Flashback

"Kibum! My sweetheart!" An older woman cooed at the chubby-faced boy with the feline eyes in front of her. 

"Grandma!" The little boy squealed, running into the woman's warm arms and snuggling into her embrace. 

"Have you grown taller, aegi?" The sweet old woman asked the boy while tickling his sides. 

"I hope so!" The little boy giggled back. 

"So you can be a basketball player?" 

"No, so I can be a tall and handsome pop star!" 

Key's grandma smiled at him. Key loved nothing more than visiting his grandma. She always had the best food and played the best music. 

Key was wandering around his grandmother's house. She had the coolest stuff. She had a collection of miniature boxes and snowglobes. She also collected tea kettles which all were displayed on a shelf high on the wall for everyone to look at. His grandma put in a H.O.T CD and cooked while Key explored.

His dad was always busy and Key hadn't met his mom because she died when he was really little. His grandmother raised him. She did everything and more that a mother usually did. She would even come once a week to Key and his dad's apartment in Seoul to get Key ready for school. She had a beautiful singing voice as well. She never failed to sing a lullaby when Key visited. 

As Key explored and played, he could smell her glorious cooking everywhere he went. 

"Aegi! It's time for dinner!" She called with her gorgeous voice. 

"Neh Grandma!" Key sang back, running to the kitchen. 

"Key?" Minho asked, poking Key's cheek. Key was daydreaming and dozing off during art class. Lee Hi wasn't in the room, not that she would care, but still, Minho didn't want Key to fall behind or mess up his good work. 

"Key! Stop falling asleep! You're gonna get characoal all over your face." Minho warned. 

"Sorry Minho. I was thinking about my grandma. I miss her." Key said, still dreamily handling the charcoal in his hand, not really focusing on the work he was doing. 

"Why are you thinking about her so suddenly?" Minho asked. 

"I mean I always think about her, but usually she calls more often. I don't know. What if something is wrong...more wrong than usual? My appa told me she was in the hospital..." Key asked, looking at Minho from the corner of his eye. Minho was matting some photos. 

"Key, if you're worried, call your grandma. She would love it." Minho said.

Key nodded in response. After class, Minho needed to finish up so Key decided to call his grandmother. 

Ring ring!

"Hello?" A man answered. 

"Who is this?" Key asked.

"I am Dr. Kwon. Who is this?" The doctor asked. 

"I'm Kim Kibum, Kim So Min's grandson." Key said, worried. 

"Kibum? You're her little one? I haven't seen you in a while! I used to come around the house sometimes. You were so little then. How old are you now?" The doctor asked. 

"I just turned 19 a little while ago. I'm in college." Key said, sort of remembering the doctor's voice. "Why are you with my grandmother?" Key asked, anxiously. 

"Your grandmother has not been feeling well as of late. For a few months now she's been sick off and on." The doctor said. 

"I knew that..." Key said, angry at the doctor, who wouldn't let him talk to his grandma.

"She's worse. She is home now but she cannot do much without me helping her." The doctor said sadly. 

"Why didn't my dad tell me?! Or why didn't she call me herself?!" Key yelled gaining some looks from people milling around in the hallways of the arts building. Minho cringed when he heard Key's raised voice. He knew something was wrong. 

"They didn't want to worry you but now that she's getting even worse, If you have time you can come visit. She'll be home...until..." The doctor said, trying to be as comforting as possible. 

"What's wrong with her?! Why can't she answer her phone?!" Key kept yelling. Minho then took that as a chance to get up, and go to Key. Minho tried to comfort Key by rubbing circles on his back. Key was shaking in anger, tears almost escaping his narrowed eyes. 

The doctor explained her sickness in a terribly scientific way which Key did not understand. It made him angry that the doctor wouldn't put a human spin on it and be more comforting or reassuring. It made her sound like she was disease ridden and beyond any type of cure. The doctor said she was sleeping and at this time could not answer the phone. 

Key didn't feel like leaving the art room. Even though Minho had to go to his next classes, he called the one person who could truly help comfort Key. 

Ring ring! 

"Hello?" Onew asked. 

"Onew hyung! Are you free now?" Minho demanded to know rather than asking. 

"Y..yes. Is something wrong? Is it Jonghyun?" Onew asked with concern. "Is it Taemin?" Onew asked again. 

"It's Key. He needs you. He's in Lee Hi's classroom. Please Onew hyung." Minho begged. 

Onew's eyes widened and he more or less dropped everything he was doing in the recordning studio, apologized to Leeteuk, and ran to the arts building. 

Key was just sitting there, staring at the window. There were no other art classes in that room at the time. It was just Key sitting there. Staring off. 

"Key!" Onew said. 

The silky smooth, sweet, comforting voice Key heard could belong to no one else. The sweetness of Onew's voice made tears start to run down Key's face. 

Onew walked up to Key, who had not yet turned around 

Onew embraced Key from the back, kissing the top of his head. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. Key collapsed in Onews arms, crying.

"She raised me and she's sick, hyung. She's..." Key croaked. 

"Shh. Key everything will be okay." Onew said wiping the tears from Key's perfect face. 

They stayed like that for a while, Key letting out his frustration and sadness. Onew just listened, glad to be helping Key, who he was sure he was at this point absolutely in love with. 

After a long day of classes and even longer periods of time for extra practice, it was about 10 pm and everyone (at least they thought) was heading back to the dorm. Jonghyun had an appointment the next day and Minho was going with him so Onew texted them to get some rest as he headed back to the flat.Taemin walked quietly into the dorm to find Minho asleep on the couch. Taemin covered him in a blanket as Onew walked into the dorm.

"Hey Tae." Onew said, weakly smiling.

"Hi hyung." Taemin said.

"Taemin, is Key home yet?" Onew asked.

"No hyung. Haven't seen him since this morning." Taemin said. 

Onew began to panic so he shook Minho awake. 

"Minho!" Onew yelled, startling the sleeping giant. 

"What?" Minho asked sleepily. 

"Where is Key?" Onew asked, emphasizing every word so Minho's sleepy mind could process the words. 

"He's not home?!" Minho asked, jumping up, now fully awake. 

"No! He's not! I just tried calling him. He's not picking up!!" Taemin exclaimed. 

Onew began to hyperventilate.

"Hyung. Don't have a breakdown. We will find him." Minho reassured Onew, all of them fearful that Onew would lose it again.

Just then, a very sleepy, Jonghyun emerged. Minho immediatley went to him and embraced his boyfriend. 

"His grandmother p..." Jonghyun mumbled into Minho's shirt.

"What hyung?" Taemin asked, needing to know what Jonghyun was saying.

"His grandmother she..." Jonghyun began. However, he was interrupted by Onew grabbing his coat and running out the door in a frantic search to find his love, the one who just lost the one just lost the most important person to them.

She raised me from the start to small to grown up 

And I knew I didn't see her or thank her enough 

For being who she is and being in my life 

For giving me safety, lullabies and quiet nights

A/N: no excuses. life gets in the way. please forgive me! i love you guys! hope you enjoy. more to come!!~~~ :D