Of the American Football team universe (lol). Continuing from previous part: this is where TaecKhun officially began. I just can't leave this out after posting that. I won't leave you hanging although this is so... so... long.

It was on the first year of their college life when Fanny, a pretty girl from S University with similar background with Taecyeon, confessed to Nichkhun. She was nice and normal, albeit too popular. Nichkhun liked her; she was part of the joint music club in which Nichkhun was a member, too. So, they dated. Just as the news finally broke on the count of twenty minutes after confession, everyone groaned as well as congratulated him, except for one person.

Taecyeon suddenly stopped talking to him. He was giving Nichkhun a silent treatment, for unknown reason. Of course, it soon affected the whole team. Their interaction was probably the most natural thing in the whole world. They might not be talking to each other sometimes, but there was some sort of intimacy and comfort between them. To be in the same room with them now made anyone feel suffocated. Since they were normally placed side-by-side on the field, practice was so much harder. Even more shocking, when Nichkhun was knocked down (by Changmin), Taecyeon retracted his hand from being grasp by his friend—clearly doing it by habit and now he was trying to change it.

At their shared house, normally, Nichkhun would spend his nights with Taecyeon in the small bedroom (Nichkhun was used to the routine of curling and snuggling close to Taecyeon every night after that first time in Nichkhun’s house when they first shared a bed, which led to questioning look on Nichkhun’s mother and sisters at the morning). Junsu and Junho sometimes changed with them, and Chansung sometimes would sleep there with Taecyeon if Wooyoung was being extra handful and only Nichkhun could calm him down, but these four, and occasionally Jaebeom, preferred to sleep together in the big bedroom. Ever since Nichkhun started dating Fanny, he had never been in the small room with Taecyeon. The bigger man always found a way to separate themselves, such as falling asleep in the big room on purpose, coming home earlier than others and just insisting to sleep in the big room, or, his trump card, offering Junsu to sleep together with Jaebeom in the small room. Nichkhun was devastated.

He tried to sneak in one night, which he succeeded. He slept clutching Taecyeon’s shirt. When he woke up, his hand was pinned under Taecyeon’s thick arm and held gently by the same big hand, glued to the man’s chest. He was so happy, but when he tried to repeat the process next night, he found out that the room was locked—and so it was ever since.

“Taec,” he tried to coax the man into staying in the same room with him tonight, but the giant man would not even turn his face to his direction.

“Chansung-ah, you look exhausted. Sleep in the small room with me,” Taecyeon said, ignoring Nichkhun completely. The leaner giant looked up with baggy eyes, even though he did not quite understand why this brother would offer such thing. He turned to Nichkhun. He obviously had heard him.

“What about Khun-hyung?” he asked innocently.

Chansung was still in high school and he was trying hard to study before the upcoming test unlike the other two that somehow knocked themselves out without anything and were now fast asleep in the living room. It was only natural to offer him such privilege with a quiet sleeper Taecyeon who usually fell asleep soundlessly and woke up just as silently. Taecyeon was a good student too; he could be of any help if Chansung was finding difficulties, so it was really a win-win situation for the youngest kid.

“Come on now. It’s already been so late,” Taecyeon urged, face impassive. Chansung, the obedient youngest kid he was, trotted his way into the room. Taecyeon followed him right away, taking with him a bowl of fruit salad he made himself. He passed it to Chansung and said, “You can’t eat your unhealthy snacks this late. Here, I put extra banana slices in there.”

The kid beamed so brightly, Nichkhun clenched his heart at the sight—torn between the warm feeling and painful feeling caused by the heart-warming scene. He was jealous, extremely jealous of Chansung. Why could not it be him instead of Hwang Chansung?

He tried to sleep that night, but he just could not. He ended up sitting by the closed door of the small room and crying silently. Every time Taecyeon decided to leave him out, he would stay up and cry all night. No one heard his lamentation, but one night, when Jay was sleeping over, he happened to hear soft sobbing sound and he tiptoed to the source. He initially did not want to find out because his heart might not be strong enough for it, but he still went to see—and he was right. He did not spend more than a few seconds there before leaving, back to the sleeping quarter. Nichkhun never cried so much in his whole life, but Taecyeon had made everything so devastating.

He once sneaked into kitchen for a drink at midnight and Taecyeon happened to come right after. Nichkhun imagined that the usual Taecyeon would ask if he was hungry and if he wanted him to prepare something because Nichkhun could always use some nutritious midnight snack. Therefore, it was nothing but imagination. The real Taecyeon must have seen him—he did, squarely at the eyes—but he turned and just drank a glass of water and left wordlessly as if Nichkhun was never there. Nichkhun sat on the counter, crying to his sleep. Junsu found him in the morning, still hunched at the corner, sleeping like a dead man.

Nichkhun slowly lost his appetite altogether. Now that no one could make him eat, he would automatically transfer all his food to Chansung. He only drank coffee and ate small amount of boiled potatoes. He did not sleep well and it was too depressing to see. But Taecyeon still would not talk to him.

