Train Wreck (Because it is one)

[andersenmom]

I wrote the beginning of this some time ago, but had to stop because I really had no place to go. I rewrote it for Campnanowrimo, for the boyfriend_love challenge, which gave me a prompt and a pairing, and all of a sudden, it headed off into left field and crashed into the back wall.

Train Wreck (Because it is one)
28 - listen, DongHyun/KwangMin
PG
See Table here!


He woke slowly, aware only of a headache at first, and then other pains in legs, body, arms. Nothing as bad as the head, but at least he could feel it. He opened his eyes, wincing at the light.

"Too bright?" someone asked softly, and then the lights dimmed to something he could stand. "You hit your head pretty hard," the man said, his face coming into focus the longer he looked. "How are you feeling?"

Even if he looked worried, he could see the other man had a pleasant face as if he was more used to smiling, like he could smile at the drop of a hat. He wanted to know this man better, and he didn't question the feeling. "I'm… okay, I think," he said. "What's your name?"

The other man's eyes widened. "Um. Kim DongHyun," he said, sounding stunned.

"It's nice to meet you," he said. "I'm…." But it wouldn't come, his name, nothing. "Um."

DongHyun looked even more stunned. "You… don't know?"

"I don't, I'm sorry. I'd like to…." He trailed off when the door opened.

DongHyun moved as soon as it did, going around the bed to intercept a dark-haired man who smiled as soon as he saw the man in the bed was awake. He watched in… envy? Jealousy? as DongHyun put his arm around the other man's shoulders and spoke to him, softly and quickly. The smile faded off the newcomer's face and he looked stricken, but DongHyun didn't stop talking to him, leading him back out the door, his arm still around him.

"I'll be back," DongHyun said, and then the door shut behind them, and he lay there, stunned and confused and more than a little scared. Because those two people had known him, he knew it. Better than he currently did himself.

"He doesn't know his own name," DongHyun repeated to the doctor, who didn't look at all concerned. DongHyun just wanted him to listen, to hear, and he didn't seem to want to. "He didn't know me. How is this going to work?"

"Did you tell him?"

"No," DongHyun said, hiding a wince when his back twinged. "I didn't have time. KwangMin came in, and… he didn't recognize KwangMin either, I'm pretty sure. If he never gets his memory back, what will his family do?"

Someone behind him made a noise, but DongHyun didn't dare turn around. His back had twinged again, harder, and he could barely stay on his feet.

"It will be explained to his parents when they get here," the doctor said, and patted DongHyun's shoulder. DongHyun hid a wince. "It will work out."

Not reassured, DongHyun nodded and turned to sit down. KwangMin sat between Minwoo and HyunSung, hands pressed over his mouth, eyes wide. DongHyun wanted to apologize to him for bringing up the worst possible scenario, but he couldn't manage to do anything.

"DongHyun, are you okay?" JungMin asked, his hand warm on DongHyun's arm, the only solid feeling he had.

"I think," DongHyun managed, and JungMin helped him sit down. It didn't help, and he curled in on himself, trying to ease the pain. Suddenly the doctor crouched in front of him, speaking to him, but DongHyun couldn't make out the words, and JungMin's hand tight on his arm still felt like the only solid thing in his world as everything went black.

"Yes, he was in the accident too," HyunSung said. He'd crossed his arms over his chest to keep from shivering. "I don't know much of anything, except as soon as we got here, KwangMin went into the room. Almost immediately, he and DongHyun came out again, and that's when we found out YoungMin had lost his memory." He shrugged, glancing at where YoungMin slept, and DongHyun lay still unconscious in the bed not too far away. "He didn't say anything to us, just talked to you."

The doctor nodded. "He apparently didn't tell anyone he had any injuries. The EMTs checked him over and released him. It doesn't look like too much damage, but we'll be more sure when he wakes up and can explain himself."

HyunSung nodded and waited until he'd gone before turning to the other three. KwangMin and Minwoo sat next to YoungMin's bed, watching him avidly. Lucky he had fallen asleep. That sort of regard would probably scare him more than anything else. JungMin sat next to DongHyun's bed, watching HyunSung. "Not exactly what we expected," he said dryly.

HyunSung sat down next to him and sighed. "We were lucky," he said. "If the worst is that DongHyun has to sit out a couple of weeks - or even a couple of months - until his back heals, we're still lucky."

