“Key-hyung! Look at them!” Taemin was smiling as he pointed towards the window, at the car of girls coming up on the side of them. “They’re so excited…”

“Then why don’t we give them something to be excited about?” He turned the camera in his hands so it was pointing out as he opened the window, waving back at them. “I love you!”

“Is she even looking at the road?” Jonghyun was watching from the front, eyes wide as he saw it all. “She isn’t watching… Kibum, close the freaking window!”

There wasn’t time as none of them saw what he had. Before the window was even halfway up, the fans’ car crashed into their own van. Key and Minho both clung to their seats while Jonghyun’s seatbelt tightened against him. Taemin didn’t even know how he had managed it, but somehow he had gotten over their obliviously-listening-to-music leader, belting him in just as the car hit. Out of a seat and unprotected himself, his small body flew across the car while the others only thought of protecting themselves. No one had realized a thing was wrong as it was happening.

It was only after the whole collision, after their car had rolled over multiple times and had gone down into a ditch, that they realized something was not right. “Taemin? Taemin, please open your eyes. Please…”

Four heads turned to the back, where Jinki sat with Taemin's limp body half on him, shaking the boy. The maknae’s hair was soaked in a liquid that could have only been blood and there was a lot more of it seeping through his white t-shirt. “Someone help him…”

“Is anyone else hurt?” It was a stupid question for the manager to ask and he changed it almost immediately. “Bad?”

Key shook his head and looked for the other two in the back with him, since neither gave an answer. “Minho, your arm…”

“It’s nothing.” It obviously wasn’t, but the rapper hid his bloody and misshapen arm in his coat, trying not to wince at it. “Jinki-hyung. Are you okay? My seat is moved really far back...”

The leader nodded at first, but Key leaned back, only to let out an ear-piercing scream. “Your leg!”

“But Taemin…” The boy in his arms gave a cough, silencing him as blood splattered across his face. “Taemin needs help first.”

“But you do too hyung…” Key tried to reach back with his hand, searching for Jinki’s to grab. When he finally found it, it didn’t matter that the normally-strong hold was weak and wet, only that he had something to tell him his hyung was still there. “Jonghyun-hyung…”

“I’m fine…” There were a few cuts on his face and arms from trying to protect himself and his chest hurt when he moved, but compared to the others, Jonghyun figured that was nothing. “I can hear the sirens already…”

Hyungs… I can hear you. I can see you. Why don’t you hear me? Taemin seemed to be watching it all from above, seeing the damages on them all and the body in Jinki’s arms. Is… is that me?

“Taemin! It’s okay, you’re okay.” Key and Jonghyun were both holding the shaking, screaming form of the youngest as they tried waking him. “Taemin, wake up!”

The scream faltered and then ended. With a start, he in a breath and opened his eyes, sitting straight up from where he was laying. His head was only centimeters from Key’s and they would have collided had the diva not moved, but that didn’t seem like something that mattered to him then. Panting heavily and covered in sweat, a hand was pressed against his chest as if to calm his racing heart. Eyes reeled around the room, taking everything in before falling on the faces of the four worried boys in front of him. “Thank… god…”

“Are you okay Taemin?” Jinki took the smallest of steps forward, crouching in front of the boy as he asked.

And before any of them knew what happened, Taemin was off his and hugging the eldest. “You’re okay… you’re actually okay…”

“What…?” But the youngest wasn’t paying him any attention all of a suddenly, looking up at Minho in front him.

“Minho-hyung! You are too!” Suddenly the hug wasn’t on Jinki, but Minho’s legs, as that was all Taemin could reach from where he was on the ground. “You’re all okay. Thank god…” He had tears running down his face, confusing them all even more.

“What are you going on about?” Jonghyun lifted the boy and placed him back on his bed, but he clung on to the dino then, not wanting to let go. Key left and returned a minute later with a bottle of strawberry milk and Taemin opened it but didn’t drink any at first. “Did you have another nightmare?”

Taemin only nodded at first, finally taking a sip of the cool drink to soothe his throat. “There was an accident and… please wear your seatbelts all the time in the car. Please.” While it didn’t make sense to them, all four nodded, but Taemin shook his head. “Promise to.”

Only after they promised did he relax a little, loosening the death grip on Jonghyun’s arm slightly. “There was a really bad accident and you were all hurt but I was watching it all from above and it was… I’m just glad you are all okay.” It sounded like random ramblings to all of them, but Taemin was allowed the right to do that simply because the state they found him in. He gave them all another look and a smile before realizing what they were all wearing. “Did I wake you? I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay. But I’m sure you woke the neighbors with your screams…” Jinki mindlessly rubbed the maknae’s head as he took a seat next to him, letting the youngest curl up into him and free Jonghyun.

“I was that loud?” There were nods all around and his pale cheeks turned a bright red. “Sorry…”

“It’s nothing to apologize for. We’re just glad you’re okay.” Jonghyun gave Taemin a pat on the back, trying to perk him up a little.

“Yeah, it sounded like you were being murdered. Minho even grabbed a bat from under his bed to bring out.” Key smirked at the rapper before something dawned on him. “Why do you even have a baseball bat under your bed? You don’t play…”

“You never…” Minho stumbled over his words before he barely began explaining and Taemin couldn’t help but laugh, covering his mouth with his hand as his eyes twinkled with amusement. “It’s to be able to protect you guys. We can’t rely on hyung’s award-bashing to stop an intruder.”

“I don’t think we can rely on your bat-bashing either.” Jonghyun stuck his tongue out Minho, making Taemin laugh again. “You at swinging it.”

“Do you want to find out what I can really do with a metal bat?” Minho jokingly raised it at Jonghyun, putting the bat back down as few seconds later. “I don’t think any of us are getting back to sleep now.”

“Sorry…” Taemin looked down at his hands, playing with Jinki’s just to have something to do. “I didn’t mean to wake all of you.”

“It’s nothing to be sorry about.” Key gave Taemin a pat on his arm. “We would be up in a few hours anyways. I’ll just go start breakfast and we can all get a head start on today.”

Taemin? Are you sure you’re okay?” Henry waved a hand in front of the younger’s face, startling him. “You’ve been spacing out a lot. Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah.” Taemin shook his head to try and clear it before giving Henry a smile. “I’m just tired. It’s nothing. Where were we?”

“Just finishing up…” He watched the boy as he nodded and started to put the violin away, making sure he actually was okay. “Do you want to come to lunch with me? Some other Super Junior members might be there and maybe some others, but it wouldn’t be too many…”

It was hard to tell who was more shocked—Taemin since he was offered to go, or Henry since he asked. The maknae blinked a few times, looking at his hyung to see if it was true. “I might not eat anything…”

“Then just come to have something to do. You’re members aren’t going to be back for a few hours.” And I’m not supposed to leave you alone in your dorm anymore… “Come on, it’s okay.”

It wasn’t as small of a group as Taemin would have thought Henry was talking about, but it definitely wasn’t as big as their company get-togethers. A few members from Super Junior, a few from SNSD, Amber and Victoria, and then a few from Exo. “I hope you don’t mind that I brought Taemin with me.”

And no one did as a space was made between Kai and Amber for him to sit, seeing as they were the two he was most comfortable with there. He was back to wearing the mask and mostly just listening to conversations and joining in for a little every now and then. Never once did he touch any of the food, something both Kai and Amber noticed.

Yet neither said anything at all. It was probably better that way then having Taemin get sick in front of everyone.