It was four and half-hours later that they pushed Tao out of the O.R and back into his room. Kris, worried that Tao wouldn’t wake up soon just like after the accident, had repeatedly asked different surgeons and doctors that had visited about when the younger would open his eyes. Lay, in his third visit, had to hold the taller man firmly with both hands and pushed him back into his chair.

“Jesus Christ, Kris. I told you the anesthesia would wear out soon enough. Just chill here, and wait, and shut up,” Lay said as he made a note on Tao’s chart, “Patience, is virtue,”

“But he would-“

“Sehun, you heard me. Sit,” Lay instructed, pushing Sehun into the other chair, “You two will wait,” he pointed at both Kris and Sehun, “And press that button next to his bed when he’s awake. Before that happens, you two will wait. Patiently,”

Sehun scowled at that, but turned and watched Tao instead, obediently.

Kris was opening his mouth again but Lay raised his finger to shut him up, “I said patiently!”

Kris sighed in defeat, “Fine,”

The tallest among them all then settled next to Tao, holding the younger’s hand while caressing it softly, watching his fiancé’s chest rise and fall in a rhythm.

Lay turned and was met with Baekhyun and Chanyeol, side hugging each other.

“But he would wake up soon, right?” Chanyeol asked, and Baekhyun giggled.

“Sit,” Lay pointed at the chair on the other side of Tao’s bed sternly, “And wait patiently,”

The elf kissed Baekhyun’s cheek before tiptoeing to the said chair, looking a little silly as he did so.

“Just how did you not lose patience with all of them? I already felt like I need an aspirin,”

“Patience just happened to be one of my best virtues,” Baekhyun smiled softly.

“Hah!” Lay threw both his hands in the air, “So I just trust them in your hands, I’ll come back in an hour,”

Baekhyun patted Lay’s shoulder as the young surgeon exit the room. He then sat next to Chanyeol, talking to him in hushed tones so not to wake Tao, but enough to keep them busy and so they won’t lose their minds waiting.

“Everything okay, with you two?” Kris asked with a smile, after watching Chanyeol and Baekhyun for a while. His left hand was still holding Tao’s tightly.

Baekhyun smiled back as Chanyeol took his hand, “We’re great,” he answered, affectionately looking at his fiancé.

The elf smiled at the words, kissing the back of Baekhyun’s hand, “We’re great,” he confirmed.

“Yeah, what’s with all that? Why were you crying?” Sehun asked, “And why are you making him cry?”

“Doesn’t matter, they’re okay now, like they said,” Kris eyed Sehun.

“You guys need to make sure that won’t happen again, though. One could only take so much at a time. This time its okay, the next time, it might be already too far beyond repair,”

“Okay, time to shut up,” Kris threw a cushion at Sehun’s face, “You need to make sure you know when to shut up,”

“I am right, though,” Sehun scowled, throwing the cushion back at Kris, “It’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth,”

“Kid, How many relationships have you had?” Kris asked, turning to Sehun.

“Not as much as yours,”

“Don’t try to change the subject,” Kris flicked Sehun’s forehead, “How many?”

Sehun scowled again, jutting his lower lip out before mumbling, “none,”

“And that’s exactly why you should keep your mouth shut,”

“I am right!”

“True,” Kris nodded slowly, giving Sehun the acknowledgement he practically begged for, “but what you’d also only know if you have had a relationship you cherish so much, is that you grow in it, together with your partner. And that makes the odds change. What you previously think is right, wouldn’t always be the case,”

Baekhyun smiled, “That’s right, Sehun. Before I met Chanyeol, I was a complete . I’d demand a lot in my previous relationships, and I don’t understand the concept of giving. All I could do was asking, and receiving. Until him,”

“What Kris and Baekhyun said was true. My time with Baekhyun had been a real life changing, in a good way. I am not a saint myself, my track record has been…”

“An adventure,” Kris interjects.

