I released a loud groan, burying my head in my pillow, at the sound of my phone. The shrill ringing was still audible though, and I finally decided it was probably time to get up. I was still grumpy from being woken up, but the fact that I knew exactly who was calling me, brightened my mood considerably. So I flipped over to lie on my back, and answered it quickly.

“Morning, babe,” I muttered, my voice coated with sleep.

“Hyung! I knew you would still be asleep. Pabo! Stop being a lazy !”

I couldn’t help but chuckle, as I pulled my phone away from my ear at the sound of my lover’s scolding voice. “I was just taking a little power nap, Minnie.  I swear, I’m getting up right now.”

“The game starts in a few hours. You should be preparing, not sleeping, silly.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t have to be at the gym for another,” I glanced at my alarm clock. It read 5:40pm, January 6th, “twenty minutes. I only have to slip on some clothes. It’s not like I take hours to get ready. You’ve been around Kibum too much lately, huh?”

I could hear Taemin giggle through the phone, and the sound had me grinning unconsciously. “I suppose you’re right. You’re lucky you had me to wake you up though. You probably would have slept through the game if I hadn’t called you.”

“I guess I’m just lucky to have such a perfect boyfriend to rely on, aren’t I?” I teased

“S-Shut up, Minho-hyung.” I could practically see him blushing.

“Ah I guess I’ll hang up then,” I sang mockingly.

“No, wait!”

I grinned. It was just too easy to .

“Can I drive with you to the game?”

“I have to go there an hour early to practice, Tae. You don’t want to sit there for so long. You’ll be bored, believe me.”

“Pleeeeeeaaaase, Hyung? I don’t mind waiting. The heater in your car is so much better than mine. I don’t want to drive mine.”

His pouting was almost as irresistible over the phone, but I wasn’t giving in. He would be fine driving there by himself. If he was there during practice, I would only be distracted. “Sorry, babe, not giving in this time. Why don’t you have Jonghyun Hyung take you?”

“He already left! You’re so mean to me, Hyung!”

It was silent for a moment, and he probably wanted me to think he had hung up.

“Minho…?”

“Yes, Taeminnie?”

“Love you, bye,” he muttered.

I laughed once again. He couldn’t stay mad for long, and he always refused to hang up the phone before saying that. “I love you too, baby. See you tonight. You better be in the front row, rooting for me!”

“Of course I will, pabo.” I could hear the smile in his voice, and I was happy he wasn’t truly angry.

“Bye, Minnie.”

“Bye, Minho-hyung! Don’t forget to drink plenty of water!”

He hung up, leaving me chuckling into the phone.

That boy was truly too cute. I still couldn’t really believe he was mine. Even after two years of being with him, it was hard to believe. We had known each other for five years, but I was too much of a chicken to confess to him any earlier than I did. But now, I knew that it was the best decision I had ever made. The adorable boy with the perfect smile, and the beautiful heart was all mine.

I dressed quickly, putting on a few extra layers to fight the snow outside, and grabbed a bottle of water before leaving.

When I arrived at the gym, most of the team was already there, including Onew and Jonghyun.

Onew had been my best friend for years, and when he mentioned joining the basketball team with me, it was a little hard to contain my laughter. He had always been such a klutz, I didn’t understand why he was suddenly interested in sports. But when I saw him play, I was blown away. The court was the one place he lost all his dorky tendencies, and became one the best players on the team.

 Jonghyun…was definitely interesting. He was a little on the short side, but he could play basketball like nobody’s business.  We had only become friends because he was Taemin’s older brother, but we grew to be close friends quickly. He had also been dating Taemin’s friend, Kibum, for years.

Together, we all made quite a strange group of friends, but I wouldn’t change anything about it.

I waved quickly, before making my way to locker room to change.

“Nervous?” Onew asked, as I stepped out of the locker room. I shrugged, “Naw, not really.”

Jonghyun raised an eyebrow, “Cocky bastard as always, I see.”

