he's always careful with his phone.  always.  always.  but as he's walking home, a motorbike comes onto the sidewalk to avoid traffic.  in a hurry, the driver speeds by minseok, knocking his shoulder and pushing minseok to the ground.  his phone clatters to the road and a car clips the side of it, sending it careening to the middle of the busy road.

minseok watches in horror and he doesn't really think.  all he feels is the sinking of his heart, the cold that envelops his body, and before he knows it, minseok is running into the middle of the street.  

there's flashes of headlights and horribly loud sounds of the klaxon.  and maybe it's the sound and maybe it's the lights, but all minseok can hear is the cracking of plastic and all minseok can see is the breaking of his precious cell phone - the one connect he has to jongin.

an SUV screeches in front of him just as minseok's fingers wrap around the abused electronic.  someone's shouting at him from behind but relief washes over him as the familiar weight of his cell phone slips into his palm.  he feels a heavy weight crash into him and something warm and strong enveloping his chest and arms.  but before he can turn to see, before he can even blink, the world goes black.

%%%

"minseok.  are you listening?  a replacement team has already been sent out, but we need a full report."

minseok knows he's expected to respond.  this mission had been a crucial part of the development scheme of planet r3-21.  he was the leader of a whole team and he should be the one who can make the report.  and yet, his mouth feels filled with molasses and all his movements are going in slow motion.  his head isn't functioning properly and minseok wonders if this too is a side effect of his injury.  but no, minseok shakes his head, that's ridiculous.  a leg injury shouldn't affect his brain function.  but when the official from incheon command repeats the order, all minseok can do is stare down at his unfeeling leg.

"sir, i believe officer kim needs some time..." the captain intervenes.

an exasperated sigh fills the space.  "agreed" the official finally says.  "i'll come back tomorrow, but as per the medical sheet, i expect no delays.  do you understand?"

"yes sir."
 

minseok hears a door close somewhere and things are a bit quieter.  behind him, minseok can hear the captain sigh, long and tired.  in some corner of his mind, minseok knows he should be embarrassed.  he was mentally stronger than this, wasn't he?  minseok knows he should probably apologize to the captain for making him worry, for making excuses for minseok.

"i'm" minseok manages to say.  "i'm so..."

"minseok-ah."  the captain sits on the bed next to him.  minseok feels a warm arm around his shoulders and another across his chest.  "you should rest, minseok-ah.  you did good."

minseok cries into the captain's shoulder.  and when he wakes up, everything is night and he is once again alone.

%%%

there's an ethereal filter on the whole scene, but even if the filter hadn't existed, minseok would have realized that this was a dream sooner rather than later.  still, he's not in a hurry to wake up because jongin's right next to him, smiling like the sun.

"hyung, look what i found today!" jongin bubbles as he presses a mound of dirt to minseok's nose.

minseok cringes, laughing, and pushes jongin away.  "stop!  gross!"

"hyung!" jongin is mock-offended.  "this is a crucial piece of this planet's flora!  this could be the missing piece to our research, you know!"

but the facade doesn't last and jongin breaks down in giggles too.  his head dips into the crook of minseok's clavicle and minseok flushes a little with the warmth and closeness.

"jongin-ah, i still have silicone grease on my hands" minseok warns, but he's slow to get jongin disentangled from him.

with one arm, jongin grabs a piece of fabric cloth and starts to wipe minseok's hands.  "do i have to do everything for you, hyung?" jongin teases.  "you're such a baby."

"a baby?!" minseok squeaks.  "i'm older than -"

"but you're my baby" jongin coos, before pressing a firm kiss to the corner of minseok's mouth.

minseok turns his head to search for jongin's mouth.  he wants more - a proper kiss.  but as he closes his eyes and turns his head, he feels a sharp pain in his left arm and his head feels like it's splitting in two.

"jongin?  jongin-ah?" minseok cries out, but it's much too dark.  the warmth is gone and just as suddenly, bright fluorescent lights flood his vision.

the atmosphere is cold.  too cold.  and minseok starts to shiver.

"kim minseok-ssi?" a strange voice calls out.  "minseok-ssi, please try to make a sound if you can hear us."

in the icy coldness of the room, a warm hand encloses around minseok's.  minseok relaxes a little.

'ah... jongin-ah' minseok thinks.

"minseok-ssi.  if you hear us please try to make a sound or blink twice for us."  the stranger's voice comes to him again.

he really wants to comply but the lights are too bright and minseok finds he can't open his eyes, half for fear that jongin will go away again.

instead he opens his mouth.  it feels dry - too dry.  and it's painful to open his vocal cords, but he inhales shortly and manages an, "ah..."

the warm hand squeezes minseok's.

"minseok-ah, oh thank god.  minseok-ah."

moisture floods the inside of minseok's eyelids at the voice.  it's familiar alright.  the tears help lubricate minseok's eyes and he manages to open them.  but... the voice, the warmth, the hand... 

"minseok-ah, can you tell who i am?  are you back to your senses?"

minseok nods, tears still streaming down his cheeks.

it's junmyeon.  it's captain kim. 

it's not jongin and it never has been.