“That,” Chanyeol grinning in agreement, “But you know, if it’s the right person, things would all fall into place. What you thought you want wouldn’t be the same, and what you need, would be entirely different. It’s a little freaky when I come to think about it though, how such a small person could make my life complete,” he nods at Baekhyun, who was smiling in embarrassment.

Kris rolled his eyes, “If I don’t love you guys so much I would gag,”

Another cushion was thrown at him. Chanyeol was the culprit this time.

“And so why aren’t you together?” Sehun asked.

“Who?” Kris asked, still in the middle of laughing.

“You and Chanyeol hyung,”

Baekhyun raised both his eyebrows and grinned widely, while Chanyeol and Kris went downright laughing out loud, holding their stomachs as they did so.

“What,” Chanyeol’s voice strained from too much laughing, “In the world are you talking about,”

Sehun looked confused, “I mean, you told me you guys have been best friends since you were little, and you have been so close your whole life, you have always gone to the same school, have the same interest…”

“Oh no, Kris lives for basketball, I prefer athletics and still prefer to avoid having to sweat if I can help it,”

“Which means locking himself with his computer and instruments in his tiny room,” Kris added.

“Hey I know I’m not a composer like my brother and so I don’t need people to tell me my music is crappy, thank you very much,” Chanyeol defended himself

“Aw but I like your guitar play, and you know that. It’s just the bass and the electronic sounds that makes me…” Baekhyun added, “Dizzy,”

“Yeah, I need a lot more practice on that,” Chanyeol sighed, looking at the ceiling. Baekhyun chuckled as he patted Chanyeol’s back softly, encouraging him.

“In short, I’d prefer him to be my best friend,” Kris concluded.

“But isn’t easier, to be with someone you have known your whole life? I mean, you known him already, and the little perks, and you know, isn’t it logical? You clicked with this person, and so you just need to take it to a new level, like becoming boyfriends, then get married, then live happily ever after,” Sehun asked again, looking genuinely confused.

“No, it doesn’t have to work like that,” Baekhyun added, “Chen is my best friend, he worked for Chanyeol and Kris in their company. He was my roommate at the university, and I have to tell you no one gets me like he does. We have the same hobby, singing, and we work together like the best team in the world; like Chanyeol and Kris. But there’s no romance there, and that’s what you want in a relationship,”

“Indeed,” Chanyeol confirmed.

Kris observed Sehun for a minute, “I think I know what this is about,” he finally commented.

Chanyeol looked at Kris, who nodded, “Oh…” he turned to Sehun again, “Is this about you and Zitao?”

Sehun pouted, “Now you shut up,”

Kris chuckled, “What we have just told you, is true, Sehun. Just think about it,”

Sehun glared at Kris, “I’m gonna sleep,”

Kris chuckled again, ruffling Sehun’s hair, “You can take the couch,”

Without another word, Sehun rose and moved to the said couch. He grunted as he tried to find a comfortable position, wrapping himself in a blanket the hospital provided.

“Say again, Kris, you don’t have a brother right?” Baekhyun asked, earning a nod from Kris, “Well, you might just got one,”

Kris turned to Sehun and chuckled, choosing not to comment on Baekhyun’s comment. But the elder smiled knowingly.

“Aw,” Chanyeol mocked, earning him a cushion thrown flat on his face while Kris and Baekhyun laughed again.

“Do you want some coffee?” Chanyeol asked, turning to his fiancé, “Not getting one for Kris because he’s such an ,”

“No, thank you, baby. I think I’ll get some rest too for now… Wake me up when Tao wakes up?”

“Sure,” Chanyeol pressed a kiss on Baekhyun’s lips as the elder stood, “Rest well,”

“You get some too, okay. You both get annoying when sleep deprived, and making Tao’s doctors pissed is the last thing you want to do,” Baekhyun chuckled, joining Sehun on the couch.

After a while, Baekhyun started to doze off along with Sehun, while Chanyeol and Kris still sat on the sides of Tao’s bed, wathing the younger breathe in and out.