“Maybe a little,” I smirked. I was a little overconfident, truly. But we had been on a winning streak, and I had a lot of faith in this team. “I’m feeling lucky today. Also, I know I’ve got Taemin to reward me when I-“

“Ewww dude!” Jonghyun threw his hands in front of him. “Stop talking about my little brother like that! It’s gross! Key would kill you if he heard you.”

Onew laughed along me at the look on his face. It was always fun to screw with him about Taemin. He had no problem with our relationship, but it was just too much fun to say like that around him. Of course, Taemin would kill me if he knew I joked around like this. He was so incredibly shy, it was almost too adorable. I wasn’t as much of a horndog as I led Jonghyun to believe, but it was funny seeing his reactions to the stuff I said.

“I’m just joking, man.”

“Whatever,” he mumbled. “Key’s right, I shouldn’t let my innocent little brother be corrupted by you,” he joked.

“Too late,” I smirked, running across the court to join the rest of the team. I could hear Onew laughing loudly behind me, and Jonghyun cursing me.

____________________________________

“Has Taemin contacted you at all?”

Jonghyun shrugged, “I left my phone in the locker room.”

“The game starts in five minutes, and he’s not here yet. Usually he’s early.” My eyes scanned over the crowd of people once again, but I still couldn’t find that head of long, chestnut-colored hair. I was actually starting to feel nervous; I didn’t like the idea of having to play without Taemin in the audience. He had always been somewhat of a good luck charm for me.

“Almost everyone in town is coming to the game tonight, traffic is probably terrible. My parents said they left before him, and that wasn’t too long ago. He’s on his way.”

 I nodded slowly, trying to let his words relax me. But I couldn’t stop my leg from fidgeting as I sat on the bench, waiting for the game to start. It just didn’t feel right without him here.

Key had already come to wish Jonghyun good luck, and I burned with jealousy at the sight of them. I wanted Taemin here to wish me luck too…

“Minho-ah,” I looked up to see Onew giving me a serene smile. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon. Just calm down and try to focus, alright?”

Onew’s soft tone seemed to pacify me a bit, and I took a deep breath.

But when the game started, I couldn’t shake the terrible feeling at the pit of my stomach.

_______________________________

I was playing horribly, I couldn’t deny that. Onew and Jonghyun had given me worried glances throughout the game, and they tried to pick up my slack, but we were still behind by two points.

On the last time-out the coach had called, he was scolding me for being distracted during our most important game. But I wasn’t paying much attention to him. I searched the crowd for Taemin’s parents, and when I found them, I waved my arms hysterically to get their attention. When they finally noticed me, I gave them a questioning glance. They seemed to know what I was referring to, and they shrugged, shaking their heads. They looked almost as worried as I did.

I was passed being nervous, now I was just plain worried. This wasn’t like Taemin at all.

But I still tried my best to concentrate on the game. With the ball finally in my hands again, I was ready to score a point. But before I could even try, someone had knocked the ball from my hands, pushing me harshly. I released a loud groan as I hit the floor, squeezing my eyes shut in pain.

When I opened my eyes, I was facing the crowd, and what I saw had me scrambling to my feet. Taemin’s parents were no longer sitting on the bleachers with the rest of the crowd, but were now standing at the doorway, speaking to two police officers. What scared me the most was the look on their faces. They looked simply horrified.

The fear that had overtaken me seemed to give me an adrenaline rush, and before I knew it, I was running toward them. I couldn’t hear anything but my heart beating rapidly in my ears. The closer I got to them, the more my panic grew

“What happened? What’s wrong?” Mrs. Lee was crying now, burying her face in her husband’s chest. The sight had me choking on my own fear.

“Taemin’s been in an accident.”

___________________________________

Taemin always hated hospitals.

But I’m sure I now hated them more than he did.

It was torture sitting in that waiting room. How did people do this? Just sit and wait to hear if your loved one had lived or…died.

I was difficult to even think that word. Just the thought of that happening to my Taeminnie made it hard to breathe.

I hadn’t spoken a word since we left the school. Nobody had said much at all after things were explained to Jonghyun, Onew and Kibum. Taemin’s parents sat beside each other, their hands entwined painfully tight. They stared at the door the doctor had went through minutes before.

