“Aachooo...” changmin’s sneeze send jaejoong scrambling into present accompanied by worried glance thrown in.

“changmin-ah are you okay?”

Nodding his head gingerly changmin then sneezed again.

The petrified jaejoong quickly pulled changmin to resumed their journey back home in a faster pace trying all the while to provide heat to the now shivering body by encircling his arms around changmin’s body trying to convey heat through their proximity.

The journey home took more than the usual ten minutes tops with all the puddles stepped over and wet cars avoided .

Reaching his house’s gate, jaejoong quickly ushered changmin in.

Coats were hastily shed by the now very much concerned jaejoong. Changmin was then pushed into the direction of jaejoong’s personal bathroom , connected to his bedroom.

“changmin-ah quickly take off all you wet garments and take a quick hot bath to rid you of the coldness. I’ll prepare your pjs’ by the time you finish ok?”

Nodding slightly changmin stumbled in the direction pointed.

Following changmin’s steps in the direction of his bedroom, jaejoong quickly noticed the lack of sound and happy chirped of his mother greeting his arrival.retracing his steps and slowly making his way to the family dining room and later the kitchen jaejoong found no sign of his mother but only a small note attached to the fridge.

“jaejoongie!!!!! When you find this Omma and appa might already reach your halmeonie’s house. She called us and said she was sick so we’re going there for the weekend to take care of her.

Owh and remember your sister won’t be home too . she got her sleepover party at her friend’s house, so don’t forget to lock the doors!!!!(´▽｀)ノ♪ if your scared you can always ask changminnie to accompany you. But no dirtying the house ok?!”

                                                                                       Love,

                                                                                       Mom…

After reattaching the note to the fridge , jaejoong then quickly resumed walking to his room intending to check upon changmin whom by now should have finished his bath right?

’huhu I need to quickly set his pjs out.’

Changmin having spent half of his growing up life living , breathing and mostly eating in jaejoong’s house had left a few of his clothes in jaejoong’s dresser , an emergency supply for days like this where he finds himself stucked there .

Reaching his dresser jaejoong quickly took out a pair of loose purple sweats and a grey cotton top ‘the one that changmin never stops wearing there’. Laying out the chosen garments jaejoong quickly noticed the lack of a certain lanky ddongsaeng around the proximity of his room.

“changmin-ah are you done? Don’t spent too long in there you just need to rinse you body not immerse them in te hot water!!! Are you trying to swim in my bath tub?”jaejoong snickered at the image of a certain lanky ddongsaeng trying to move his extra long limbs in the cutie size bath tub of his.

The sound of the bathroom door being unlatched greeted jaejoong’s outburst. Revealing a towel clad changmin , all rosy cheeks and dripping wet , all thanks to the hot bath that manage to bring back the colours to him. A visual of a half changmin assaulted all his senses and the fact that he can smell his favourite shower bath from changmin doesn’t help as much as it’s making him notice the way changmin’s bodies dipped at appropriate parts showing the sinew muscles budding .

A scar on changmin’s side greeted his vision. Reminding jaejoong of his tears when the skin was breached and blood began flowing from it.

Flashback…

They were then both making their way through the crowd of students littering the school’s parking ground all bright smiles and sparkly eyed. Jaejoong who then was a 12 year old elementary student had eagerly awaited the arrival of this day. The day of their class trip!

They were to go spend a day at the beach as a reward from the headmaster of their school for achieving a national award for their prior national exam result. All the students from various levels were seen migling with each other .

The day started off with just as bright as his smile . He remembered all the splashes of water that hit him . All the food shared , and all the popsicles they bought between them . He also remembered how he saw their bus driver , kim ahjussi playing around with the other students.

Jaejoong still remembers how changmin helped rubbing sunscreen on his exposed body parts.

‘squirt..rub..rub..squirt’ the rhythm of changmin’s movement caught his attention forcing him to focus on the tongue peeking from changmin’s lips . His normal focused face.

“changmin-ah thanks but don’t you want to play with the others? instead of sitting around with me?”

Jaejoong knew that changmin loved the water , ok maybe not as much as he loves food but he would always whine for them to go to the beach every summer holiday . Swimming around like he owns the sea. But not today.

“Nah. I think I’ll just sit with you hyung .“ answered changmin trying to calm his pounding  heart .There’s just something not quite right and till he knows what it is he is not leaving his hyung! Who knows when a e might just burst out of the bushes and take his hyung away.

’noO!!!!’ shaking his head vigorously he tried to erase the image of jaejoong bleeding and a sinister smile of a drunken man .

Jaejoong who saw the notion quickly grabbed his ddoongsaeng’s shoulder.