Kris’ eyes were now red; he had not been sleeping very well since Tao’s accident even when Baekhyun forced him to go home to rest. He blinked repeatedly in attempt to sooth his eyes, but it was pointless.

“Did we make too much sounds? Were we so noisy? Will he sleep longer then?” Kris asked, slightly worried that Tao won’t get a quality sleep.

“Sometimes its better when you do your analysis and all that in your head instead of saying it out loud,” Chanyeol responded, yawning, “And no, I don’t think so. If we were, he would be awake,”

“Okay. We should just wait then,”

“You don’t usually get worried easily,”

“I don’t. But it’s Zitao. With him, I’d always be. I just usually conceal it better,”

“He’d know it, you know,”

“He doesn’t even recognize me now, Chanyeol. What makes you think he knows me like he did?”

“He’s still the same person,” Chanyeol smiled softly, but Kris still looked distressed.

Chanyeol sat straighter, focusing on his best friend, “Look, I clearly interrupted something back there. What happened?”

And there goes Kris’ calm exterior. He took a deep breath, as he told his best friend what’s bothering him, “He asked about what happened with us. He wanted to know why I was never in Vienna. I mean, how could you tell him that he didn’t mind that because I was there with him when he came back? How could I tell him that it didn’t matter to him, because he loves me? How could you tell someone he loves you? It doesn’t work like that, right?”

“It doesn’t. But Kris, he doesn’t remember anything. For a while, you’re going have to be the one to remember for the both of you,”

“You know what scares me? If at the end of this, he wouldn’t feel the same like he did. If he wouldn’t love me anymore. If forever, I have to be the only one, holding on to the memory of him loving me for the short eight months he was back with me, here. He was the only person I am holding onto, Chanyeol. What if I couldn’t get back up when he left me?”

“He’s not going to leave you, Kris,”

“How would you know?” Kris stared at Chanyeol, looking like he was trying hard not to yell at the other, “How are you so sure of that when I’m not even sure of anything?”

“Because you are you, and I know you. Even if he left, you would never let go of your end of the line, and you’ll find him. You’ll look for him and chase him to all ends of the world, and you’ll find him. You are not just a couple, you are Tao and Kris; you guys are meant for each other, since you helped him gobble down that jar of peanut butter and jelly with his squishy fingers when he was 6, since you always find him when he hid away from the thunder when I don’t. Hold on, Kris. Hold on to your memory and what you feel about him; hold on to what you have. It’ll work out,”

Kris was taken aback for a moment, and within a brief second, he was back into his composed self, “He said that,”

“What?”

“That we’re meant for each other,”

“And?”

“And he was never wrong,”

Chanyeol smiled, “He still never was,”

Kris looked more relaxed after the talk, and proceeded to talk about Tao’s progress with Chanyeol. They were discussing about his recovery time when the younger stirred on his bed.

Kris jumped from his seat, startling the other who immediately mimicked the gesture. Chanyeol pressed the button to call the nurse and attendant, while listening to Tao took a few shallow breaths.

“Ow…” he muttered, sighing.

“Hey baby, welcome back,” Kris said softly, “How are you feeling?”

“It hurts, and itchy… Is it over?” Tao whispered, not opening his eyes yet.

Kris chuckled in relief, “Yes, it’s over,”

“And I still have two legs?” Tao’s whisper came in and out.

Chanyeol grinned, “Left and right, Zi. Still two,”

Tao stirred again, frowning, “Ow… Ow…”

“It’s okay, baby… Its okay, just relax…” Kris whispered repeatedly in hushed tones, making circles on Tao’s temple.

The younger kept on mumbling until it was entirely inaudible and he was sleeping again. Kris continued to pat Tao’s hair softly, until his frown disappeared. Lay entered shortly after, “He’s awake?”

“He was, now he’s back asleep,” Chanyeol answered as Kris was still focusing on Tao.

