Minho woke up early the next morning and looked out of the widow at the dusty surroundings. The car was still parked, and luckily there had been no disturbances during the night. It'd take another full day to get back to base, though...

"You awake?" a voice asked gruffly as the driver stretched. TOP yawned as he put his hands on the steering wheel again and looked at the rosy horizon. Sighing, Minho shifted his numb legs and jostled something sticking out of the glove compartment.

"What's this?" Minho asked as he slid the slip of paper from the small space. He smiled at why turned out to be a photograph. It was of a boy, grinning at the camera with chubby cheeks and a guitar strapped to his slim body. It looked like a selca, one taken on the whim. The boy's cap was on sideways, his bracken brown, almost black, hair sticking out in a soft mat under the hat's rim.

"That's him," TOP said softly as he started the engine. Minho smiled sympathetically as he noticed how worn the picture was. The sides were crinkled, and the picture itself was covered in fingerprints. Someone had been looking at this for a while.

"Don't you wish you could've saved him?" Minho whispered as he put the picture back. TOP sighed, and the two looked out of their respective windows, not wanting to argue again.

"I'm sorry Seunghyun and I locked up your friend," TOP murmured. Minho looked over in surprise, not expecting such talk to come from TOP. "We needed someone like you on our side, but frankly, your friend isn't a soldier."

"I know he isn't a soldier, but I don't care. I still like being with him," Minho whispered, looking down at his hands. He closed his eyes, trying to keep the image of Taemin's smile in his mind. TOP's low chuckle brought him back to the real world.

"He's lucky to have you... Someone who won't give up," TOP murmured. Minho felt his face get red at the statement, and his hands turned to fists on his knees. He could never fathom giving up on Taemin.

"He's my friend," Minho growled softly, looking at his white knuckles. Friend... His feelings were romantic, not Taemin's. Taemin was, mutually, his friend. That was where they were safest.

"Friend. Right."

~

"What happened?" Key demanded as he checked Minho for injuries. It was standard procedure, Minho knew, but it was still a little irritating, especially since the older boy was tugging at Minho's hair to check his scalp for wounds.

"Chang Sun, Rain's little brother, was attacked and killed," Minho reported, so stoic like a soldier. Key gasped and pulled away, looking at Minho like he was talking to a ghost, not a man.

"No! How could he... What about Mir?" Key whispered. Minho just looked away sadly, his eyes clouded with the injustice. There was nothing that could defeat death. Not even love was strong enough. That was why he couldn't let himself fall in love. He couldn't break Taemin's heart like this.

"Key, I'm fine. You should go tend to the others," Minho said as he grabbed his clothes and put them back on. Amidst Key's protests, Minho stormed off, not knowing where he was going. He just knew that he couldn't be around people anymore. He needed to see Taemin, and yet no one was around to take him to the boy.

No matter. He'd find Taemin himself. He knew what was going to happen anyway.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Youngbae shouted. Minho groaned as he turned and saw his superior storm up to him and drag him back to the examination table. Minho snarled as Key slapped a huge "Healthy" stamp on his record and handed it to Youngbae.

"Take me to see Taemin," Minho requested, and Youngbae raised an eyebrow. Minho sighed and engaged his commanding officer in a stare-off. This was not how he'd wanted his day to go.

"Why should I?" Youngbae started, but a sharp call distracted the man. Minho looked up to see Jonghyun waving Youngbae over with a clipboard. Youngbae gave Minho one last glare before sprinting off, and Minho sighed.

"I'll just do it myself..." he muttered as he slipped away, walking into the empty hall. Everyone was either in bed or in the medical room. Minho looked around and groaned when he realized that he didn't know the way. He'd just have to go during breakfast tomorrow...

Slowly, he made his way to the bunks. They were dark and cramped, and all around him were the sounds of sleeping men and women. Some were calling for their mothers, some for lost family or fallen comrades. Minho could hear Mir's whimpering in the far left corner. And Minho knew who he'd be calling for in his dreams.