"And if YoungMin never remembers?" JungMin asked, his voice softer than the beeps from the monitor hooked up to DongHyun. He glanced at KwangMin and Minwoo, and HyunSung followed his gaze. They didn't react, if they'd even heard.

"That would take a lot more bad luck than we've worked up to," HyunSung said.

JungMin looked at him, then away, and HyunSung swallowed. He could think of a bunch of people who had had bad luck that hadn't deserved it. "I hope you're right," JungMin said. "I really do."

"So do I," HyunSung said.

YoungMin's parents had joined KwangMin at YoungMin's bed and Minwoo had joined them before DongHyun stirred, struggling to sit up. HyunSung pressed him back into the bed. "You didn't tell us you were hurt," he said when DongHyun looked up at him, surprised.

"You didn't need me to worry about with YoungMin," DongHyun said, and relaxed. "I'm okay."

"You fainted," Minwoo said flatly. "That hardly qualifies as okay."

DongHyun looked at him, then turned his head to look at the Jo family. "Anything from him?"

"Nothing," JungMin said. "He fell asleep before you came back from x-rays, and they're letting him sleep. Hoping, I think," he added.

"Not a surprise," DongHyun said, and closed his eyes. "Did they say what happened to me?"

"The doctor didn't know," HyunSung said. "But nothing deadly showed up on the x-rays, so he wanted to talk to you."

"Yeah," DongHyun said.

"Do you know who you are?" Mrs. Jo asked, and the four of them went silent, their attention on the other bed.

The man with dark hair, the one DongHyun had hugged so closely, sat right next to his bed, with a man and a woman he didn't know. The woman's question distracted him, and he frowned at her. He didn't want to see her, if he were honest. He wanted to see DongHyun. "No," he said. "I'm sorry, I… should I know you?"

Her stricken expression let him know that yes, he should, but it cleared fast enough. "I'm your mother," she said. "This is your father, and your brother."

He glanced at the other boy, the one he'd seen DongHyun's arm around and been jealous of. He nodded, but he didn't know if he still had reason for jealousy or not.

"You don't remember," his brother said.

"No," he said softly. "I don't. I'm sorry."

His father smiled. "It's not something you can control," he said, and looked like he wanted to go on, maybe say his name. He wished his father - or anyone - would.

"Who are they?" he asked, gesturing at the other people in the room.

"Friends," his brother said, glancing over. "We've known them for… well, we've know Minwoo for a couple of years longer than the others, but the rest for around four years. I think."

He didn't protest any of it. He didn't know enough, and he didn't dare ask about DongHyun. "Who's in the bed there?" he asked instead.

His brother frowned. "DongHyun," he said quietly. "He was in the accident with you, and after you woke up he… collapsed. They think he hid how injured he was. Something he'd do," he added in some exasperation.

"Why would he…." He trailed off and shook his head at his brother's inquiring look.

"Whoa, hey, don't move," someone said from the other half of the room. "Yes, you collapsed, idiot."

"You're kidding," DongHyun said, sounding frustrated with himself.

"Nope, and they even got you in a room with the other invalid. No, don't get up," he snapped again. "You'll hurt your back more."

"Yeah," his brother said, bringing his attention back to his family. "It's totally something he'd do."

He sighed, frustrated. "How long will I be like this?"

His mother smiled tearfully and took his hand. "I don't know," she said. "No one does. It'll go as long as it goes."

He laughed softly, "Of course."

"Knowing you, it'll be years," someone piped up from the other part of the room.

"Shut up, Minwoo," his brother said, and the other boy smiled cheekily at him. The prettiest one over there smacked the smiling one on the back of the head.

His resulting protest brought smiles to everyone, and he realized how serious they'd all looked. He glanced at his mother, who smiled when he met her eyes. "How long will I have to stay here?"

"Until they're sure you're healthy as possible. Even if you don't get your memory back, you'll be able to go home," his father said. "Maybe in a couple of days."

He nodded and tried to get comfortable again.

DongHyun didn't notice the time much. He spent most of it drugged half out of his mind, the rest of it in pain. It finally eased, letting him move more, and he found he could relax a lot better.

KwangMin kept him informed, and he knew that YoungMin hadn't regained his memory. Even once he'd gone home, he didn't.