“I see. A surgery was always tiring. People would tell you doctors and nurses had it worse, but truly, it’s always the patient,” Lay said, as he proceeded to check up on Tao and examine his wounds. As he done so, Lay told them that the surgery went well, and they predicted that Tao could begin his therapies as soon as the wound dries up, “I have to remind you, though. It’s still going to be a long process. You guys have been doing a good job taking care of him. Keep it up,”

“Got it,” Kris nodded, “And he’d wake up again, right?”

“Soon, when he’s got enough rest,” Lay smiled watching their condition, “A small suggestion, it’s best to get a rest when he’s resting,”

Lay left soon after, and they were back in the waiting game.

Without realizing, it was past midnight, and it was only now that they realize they were too, tired as hell. Chanyeol and Kris started to take comfortable positions and fall asleep as well.

But it must have been a mere hour or so, when a loud beep made Chanyeol stir in his not-so-deep sleep, opening his eyes to a restless Zitao, fidgeting in his bed.

“Tao?” Chanyeol stood in alert despite feeling groggy, approaching his brother’s bed, “What is it?”

Kris rose too, immediately pressing the button for the doctors.

“I can’t— breathe—“ Tao gasped, clutching his chest, “something— is wrong,”

Chanyeol reached for Tao’s oxygen mask, “Here, come, try and breathe,”

Tao gripped on the mask, pressing it over his nose and mouth, his breaths were heavy and dragged.

“Slowly, baby. Breathe in, breathe out,” Kris said softly, keeping his voice calm even though his left hand was gripping the side of Tao’s bed tightly.

Chanyeol watched in horror, everything flashbacked to him and the next thing he knew, he ran outside and yelled for the doctors to come. The nurses finally came, with Dr. Park towing behind them. The ruckus woke both Sehun and Baekhyun up too.

They gather around the bed, where Kris was still whispering in attempt to calm Tao down.

“What happened?” Dr. Park asked, pressing his stethoscope on Tao’s chest, making the boy whine in pain. Tao was shaking, his breath short and he was holding on the mask for dear life.

“He couldn’t breathe,” Kris said, his eyes still locked on Tao’s paling face, “What is happening?”

Dr. Park moved his stethoscope on the left part of Tao’s chest, “Zitao, take a deep breath for me,”

Tao tried, but stopped immediately with a cough, “I can’t… It hurts,” he whispered, scrunching his face in pain.

Chanyeol hated it. He hated that Tao was in pain, “Doctor?”

Dr. Park pressed a spot above Tao’s chest, making him scream, tears spilled out of his eyes. He tried to turn his body but it only made it worse.

“Doctor!” Kris warned. This doctor was supposed to help his fiancé, not add his pain.

“There’s something in the left part of his chest. Lets take him back to the OR,” Dr. Park instructed, and more nurses came into the room.

“Hyung— Chan hyung…” Tao called weakly, now sobbing and looking very scared. Chanyeol stepped up and grabbed his brother’s hand, letting him know he was listening, “Don’t let me die,” he whispered tearfully, “Don’t let me die…”

“I won’t. I promise, I pro—“ Chanyeol was cut but the medical team pushing Tao’s bed out, “I promise, Tao! Fight, okay!”

“Hyung! Ge—“ Tao’s voice disappeared as he coughed, continued to struggle to breathe. Both Kris and Chanyeol ran with them to the hall where the OR is located; both had their eyes locked on Tao, who was struggling to keep his eyes open.

“Okay come on people, we have to hurry!” Dr. Park’s voice was heard and in the next minute Tao disappeared into the OR again.

Kris and Chanyeol breathlessly stared at the twin doors as the red light came back on.

The nurses and doctors rolled Tao back into his room hours after they pushed him out. Again, Tao was sleeping, but Kris was grateful that he was no longer in pain. Tao was looking so peaceful under a new mask that was covering half of his face, and he didn’t even move when Kris brushed his hair away from his eyes.