Onew stared at the floor silently, dangerously still. Jonghyun was fidgeting constantly, as Kibum rubbed his back in a small attempt to comfort him.  My parents sat beside me, both looking concerned, trying their best to comfort me, but I just shut them out.

As for me, I didn’t show much emotion. But the torment was eating me up on the inside, and I thought I would burst before too long. I felt sick to my stomach with worry, and I had to stop myself from gagging quite a few times.

The situation still didn’t feel like reality. Everything was muffled and foggy, like a dream. No, a nightmare.

When the doctor stepped out of those doors, covered in blood, I looked down immediately. I didn’t want to believe that was Taemin’s blood. I didn’t want to see the look on the doctor’s face as he approached the parents of the boy he had been trying to save.

“I’m sorry.”

As soon as I heard those words, I fell out my chair, knees hitting the floor painfully. I clutched at my chest, my heart feeling as though it were made of glass, and someone had shattered it with a hammer, all the pieces breaking inside of me and cutting me, killing me from the inside out. I covered my mouth in fear that I would scream, but I couldn’t seem to find my voice. I didn’t even know I was crying until I felt the tears dripping into the hand that covered my mouth.

NO

NO

NO

Please…tell me this isn’t real! Please!

I couldn’t hear much over the ringing in my ears, but I looked over to see that Onew was practically catatonic. Jonghyun was sobbing hysterically on Kibum’s shoulder, clutching at him desperately. Kibum stared straight forward with wide, blank eyes, constant tears falling down his cheeks. Taemin’s parents were huddled together in front of the doctor, crying in each other’s arms. I barely noticed my parents sinking to the floor with me, trying their best to hold me together.

“H-How…how d-did he…?” Mr. Lee couldn’t finish his question, but the doctor caught on, and answered him, “Blood loss.”

Code for: He died painfully slow.

This can’t be happening….

“He had several severe injuries…”

NO

“…but the main cause was blood loss from a deep wound.”

NO

“The car was almost in pieces and a sharp metal object had impaled-“

NONONONONONO

I bolted from my spot on the floor, searching for a trash can, but when I didn’t find one, I emptied the contents of my stomach all over the floor. The horrific images that had formed in my head were too much to bear.

He’s lying! He’s ing lying! Taemin isn’t dead! I was talking to him just hours ago! He promised he would be there! He promised he would be cheering for me!

I hadn’t realized I had been screaming all that until I heard voices trying to silence me, hands trying to calm me.

“I’m so sorry, son, I’m sorry. Please, calm down. Everything will be okay,” I could faintly hear my father muttering words into my ear as both my parents tried to calm me.

“Shut up! Nothing will ever ing be okay! Taemin is…h-he’s…”

The doctor glanced at me pitifully before turning back to Taemin’s parents, “I’m sorry, but I need you to identify the body.”

The body!? The ing prick thinks he can just refer to Taemin as a body!?

“If anyone would like to see him one last time, you can follow me.”

Mr. and Mrs. Lee followed behind the doctor. Onew stood up to go with them, his movements still eerily robotic. Kibum gave me a desperate glance before leading a still hysterical Jonghyun to follow them.

“Minho, you don’t have to-“

I ripped my arms away from them, and ran to catch up with Kibum.

My mind was blank as they led Taemin’s parents behind a white curtain. I flinched as Mrs. Lee released an agonizing scream, “No no no no no no…my baby…please…T-Taeminnie…baby, no…” I tried to block her out, but her voice sent needles straight through my heart.

I tried to block all of them out as they took turns looking at him one last time, but it wasn’t working. Jonghyun was just as bad as his mother, Kibum was on the verge of having a panic attack, and the frightening blank look in Onew’s eyes was replaced by tears as he finally let his emotions catch up to him.

Although no one was paying much attention to me, no one was pressuring me to go, I felt as though I had no choice but to look. To take one last glance at the boy I loved.

