Luhan throws a pillow at Changmin, narrowly missing the machines behind his uncle.

“!  Luhan, if Minseok dies it’s totally your fault.”  Changmin says, picking up the pillow and checking to see if the machines behind him are still working fine.

“He’s not going to die; those aren’t really life-support machines.”  Luhan retorts, rolling his eyes.  “But seriously, seriously?!”

“What?!”  Changmin replies, putting the pillow on the bed to add cushion to Minseok’s head.  Luhan scowls and makes grabby-hands at the pillow.  “Nope.  You threw it at me and Minseok deserves it more than you do.”

“What do you think Minseok’s going to say about this?”  Luhan asks, standing up and putting his hands on his hips.  “He’ll think everyone I know is messing with his friends.”

“I’m not messing around, okay?”  Changmin replies, flailing his arms around him.  “I just took his number and that’s it!”

“Well, technically, you took his shop’s calling card just so you can have his number too.  That’s lame, Changmin, extremely lame. ”  Luhan replies, shaking his head at his uncle.  “Minseok would’ve been disappointed in you.”

“Well, I’m sorry if I get all tongue-tied when around him and .  At least I can have a proper conversation with him and not throw him out of his own shop.”  Changmin replies, giving Luhan a face.

“Hey!”  Luhan retorts, giving Changmin the Glare©.  Just then, Jinki enters the room with Nurse Victoria trailing behind him.

“What’s the commotion about?”  Jinki asks the two who are currently glaring at each other.

“Changmin likes Minseok’s employer.”  Luhan says, now facing his other uncle.  Jinki and Victoria look at each other before looking at Changmin.

“Hey,” Victoria begins.  “Nice choice, man.”  Jinki finishes.  Luhan rolls his eyes at Changmin’s triumphant grin.

“No, seriously.  He looks like a fine man when I saw him.”  Victoria says, laying down a kit on the bed.  “We’re going to replace the mask today.”  He finishes with a smile.

“That’s good, the mask thing, I mean.  Changmin liking Yunho is not good.”  Luhan replies.

“Why?”  Jinki asks, lowering the upper part of the bed once again.  He then removes the pillows from underneath Minseok’s head and tilts the boy’s chin up. 

“I don’t know, it’s not just right!”  Luhan exclaims, flailing his arms.  He looks at what his uncle is doing, and sees him removing the mask from Minseok’s face.

“You’re only saying that because you also think that we look good together.”  Changmin says, sticking his tongue out at Luhan.

“And all this time I thought Changmin’s the most mature when it comes to us three.”  Jinki says, placing the set of prongs in Minseok’s nostrils while Victoria places the plastic tubes behind Minseok’s ears.

“You’re not the eldest, Lee seonsaeng-nim?”  Victoria asks as he checks to make sure the tubes are places correctly and there are no kinks on it.

“Yup,” Jinki begins as he checks the connection of the tubes to the machine giving Minseok oxygen, “Changmin’s the eldest but sometimes he doesn’t act like it.”

“Hey, I heard that.”  Changmin says, pouting at Jinki.

“See?”  Jinki asks Victoria who is now fixing Minseok’s pillows.  He hands Luhan the extra pillow before he raises the upper part of the bed a little.

“Yup.”  Victoria replies, a smile on his face.  They excuse themselves, and Victoria gives a low chuckle when they’re finally out of the room.  “Your family is amusing, Lee seonsaeng-nim.”

“Okay, fine.  I give up!”  Joohyun exclaims as she enters the staff room.  She’s carrying a guitar and some sheet music.  Her hairs messy and her eyeglasses are askew, and Chanyeol just looks at her with wide eyes.

“Who did you make out with?”  Chanyeol asks, taking in the younger girl’s appearance.

“No one!”  Joohyun exclaims, putting down her guitar before she plops down beside Chanyeol, pouting.

“Christmas Cookie?”  Chanyeol offers and Joohyun takes a pine tree-shaped cookie and bites the top off.  “So…”

“The song.”  Joohyun replies.

“Oh.”  Chanyeol replies, nodding slowly.

“No matter what I do I can’t seem to get it right.”  Joohyun replies with a sigh.

“Maybe it’s not the right song.”

“How can it be not the right song?  I wrote that thing myself.”

“Yeah, but are you sure that’s what you really want to say?”

“Mostly, yeah.  But I do feel that it’s wrong in some places.”

“Well, that’s it!”  Chanyeol says, smiling at Joohyun and handing her a small pack of Christmas Cookies.  “Figure it out first!  We don’t want miscommunication, do we?”

“Yeah, thanks, Yeol.”  Joohyun replies.