There was finally one time where Nichkhun fell sick. He had high fever and could not even talk properly, let alone leave his bed. He was put in the small bedroom, but it was either Junsu or Jaebeom who accompanied him at night. Nichkhun always refused to eat, even when Fanny, his current girlfriend, came and made him porridge.

“Khun still won’t eat?” Junsu asked Fanny, who had just arrived in the living room. The girl shook her head. The boys sighed.

“Where is Taecyeon-oppa?” she asked, noticing the absence of a certain member of the household.

“He is accompanying the high-school kids to the sea with Seulong. He won’t come back until tomorrow,” answered Junsu, confirming as to why the house was especially serene that day. He held his head in frustration. “Asking Nichkhun’s siblings is out of question. They all have left the country last winter.”

“I heard his sisters failed too the last time,” Jaebeom filled in, remembering the last time. It had not been longer than a year since, and he wondered again how this could be happening to these kids.

Junsu looked surprised. He said, “I wish Taecyeon would talk to Khun. At this rate, Khun will never recover!”

“Don’t be so negative,” reprimanded Jaebeom. “He might not talk to Khun, but it does not mean he will let Khun suffer.”

The Thai prince did not have energy to cry. His chest ached so badly, Wooyoung’s sweet and caring personality would not even lighten his pain nowadays. He was so fond of the kid, and all his kids were funny. It did not matter how blue he was feeling, the kids were always there to brighten his day, but it did not work at all these days. His body ached. His heart ached. His eyes hurt. Even breathing hurt him. His stomach felt like burned and twisted.

“I want to die…”

He fell asleep and when he woke up, it was already tomorrow. He found Wooyoung and Chansung asleep next to him, on their chest in a matching fashion. What surprised him was a bowl of porridge, a pitch of water, and medication on his other side. There wasn’t any note attached to it (if it was either Junsu or Jaebeom, they would have stuck a note). He tentatively opened the lid and found how likable the porridge was. It looked well-seasoned and obviously complemented with blended vegetables and other things. There was only one person in the house (except himself) who could cook like this. Nichkhun could not help but smile. He forced himself to eat and drink, then he took the medication, and he was back to sleep.

“Oh! Khun ate!” Junsu exclaimed as soon as he came to check on the patient.

“Who made the porridge, though?” Jaebeom questioned quietly.

“You know already, Hyung,” Junsu said, grinning widely. He cleaned up and left. Nichkhun was happy. He recovered immediately. But Taecyeon still would not talk to him.

Jaebeom, concerned with the length of this stupid trouble, eventually talked to Nichkhun directly after two months passed. “Khun-ah, what is your problem with Taec? Can’t you resolve it already? Everyone is going crazy now.”

“I don’t know,” Nichkhun admitted gloomily, “He just stopped talking to me altogether. He does not even look at me anymore. I tried to talk to him, but he treated me as if he could not see or hear me.”

Nichkhun clutched his chest. It had never happened before. His first Korean friend built an invisible wall to prevent him to even exist in his life. This silent treatment was beyond his capacity to hold. He was on the verge of breaking every time someone mentioned Taecyeon’s name.

“I know Taec,” Jaebeom said, sighing hopelessly, “It must be about something you have done. He is holding back grudge so hard and he avoids you because he does not want to fight you. Just confront him already. He will talk eventually.” With that encouragement, Nichkhun steeled himself and confronted Taecyeon immediately once he saw a chance.

He pulled Taecyeon away to narrow space below the stairs. He demanded, “Why are you like this? What is your problem, Taec? Did I do something?”

He did not waste time. Taecyeon’s irk was shown as clear as a summer’s day. Upon hearing Nichkhun’s innocent rage, he grabbed the foreigner’s arm and slammed his back to the wall. His face was red with fury and his eyes impaled the other’s; dark fire inside.

“Why do you care?” he growled. Nichkhun’s heartbeat speeded up. He did not recognize the man loom before him now. He was afraid of this man.

“Of course I care,” he managed to answer, big eyes pleaded. “Tell me, Taec, please.”

“You wouldn’t even tell me why you locked yourself up in your room for two weeks. Why would I give you the privilege of knowledge? Just leave me alone,” Taecyeon acerbically said. He harshly let go off his hold on Nichkhun and swiftly he turned and left. Nichkhun was on his knees, unable to comprehend the identity of the man he had just spoken with.

Later, Jaebeom found him alone in the clubroom. Hunched in a corner, pretended to play with his phone, Nichkhun surely did not know how to control his physical expression. Jaebeom slumped next to him, thinking that maybe the talk did not go smoothly and was about to offer motivational piece, then he realized something.

“Khun-ah, are you crying?” He bowed, trying to peek through Nichkhun’s hanging bangs. He could not see anything and leaned back.

“Jay,” Nichkhun called, his voice raspy, “Have you ever seen Taec mad? Like, really, really angry?” Jaebeom did not answer immediately, but his answer was enough a shock when uttered:

“Yeah, once. When he found out who caused your internal haemorrhage. He was this close to beating the kid to death.”