“changmin-ah are you okay? Are you sure you don’t want to join yoosu there?” jaejoong point towards their other bestfriends, both playing at the shallow part of the beach. Splashing each other and building sandcastles.

A loud distinct laugh “euu kyang kyang” was then heard followed by “chunnie no..no chunnie no don’t!! you’re ruining the tower!”

“ahh…neh. I’m not feeling very good. I’ll just lay down with you. I can, can’t i?”

“omo , of course changmin-ah , hyungie loves spending time with you but take care of your health okay?” jaejoong quickly made some space so that changmin can now lie next to him on the spread that he brought.

Time quickly passed by them as they’re watching the scenery of splashing waves , laughing kids and concerned teachers.

 The next thing they notice was the sun setting and the voice of their teachers’ trying to gather the students as they were to start their journey back now.

The journey back finds them in a crowded bus filled with sleepy faces  and loud yawns , the trip having all their energies , but one.

Changmin was on high alert as the nagging feeling of something not right kept amplifying itself , manifesting in the 10 year old’s heart.

Suddenly a sharp turn from the driver faced them with an oncoming trailer. The turn woke more than a few students and sleepy murmurs break through the silence.

But at the time all changmin can hear is the sound of his beating heart and the sharp intake of the window seated jaejoong.

Not wasting much time, changmin quickly hugged jaejoong’s body. curling and turning their bodies together , just in time to shield his hyung’s body as the trailer’s head meets their side . The force sent more than just a few  broken glass, as it met changmin’s back , moulded into the quivering body he was cradling…

Minutes later help came, in the form of loud shrill sirens and red-and-blue lights. Mass of crying childrens and shrieks of pain didn’t catch jaejoong’s attention, when all he can see is changmin’s pale face and broken body, laying in his own pool of blood.

Writhing in pain changmin gripped his side where a particularly large piece of metal shard embedded itself into his flesh. Blood oozed without restrictions just as much as the tears flooded jaejoong’s orbs.

He was shocked, he was stoned, but most of all he was scared . It seemed like hours later only, big guys with orange uniform reached them , and by then jaejoong was wailing for all the pain he saw on changmin’s face and all his helplessness.

“SOMEBODY HELP!!!...changmin-ah hold on okay? Hold on for hyungie…somebody please!..changmin-ah you can’t leave hyung ! remember your promise?we promise to …to grow old and wrinkly together all broken teeth and pale white face..and..and we can prank yunho hyung again! Embarrass him in front of Ara noona telling her about his weird sleeping habits…and…and…please…somebody just …please…changmin-ah you promised!!...”

Shaky hands wiped jaejoong’s fallen tears staining his cheeks of drying blood. Jaejoong quickly tilted his head and grabbed the quivering hand. Tear stained orbs met twin brown ones filled with so much love and flashes of pain and resignation.

“why did you do that changmin-ah ?why did you cover for me?i’m older I should be the one protecting you! Why did you do it?”

“because hyung-ah… I love you….”smiling softly changmin slowly loosened his grip as consciousness left him.

‘I love you too changmin-ah! Hyungie loves you too’ and loud cries followed as changmin’s answer left unanswered , ‘because it’s not time for that jaejoong.It’s not time for you to question your heart , it’s not time to speak your mind but more of the time to protect it , cause you need it.’

Changmin’s body was then carefully manouvered by the first aider , slowly lifting him onto the stretcher while all the while minding his wounds. He was pushed into an ambulance with a clinging jaejoong.

“changmin-ah..changmin-ah..changmin-ah”

“kid!,,kid are you okay?what’s you’re name ? Are you hurt? Can ahjussi look at it?”

The inquaries of the man was left to the wind as jaejoong continued clinging to changmin’s limp body. Needing to cover a lot more victims , he left jaejoong with changmin and went in search of more survivors. Hoping that maybe the other emergency officers might get something out of him later , but for now he was quite certain that the crying boy was not hurt as bad as his friend.

They were then both transported to the hospital as changmin needed an emergency operation to remove the shard and clean the wounds.

Hours later changmin was wheeled out of the E.R . Jaejoong quickly jumped to his feet paying no heed to the reprimandings he received of his hasty acts as he followed the sedated changmin.

Tears made it’s way into his eyes yet again as he stared onto changmin’s wrapped body. Pale hands crept it’s way onto the unresponsive hands, and suddenly he was whole again. Tears continued to flow for all their futures and dreams that were still pulsating with life.

 It took five days of intensive care in the hospital and two whole months of house bound for changmin to be able to go to school again. All traces of the accident gone but just a memory and deep clean scars hidden under his shirt, and even then jaejoong never stopped replaying it…“because hyung-ah… I love you….”…

End of flashback…