A/N

Back again... yeah, I realized I didn't do a double update for Tao's birthday so here :) Enjoy

When her cellphone rang, the caller id flashing Luhan’s name, Mei wasn’t really surprised. She’d been kind of expecting it after having another one of her Luhan-perspective dreams. She’d woken up, feeling shaken and terribly sad and somehow sure that Luhan was very upset.  

Not that she put much stock in dreams – they were just dreams, what was there to worry about, right?

And yet, when he said ‘Mei’ in a really subdued way, all she did was reassure him. ‘I’m here.’

He didn’t say anything after that and she didn’t ask him to. Instead, she just kept up a steady chatter, somehow sensing that all he really wanted at this point was to hear her voice. It was soothing him, though how she knew that, she couldn’t say.

After a while, she ran out of useless things to say and he let out a hefty sigh. ‘Thanks.’ He told her sincerely.

‘Hey, that’s what I’m here for,’ she reassured him.

‘I wish I could hug you.’ He sounded so sad, she felt tears prick her eyes.

‘Me too…’ she muttered, feeling her cheeks blush. ‘I wish I were beside you right now…’

‘When are you coming back?’

‘This Sunday.’

‘I’ll see you at the airport, then.’

Even though it sounded like a goodbye, he didn’t hang up. She could hear his breath through the speakers and for some reason, it sounded really, really intimate. Like they had taken a step forward or something and it made her heart pound faster.

She couldn’t bring herself to break the silence either. If they had been face to face or even on Skype right now, she would’ve spoken up or joked or done something to make the heavy silence more comfortable but as it was, she just kept the phone glued to her ear, hearing him breathe.

The sounds of footsteps entering the room didn’t register but the hand on her shoulder made her squeal.

‘MEI!!!’ Luhan sounded panicked.

‘OH CRAP! DON’T DO THAT ARIA!!!’

Mei put a hand to her chest, trying to regain her breathe and hurriedly picked the cellphone she’d dropped. ‘I’m fine, it’s just my sister.’

‘Oh.’ He sounded as relieved as she felt. ‘That scared me.’

‘You can say that again.’ Mei glared at her sister who was grinning unrepentantly.

‘What?’ Aria shrugged innocently. ‘I thought you’d heard me come in… is everything okay?’

‘Yup.’ Mei nodded, then pushed her sister away. ‘Leave us alone!’ she mouthed, pointing towards the cellphone.

Aria’s eyebrows disappeared under her bangs, then a very naughty smile spread on her face. ‘Oh, don’t mind me. I’ll just… leave…’

Mei opened , intent on clarifying the situation – knowing Aria, she would obviously take it the wrong way – but she satisfied herself on glaring at her sister’s retreating back before getting up and locking the door.

‘So…’ she began.

‘So…’ Luhan repeated, sounding a little more lighthearted than before. ‘What time is it right now?’

‘Here? Um…’ she looked at the clock and stifled a laugh. No wonder Aria was up. ‘It’s five am.’

‘You were sleeping?’ The question was rhetorical. ‘I’m sorry, I just…’

‘It’s okay – ‘, she began.

‘… had to hear your voice – it soothes me.’ He finished, making her heart flutter.

‘Did it work?’ She twirled her finger around her locks, feeling shy.

‘Yeah.’ He sounded like he was smiling.

‘Is everything okay?’ She hadn’t asked him before because he didn’t sound like he would answer but now…

‘No, everything is…’ he replied gravely, ‘completely and utterly messed up right now.’

‘You know you can always tell me what’s going on...’ She didn’t want to sound too nosy but if something was wrong… she wanted him to know he could share with her.

‘I know.’ He sighed. ‘But… it’s not something I can explain over the phone.’

‘When we meet…’

‘I’ll think about it.’ His reply was final.

‘Okay.’ She didn’t push it. If he wanted to share, he would.

He chatted a little after that – or rather, he prodded and she replied, deliberately long winded because he obviously just wanted to hear her voice. Her eyes began get heavy, the urge to sleep nearly overpowering – she wasn’t an early bird like Aria – but it wasn’t until his breathing got steady and heavy that she realized he’d already fallen asleep.

While still on call.

She smiled, finding it very endearing. Ending the call, she stared at the phone for a few seconds, wondering if it was just in her head or had they really gotten closer somehow, despite the distance.

She fell asleep with a smile still on her face.

………………….

Angel spent a restless night, unable to fall asleep because every time she closed her eyes, nightmarish images began crowding her head.

A lot of his brothers had been injured – she had no doubt about it – but it was the sight of his blood-splattered chest, the gash massive and deep enough that some white from the sternum was showing that made her queasy.

Though Luhan had assured her he was alright now and she hadn’t felt anything from him to indicate that he was in danger but still, it was hard.

She kept pacing around in her room, wanting to fly to his side, see with her own eyes that he was indeed alright.

The sun rose and got high and still, no contact.

Sighing, she sat in the bed and leaned back.

The sound of phone ringing brought her jumping out of the bed and she nearly fell down in her hurry to grab the phone.

‘’llo?’, she panted, patting behind her to see where her bed was and leaning her hip against it.

‘Hey…’ Suho’s voice was husky with sleep.

‘Oh…’ her legs gave out, relief flooding her. It wasn’t the only thing flooding, though and she hurriedly stifled the sob that tore out of , her face getting steadily drenched.

‘Baby, don’t cry.’ He sounded upset and that made her feel worse, he was sick and yet he had to comfort her when it should be the other way around. Sadly, her brain worked in weird ways. Her tears doubled.

‘Angel…’

‘I…m sorry!’ she hiccupped, ‘I’m just so relieved…’

The slight laugh was music to her ears.

‘I’m sorry for worrying you like this.’ He told her, delight clear in his voice.

‘Just… come back, okay?’ She’d had enough of nightmares and not knowing where he was and if he was alright or not.

‘Okay.’ He agreed easily.

‘Promise?’

‘On my heart!’

She smiled a little at his teasing tone. ‘Tell everyone to be very careful.’ She instructed him.

‘You heard the lady!’ Suho’s voice could be heard as he spoke over his shoulder. ‘Be very careful.’

‘And take the first flight home.’

‘Will do, okay? Now please stop worrying.’ She nodded, not caring that he couldn’t see her. He could feel her assent.

‘I have to go now…’ he sounded reluctant and she could identify with that. She didn’t want him to leave, wanted to keep hearing his voice. But he had things to do.

‘Be safe.’

‘Love you.’

She stared at the phone in her hands for a few moments, then put it down with a sigh.

…………………