“What happened?” Chanyeol asked, while Dr. Park scribbled something on Tao’s chart.

“There was an inflammation on his chest that pressed on his lungs. That’s what made him struggle to breathe… We fixed it, but he would need the mask for a while to help him breathe…” Dr. Park answered, returning the chart to his intern.

“No tubes, right?” Kris asked. He knew Tao had hated the damn tube for choking him the last time.

“No,” Dr. Park smiled, “But again, we would monitor him closely and make sure that there would not be anymore fluid in his chest. I would have my intern check on him by the hour,”

“Okay… Is there anything that I could do if anything happens again?”

“The machine should warn us if something happens, but while you take your own rest, just make sure that he didn’t take off the mask by accident in his sleep…”

“Okay…” Chanyeol turned to his brother.

He must have looked so distressed because Dr. Park approached him and patted his shoulder.

“I know these past weeks had been so stressful to all of you. But I promise you, we are doing everything that we could to help him, and that he had been recovering very well for his injuries. There is nothing that we could do better than supporting him…”

“I know, Doc… I was just constantly worried, and when I started to relax, suddenly he had to go through another surgery… I felt like I can lose him anytime now, and really,” Chanyeol looked at Dr. Park with intense emotions in his eyes, “He is the only one I have left and I don’t ever, want that to happen,”

“I am assuring you that Zitao is in our best care… We will work together to help him,”

“Thank you, Doctor Park, thank you,”

“It’s my pleasure, really. Please have some rest, and let the nurse page me if you need anything,” Dr. Park gave both Chanyeol and Kris another smile before excusing himself.

Chanyeol approached the side of Tao’s bed, sitting on the same chair he had been sitting before. He took Tao’s hand in his, watching his younger brother sleeping, free from pain for a while.

The elf took a deep breath.

Among all people, why does it have to be his brother? He wanted nothing but for Tao to be happy. He would give anything to be in his place right now.

If something happened to him, Chanyeol would rather die.

“I thought being an over-thinker who over analyzes things was my part,” he heard Kris’ mumble, as if the elf had been saying his thoughts outloud.

Chanyeol turned to see Kris still staring at Tao, caressing his forehead softly every now and then, “For the first time in my life I am actually scared of losing someone,”

Kris turned to Chanyeol, who was still staring at him, “He won’t leave us, Chan. Hold on,”

Chanyeol turned back to Tao with a nod. Five minutes later Baekhyun entered the room, two cups of coffee in his hands. He handed one to Chanyeol and one to Kris, who set it aside. Sehun was trailing behind him, before settling next to Kris.

Baekhyun was going to ask if Chanyeol was okay, but looking at his fiancé’s expression, it’ll be rhetorical. He settled with kissing Chanyeol’s hair, cradling his cheek a little in his hand.

“I am mad,” Baekhyun said, his eyebrows furrowed deep, sitting next to Chanyeol, hugging him softly, “How could anyone do this to him?”

“I thought he was in an accident?” Sehun asked with wide eyes.

“That’s what we know. But I don’t think it’s the entirety of it. We sort of have a speculation on who did this, and I swear when we could prove it, he’s a dead man,” Kris mumbled, his eyes scanned Tao’s bandages while his ears are listening to the younger’s faint breath.

“But why? Why did he target Tao? I mean, he didn’t do anything, right?” Baekhyun asked again, trying hard to get a hang of it, “I mean why would anyone harm him so badly like this?”

“Because Tao is the best way to get back at both at me and Kris,” Chanyeol answered, “It’s like killing two birds with one stone,”

“And for what?” Sehun asked again, “Were you guys involved in some crime or something illegal?”

“We are not,” Kris said, “But we almost do,”

“I don’t get it,” Sehun pouted again. If being here means Tao would be a target of this kind of thing, then for sure it would be better for him to go back with him to Vienna, back to their peaceful lives.

