch beside Junmyeon and smiles at him as the background blurs. 

“What gave it away?” She asks. 

Junmyeon looks down at his hands and exhales. “They don't love me like this. It's a petty thing to say, but I know how they see me.” 

Junmyeon raises his head to meet Sowon's eyes. “They don't look at me with love like that.” 

Sowon lifts her hand carefully, reaching out for Junmyeon's hair. The soft caresses ease him slightly, nursing the wound he inflicts upon himself with such a bare confession. 

“I get tired sometimes.” Junmyeon sighs. “I can only love them so much I suppose, when they don't love me back.”

Sowon laughs. “I think they're just very bad at showing how they love. Too much of what you guys do have becomes acts for fans, a play for the eyes of the world. It makes the real emotions harder to show, and more difficult to see.

But they do love you Junmyeon. Look.”

Sowon waves her hand, and in the misted grass an image rises. 

It is a hospital room, stark white while the sky outside the large window is an inky black. Junmyeon sees himself, a still figure laid out on the bed. Minseok is in the chair to his left, caressing a hand, while Yixing stands to his right, brushing a thumb over his brow. 

“Wake up Jun.” Minseok whispers. “We need you.” 

“Junmyeon.” Yixing breathes shakily. “Please. It's been two weeks. Any longer and bad things will happen.” 

Yixing, Junmyeon notices, is crying. Soundless shaking while tears fall into the front of his shirt while he stands, and then falling into Junmyeon's face as Yixing leans over to press a soft kiss into his cheek. 

Junmyeon raises his hand to his cheek in the dream, feeling warmth emanate from the spot. He feels light, all of a sudden, and the heart monitor in the real world beeps.