Jinki plays with his knife as he laid in bed for the sixth straight day. It was getting on his nerves just how much Kibum was doting on him and restricting him from doing everything that made him the tiniest bit happy, like having one measly cigarette. He breathes in and out, mimicking the motions of smoking. He misses the way the end of the stick slightly crackles when he takes a puff, filling his lungs with the smoke that he had grown to be comforted by. He hadn't gone this long without it since he was fourteen years-old and he grew increasingly cranky because of it with each minute that passed. 

It didn't look like it, but he was doing his best to keep his spirits up. It had been miserable staying in bed for all this time without anything to do. But it wasn't the boredom that was keeping him downcast... It was the thought of someone that haunted him. And being stuck here didn't allow him any distractions.  

Taemin's voice played in his mind everytime he closed his eyes. The way that the young man had soothed him with his soft melodies was something that Jinki didn't  even realize that he had missed from his childhood. But it wasn't just that. Taemin's gentle touch was another thing that the had trouble forgetting. His forehead still bore the weight of the young man's hand and the memory of his caress was the only thing that comforted him enough to drift off to sleep. 

It scared him a little, what the memory of the kind stranger had been doing to him. It filled his heart with a longing to see him again. He had never felt that way about anyone before in his life. He would never admit it, but he had never needed anyone like this before. And it was shaking him to his very core.

At least the swishing sound of his retractable knife was lessening the edge a bit. He liked watching the blade disappear and reappear at the flick of his wrist. It angered him to think that this small thing was the very reason he was in so much pain. As he stared at its shiny edge, he promises that he would never put himself in such a vulnerable position like that again.

Never again.

The fear that he felt thinking about that man named Heechul has been replaced by anger. Jinki can't wait for the chance to wipe that stupid smirk of his face. The thought makes him want to keep doing jobs for Hornet even though he wasn't sure if he could really trust the old man. He would do anything to regain the chance to avenge his dignity. 

His growing resolve is interrupted by the door swinging open.

"Jinki, sit up... Drink this," Kibum says, coming into the room with God knows what concoction again. He hands a cup of warm liquid to Jinki, its greyish brown color instantly putting him off. 

"What is that?" he asks, recoiling from the cup as he puts it close to his nose to sniff.

Kibum sighs as he sits by the side of the bed. "It's a tea of sorts made of different types of leaves. It's supposed to heal you and make your wound close up faster."

He stares at the contents of the cup, thankful that he could at least imagine that it was beer for one minute. He just hoped that it wouldn't taste as horrible as it smells.

"I don't think leaves can do that," Jinki says, putting the cup up to his lips. The bitter taste almost made him wretch.

"I saw the recipe online... A lot of people seem to swear by it. Just drink up, okay? It won't hurt to drink the stuff."

The young man caresses Jinki's arm as he drinks. It broke his heart to see him Jinki suffer like this. He's blamed himself everyday since the older man had returned to him wounded. If only he had been more stubborn about not taking those jobs. If only his stupid pride let him lie down with Jinki that night instead of on the couch. If only he had been awake when he left.

If only... 

He had taken it upon himself to make sure that Jinki would be nursed back to health, but taking care of him in this helpless state was nothing short of challenging. Every single day, Kibum had to convince Jinki to let him dress his wounds, eat, sleep, do anything that would be considered as step towards healing. Jinki fought him on every single thing, but the younger man never let himself give up. In the end, Jinki always lost to his will, eventually doing whatever it was that Kibum was insisting on. It didn't mean that he was okay with it though. 

The younger man could feel Jinki's resentment toward him grow day after day. Kibum's looming presence was driving Jinki absolutely insane. The young man would ask him how he was feeling 456,000 times in a day and it was getting on Jinki's nerves more than he could ever explain. Even the mere sight of Kibum was annoying to him now. Why wouldn't he just let up and leave Jinki alone?

"Don't you have places to be?" the older man asks.

Kibum is surprised by the question. Jinki should know by now that there really isn't anywhere else that he would rather be. "And leave you?"

"Why not?"

"Because you just got stabbed and have a gaping wound in your abdomen, Jinki--that's why. I really don't know why you're making it so hard for me to take care of you," he replies, the frustration seeping out of him. "Do you want to get better or not?"

"It doesn't matter if I want to or not... I just am. I'm leaving tomorrow," he says, finishing his horrible tea and placing the cup on the table. 

"WE'RE leaving tomorrow," Kibum insists.

"I'll be fine by myself." Jinki doesn't even look up at the younger man as he goes back to playing with his retractable knife. 

"We are going together, and that's that."

Kibum takes the cup in his hand and leaves the room in a huff. The older man lets out a sigh and smiles as he sinks back down into the bed. He was going to see Taemin soon. Not even Kibum could ruin his mood about that. 

*****

Minho and Taemin are double checking the supplies and every piece of equipment of the bus that evening. It had been a quiet shift and they had lots of time to catch up on things that they normally didn't have the luxury to do. Taemin clutches his clipboard to his chest as Minho placed a fresh box of bandanges into one of the bus compartments.

"Key finally texted," the younger man says. 

"Who's Key?"