*****

It happened six months ago when Taecyeon visited his family in Boston. The five of them had just rented the house and they were still moving in their things. Nichkhun, the ever so peaceful one, fought with some rascals who just wanted to see him battered, and came out victoriously, but he never knew that he had received fatal attack to his insides. When Taecyeon was back the next day, they were sitting next to each other, and Jaebeom was across them, listening to Junsu and Junho’s bicker over Chansung’s probable final height—whether or not he would surpass Taecyeon. Chansung called from outside, asking for help, so Jaebeom and the Jun-bros left the two alone since they seemed to be very tired.

“They are so loud,” Nichkhun said, smiling softly.

“You are surprisingly quiet today,” Taecyeon commented teasingly. Nichkhun swayed towards him and laid his head on the wide and strong shoulder his friend owned.

“I didn’t sleep well last night,” he lied. He was anticipating Taecyeon’s arrival too hard that he did not get any sleep before four a.m. despite he had just had a fight a few hours earlier. He heard Taecyeon snorted.

“Did you study? Are you still worried about the test?” he asked naturally just as he reached to push Nichkhun’s bang aside. Taecyeon had been saying that his bang had grown too long; it began to cover his eyes.

“Maybe,” Nichkhun said, feeling drowsier and drowsier. His voice drawled.

“You’ll do well. Stop fretting over it,” Taecyeon preached, then he turned and found his friend had closed his eyes and thought he had fallen asleep.

Jaebeom walked in at this moment. Junsu was hot on his tail. They locked eyes on Nichkhun. The two of them automatically cooed and teased the pair, accusing them with the usual fabricated scandal.

“Wait,” said Chansung, who had just arrived, pointed at Nichkhun, “Why is Khun-hyung like that?” The older brothers looked at him strangely. “Look at him,” he said again, pointing even more vigorously, “Look! Isn’t he unusually pale?”

Taecyeon whipped his head frenetically, wanted to see if it was true with his own eyes. He slowly put his hands on the foreign boy’s face. It was unusually cold and sweaty. The boys rushed to them. It was true. Jaebeom grabbed Nichkhun’s face urgently and said in hastened tone, “He is so cold! Let’s go to the hospital! Taecyeon-ah, hold him.”

He stood swiftly and took out his phone.

“Junsu-yah, get a coat for Nichkhun,” he commanded as he put his phone on call, and added rapidly, “Chansung-ah, go look for a cab!”

Chansung bolted at his order.

In less than five minutes, Nichkhun was transported into the taxi with Taecyeon and Jaebeom. They hurried to the hospital first, while Junsu, Wooyoung, Junho, and Chansung stayed behind, waiting for Jinyoung to come. Nichkhun was lucky that his injury was able to be handled quickly—any later, he might face critical condition and might lose his life. Taecyeon was upset. He could not believe that Nichkhun had gone into a fight and Jaebeom chose not to tell him right away. In his defence, Jaebeom said—

“I’m sorry. I should have looked thoroughly. He looked fine back then.”

“Who did it?

Out of the blue, Taecyeon demanded. His friend was very reluctant about answering the question, but the aura he emanated right then wasn’t one Jaebeom wanted to go against with, so he gave up and told Taecyeon honestly. Maybe it would be better if they did not know who it was—but unfortunately, they knew. Taecyeon rose to his feet and strutted away. Jaebeom chased him, but the man was so fast. He bumped into Jinyoung and the kids on his way. He was grabbed by their coach, who was worried sick ever since he heard the news from Jaebeom himself.

“Where are you going?” Jinyoung asked, “How’s Nichkhun?”

“Did you run into Taecyeon just now?” Jaebeom still had to stop him.

“Yes, where is he going?” Wooyoung answered—he himself looked as pale as chalk, Jaebeom suddenly felt the needs to worry over this kid as well—“I almost could not recognize him, though. Taecyeon-hyung was really scary back then.”

The captain covered his face in frustration. He inhaled sharply and uncovered his face. He pointed at the direction to ICU room where Nichkhun was being treated now.

“Just wait there. I must stop Taecyeon before something worse happens.”

“Ah, Hyung! Wait!”

The kids tried to stop him, telling that at least he could bring one of them with him, but Jinyoung prevented them from leaving.

Jaebeom found Taecyeon a little bit too late. The giant boy had started beating a familiar-looking boy. He was certainly the same guy who had jabbed Nichkhun’s side with baseball bat. The boy wasn’t alone; in fact, there were two others, who seemed to be unfortunate enough to be knocked unconscious by Taecyeon before they realized he was there. Jaebeom lunged, hooked his hands around the beast’s torso and pulled him back forcefully. It was a hard work. Taecyeon kept delivering merciless punches and kicks to the boy.

“Let go!” he growled, taking a second to rip Jaebeom’s hands off him before lunging back into the beating he was processing.

“Stop it, Taec! You’re going to get yourself into trouble!”

He tried to get a grip again, but Taecyeon swat his hands