“Yeol!  Your creepy flower stalker is here!”  Jinri exclaims from up front and Joohyun raises an eyebrow at him.  The door opens and Yifan steps in, carrying two cups of coffee from Starbucks.

“I brought Cappuccino.  Is that okay?”  Yifan asks, handing Chanyeol his own cup.

“Yup.  Good luck, Joohyun!”  Chanyeol replies, patting the girl on her back.

“Okay, so that is just stupid.”  Chanyeol replies, laughing, as they enter the Lu’s bakery.

“Hey, Yeol. What’s up?!”  Henry Lau asks from the counter.  He looks at Yifan before asking, “Who’s he?”

“Hey, Henry.  This is Yifan, my… uhm… we’re…”  Chanyeol replies, kind of at a loss for words.

“We’re dating.”  Yifan states, looking at Henry intently.

“Oh, okay.  Is there anything that you guys want?”  Henry asks just as another employee comes from the back.

“Uhm… fruit cake?”  Chanyeol asks and then smiles shyly.

“We have that.  I’m Amber Liu, by the way.”  The other employee says, introducing himself to Yifan.  Yifan gives Chanyeol a look before they sit down at a table near the window.

“We’re dating, right?”  Yifan jokingly asks once they’re out of earshot.

Chanyeol laughs softly but before he can answer, the door opens and Zitao steps in.  “Hey Chanyeol, Yifan.”

“Hey, Zitao.  What’re you doing in here?”  Yifan asks.

“Just going to buy some comfort food.  Sehun called me a while ago and told me to go to his place and to bring lots of comfort foods.  You have any idea what he might like, Chanyeol?” 

“I’d go for Cranberry Christmas Cake and Panforte.  He likes his comfort foods to go in line with the season.”  Chanyeol replies, smiling at Zitao.

“Thanks, man.”  Zitao replies before running towards the counter and listing off his order to Henry.  The two at the table stare at him until Chanyeol gives a grunt.

“I’m worried about the two of them.”  Chanyeol says, looking out the window.  “Sehun has issues with his words and Zitao just wants Sehun to open up.”

“I feel like some stupid idiot who can’t finish something that he started.”  Sehun tells Zitao once he opens the door.

“What are you trying to finish, anyway?”  Zitao asks, handing Sehun the cake and Panforte.

“A song for our project.  Minseok’s helping but, yeah.”

“I’m not really good with music but I think I can help.” 

“Thanks.  Jongdae taught me how to make Caramel Macchiato some time ago so I made some for the two of us.  Is that okay?”

“Yeah.  So, what is this song about?”  Zitao asks, following Sehun into the kitchen.  Sehun takes two mugs from the cabinet and rinses them just to make sure.  He pours the drink, topping it with caramel as Zitao watches him carefully.

“Anything and everything.”  Sehun replies, handing Zitao his mug.

“You know, that’s not going to help me in helping you.”  Zitao replies, smiling at Sehun.

“Well, its title is Angel, if that helps.”  Sehun replies, leading them to the living room.  They plop down on the couch, and Sehun takes him notebook to show it to Zitao.

“Who’s Angel?”  Zitao asks, curious.

“Why does everyone ask that?”

“Because I at least want to understand what you’re thinking before I help.”

“Angel is no one and everyone.”  Sehun replies, sighing.

“I don’t understand?”  Zitao replies, looking at Sehun with a furrowed brow.

“At first it was Luhan, and then it was you.”  Sehun replies, looking Zitao straight in the eyes.

“And Yifan?”  Zitao asks, raising an eyebrow.

“You know about that?”  Sehun replies, a surprised smile on his face.  Zitao gives a small laugh before answering.

“Stupid. ”  Zitao pinches Sehun’s nose.  “I think everyone knows by now, with Yifan trailing around Chanyeol like an overgrown puppy and all.”

“Is that so?”  Sehun replies, smile now full-blown.  “But no, it was never about Kris.  The two of them managed to find a way to communicate properly with each other, all the while staying anonymous.  It’s amazing, really.”

“So communication is the problem?”  Zitao asks.  The questions causes Sehun to avoid Zitao’s eyes, instead looks down at his coffee.

“I always wondered how you do that.”  Sehun replies.  Before Zitao can ask what he’s referring to, he places a finger on the other’s lips as a sign to let him continue.  “I always wondered how you always knew just what I was thinking.  Am I really that easy to read, or do I word my sentences in a very predictable manner?”

“Is that the reason why you’re so scared?”  Zitao asks.  “You’re scared that you’ve become predictable to me?”  Sehun takes a look at his companion and sees the concern in the other’s eyes.

“Zitao…” Sehun begins.

