”Taemin, relax…” Jonghyun trailed off awkwardly, repeating the same sentence for the hundredth time but with less confidence as more sobs racked the line.

He’d been lying on the uncomfortable hospital bed for a week or so, and each day was beginning to resemble one another quite a lot. Taemin hadn’t stopped calling nor had he stopped texting ever since news had gotten out of Jonghyun landing himself in the hospital after the car accident. Jonghyun found it sweet and endearing, he still did as he tried to comfort Taemin, but the endless cries of anxiety muffled by sobs was unbearable to hear from the younger man. All he wanted to do was to hug him, ruffle his hair or kiss his forehead to reassure him that everything was alright, but he couldn’t.

All he could do was pretend that talking on the damned phone would aid the pain for the both of them.

But mostly for Taemin, he couldn’t imagine the agony Taemin was feeling on the other line.

Jonghyun wanted Taemin to stop crying; crying didn’t suit the happy-go-lucky man at all. With each passing day, with each phone call, Jonghyun’s confidence grew lesser and lesser as Taemin didn’t do anything but constant worrying over his wellbeing. Jonghyun wanted him to go catch some sleep, he knew how tough their schedule was for the upcoming comeback, but it only ended up with more frustrated tears and unidentified words mixed with choked sounds. He could feel his own tears of frustration blur his vision after every call, when the line went dead from reluctant goodbyes and he lied alone on the rough bed in the sterile white room.

“What are we supposed to do?” Taemin whispered in an uneven voice as he tried to calm his breathing. “They’re planning on filming the music video tomorrow morning, and you’re not going to be with us!”

“It’s going to be alright, I know you guys will make it work with or without me.” Jonghyun stated calmly, carefully touching the large Band-Aid covering the bridge of his nose.

“But it won’t be the same! Who’s going to take your parts?”

Another reason why Jonghyun felt angry at his stupid injury, not only did he have to bring restlessness to both Taemin and the other members, but he also couldn’t sing due to his nose being almost butchered. He sighed, racking his brain for anything to ease the other man. His grip on the phone tightened when he heard heavy breathing from Taemin, a sign that he was starting to hyperventilate.

“Taemin, listen to me.” Jonghyun said gently but in a firm tone. “Don’t question me, okay?”

“O-okay…” He stuttered and Jonghyun nearly sighed out in relief when he heard the other trying to compose himself.

“I want you to take my lines.”

The line went still, so still Jonghyun thought Taemin had hung up before he heard his voice again. Only this time, apart from its usual bitterness there was a tint of shock. “Are you serious?”

“Why so serious?” He joked, a small smile crossing his lips. “I trust you Taemin; I know you’ll do this song justice.”

There was another pause until Taemin sighed and then spoke for the first time without any hints or signs of tears, although Jonghyun could hear him wavering. “But I can’t sing, not the way you do…”

“That’s a load of garbage and you know it! I’ve heard you sing, Lee Taemin. You sing beautifully, also, I trained you so don’t underestimate my teaching skills.”

At the statement, a laugh slipped out from Taemin’s lips. The sound was like bells ringing, Jonghyun adored it. He could feel his confidence coming back. It was more like Taemin to laugh than cry; his laugh was a gift Jonghyun would treasure.

“So, do you accept the favor from this great teacher of yours?”

Taemin snorted, bringing a grin to Jonghyun’s lips. “Yeah right… Fine, I’ll do it.”

There was still uncertainty and reluctance in his tone, but Jonghyun shook it off. His grin died down to a small smile, he knew Taemin would fix it. He was their wonder child after all; there was nothing to worry about.

“Good, now can you stop with the crying? You’ve made me, almost, cry these days.” He teased, although stopping short when Taemin didn’t respond.

He could picture the younger man shaking his head in disbelief as the pause prolonged. Jonghyun cursed inwardly at his own insensitivity, Taemin was still young, he had all the right to cry as much as he wanted when one of his closest friends was in the hospital despite the minor injury.

“Hey Taemin, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“

“Are you an idiot?” Taemin all but yelled on the phone, causing Jonghyun to nearly drop the phone. “I can cry as much as I want when someone I care for is in the hospital, when that person is going to miss out on a comeback, when he won’t experience the hardships as well as the results we’ll experience! Don’t you dare tell me I should stop crying!”

With that said, Taemin’s breath came out ragged and forced. Jonghyun was stunned at the sudden outburst, he had had no idea the younger man had been in that much emotional pain. He quickly used his free hand to wipe away the tears that had begun to form in his eyes while trying to find any words to use.

“Don’t, don’t interrupt me.” The younger man spoke harshly after he’d regain control of his breathing. “Listen up, Kim Jonghyun. I love you.”

“I love you too, Taemin. I’m sorry, really, I am-“

“I said don’t interrupt me. You don’t get it, I love you. I love you, not in the way I love Jinki, Kibum or Minho. Do you want to know why I freaked out so much when news broke out that you were at the hospital? Because it was you, because I love you and I have never had any chance to tell you that until now and I was so afraid that I would never have the chance to ever tell you.”

Jonghyun opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. He must’ve looked like a goldfish but he couldn’t care less, Taemin had confessed to him. Time seemed to freeze, there was something burning his sight and Jonghyun realized it was tears. Tears that were slowly rolling down his cheeks, they were tears of joy.

“Jonghyun?”

Taemin’s quiet voice, that voice that could convey a thousand emotions, broke through his reverie. Jonghyun let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding before answering as quietly as Taemin had done, afraid he’d break the peaceful atmosphere the confession had brought to him.

“I love you too. You’ll sing my lines, and you’ll sing them better than I did, because I believe in you and I love you.”