Grudgingly, he closed his eyes.

~

"Minho! Oy, Minho, wake up!" a sharp voice shouted. Minho sat up suddenly( hid mind frazzled from whatever sleep he'd gotten. He looked to his right to see Kibum, eyes wide with worry.

"What? What happened?" Minho asked. Kibum just grabbed his arm, the simple tightening of skin against skin rebounding against the walls of the empty sleeping quarters. Whatever had happened, it must have been big.

So then why was I left here for so long? Minho thought worriedly as he was dragged through the white halls. Kibum kept looking at him worriedly, and Minho met the glances with his own curious looks.

"Minho... That Taemin that you're always talking about... Is he the one that Seunghyun and TOP have locked up?" Kibum murmured as he turned down the hallway that led to the mess hall. Minho's eyes widened.

"What? Why? What happened to him?" Minho demanded. He started to pull in front of Kibum, tugging him angrily and with a vengeance. He heard the slim man behind him whimper as they moved through the hallways.

"H-he's in the hospital wing... He collapsed and he's been calling for you," Kibum whispered softly. Minho snarled and let go of Kibum's hand, streaking down the hallway towards Taemin, where Taemin was.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?!" he roared as he turned a corner, nearly slipping but regaining his balance just in time to keep running.

"We didn't want you to know until we were sure there was no other way!" Kibum shouted as he tried to keep up. Minho got to the hospital wing and practically ripped the door from the hinges, finding literally everyone on base in the room.

"Get away! Get away from him!" Minho shouted, shoving his way through until he was at Taemin's side. The boy was breathing hard, his lips white and his eyes barely open. Still, those chalky lips turned into a smile when Taemin saw Minho's face.

"Minho," he croaked out. Minho took Taemin's hand and squeezed it, feeling Taemin squeeze back weakly. He looked at the boy's condition, feeling the fever heat radiate from Taemin's weak body. He looked at everyone for answers. No one could give him more than a sympathetic glance. Somewhere along the line, Kibum showed up, out of breath.

"I think they should leave," someone finally said. Minho snarled as he recognized Youngbae's voice. If it wasn't for Taemin's fragile hand still in his, he would've punched the officer's teeth in.

"We could die out there, you heartless bastard!" Minho hissed, even as Taemin gave his hand a warning squeeze. Youngbae's eyes narrowed, and the two men squared off.

"We could all die if you two stay here. Who knows? The kid could be infected with anything," Youngbae snarled. Minho nearly did punch Youngbae's teeth in for even daring to imply that Taemin was infected with it.

"Don't you dare... Don't you ing dare!" Minho snapped. Taemin let out a fearful squeak, and everyone backed up three steps, eyes now filled with the fear of being turned into a monster.

"Minho, we'll give you a gun and ammo and supplies, but we can't risk it," a different voice said softly. Minho's eyes widened as TOP looked back at him unwaveringly. Minho opened his mouth to protest, but someone had already beaten him to it.

"How dare you? How dare you even suggest this? They're just kids, damn it! They'll get eaten alive the first day they're out there!" Kibum shouted, rearing up and bristling like a cat that'd been poked with a needle.

"Well, do you want everyone in this damn base to die because this kid got infected with—" Youngbae's snarling rant wad cut off by Minho's standing up, hand still holding Taemin's. The younger man's eyes were blazing as his friend whimpered with feverish pain.

"Taemin is not infected with that! I know that he isn't! He can't be," Minho roared. Taemin sniffled softly and Minho immediately kneeled down to comfort him with soothing whispers and soft of his lackluster hair. How could this happen?

"Minho, please don't get into a fight over me," Taemin choked out. His body was burning up, and he could barely see, but he could tell that Minho was angry enough to explode. Angry enough to bring more trouble than was necessary, and that was the last thing Taemin wanted.