I felt as though it took hours, but in reality it was only seconds, to reach the white curtain. I pulled it back slowly, a strange thought suddenly coming into my mind. I felt like one of those stupid people in the scary movies that pulled back the shower curtain, expecting a murderer to jump out at them, only to find nothing.

Except for me, behind this curtain, was the most frightening thing I had ever seen.

This can’t be Taemin…this isn’t Taemin…

I wanted to believe the voice inside my head, but there simply was no denying the fact that this was in fact the boy I loved. Lying on a bed, his skin as white as the sheet pulled up to his chin, his lips a pale blue, his light brown blood-soaked hair fanned out under him…

My breath caught in my throat, and I stretched out a shaking hand. When I touched his ice cold skin, I almost pulled away in shock. But I didn’t. I let my fingers trace his features slowly.

“Taemin…Taemin-ah…talk to Hyung…please,” I cried, tears falling onto the sheet covering him. “Say something…Taeminnie…say you love me, please…just one more time…”

It was so strange. It frightened me to look at him like this. Empty, cold, silent…

“I’m so sorry…”

_______________________________

As I lie in bed that night, I let the guilt consume me.

You shouldn’t have denied his request to drive with you.

You should have ing drove him there.

You shouldn’t have let him go alone! What the is wrong with you!?

It your fault he’s dead! YOUR FAULT!

I curled up on my side, clutching a t-shirt to my chest. The t-shirt of mine he had worn last time he was here. Luckily, I hadn’t washed it. It still smelled like him; a sweet, unique smell that was only his.

Maybe this isn’t real? Maybe this is just a dream?

I wanted to believe that, but my throat still burned from throwing up and screaming, my cheeks were still soaked with tears, my eyes were still swollen, my heart still felt like it was shattered into pieces inside of me. There’s no way this pain isn’t real.

_____________________________

I woke up to an annoying ringing: my phone. Were people seriously going to ing bother me right now? Did people think I would actually want to ing talk to them?

When the ringing didn’t stop, I grabbed my phone and threw it at the wall, feeling satisfied when I seen it break into pieces.

I went back to sleep, hoping my dreams would not be haunted by Taemin’s sickly pale face this time.

I still dreamt of Taemin though, but this time it wasn’t disturbing. I could hear his voice, his angelic voice calling my name. I could almost feel his warm fingers on my cheek. It was heavenly. I wanted to stay in that dream forever. I only wished I could see his face.

But I could feel myself slipping back into consciousness, unfortunately. What was strange though, was that Taemin’s voice only got stronger. His touch only felt more real.

When I finally got the strength to open my eyes, I thought I was seeing an angel.

“Minho-hyung, get up. You’re going to be late for the game.” He looked annoyed, a cute pout slowly forming on those perfect lips. He hovered over me, his long auburn hair framing his face, cascading down to brush against my cheeks.

“I don’t want to wake up. I never want to wake up if you’ll stay in my dreams,” I muttered. I thought I had opened my eyes, but I must have been wrong, because Taemin was still in front of me.

“Stop saying weird things, Hyung. I tried calling you, but it says your phone got disconnected. Why would you throw your phone, pabo!? It’s completely destroyed now!” He flicked me on the forehead. Wow…that actually kind of…hurt…Almost like it really happened.

But that would be impossible.

Taemin released a cute squeak as I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into bed with me. I was going to enjoy this dream while it lasted.

“Mmmm I love you so much, Taeminnie,” I murmured, inhaling his scent deeply.

“H-Hyung! I- I love you too,” he answered, his voice muffled as I held him to my chest. “You’re acting so strange. What’s wrong with you today?”

“Don’t- Don’t ever leave me again, okay?” I choked, failing to hold back my tears.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, pulling away to look at me. “I never le- Hyung! Why are you crying!? What’s wrong!?”

His chocolate colored eyes were filled with concern, his mouth open in shock. I placed my palm on his cheek, relishing in the warmth that was there. “Just don’t ever leave, okay?”

“I would never leave you, Minho-ah,” he answered sincerely, dropping honorifics. “So stop acting like a weirdo and get out of bed. You’re going to be late for the game.” He gave me a peck on the lips, pulling away much too fast.