“Well it’s not like we’re doing business with drug dealers or mafia or something. We are an honest company with integrity,” Kris mumbled, Sehun perking up at the mention of the word ‘mafia’, looking outside the window to make sure that they’re on the top floor and so no one would suddenly barge in through it, “Thus in principal, we always try to avoid to do so,”

Sehun’s odd behavior didn’t go unnoticed by Baekhyun, even though the other two looked oblivious. But he kept his silence for he also wanted to listen to Kris’ explanation.

“So we always do thorough background check, not only of a firm we’re trying to work with, but also of the personnel. After all, our company is a big company. We’re always under spotlight, and our competitors are always waiting for our mishap, because that’s where they could grind us and try to destroy us, if possible. So we have to be very careful,”

“There’s this company we have been wanting to work with. It’s way smaller compared to ours, but they have been in the industry for a long time. They were a good player here in Korea, and we wanted to expand ours,” Kris said, making circles on the back of Tao’s hand, “And so we have been talking to them,”

“Which company again?” Baekhyun asked.

“Ok. Of Ok and Family Company,” Chanyeol answered, taking Baekhyun’s hand in his, “We almost seal the deal too, if not for Chen and Xiumin, who found out about their heir’s dirty business,”

“What did he do?” Sehun asked curiously.

“Illegal trade, human trafficking… The man ing sells organs,” Kris sighed, “And he was not a man of control, Ok Taecyeon. We almost got into a fist fight because we cancelled the deal,”

“What did he do?”

“Jumped at us, literally. Flew across the table and tried to grab out ties,” Chanyeol said nonchalantly, as if the rude behavior didn’t matter to him, “Look it this way, Kris and I are responsible for tens of thousands jobs, of people who works in our company, and we could not risk working with such a sick firm like his. It’s just out of the question,”

“Then what are you waiting for?! Why don’t you guys juts get a police to get him or something?” Sehun asked impatiently, “Why aren’t you guys doing anything?”

“First of all, we don’t have an evidence. Like I said, all we have is a speculation. Chen and Xiumin are on it, and they’ll tell us as soon as they know something,” Kris said, his voice getting lower and lower, “And when that day comes…”

“We’re going to let the police handle it all,” Chanyeol finishes, ignoring Kris’ loud snort, “Because we are men with integrity,”

“My integrity flew out the window the moment they hurt my fiancé,” Kris mumbled lowly, “I could kill a soul or two,”

“That would haunt you for the rest of your life, though,” Sehun mumbled back, “You don’t know what you’re saying,”

“Have you killed anyone, kid?” Kris asked, raising one eyebrow.

His question caught Sehun on the spot, and the younger immediately raised both hands, “No!” he said, shaking his head, “Never,”

Baekhyun raised both eyebrows, feeling suspicious of Sehun. He knew the other must have been hiding something. Maybe he would ask Chanyeol later if the elf knew anything.

But for now, they would just wait, until Tao wakes up again.

The room was silent when Tao wakes up the second time. The room was brighter, and so he believed it must have been way in the afternoon.

The sound that he could decipher was the sounds of the machine. Something- or someone- was holding one of his hands. His head was spinning, and his legs were heavy. What had happened?

He tried to lift his head, to see around the room better, but the pain that struck his chest almost immediately made him groan silently in pain. He tried to see what created the pain, but the mask that was tied around his face made his sight became even more limited.

Tao moved his fingers out of the hand that was holding them in place, and started to feel how foreign they were. These are not the fingers he used to play the piano. They were so stiff, and it scared Tao.

What if he could never play piano anymore?

Fear and panic crept into his chest, making it hurt even more.

What if he lost everything he had worked so hard for? What if he’d be forever here, incapable of doing anything? What if he had to go to another surgeries?

Will there be more?

Then he remembered how his chest was hurting so badly, how it felt like being stabbed, how every time he breathes in, its every time the air got knocked out by the pain.

And he doesn’t want that anymore. Enough of this.

Struggling to even out his breath, Tao pulled out his IV needle and immediately the machine beeped loudly.

