The drive was thick with tension, JB gritting his teeth and trying not to cry, feeling the tears coursing down his face anyways.

He could almost feel the presence of Mark's innate form, of Jackson and Yugyeom and Bambam.

JB sped through the streets as fast as he dared, rigid with built-up tension.

The hospital parking lot was almost empty, with a few cars, shining dull under the moonlight, parked in scattered spaces.

Jaebum maneuvered the car to the space closest to the doors.

Shutting the car off, he opened the door and then slammed it.

The maknaes were already maneuvering Mark out, onto Jackson's back, making sure he didn't slip.

And then they were walking as fast as they could, bursting into the ER.

The half-asleep looking nurse at the front desk asked for Jaebum's identification, and then she called in some help and they took Mark, rushing him off to wherever.

Meanwhile, there was a frazzled looking doctor making his way over to them, focusing on JB.

"You're here for Youngjae, right?" He asked.

JB nodded, not trusting his voice anymore.

The doctor gave him a sympathetic smile and beckoned Jaebum to follow.

At this point, Bambam was supporting Yugyeom, Jackson was supporting Bambam, and Jaebum was about to collapse himself, but he had to see Youngjae, so he waved at them to sit, Jackson rushing off anyways to god-knows where.

The doctor let them into one of the generic hospital type rooms where everything is sterile and white and smells too much like bleach.

But Youngjae was there, Youngjae was lying on the bed, and the machine said his heart was still beating, beeping steadily.

He turned to the doctor, wobbling slightly.

He smiled at him and said, "We were able to restart his heart, Youngjae is on his way to recovery and will be fine."

And the floodgates were opened again, and he was crying against Youngjae's hair, squeezing his hand, the night finally crashing down on him in a wave of shock.

JB was shaking, sobbing, and he knew he looked ugly, but he couldn't stop, refused to stop.

The doctor had left, leaving just the him with Youngjae.

Jaebum had no idea how much time had passed.

Minutes seemed meaningless on the midst of the beeping and trilling of machines.

He held Youngjae's hand, taking comfort in the steady pulse of light against his palm.

He looked peaceful, swallowed up by the sterile white blankets and pillows around him.

Jaebum could have sat there forever, watching him, but he also couldn't have.

Because, come hell or high water, he had made up his mind.

He had to tell Youngjae.

It wasn't that he had a gut feeling or something.

Staring death in the face, experiencing the pain of losing this person so dear to him, it wasn't a choice.

It was a necessity.

Because if Jaebum ever lost Youngjae without telling him, he knew it would hurt him more than he could imagine.

He was nervous, because he didn't know what would happen, but he knew that for minutes he had lost him, and that terrified him.

Jaebum knew that it was hours past visting time, almost three in the morning, and they were being cut a break.

He would like to believe it wasn't because of their status as idols, but he knew how things worked in the industry and even though they often weren't ethical, they were helpful, and Jaebum grudgingly accepted that.

At Youngjae's bedside, holding his hand, hoping that Mark would be ok, and that Jinyoung would recover and Youngjae would wake up, that Yugyeom and Bambam would recover emotionally, that Jackson wouldn't break down from the residue stress and the guilt as Jaebum felt like doing, because it had all affected them hard and he couldn't help but wonder what Yugyeom had gone through in his childhood.

He also wondered, in the back of his mind, where the others were, but before he could think about getting them, Youngjae's eyelids fluttered.

Jaebum's heart lept, and ignoring the spirals his stomach was intent on doing, he leaned forward and squeezed Youngjae's hand, hoping he hadn't imagined the slight motion.

Youngjae groaned, his head turning slightly, eyes trying to open and slipping closed several times before they focused on Jaebum.

He opened his lips, trying to speak, eyes flickering over Jaebum's face, taking in his features as if for the first time.

Jaebum's eyes never left his, as if trying to unconsciously to make sure he was truly there.

"Hyung?"

His voice cracked there, aware of how broken he sounded, how vulnerable.

"What happened?"

He saw Jaebum's eyes fill up with tears, noted the tear tracks already on his face.

"Youngjae, you died."

His mouth opened, gaping at their leader, the one who was always there for them, who had gotten them through many mishaps and accidents and rough patches, helped them through so many fights, was the one who knew where to exert authority and how much, the one who was the strong figure in the group, who had Youngjae had never once seen give up or start crying, even when his back had caused him to have to take a leave for awhile, when all had seemed hopeless, here now with as close to broken as he could get, gazing at Youngjae with a lost look on his face.

Jaebum couldn't stop the words flowing out of his mouth, senseless words flowing out with no filter, and then he said it.

"Youngjae, oh Youngjae-yah, why was is you who had to go through this? Of course the one I loved, out of all the members, would have died, and when they told me, I felt at that moment what it was like, to have your heart ripped out of your chest and walked all over."

Jaebum saw Youngjae looking at like he was the one who had ripped out his heart, but he couldn't stop, couldn't stop, and even when he ran dry of words, he couldn't stop the tears.