Just as he began to sit up, I got a glance at my alarm clock.

5:50pm, January 6^th

I shot up quickly, and Taemin looking at me strangely once again. I grabbed him by the shoulders, looking straight into his confused eyes. “What day is it?”

“You were just looking at your alarm clock, silly. It’s January 6^th. Geez, you think you would remember the date of such an important game. That’s all you’ve been talking about the past few weeks.”

January 6^th. The day of the game. The day Taemin died.

Taemin stared at me expectantly as the gears turned in my head. Was this- Was this real? Was this truly happening? I could feel the warmth of Taemin’s body through his clothes, I could smell his minty breath so clearly, and I was looking straight at him. So…was I not dreaming?

Taemin let out a surprised scream as I smashed my lips onto his. I kissed him deeply, hoping with everything I had that this wasn’t a dream. He melted in my arms, and forgot his confusion, kissing me back hesitantly. I pulled away only to kiss every inch of his face.

“You’re real. This is real. You’re alive. I’m- I’m not dreaming. Please tell me I’m not dreaming.” I could feel all the pieces of my heart come back together, the cuts inside of me healing, as it took its rightful place.

“Hyung!” I stopped abruptly at his shout. He looked up at me with wide eyes, “Not that I’m not enjoying the affection, but you’re acting very strange today, and it’s scaring me a little bit.”

I laughed loudly, which only seemed to confuse him more. “I’m just happy, Taeminnie. Really happy.”

Taemin sighed, rolling his eyes as he got off the bed. “Weirdo,” he smiled playfully. “I’m going to get something to eat while you get dressed. By the time you get down there, you better be back to your normal pabo self.”

I grinned, nodding enthusiastically. The moment he turned around, I patted his teasingly. “Yah!” he ran out the door, only to poke his head back in and stick his tongue out at me.

He closed my door, and I fell back onto my bed, grinning from ear to ear. I couldn’t seem to control myself, and began laughing hysterically. I probably looked extremely insane, but my happiness was too much to hold in.

Was this a second chance?

____________________________

“Should I just leave my car here, Minho Hyung? Or do you want to drive there seperat-“

“NO!”

He jumped, my yell startling him. “O…kay. We can just drive together then. No need to freak out.”

“S- Sorry…let’s just- let’s just take my car.” I had to stop freaking him out. I’m obviously the only one who remembers what happened. My parents had been chatting with Taemin casually when I came down the stairs. Taemin had also called Kibum, and had a completely normal conversation with him.

So I really was given a second chance to save him…only me.

I decided to take a different route there than usual. Seeing as Taemin had gotten into the accident on a busy street (another car had lost control and struck him), I thought it would be a better idea to take some back roads. No traffic, no crazy drivers. I wasn’t taking any chances.

“Why are we going this way?”

“Just felt like taking the long way today. I figured we might as well avoid traffic too.”

He shrugged, thinking nothing of it and letting the subject go. He turned the radio on, his expression lighting up at the sound of one of his favorite songs.

I smiled gently at the sound of him singing along, and I could see him dancing a bit out of the corner of my eye.

How was I ever going to live without him?

“Whoa!”

My heart jumped as I lost control of the car for a split second, and Taemin stopped singing immediately, giving me a concerned look. “J- Just a little ice. It’s fine now,” I said breathlessly, not even convincing myself.

I slowed down considerable, but I wasn’t sure how much that would help. The ice was terrible, not to mention the fact that it was difficult to see through the heavy snow.

This can’t be happening…

I was beginning to panic, hands clenched tight around the steering wheel as I breathed through my nose. Taemin placed a comforting hand on my thigh, “Hyung, it’s okay. Calm-“

All of a sudden, I couldn’t control anything anymore. The car was spinning out of control, and I was panicking, trying to do everything I could remember that you were supposed to do when you were sliding on ice. But nothing was working, and tears of frustration swam in my eyes.

I’m supposed to be saving him!

I’m supposed to protect him!

I was given a second chance…and I’m ruining it!