The loud and alarming sound woke the other four effective immediately, and the rustles made Tao even more panicked.

“Tao what are you doing?”

“Go away! Leave me!” Tao whispered angrily, struggling to sit up, “I want to go home!”

“Tao, stop moving!” Kris held both Tao’s arms in attempt to stop him, but Tao struggled even more. Baekhyun ran out to get the nurse while Sehun approached closer.

“Tao,” he called, but Tao was ignoring him, “Schatzi,” he changed to German and for a second Tao stopped moving.

“Sehun take me home,” Tao’s voice was strained and muffled behind the mask, “Get me out of here,”

“Schatzi, you’re still recovering,” Sehun tried to talk him out of leaving, “You need to be here,”

“No, I want to go!” Tao kicked and whined at the pain that follows.

“Zi, listen to me, stop struggling,” Chanyeol tried to hold Tao when he saw blood seeping out of his brother’s newly bandaged chest, “You’re hurting yourself,”

“And I will keep on hurting if I stay!” Tao cried, wincing from the pain that covers his whole body, “I want to go!”

Tao kept on struggling and at one point, he succeeded in putting one leg out of the bed even though he screamed in pain at the process. Sehun jumped forward and caught Tao’s body, hugging him tightly, “Stop it, just stop moving,”

Tao struggled for some more, but Sehun kept on holding him anyway, “Stop, Tao. I need you to stop. You need to stop moving,”

Tao cried out in upset manner, but he then fell into Sehun’s arms, sobbing loudly.

"Take me... Take me back to Vienna... Away from this... Take me away," Tao begged, his hands gripping into Sehun's shirt. His chest felt like it’s burning, his ribs aching. His back hurts so much because he was forcing himself to sit up. Tao finally gave up to the pain, letting himself lean further against Sehun, who in turn, holding him firmly, supporting him, like always.

"I want to go home..." Tao whispered hoarsely, his voice got left somewhere in his throat. His body was shaking; his eyes were even blurrier. The others' shadows looked like ink entering water, messy.

Kris sighed in relief; at least Tao had stopped moving. The machines were still beeping loudly but everyone’s attention was at the younger.

"Schatzi, please just let the nurse put the needle back in, okay? Please stop moving," Sehun tried to coax Tao, but the other was still shaking.

Everything hurts, even worse than the day he woke up the first time. Why can't Sehun understand? He needed to get out of here. He’ll die here. He’ll be crazy.

"No!" Tao screamed, kicking the blanket with his broken leg in frustration. He then cried in pain when his leg felt like it was hit hard with baseball bat.

"Please baby please stop moving," Kris held him from the other side, "Please stop kicking, you're hurting yourself,"

"Take me home, take me away," Tao struggled stubbornly.

"Okay okay, fine. As soon as you can fly, we will go," Sehun tried again.

"Now! I want to go now!" Tao cried, "Sehun please,"

"Zi, listen to me," Chanyeol took Tao's hand, "Please listen. You still have the therapy right? Do you remember what Lay told you? And you have to do it here... Remember? I promise you, if you finished the therapy you can go,"

Tao sobbed again, "No, you're just gonna lie to me... You're lying!" he struggled again, knocking the IV stand to the ground, spilling the liquid on the floor.

"No, Zitao. I promise. I swear. Just be well, and when you're healthy, you can go anywhere you want. I promise," Chanyeol said again, fully knowing that his brother was in pain, “Please,”

“You don’t understand, you don’t understand,” Tao whispered repeatedly, “You don’t understand,”

“It hurts, everything hurts, and I’m scared,” he continued against the comfort of Sehun’s shoulder, “I’m scared,”

“I know, Schatzi. But I’ll be here every step of the way, remember?”

“I’m losing it, Sehun. I can’t do this. I can’t play piano anymore. I don’t know what happened, I can’t do this,” Tao sobbed, and it broke Kris’ heart to see him this way.

