Changmin felt himself waking up.

It was odd; he dreamt of being on stage, standing in front of a crowd of millions screaming his name. Yunho was beside him, a proud smile on his face. The two of them were sweaty, tired, and their muscles ached. But they were ecstatic, taking in the energy of their fans.

There were no worries, no scandal, no drama. Just the two of them on stage giving their all.

Yunho was in the middle of his usual thank you speech while Changmin continually .

They were both on cloud nine, and Changmin loved that.

But it was just a dream.

Because at this point, the only sense of normal that Changmin could ever have was when he was asleep, dreaming about the life he always lived before he was attacked in his own home.

What if he would never get another opportunity to perform with Yunho again?

Changmin would sleep and dream all day if he could, as long as it meant not feeling as weak as he does now. As long as it meant he could see Yunho, even for just a little bit.

And maybe, just maybe, he could delude himself enough into thinking it was all real.

But as Changmin woke up, he knew the uncomfortable bed he laid on was definitely not his own. He was still in the hospital.

His countdown was almost done though.

Before falling asleep, Dr. Han had entered the room, happily reminding Changmin and his parents that he would finally be released from the hospital the next day.Changmin had to admit that the announcement lifted his spirits a little, and he appreciated that.

His speech was getting better, and soon he would no longer feel trapped within these white walls.

Something about the room seemed different now as Changmin started waking up. When he was falling asleep, his mother was running her hair through his fingers, while his father was holding one of his hands in a tight grip. There were still fingers playing with his hair, but none of his mother’s gentle whispers.

A moan came from the back of his throat as he finally opened his eyes.

“Changmin.”

Changmin felt breathless as he turned his head and saw the person sitting at his bedside.

He found himself wondering if he was still asleep in his dreamland.

“Yun...Yunho?”

Yunho smiled. “Hey, easy there,” he quickly said after Changmin practically jumped out of bed. “I know you’re tired.”

“I...I’m okay,” Changmin responded. A small laugh escaped his lips. “I’m okay I just-”

Changmin isn’t sure why he suddenly couldn’t speak; whether it was from his head injury or just from the shock of waking up with Yunho next to him. He didn’t care anyway. He and Yunho were always so good at communicating without words. Whatever Changmin was feeling right now, Yunho would know.

He always did.

“I’m really happy to see you, Changmin,” Yunho said. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Changmin felt his eyes watering up. He missed Yunho too; he missed him immensely, but for some reason, Changmin couldn’t get his mouth open to say anything.

Yunho slowly stood up. “It’s okay,” he said softly as he bent down and wrapped his arms around Changmin. “It’s okay. Everything’s okay.”

Changmin wondered how, after everything the two of them have had to put up with, Yunho could still have such an optimistic attitude. He admired Yunho for that. Yunho had been arrested for a crime he didn’t commit, and his first instinct was to comfort Changmin.

Changmin maneuvered his body to tightly wrap his arms around Yunho. He quickly released his hold, however, when he heard Yunho gasp as his body tensed.

Yunho didn’t let go; he couldn’t.

He looked down, noticing the concerned look in Changmin’s eyes.

“I’m fine,” he said, flashing his signature smile. “I’m just really happy that you’re okay.”

Changmin smiled, holding Yunho once more.

“Changmin.” Yunho sighed, briefly burying his nose and mouth in Changmin’s hair. “I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry for everything. I should have been there to protect you and-”

“No,” Changmin interrupted, finally finding his voice. He expected this. Yunho felt as if he was responsible for everything. Of course he’d somehow find a way to blame himself for something he had no control over. What possible rational could Yunho have for blaming himself?

Changmin felt the tears finally escape his eyes. “It’s...not your fault.”

“Changmin, I-”

“You didn’t hurt me,” Changmin insisted, his voice cracking. He bit his lip, praying that he wouldn’t turn into a blubbering mess right now. “It’s not your fault. I...I…”

At that moment, Changmin couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Yunho felt so powerless right now. All he wanted to do was help Changmin, and he didn’t know how. All he could do was hold Changmin tight as his shoulders heaved with every sob. His tears continued to soak Yunho’s shirt and Yunho ran his fi