A deep groan issued from his mouth, and you lost your breath.  That wasn’t Oliver’s voice.  Scrabbling backward, you watched as he seemed to come to himself, heavy panting breaths rasping painfully through his chest.  First, he seemed frightened, then confused, and then his gaze oriented on you, curled up into the fetal position, your back against the wall, your eyes wide.  

With another gravelly groan, he rolled over, drawing his arms under his chest, and pushing himself onto his knees.  His arms trembled, and his head hung low, but he didn’t fall.  Slowly, he began crawling toward you, and your heart was beating so fast, you were afraid that it was going to fail.  

It was him; you knew it was him.  You thought it was him--you weren’t sure...  You were simultaneously elated, and terrified.  You couldn’t move.  All you could do was watch as he came ever closer. 

When he reached you, he fell back, his bottom on his knees, his head hanging as he sat there, seemingly trying to gather strength.  Slowly, slowly, he reached up trembling hands, and began ing his jacket.

You watched--eyes so wide the corners of your lids pricked with the strain--saying nothing, ready to run at the slightest attack.  

Dragging the jacket off of his shoulders, he leaned forward, and with a pained breath, wrapped it around you.  

That done, he fainted into your arms.   

***

Dragging him into the bedroom proved to be a difficult task, but you were learning how to accomplish all sorts of things today.

***

After a scalding shower, you crawled into bed next to him.

 You were still scared that he would stop breathing.

***

Warm brown eyes were carefully watching you when you awoke.  “Hey,” he said, his morning voice rumbling around his chest, and straight through you.

“Hey,” you whispered.

“You know, we never really…” his voice trailed off.  Clearing his throat, he looked at you with a soft smile.  

“I’m Chanyeol.”

***

You called out of work for Oliver, explaining that he had suddenly come down with a bad case of the flu.  

***

You sat in bed, watching him eat the food that you had prepared.  

He was slow, and occasionally, his coordination was off, but you could see that he was growing stronger.  

“So…Chanyeol…”

“Hm?” he asked, concentrating on bringing his spoon to his mouth without spilling.

You smiled and blushed.  “It’s weird…in…that other world…my dreams, I guess…I don’t know…I never thought to ask your name…”

“We may not have known each other’s names, but we knew each other.  I know you.  You know me.”

You nodded.  “Even so…your name…it’s funny…it doesn’t feel weird in my mouth.  It feels natural… Like…I’ve been calling you for my entire life.”

Finishing his food, he leaned back against the pillows with a sigh, and reached out to intertwine his fingers with yours.  “I feel the same way.  It’s weird…I mean, I wouldn’t have wanted to die…and life was so hard, but…I feel like if it all meant that I get to be with you…then it all had a purpose…”

“What’s it like?  Being back?”

He grimaced.  “Painful.  Everything hurts.  Breathing hurts.  Blinking hurts.  I don’t know how you guys do it.”

“You’ll get used to it again.”

H