We were approaching the edge of the road fast, and I knew the only thing past it was a small cliff. I looked to Taemin one last time, seeing the fear evident in his eyes. “Minho-hyung!”

I let go of the wheel and reached over to grab him, pulling him as close as possible. I tried to only concentrate on the boy in arms, but my heart sank to my stomach when I felt the car flip off the cliff.

The last I remember before hitting the ground was Taemin screaming my name.

___________________________________

All I felt was pain.

Not only was a freezing, but my whole body ached, and my head was pounding. I groaned, my hand reaching up to rub my throbbing head, only to feel something wet and sticky.

It took me mere seconds to realize that I no longer had Taemin in my arms, and my eyes shot open immediately. I gasped, shooting out of my seat, only to be yanked back by my seatbelt. Pain shot through my body, and I clutched at my side, almost positive that I had a cracked rib, at least. My head spun as I realized the car was tilted to the side a bit, and I looked over to see Taemin squished against the door.

And the car was completely buried in snow.

“Taemin-ah!” I yelled, my voice a bit raspy. I fumbled with the seatbelt, anxious to see if he was alright. The sight of blood smeared on the window next to his head frightened me.

I maneuvered my way to him, having difficulties with my aching ribs and the fact the car was unbalanced.

When I seen the air fog up around his lips as he took a breath, I had never felt so relieved.

He’s alive.

I can still save him.

But the closer I got, the more I realized he was not entirely okay.

“Taemin…Taemin-ah…baby, wake up!”

I settled myself in front of him, brushing the hair away, only to swallow thickly when I spotted all the blood on the side of his face. His head had smashed against the window, shattering it, and the injury looked terrible. I could only hope that it wasn’t a serious concussion. I had heard that head wounds bleed a lot more than others, but the sight of it was horrifying.

His face was scrunched up in pain, and he was shivering violently, despite the thin layer of sweat on his face. I lifted him slowly, noticing the way his arm was twisted at an odd angle. He released a pain filled groan, and I almost let go of him in fear that I was only making it worse. But I knew that he would be no better smashed against the door.

Was this what he had to go through all alone? He had to die slowly and painfully inside of his demolished car…Was he waiting for me save him? Was he calling for me?

I didn’t know, and I probably never would. But what I did know, was that I wasn’t going to let him die this time. I’m here with him this time, and I may have screwed things up already, but I sure as hell am not allowing him to die. Going a few hours knowing he was dead had torn me apart, I didn’t want to know what it would feel like to spend the rest of my life without him.

I cursed loudly at the realization that I had broken my phone earlier, but my mood brightened when I remembered that Taemin would definitely have his. I searched his pockets, careful of any injuries I hadn’t discovered. When I found the phone in his coat pocket, I pulled it out quickly. I didn’t have any time to waste. I didn’t know the severity of Taemin’s injuries, and there was no telling how long he would last.

No signal.

!

I couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Had I completely run out of luck? Was God punishing me for ruining my chance to save Taemin?

The only thing left I could think to do, was at least make Taemin more comfortable. It was difficult, but I managed to maneuver the both of us into the back seat. My ribs ached, but adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and I almost didn’t feel a thing. I laid him across the seat, being careful of his injured arm, and climbed back into the front. The car, of course, wouldn’t start. Not that I expected it to, but I had to give it a try. The heater would have helped us immensely.

I tried opening the door, but the snow was buried on top of it. I didn’t know how much, but it was heavy enough to keep us from getting out.

All the struggling I had done was finally getting to me, and I decided to give up for now. I needed time to think about what to do. I had to get in the back seat and keep Taemin as warm as possible, also.

So I climbed in the back, lifting Taemin carefully, and placing his body on top of my own. I was gasping for air, the struggle tiring me out. But Taemin was still shivering against me, small whimpers leaving his lips and tearing at my heart.

The only thing I could do was slip off my winter coat (relieved that I at least had a jacket underneath it) and cover him with it. I his hair, avoiding his injury of course, and whispered comforting words, hoping he would hear me and wake up. The smell of all the blood on his head almost made me sick, but I stayed as close to him as possible.

