Jonghyun feels his consciousness slowly coming back to him, he wonders if he’s half dead, maybe all the way dead, Jonghyun wasn’t sure. The one thing he was sure of is that it feels like he’s been tackled and it sure does hurt to breathe, he also can’t hear out of his left ear. Great.

“..don’t understand how I’d get in trouble!”

“Hyung the others are starting to worry. They think you can’t do the whole guardian thing.”

“Well screw them! I can do this! He gave me this one chance remember? I can’t screw this up. I have to do this.”

“It’s okay hyung just take a deep breath. Just try to follow the guidelines that were set up.”

“I know Minho, I know. I just... I know him, I care about him. Losing him will hurt me and then I’ll be on to a new one. I didn’t want him to die today. I know I was supposed to let him I just…”

“It gets easier you know. Watching a person you care for die is hard believe me but you’ll get used to it. Especially when your char-….Hyung I think he’s waking up.” Jonghyun had barely opened his eyes to see two figures standing above him before everything goes dark again.

The next time he wakes up Jonghyun hears beeping, smells bleach and sanitizer and feels someone clutching his hand. He slowly opens his eyes and sees his mother kneeling by his bed with her head down and he knows he’s not dead.

“Mom.” Jonghyun croaks out, and as soon as the words leave his lips his mother is shooting up and squeezing him tightly. “Kim Jonghyun don’t you ever scare me like that again!”

As his mother continues to squeeze him, Kibum and his father enters thankfully saving him his father suggests that they go home and come back in the morning with clothes for Jonghyun. They bid their goodbyes and Kibum sits on the foot of his hospital bed.

“You scared the out of me you know.” Kibum finally says after a long period of silence.

“I’m sorry Ki-“

“No you don’t understand. You were there, and then you fell and I was so scared. I went outside and you weren’t moving.” Jonghyun notices Kibum is crying and quickly reaches his hand out and pulls Kibum into a hug.

“Who would I share my comic books with? Whose homework would I copy? I’m sorry for complaining about always having to buy you lunch. I’m sorry about everything.” Kibum is sobbing now and Jonghyun starts rubbing his back.

“Who would be my best friend? You don’t know how scared I was Jjong. It was like that day you were in the accident and my mom came to my room to tell me. I don’t want to lose you.”

“Kibum-ah it’s okay. I’m okay now, I’m not hurt. I won’t go anywhere I promise.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“….I won’t go anywhere I promise.” Jinki sighs as he watches Jonghyun console Kibum.

Jinki never wanted this. He never wanted to be a guardian but when the one person who could give him his freedom offered it, he took the chance without even thinking.

His first charge was a baby boy named Terrance in England and three days after he was born Jinki had to take him. Immediately after he faded into mist by the gate he arrived at the conception of a girl named Hanna, she was born in India and watched as she grew up, protected her from that rabbid dog when she was three and had to sit by as she was hit by a fast moving vehicle at five years old.

His next charge was Jonghyun. Twice already he has had to take his life, only to give it back because the upstairs couldn’t decide if he wanted the kid dead or not.

Jinki remembers watching Jonghyun crawl along the roof, he felt so anxious that he just wanted to push him back through the window and seal it up to keep the boy safe. His nervousness increased as he watched Jonghyun slip and the prayer practically blasted through his head as he caught Jonghyun and laid him on the ground below.

He watched a blubbering Kibum bound out of the house and scream for someone to call an ambulance. Jinki was all too used to the crying by now.

Jinki watched as the two boys fell asleep on the bed and decided to pop in on Minho. Everything was better with Minho.

As he arrived he heard the sound of laughter. Jinki turned towards Minho who was trying terribly hard to keep a straight face as his charge Taem- whatever was being dressed up by his sisters.

“He looks like he could use some divine intervention Minho.” Minho turned towards Jinki and laughed. “Yeah but then we wouldn’t have the entertainment we do.”

As Taemin’s sisters finished applying the lipstick Jinki decided he would make a pretty girl. So did Minho apparently as said person was struggling to hide his .

“Nice, you got a hard on for your charge.” Jinki laughed as Minho blushed and shrugged. “I like him enough.”

“Minho you’re practically the color of an apple.” He shook his head and watched as Minho eyed Taemin. As Jinki watched on everything clicked into place. “Minho… do you… love him? Like love him love him?”

Minho shrugged and kicked at the ground. Jinki sighed suddenly feeling sorry for his close friend. “Hyung, I’m going to go for some air okay? Will you keep an eye on him?” The older of the two nodded and with that Minho disappeared.

Jinki continued to watch the siblings, it felt like ages before the girls stopped prancing the boy around like a show pony and left. Soon Taemin was wiping off the makeup and putting on his pajamas before climbing into bed and pulling out what looked to be a diary.

“ just got good.” Jinki said going next to Taemin and trying to read over his shoulder.

As Taemin wrote Jinki realized that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, spying on his best friends charge wasn’t illegal, just morally wrong… but then again Jinki was never really big on morals.

As he peered at the pages of Taemin’s diary Jinki realized that it was easy for Minho to fall for his charge. The young boy had a huge heart and Minho’s was even bigger. They were perfect for each other, or would be, if there was even a slight chance they could be together.

Jinki felt sorry for both boys as he watched Taemin draw hearts around a name Jinki knew all too dearly.