They were falling out of his eyes with no control, and he finally realized what he said.

The panic was setting in, as he stared at Youngjae.

And then he did something Jaebum had never expected, that he had never even allowed himself to think about, because in what universe would Youngjae kiss Jaebum?

But he was there, lips against lips, and unlike all the stories Jaebum had read, Youngjae didn't taste like cherries or cake.

He tasted like home, like Youngjae should.

And, for Jaebum, that was enough and more.

-----------

Yugyeom and Bambam were alone.

Sure, they had been alone in the shack for what had seemed like years, but it was different.

And they had nothing to say.

What Yugyeom had almost told Bambam before, in the van, hovered between them, and with each second neither of them spoke, the knot in Yugyeom's throat tightened.

It wad Bambam who broke the silence, and speaking in a scared way unlike the persona most fans saw, Yugyeom had seen enough to recognize as sincere, he said, "Hey Yugyeommie. I know you're my best friend..."

Yugyeom wanted to be so much more, and the lump got heavier.

"...but I wanted to tell you. I've always wanted to make a love confession unique, but everyone else seems to already have taken that idea. And with taking our current situation in mind, none of us are fit for a big confession. But, I-"

His voice faltered, but at seeing the look in Yugyeom's face, the heartbreaking hope spreading like paint on a canvas, and Bambam was the artist, he continued.

"I hope my mind wasn't playing tricks on me, because in the van, when you were going to tell me something..." He stopped and took a deep breath. "I hope I'm not reading this wrong, but Yugyeom, I really really like you, hell, maybe verging on love, and seeing what happened to Youngjae and Jaebum made me even more scared to lose you than before."

Yugyeom wanted to jump up and run around screaming, but he also didn't want to leave this moment ever, and staring Bambam in the eyes, he said, "We're both idiots. But at least we can be idiots in love together."

Bambam couldn't help chuckling, and he reached over to Yugyeom, rearranging them both on the uncomfortable hospital benches, so Yugyeom was nestled on Bambam's chest.

It wasn't long until sleep claimed them both.

----------

The next few days were particularly painful, what with their fans being concerned, and Mark, Jinyoung, and Youngjae in the hospital, but Mark recovered well, and Jinyoung didn't take long to snap out of his mindset.

Youngjae said he felt healed as soon as he saw Jaebum, to which Jaebum had buried his head in Youngjae's neck and Jackson had made disgusted gagging noises at.

But when they were back at their dorm, things settled down to normal.

They all became used to the new change with the two couples, and assured their fans that they were ok, that only a minor accident had happened.

They hated lying to their fans, but it had to be done.

The comebacks flew by, as did the years, and they had a few fights, as they were bound to, but all together, they had never been happier.

Even when some had to go to the military, they waited, and by their 12th anniversary, they were much older, but still active and as close as ever.

They actively supported the LGBTQ+ community, having come out respectfully in three years and five.

Even though they never managed to shake off the memories, they all decided to let themselves benefit from it.

Because, they were seven, stronger than a family could ever be.

---------

Bambam had never expected them to last this long.

As a group, they survived well past their expected expiration date.

And with Yugyeom... 

He'd thought it was a dream, that his crush, his best friend had loved him back.

When he was younger, he would say to himself that when he had a best friend, he would marry them.

It seemed like a childish joke, especially after.

But now, with a velvety box pressing against his leg, holding the key to their future, it didn't seem like so much of a joke anymore.

---------

A/N 

(WW)

I

What

What

How is this over

I'm gonna cry

It feels like I'm killing my own child

Wahhhh

I actually can't even

Help

Thank you so much for sticking with us and our weird quirks and horrible updating schedule

Seriously, I love you all so much <3

Writing this has been my way to escape all the hate that's being directed at me right now, and so much of my emotion has gone into this

I'm waffleing on, aren't I?

Welp, I guess this is goodbye unless you decide to join me in my other stories

Saranghae and hwaiting~!!!

I really love you guys so much, seriously >w<

And here comes the infamous 

Warrior out!

A/N

(F_K)

 Hiya guys!!

How are you??

I don't think you're doing fantastic because of that ending, but...something to make you feel better?

HAPPY ENDINGS!!

Thank you sooooo much for all the support you've given us especially during that time when I had to update alone because someone decided to take vacation and leave me

Yeah, I'm talking to you, "main author"

-_-

You guys actually dealt with my crappy writing!

You deserve a prize for that

And I'm truly going to miss yelling at WW to actually update

And writing this story of course

So long, guys

This has been fun

I really love you <3

Oh god I'm crying

OK before I get too emotional, lemme just say my famous goodbye

Goodbye~~

P.S (from WW)-

Shoutout to AnteChan!!

She's been so supportive of us both and has messaged me countless times showing her support and I'm so thankful to her, especially for brightening my day and motivating me to keep writing!! X3

Ante, you're an angel ^^

Saranghae~