I don’t know how long I sat there, holding Taemin close to me, hoping and praying that someone would find us, but somewhere along the line I drifted to sleep.

I don’t think it was for very long, and I definitely didn’t sleep well, but I woke up to a horrible hacking noise. A jerked awake, feeling Taemin convulsing against me. The horrible hacking noise had been him coughing. I looked down at him, eyes widening in horror at the sight. He had coughed up blood all over my shirt, his lips stained the same color of bright red.

I didn’t know much about first aid, but I did know that this could mean internal bleeding.

“Taeminnie,” I said desperately, lifting his chin to get a good look at his face. His eyelids were fluttering, and the sight of the blood on his lips made me sick. I never wanted to see blood on this boy again. I smeared some of it with my thumb as I continued to call his name, “Come on, Minnie. Wake up, please! Talk to me, baby…say something.”

“M- Minho,” he whispered, eyes opening slightly. The sound of his voice had me smiling. “Hyung…wh-what’s happening? I- I’m scared, Hyung…It h-hurts…” he curled into himself, crying and whimpering.  He cried out when he tried to move his twisted arm.

Okay, he was awake. But hearing him crying for my help when I could do absolutely nothing was agonizing. I had to do something, anything.

“Shh, it’s okay, Taeminnie…try not to move too much, okay?”

He nodded slowly in response, eyes squeezed shut and lips trembling terribly.

“I’m going to have to put you down for a second, okay baby? Hyung is going to get help.”

“Don’t- don’t leave me,” he whispered, clutching at my shirt.

“I’m not leaving, Taemin. Never. I just need to get us out of here, and sitting around, waiting for someone to come for us doesn’t seem to be working.”

“O- Okay,” he whispered, releasing his grip a bit.

It seemed as though his shivering had only gotten worse, and I didn’t think it would be long until he got hypothermia, if he didn’t already have it. His lips were a light shade of blue, as well as his fingers. Now that scared me. An image of the pale blue color his lips had taken in death flashed in my mind.

I had been so preoccupied with Taemin this whole time, I had barely even noticed how cold I was. But my health meant nothing to me at the moment. The urge to save him had distracted me from the freezing temperature and my aching ribs anyways. My only reason for wanting to live, was so that I could get Taemin out of here alive.

I tried to move slowly, handling him gently as I moved him to the other side of the car, but he still cried out in pain occasionally. “I’m sorry, Minnie. You’ll be safe soon, I promise. I’ll get you out of here. Just bear with me, alright?”

I settled him into seat, careful of his arm. He opened his eyes just a bit to look at me, and the corners of his mouth turned up just slightly. The sight of him trying his best to smile at me, despite his pain, had me swallowing back my tears. “I trust you, Minho-ah. I- I love you, okay? K-Kiss me?”

I leaned forward without a word, my lips brushing his gently, leaving the taste of his blood on my lips.

I wished he would open his eyes fully, so I could look into those gorgeous brown orbs before I had to leave him back here.

But he didn’t, and I had to do something fast.

I climbed back into the front of the car and faced the driver’s side window. I braced one hand against the passenger seat, and the other against the dashboard, placing one foot in the center of the window. With all the strength I could muster, I kicked the glass. My foot was throbbing, but I managed to crack it. I had to kick a few more times before it shattered and the pieces began to fall in the seat below.

I let my foot fall, breathing heavily

Now all I had to do was figure out how deep the snow was.

I tried kicking at the snow, but only chunks of it fell. It was almost like ice. I wasn’t giving up there though. I continued to kick, making slow progress, but at least it was something.

I stopped for a moment to take a breather, only to spot something on the floor of the car. My ice scraper.

I picked it up, and kneeled on the driver’s seat in front of the window, wincing as the glass cut my knees. I didn’t have time to think about sweeping it off the seat though, and I continued to dig at the snow with the ice scraper.

Ten minutes into digging, I was beginning to sweat, my breathing labored, and my ribs in more pain than ever. My vision was getting blurry, and I was getting extremely light-headed.