“No, it’s okay, Sehun.  I know you are, it’s pretty obvious.  Just hear me out, please.”  Zitao replies, putting his drink down and taking Sehun’s face with both hands.  “You will never become predictable to me.  We could be together forever—and we will—and you still won’t be predictable to me.  You’ll forever be a mystery and I would forever be enthralled with you.  I want to spend my whole life figuring you out, if you would let me.  I’ll never get enough of you, and that’s why I’m going to wait until you’re not scared anymore.”  Zitao replies and Sehun just wants to hug him and tell him that he doesn’t have to but he’s scared.

“Are you sure?  I mean, you…” Sehun tries to form the right words.  All he wants to say is for Zitao to wait, to really wait, because he doesn’t want to lose him.

“Sehun, I’ll wait for you no matter how long you keep me waiting.  You just have to trust on me on that, okay?”  Zitao asks and Sehun nods, relief washing over him.  “Now, come on.  We still have a song to finish.  We don’t want to disappoint Minseok, do we?”

“Yeah.”  Sehun replies, taking a pen.  He looks over at Zitao who’s reading over the lyrics and notices the faint smile on the other’s lips.  “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just that… Minseok obviously was writing about Luhan.”  Zitao replies, smiling at Sehun.

“Yeah.  I miss him, Zitao.  I miss my best friend.”  Sehun says, looking down at his shirt.  He’s wearing Minseok’s favorite of all of his shirts and he just feels so sad and empty knowing that Minseok can’t compliment it.  He can’t even see it.

“Do I really have to?”  Luhan asks, pouting at Minseok.

“Yes, Luhan, you have to.”  Changmin replies on the other end of the call.

“But Minseok—“

“Will be fine, Luhan.  There are lots of doctors and nurses that will be there during that day.  Besides, watching him sleep doesn’t really help him at all, you know.”

“Shut up.  I don’t just watch him, I also touch him and talk to him and that totally helps.”  Luhan retorts.

“Luhan, everyone will be there.”

“Is Jinki going to be there?”

“Yes.”

“Well then I’m not going.  I won’t trust Minseok to anyone other than Jinki and that nurse, Victoria.”

“Now you’re just being unreasonable.”

“Why the hell do you need me to be there so badly, anyway?  It’s not like it’s going to be the end of the world if Luhan misses one of Shim Changmin’s parties!”  Luhan asks, and all he hears from Changmin’s reply is a mess of jumbled words.  But he did catch something, though.  Something that sounds like “Yunho”.

“Changmin, are you trying to make me help you woo Yunho?”  Luhan asks before whispering to Minseok, “Changmin’s trying to win your boss’ heart, Minseok.  Wake up and help me prevent the catastrophe that’s about to happen.”

“I heard that, Lu!  Put the phone to Minseok’s ear!”  Changmin demands and Luhan does so, rolling his eyes.  Luhan doesn’t really hear much of what Changmin’s telling Minseok, but he does manage to catch a few of the words: “Luhan”, “jerk”, “Yunho”, “awesome”, “wake up”, “Christmas”, “paranoid”, “New Year’s”, and “Huang’s”.

“New Year’s at Huang’s, Changmin?”  Luhan asks once Changmin has stopped talking to Minseok.

“Yeah.  Zitao stopped by a while ago and asked Henry to tell me about the party.”

“Okay.”

“Luhan, seriously, you have to go.  Minseok wouldn’t want you holed up in there when everyone’s celebrating.  He’ll definitely feel guilty.”

“But the only reason why I go to those damn parties is because Minseok is there!”

“Luhan, at least try, please.”  Changmin pleads and Luhan just sighs in defeat.

“Fine.  But I’m not helping you with Yunho.”  Luhan says before ending the call and hitting his head on Minseok’s bed.  “Ugh.”  Luhan says before he looks at Minseok.  He lies down beside Minseok, ghosting his fingers over the other’s lips.

“I hate Changmin.  He doesn’t understand the meaning of wanting to alone with your best friend.  Not that it’s just that, anyway.”  Luhan says and he kisses Minseok’s lips, just because he can.  “And yeah, he .”  Luhan finishes, making a face at Minseok, before he gets his book from the chair he was sitting on.

A/N:

I would just like to thank everyone who has stuck with me on this so far.  I know I don't update as often as everyone would have wanted, but this story is still being read; for that, thank you.

On another note, you guys have no idea how much this chapter changed!  I had to rewrite an entire section after realizing how much the previous version does not fit the story.  I knew there was I reason I could never become an editor after I graduate. /siiigh

Once again, all sorts of comments are welcome.  See you at the next update! (>‿◠)✌