“Baby, baby listen, you’ll be fine. I promise,” Kris said softly, but Tao leaned into Sehun’s embrace deeper, away from the elder’s voice. Sehun protectively hugged Tao tighter, supporting both of them.

Kris’ heart broke right then right there; watching Tao in another arms, avoiding him. He knew that it was because Tao didn’t remember, not because he didn’t love Kris anymore. However painful it was to see, he would take it all in if its for Tao, if it would make him feel better. He would hold on.

“Schatzi, remember what I told you? Breathe. Remember to breathe and take one step at a time. You will be fine,” Sehun coaxed, “Do you remember?”

“Yes,” Tao whispered inaudibly after a while, “yes,”

“One step at a time,” Sehun repeated, “And breathe,”

“Breathe,” Tao mimicked, feeling his strength drained fast, “One by one,”

Lay rushed in with Baekhyun, who immediately gasped and ran towards the commotion. Tao was not fighting them anymore when Lay instructed Sehun to gently lay his patient back on the bed. He lifted his leg and examined the boy, instructing a nurse that arrived soon after to change the drip and the IV needle.

“What happened?” Lay asked as he examined Tao’s wound, clacking his tongue when he noticed that he needed to redo his stitch again.

“He wanted to go home,” Sehun answered for them all, “He was scared,”

“Is that true, Tao? I thought we agreed that you’ll go when you’re healed,” Lay said as he prepares to clean Tao’s wound.

“I’m… I can’t be here… I’m scared… I can’t…” Tao mumbled, looking confused while his eyes tiredly scanning the room.

“Oh yes you can. You can do it all, and we’ll be here to help you,” Lay responded, but Tao shook his head.

“No, you don’t understand… You don’t get it…” his head was spinning and he felt like he was falling, “I will die here,”

“You know I won’t let that happen,” Lay said softly, giving Tao local anesthesia so he wouldn’t feel him redoing his stitch, “What’s bothering you?”

“I hate it here,” Tao choked, “It hurts, it always does… I don’t have good memories… Here I was exiled, my parents died, I got into an accident, I didn’t remember… I want to be where I am happy…”

It felt like something was choking Chanyeol, and for a moment he forgot to breathe. He would give anything to give Tao what he wanted, anything just so he’d be happy again. But it wasn’t that easy, they needed Tao to heal, and they needed to protect him. There’s no guarantee that whoever was doing this was not going to return and finish his job.

“I will die here, I will die…” Tao repeated in whispers.

“No, you wont’,” Lay responded sternly, “I will make sure of that myself. Let me worry about that,”

Tao’s head lulled to the side, away from Lay’s voice, “I want to go home,” he said in between his labored breaths, “Home,”

Sehun lowered his body so he was face to face with Tao, “You’ll be home soon, Schatzi… Just be patient,”

“It hurts, Sehun. Everything hurts,” Tao mumbled weakly, tears still flowing out from his swollen eyes, “It hurts so bad,”

Sehun was already in the verge of crying himself, but he pulled himself together. He wouldn’t let Tao know he was crying, not when he’s like this, “I know, Schatzi, but it’ll get better, I promise,”

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In one chapter : Sehun learning about falling in love and friendship, Kris and his worries, and just when you thought it's going to be rainbows and unicorns I came in and torture Tao even more aw yiss

I am thinking of creating several chapters to explain some of their background stories, what happened and how Kris knew Tao, how Tao moved to Vienna, and how Chanyeol reconciled with his brother only after so long. Would it be interesting?

who likes jealous Baekhyun in the last chapter btw haha poor him being ignored by Chanyeol but Chanyeol was such a great fiancé they should really get married soon and produce baby baekyeols who'd prance around and jump on uncle Zi's piano and drive uncle Krissy crazy

Sehun sent an EXODUS album to Miranda Kerr tho. That adorable little I want to squeeze him and he's not even my bias I have devoted my soul for the great Huang Zitao. HL for life~ <3

Comments are loved as always, tell me what you think~

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