"As long as you’ll fight with me, I’ll be okay.”

Those were the last words Jaehyun let out of his mouth before he collapsed on the cold ground, his hand clutching his stomach painfully. Taeyong widened his eyes, going over to Jaehyun’s side and putting his half-brother’s head on his lap gently, his hands shaking in panic.

“Jaehyun! Oh my god, what do I do?!” Taeyong shook Jaehyun many times, trying to make Jaehyun stay conscious. At that moment he didn’t know what to do. Seeing his brother in so much pain beside him makes Taeyong wishes that he was the one feeling that agonizing pain instead of someone so precious.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” Taeyong mumbles under his breath as he rapidly took his phone from his pocket, dialing 911 for help. He can feel wet tears on his cheeks and his vision suddenly started getting blurry due to the continuously warm tears flowing from his eyes. After calling for help and knowing that someone is on their way to help Jaehyun, Taeyong felt a little better. He glanced at Jaehyun who has his eyes closed as he continued to groan in pain.

It broke Taeyong’s heart. How can someone so special go through this so much pain? The most painful thing is that while Jaehyun is in so much pain, Taeyong’s name is the only thing he calls out.

“Taeyong, it hurts…” Jaehyun mumbled under his breath, his voice like a whisper.

“Jaehyun, oh my god,” Taeyong sat there like a statue, brushing Jaehyun’s soft hair away from his eyes. “I’m so sorry you’re going through this. You don’t deserve this. I’m so sorry.”

Jaehyun smiled, half-heartedly. "Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong, Tae."

"But I failed to be by your side when you needed me the most." 

Seeing Jaehyun smile softly to him even through the pain he's feeling made Taeyong more ashamed by his accusations towards his half-brother. How could he have blamed Jaehyun for trying to ruin his relationship with Yuta when all he needed was Taeyong's care and support through his treatment?

And most importantly... How could he blame Jaehyun for still loving him after all this time? 

"Why did you only tell me this now?" Taeyong croaked, his voice dry as his hand gripped Jaehyun's tightly. 

Jaehyun's eyes are closed but he still managed to speak. "I didn't want you to worry. All I wanted was...to spend my remaining time with the person I Iove the most."

. 

Taeyong tried his best not to let out a sob. How could he have been so cruel? If only he knew his brother's illness earlier, he would have been with him from the start. 

He should have been by his side. 

Regrets filled Taeyong's mind, the grief not failing to leave his system as he stared at Jaehyun's pained eyes, his features turning weaker and weaker by every second. 

Taeyong shook his head. "You've always been selfless, Jae. I should have been by your side from the start of all this. You should have told me," he cupped Jaehyun's face gently as he wiped the tears away from his eyes. "This time though, I will be here for you. I promise you that." 

And with that promise, Jaehyun let out a small smile, his dimple showing as his eyes slowly closes and the image of his love being the last thing he sees before everything went black. 

--

They say that falling in love with someone can be the greatest feeling you would ever experience. They say that love makes someone feel different kinds of emotions that you wouldn’t usually ever feel. They say that love is the most beautiful thing to have, hardest thing to earn and especially the most painful thing to lose. It opens up your chest and your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. Love eats you up and leaves you crying in the darkness. It’s like a soul-hurt. Love rips you apart into pieces until you feel numb, broken.

That was what Nakamoto Yuta thought when someone asks him what he thinks about love. He thinks that being in love is stupid. Why fall in love when you know that you would only get hurt? Why give someone your heart when they will just stomp on it repeatedly until it stops beating?

For all his life, Yuta despised the word love or anything that connects to that. He doesn’t understand why he felt that way in the first place but maybe because he has always been afraid of getting hurt by someone he loves. He’s terrified to feel that feeling where your chest would feel so heavy that it’s difficult to breathe.

That was until he first laid his eyes on Taeyong.

The first time Yuta laid his eyes on what he thinks is the most beautiful human being was the moment he suddenly forgot about how much he hates the word love. He felt