"Taemin, you could die out there," Minho whispered. He could see the end of the road, and he knew that it'd end with him and Taemin being forced out one way or another. He kissed Taemin's hand and bit him lip in indecision.

"Then protect me," Taemin said with a soft smile. He knew that Minho knew the battle was lost. He knew when the end was near, and he knew that Minho would make the right choice. "Protect me out there, and we'll be fine."

"Taemin, I..." Minho couldn't finish his sentence. No, he just... This was the end. He stood up and gently scooped Taemin into his arms. Then, glaring at the crowd gathered around him, he started for the door.

"Wait!" a voice called out. Minho turned to see Daesung with a small rucksack. The older man was looking sheepish and apologetic as he fastened it onto Minho, gently supporting Taemin as Minho put it on. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to know you better."

"Yeah, me too," Minho murmured as he protected Taemin with his arms. He gave Jonghyun a nod, and he could feel Kibum's eyes boring into him with worry. TOP followed him as he walked through the now-empty halls, but Minho refused to look back. He was too angry.

"Minho, listen..." TOP began, but Minho refused to look back. Taemin was here, fragile and weak and barely breathing. Nothing TOP could say could make it better. If they died, it'd be because they couldn't stay where it was safe.

"Have a nice life, sir," Minho growled as he reached the elevator. TOP put a hand on Minho's shoulder and the boy finally turned to face the general. Taemin's hands formed little fists at the sight of the older man.

"Take care of him, okay? Don't make my mistake. Don't... Don't give up on him," TOP murmured as the elevator doors opened. Minho let out a little gasp, barely audible. Out of all the things TOP could have said... Out of all of the names TOP could have called them, all of the insults he could've hurled, all of the accusations...

"I won't," Minho managed to choke out as he stepped into the elevator with Taemin. Then the doors closed, and the base was gone. Taemin didn't say a word as they rode up, and Minho didn't know what he could say. He just wanted Taemin to feel safe. Just... For once, he wanted Taemin and him to be safe together.

"I was so scared... That you f-forgot me," Taemin whispered at last. Minho looked down at the boy and opened his mouth to assure Taemin that such a thing would never happen, but Taemin's eyes met his and it was just too much to speak through. He couldn't even begin to express how much he wanted to just keep Taemin safe, by his side, with him forever.

But he couldn't. Those were dangerous words he was trying to express. Those were dangerous senses he was feeling. Taemin was a dangerous angel to have in his arms, but Minho could never let him go. He just cupped his friend's heated face and kissed his forehead.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he whispered. Taemin's weak arms wrapped around Minho's sturdy neck, and they just held each other until they both broke down sobbing with the pain of being apart so long.

"I missed you... I need you... I'm sorry I couldn't be useful, Minho. I d-didn't mean to be like this. I w-wanted to be by you," Taemin croaked out hoarsely. Minho held Taemin tighter, his tongue fumbling for words through the thick tears in his throat.

"You were by me. You were always with me. I could've never lost you," he whispered, his tears sliding down to mingle with Taemin's hair. He pulled away and their eyes met and it was so unbelievably cheesy but Minho couldn't help thinking that, even sick and weakened, Taemin was so damn beautiful.

"Minho, I'm sorry," Taemin whimpered. Minho kissed Taemin's forehead as the elevator stopped on the surface. Minho slowly stepped out, blinking at the sunlight. For a moment, the world was just white and then it slowly dimmed down. Green grass, a blue sky, the tips of trees, and—

"Pluffy!" Taemin shouted out despite his raspy voice. The huge dog bounded over and covered them both in , howling with joy between laps of their faces. Minho couldn't help but laugh, and he rubbed Pluffy's large white head before the three headed out, grinning like idiots.

A/N—Sorry for the delay and crapiness... I'm so tired and busy ;~; But I got all A's on my midterms :'D

Anyway, Taemin's sick and Minho's free. Pluffy's still a big ol' puppy. <3

Comments are love!