WARNING

mentions of death and mild PTSD

Night time was the hardest time of the day for the brothers.

They went through the usual routine that any family would. Yifan would wake up, get both himself and Sehun ready for their day, drop Sehun off at school, go to work, try not to die from boredom at work, pick Sehun up from school (or Junmyeon’s if the day called for it), prepare for dinner, prepare for bed and then it all recycled itself.  The only thing not entirely normal was Sehun’s continuous nightmares.

They came along with the death of their parents. Yifan wasn’t there but 6-year-old Sehun was and it left him with mild PTSD. Before they moved, back home Yifan had Sehun in therapy until he was offered a permeant job in another country and this left Yifan with a small dilemma. He couldn’t leave his brother here to suffer; most likely giving him to foster care and he was prepared to decline and stay in China with his brother until he was convinced otherwise.

“Leaving should help the process a bit more.” Their aunt had suggested with the therapist signing off on it, they were packed and out of there the week after when Sehun was only 7.

Yifan was advised to still at least get him to see someone once a week which he immediately agreed to.  With yet to find the right person, though, while living in Busan for almost a year, Yifan was left to deal with the small moments himself and every time it broke his heart.

It always started with whimpering which he wouldn’t hear until it slowly escalated to full on wailing. It was like his little brother was in pain and it always brought him out of his bed; tripping over his bed sheets in a cold sweat.  Inching slowly to his brother’s bed, he gently would caress his face and whisper sweet reassurance to the 8-year-old until he stopped shaking and was lulled back to sleep.

Sometimes these nightmares took a toll on little Sehun while he was awake and left him tired even if he was helped back to sleep. Sehun wouldn’t have to tell the older anything for him to pronounce the day as a free day and catered to him hand and foot. He’d explain to his job and Sehun’s school later but for now his younger brother was more important.  

If he could take away the pain from the younger, he would but for now all he could do was simply be there.