His heart sounded off with the ticking of his wristwatch.  He imagined the gears turning in the simple device to indicate the passing seconds while he hid. Then he heard it.  Those mocking voices that searched him to relieve their stress.  Bullies.  The only way to describe such ape-like goons.  The lad himself was too lanky and shy to go against them.  Plus he was short.  That didn’t help his cause much.

As he looked around to take in his surroundings, he saw a small door hidden in the hedges.  Without a second thought, he scrambled forward and opened the gate, hurrying in and closing the gate behind him.  It didn’t register till some lock clicked that he was in possible danger.  The silence that encased him caused the youth to hesitate, slowly entering the realm he had stumbled upon before turning.

Gone.

The door was GONE.

He turned to go back but a voice called out his name.  Turning, he thought it was the most angelic thing he had ever heard.  Unsure of the gender, he slowly walked toward the voice.  Wait, when was this fog here?  Hesitating for the slightest moment caused the voice to call out louder, more urgent.

What was going on?

Hurrying toward the voice, a gasp left him as he fell.

Black.

It was something that encased him, his hands reaching up to grab at his throat.  It was tightening.  It hurt.  He couldn’t breath.

He couldn’t –

“CHUN!”

Eyes snapped open.  Gargling noises.  A hand shooting up to grab the bicep of the one by him as he looked around.  A stage.  Lights.  Muted sounds.  It was all that the one called Chun could comprehend as he felt his throat tighten just a little more.

“, he’s having an asthma attack… JAE!”

His eyes flickered to the voice.  The male he gripped onto like he was life himself looked down at him with worry.  Fear.  Love.  A brotherly love that he never felt anywhere else.  Another face appeared, one much more masculine than the one he held onto and moved the hand on his throat, tilting his head back a little as he massaged it.

“Relax, Chun.  You’ll be fine soon.  Jae went to get the meds.  Junsu, go see if you can help him?”

“But, Yunho…” said the first voice, his dark eyes looking up to their mutual friend.

Bandmate.

The word hit him and he wondered what exactly was going on.

“Junsu, we’ve got him.  Yoochun, let hyung go before you break his arm.”

A younger voice.  One with a powerful secret behind it.  Looking at the new faces, he heard the one called Junsu huff.

“This isn’t a time for jokes, you – “

“GOT IT!”

Yoochun barely heard this angelic voice and turned his head, mentally calculating that this was Jaejoong.  An inhaler was being shaken in his hand.  Ah… that medicine.  He could still feel Yunho’s hand help his throat relax.

Closing his eyes, he felt the hand stop.  An inhaler.  A puff.

Breathe.

BREATHE.

He it in as if he had done it so many times before.  He held it… held it as long as he could before coughing.  Another press.  Another puff.  Breathe in.  Hold.  Slowly and shakily release.

A gasp escaped pouty lips as he gulped down air easier.  Body shaking as if he had been locked in a freezer, he barely felt Yunho lift him to his feet and keep his arm around him to steady him.

Screams.  Female mainly.  Teenagers from the sound of it.  Looking up, he saw the audience and finally understood their screams.  His name.  They were worried.  Smiling weakly, he raised an arm and waved at them before he was being helped off stage.

“Good thing the concert ended, Chun, or – “

He didn’t hear the rest.  While the two younger ones bickered, the oldest scolding them and the leader helping him along… he felt his mind blank from the single thought that appeared in his mind.

A sharp cry was all he heard.  Unconsciousness fell on him as if a coffin closed its lid above him.

Yet he never felt so at home in his life with these people.

No.

His brothers.

Red silk.  White fabric.  Covered eyes.  Red lips.  A finger raising to indicate ‘Keep it secret.’  Then she disappeared behind the gate.

He could have sworn she looked like Cassiopeia…