"I hate it," KwangMin said, his voice muffled by his arms. He rested his forehead on his arms folded on DongHyun's bed. "It's like I've lost a best friend."

DongHyun gently ruffled his hair. "Have you showed him anything?" he asked.

"No," KwangMin said. "The doctor thinks it might not be a good idea. I don't agree," he added, looking up again. "I think knowing about us, about Boyfriend, could shake something loose. Even watching Bounce could help. But he doesn't want us to tell him anything."

DongHyun sighed and squeezed his shoulder. "It'll come," he said quietly. "It will."

"Promise?"

DongHyun laughed, relieved to find it didn't hurt. "I can't do that," he said. "But I think it will. And if you feel that strongly, sit him down and make him watch something."

KwangMin nodded slowly. "How long until you can go home?"

"I don't know," DongHyun said. "Soon, I hope. With luck, you'll get your brother and me back at the same time."

KwangMin smiled. "I hope so," he said.

"Where is he now?"

"Minwoo kidnapped him this morning, and I'll take him this afternoon. If no one has yet, I think HyunSung means to take him into Starship tomorrow, and they'll meet JungMin there. I don't know what they'll do after that."

"Probably doesn't matter." DongHyun shifted. "I wish I could go. Will you and Minwoo be there, too?"

"I don't know," KwangMin said. "I guess it depends. I think Minwoo wants to be."

"You should go," DongHyun said, and smiled briefly at the disappointed look on KwangMin's face. "You should. It'll do you good to get some practice in, and then you can help me when I get out of here."

KwangMin grinned at him, but his eyes still held disappointment. "You won't need any help," he said.

"You don't think you'll come up with some sort of alternative choreography while you're messing around?" DongHyun teased.

KwangMin blushed. "Maybe," he said.

DongHyun laughed. "Just don't make it too hard, or so hard none of us old people can't do it."

"You're not old," KwangMin protested.

DongHyun laughed again and ruffled his hair. "No, I guess I'm not that old," he said.

The room felt significantly emptier when KwangMin had gone. DongHyun settled into the bed and closed his eyes. He might go absolutely insane if they didn't let him out of here soon. Not as bad as his three dancers, no, but still, bad enough.

"This is cool," YoungMin said - they'd finally told him his name - as he followed HyunSung into the building. "You work here?"

"Yes," HyunSung said. "I do." He sounded like he wanted to say more, and YoungMin had gotten so he no longer even thought about asking for elaboration.

YoungMin barely had any time to look around as HyunSung took him to the elevator and up to the fourth floor. Music hit them as soon as they stepped off the elevator, muted but still audible, and two or three (or more) songs mixed together to create an odd sound. HyunSung grinned at him. "Come on, JungMin's here somewhere."

"You don't know where?"

HyunSung laughed and took him past two rooms with doors closed, music blaring from behind them. The third, he opened and this music, almost familiar, slammed into them. HyunSung grinned. "I should have known."

Inside, YoungMin stared at his brother and Minwoo, involved in what looked like an intricate dance off, both of them breathing heavily, sweat-soaked, and looking like they had the time of their lives.

"They should be at the end of this soon," JungMin said loudly next to them when HyunSung had shut the door behind them. "I think they've lost their minds."

The music ended, and JungMin went over to turn off the player before the next song started. KwangMin and Minwoo dropped to the floor where they stood.

"Hey, get up and move, cool down," HyunSung said, and the two looked at him.

"But we're… oh, hey!" Minwoo bounced back to his feet and walked over. "I didn't think you'd be here this early," he said.

"That looked amazing," YoungMin said. "Where'd you learn it?"

If his questions seemed off, they no longer showed surprise at it. "We created it," Minwoo said. "It's just for fun."

"For now," KwangMin said, grinning as he stood up and walked over to them. "Want to learn it?"

YoungMin stared at them. "I couldn't," he said.

"Why not?" Minwoo asked.

"Something easier?" HyunSung asked.

"Maybe something basic."

KwangMin and Minwoo exchanged a grin. "Okay, sounds good. Stick in Boyfriend, will you?" KwangMin asked, the question aimed at JungMin.

JungMin laughed. "Where?"

"Um… Just start at the beginning," KwangMin said. "It's the best place to start."

JungMin laughed and turned his attention to the player.