"Onew's boyfriend. They're coming tomorrow to get his sutures taken out." Taemin isn't sure about how the older man will take the news. He'd been acting strange ever since Onew showed up.

Minho was obviously making more of an effort to spend time with him. He was constantly showing up in places that Taemin didn't expect. In the last six days, they have had dinner, seen a movie and taken a stroll in the park--all activities that Taemin was happy to do alone, if only Minho had let him. Although he appreciated the company, the guerilla dates were starting to make Taemin a bit uncomfortable. 

It wasn't like Minho was trying to keep a secret of his feelings. That he was showing up everywhere was making it glaringly obvious... So did the many attempts to recreate the moment they shared on that drunken night. But the fact that Taemin often didn't have the heart to send him away or turn him down when he did was maybe giving out the wrong signals. He had noticed that Minho had become more protective of him as the days went by--like he was scared to let him out of his sight. 

The older man's eyebrows furrows at the news. "You don't expect me to be the one to do that, do you? Why can't they just go to a doctor for that this time? We've done enough, haven't we?"

"I can do it if you don't want to." A part of him had already expected this response. Taemin stands up and leaves the bus to work on the other supplies still needing to be organized in the garage. 

Minho's gaze follows the younger man, who didn't even bother to look back at him. There was a stubborness in Taemin that he didn't quite understand, and he knew that fighting this would be a futile exercise. Taemin's mind was set on seeing Onew into complete recovery--with or without Minho's help. The older man would never leave Taemin alone with people like that. "I'll do it if it means that we can finally get them out of our hair... I'll do it for you." 

"Thanks," Taemin says like he almost didn't mean it, still not looking up from what he was doing. He could feel his words meaning more than Taemin wanted it to mean.

The young man had done his best to avoid looking at his colleague at all. The older man's gaze was different now. There was something in his eyes that Taemin couldn't quite place, but he knew that he couldn't look at the Minho in the same way. He hated himself for hurting his friend.

Minho turns towards him and gets off the bus himself, giving Taemin his complete attention. "So will you promise?"

"Promise what?"

"That this will be the last time you'll see him."

This forces the young man to pay him attention and he looks up at Minho in shock. Who did he think he was to make that kind of demand from him? He knows in this instant that this little dance of theirs had gone too far. "What?"

"I don't like you hanging around people like that, Taemin. It's dangerous." Despite the incredulous look on Taemin's face, Minho never flinches as the words come tumbling out of his mouth. He means all of it with every fiber of his being. 

He had to put him in his place now. "So what? Why should it matter to you if I'm in danger or not?"

A strange look comes over Minho--much stranger than usual. The older man was suddenly ready to say everything that he had been keeping to himself all this time. "Why? Because... Taemin... I lo--"

The young man panics and holds his hand up in the air. "Don't say it. Please, Minho. Just don't."

Taemin grabs a couple of empty boxes and disappears back into the station, doing the only thing he knew to do in that situation--run. 

Minho looks longingly at the young man as he walks away. It hurt him just how aggressively he was being pushed away despite everything he was doing to draw closer to him. He was beginning to think that Taemin didn't want to have anything to do with him in that way.

And he couldn't understand why. 

*****

Kibum lifts up his sunglasses to stare at the sign above the building. "I guess this is it," he says to Jinki.

He didn't dare say it in front of Kibum, but he was hurting from the twelve blocks they had walked to get to the station. Of course, the younger man insisted that they take a cab, but Jinki wanted to prove something to himself... And get Kibum off his case. He holds his side as he could feel the wound throb underneath his clothes. Maybe he was regretting his decision a little bit. 

They silently walk towards the door and the younger man rings the bell. Jinki had no idea if his heart was pounding because of the physical activity that he had forced himself to have, or if he was just excited to see Taemin one more time. He secretly hopes he was just tired.

A young man with platinum hair opens the door and the two are greeted by the puzzled look on his face. He doesn't recognize the young man standing in front of him at all. "Can I help you?"

"We're here to see Lee Taemin?" Key's foot was almost in the door when he was blocked from coming in. 

"Wait here," the guy says, closing the door in their faces.

Kibum's eyes grow wide and he turns to Jinki in utter shock. "Well, that was rude." 

Jinki remembers how Jonghyun had stuck his neck out to get him the medicines that he needed. It was just like Kibum to just pass judgment on someone right away. Jonghyun wasn't rude at all, but he didn't have the energy to say it out loud. Being here again was making him feel things. In addition to his pounding heart, Jinki's was starting to sweat profusely.

"Are you alright?" Kibum asks, a look of concern coming over his face.

Jinki shoos him away with his hand, exasperated at the way Kibum had been hovering over him these past days. He didn't need anyone to babysit him. He made it all the way here on his own two feet to get himself the care he needed. He was fine. 

Jonghyun opens the door again and looks annoyed at having to usher the two inside, stepping aside without saying a word. Kibum walks past him, rolling his eyes with Jinki walking closely behind.

Taemin was standing at the end of the entryway, a warm smile on his face, ready to greet them. Seeing his face made the older man want to smile back--a gesture that he hasn't been able to do for anyone in a while. But just as he was about to, the room starts to spin around.

The room goes black and Jinki hits the ground before Kibum's shrieks could even leave his mouth.

"Jinki!"