I only stopped when I thought I heard someone shouting. It was faint…but I was almost sure someone was screaming my name, along with Taemin’s. My heart almost leaped out of my chest.

“We’re here! Down here! Help!” I screamed as loud as I could, banging the ice scraper against the door to make as much noise as possible. I had to stop to lean on the steering wheel to try and shake my dizziness off. I couldn’t pass out now.

“Taemin-ah…” I said breathlessly, glancing back at him. I could barely see him through the fog that was clouding my eyes.  “Taeminnie…”

I tried making it into the back seat with him, but my limbs felt like jelly. I managed to get onto the floor of the backseat though, and take his hand. “I p-promise…I’ll- I’ll get you…out of here,” I could hardly force any more words out. My heart was hammering in my chest, my head felt so light, and it was becoming hard to breathe.

“Minho-hyung…,” he whispered, eyes still closed. He gave my hand a weak squeeze.

I could only hear more shouting before everything went black.

_________________________________________

When I woke up, all I saw was white. What I hadn’t expected though, was that the white wasn’t snow. I was surprisingly warm too.

It didn’t take long for my head to become clear, and I realized I was lying in a hospital bed.

“Oh god! Minho! You’re awake!”

I looked over to see my parents at the side of my bed, my mother in tears. “U-Umma?”

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” She turned to my dad, “Honey, get the doctor quickly and tell him Minho is awake, please?”

My dad obliged quickly, standing up and giving me a pat on the head, “You had us very worried there for a while, Minho,” I had never heard my dad sound so shaken up before, but I could have sworn I saw tears in his eyes.

My head was still a jumbled mess, and I couldn’t seem to remember how I had gotten here in the first place. The doctor came in, telling me about the minor head injury, the few cracked ribs, and the twisted ankle I suffered from.  “You were lucky to get out of that car accident with only those injuries,” he said. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Taemin’s face flashed in my mind, and I remembered everything.

“Taemin! Where is he!? Is he okay!?” I threw the blankets off of my legs, throwing them over the edge of the bed.

The doctor placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me, and I looked up at him desperately, “You don’t need to be moving, young man.”

“I need to see Taemin! Tell me where he is! Tell me he’s okay!”

“Don’t worry, son, your friend survived.” I relaxed immediately at his words, chocking on a sob. “R-Really?”

“Yes, he is a bit worse off than you, but he’s alright. He has suffered from a concussion, his arm is broken in 3 different places, he’s hypothermic, and he had severe internal bleeding. We managed to stop the bleeding, and he’s stable. We’re currently trying to keep him as warm as possible to treat the hypothermia.”

I swallowed thickly as he listed off all of Taemin’s injuries. It sounded terrible, but…at least he’s alive.

I thought I had failed him again. I thought I was going to lose him. Those last moments in the car before I passed out, I was sure he wasn’t going to make it, and I was ready to die with him.

If I couldn’t save him, I deserved to die with him.

“I have to see him. I won’t feel better unless I can see him with my own eyes,” I looked up at the doctor sternly, my voice unfaltering.

I didn’t know if he was going to give in, but he finally let out an exasperated sigh, “Alright, but only for a few minutes, and then you need to get more rest.”

I was forced to be pushed to his room in a wheel chair, but I didn’t care. As long as I got to see Taemin.

When we arrived, they pushed me close to his bed, leaving the room at my request.

He looked so…tiny. The breathing mask seemed much too big for his face, there were so many beeping machines surrounding him, and the countless blankets covering him seemed to swallow him up. He looked so fragile, so broken…

But he is alive.

I stood up with a little difficulty, and took his hand in mine, lacing our fingers. I brought his hand to my lips, kissing the back of it softly.

“M-Minho?”

I thought I was hearing things at first, but I looked down to see Taemin staring at me with half-lidded eyes. “Taemin!” I said a little too loudly.

“Minho-hyung,” he gasped, his speaking slow and muffled by the mask, “I knew…you would…keep…your promise.”

I could see the tired smile on his lips through the breathing mask, and I grinned, “I always keep my promises, Minnie.”

Thank you…Thank you so much for this second chance.