KwangMin grabbed YoungMin's arm and pulled him into the middle of the floor, "Okay, this is pretty basic," he said.

It took YoungMin by surprise. After the first couple of steps, he knew what went next, and he felt like he sat outside himself and watched his body flow through the steps without input from his brain. At the end of the song, he didn't understand the grins from the others. "I… knew this?" he asked.

"Yes," KwangMin said. "That's why we knew Minwoo for so much longer than the rest of them. We used to dance together."

"All three of us?"

"Yep," Minwoo said, his eyes sparking in mischief.

"But there were people missing," YoungMin said.

"Yep," Minwoo repeated. "DongHyun is still in the hospital, and we didn't want to spook you."

YoungMin snorted softly. "Well, spook away. I'd like to find out what else I know."

By the end of the afternoon, they'd reached the end of what he knew well, and he fumbled his way through the last song. He followed the others as they walked around the room to cool down some, drinking water and thinking.

He had some ideas of what this was, and why he was there, but nothing specific. He felt like he was closer to knowing himself than he had been since he woke up.

"You okay?" JungMin asked, falling back to walk with him.

"I think so," YoungMin said. "It all feels really familiar. Mostly."

"I hope that's good," JungMin said.

"So do I," YoungMin said. "I don't know how it couldn't be."

"I don't either, but I'm not a doctor."

YoungMin laughed. "Yeah, well, neither am I."

He followed KwangMin out when they left, feeling exhausted in a pleasant sort of way, and sighed softly when he sank into the taxi seat. "Did you have fun?" KwangMin asked.

YoungMin grinned at him. "Yeah," he said. "I did. It's weird, knowing all of that and not knowing I do. What's it from?"

KwangMin smiled. "I'll show you after dinner and a shower," he said. "You probably want one as much as I do."

YoungMin smiled, "Probably," he said. "At least, I really want one."

Once they'd eaten and showered (not in that order), YoungMin had to excuse himself to sleep. He could barely keep his eyes open, and trying to watch something, no matter how interesting, would never work.

"I think it went okay," HyunSung said, guarded, as he sat down next to DongHyun's bed. "He certainly knew everything up to Bounce, but none of us have that in our muscles yet. And he managed to get through that without much trouble, better than I would have."

DongHyun nodded. "Good. Hopefully that shakes something loose. Did you see the manager or anyone?"

"Not a soul, although we could hear Sistar practicing. They're really busy, though, so they didn't stick their noses out." HyunSung sighed. "We needed that practice, the reminder. And it helped having YoungMin there."

"I figure I'll need a couple of those as soon as they let me get up and move," DongHyun said.

"Probably not as much as you think," HyunSung said, and patted his arm. "Any news?"

"Yes, I get to go home tomorrow."

"Good," HyunSung said. "We're getting tired of not having you around."

"What, you're not throwing parties in the practice room?"

"That got old after the first couple of days," HyunSung teased, and then sobered. "We're all pretty much rested and recovered, and we're ready to get going again."

"So am I," DongHyun said. "I'm just glad this isn't one of the three youngest, or they'd be going insane."

"Too true," HyunSung said, and sighed. "What happened?"

"Happened?"

"You don't just loose control of your car like that," HyunSung said. "What happened?"

DongHyun shook his head. "I don't actually want to talk about it," he said. "Not for a while."

"Was it that bad?"

DongHyun laughed, surprised at the despair he heard in it. "I don't know know how to define bad," he said. "I mean, I don't know know if I'd call it bad. It was a surprise."

"It must have been," HyunSung said.

DongHyun sighed but said nothing else. He refused to think about it, mostly because as long as YoungMin didn't have his memory, it didn't matter. He probably should think about it so that when he did get it back he'd have some sort of idea what to say.

"With luck, we'll be back together soon," HyunSung said. "Even if you can't get on the floor, it won't hurt you to be there to watch."

DongHyun nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I hope that happens soon, too."

Finally - not usually a word he associated with HyunSung - HyunSung left, and DongHyun settled deeper into the bed. What a mess this was. He almost wished he'd lost his memory, at least of that last conversation.

It surprised him the next morning to wake up to YoungMin's earnest face. "They wouldn't tell me if you were okay," he said, sitting back as DongHyun sat his bed up.

"I heard you went in with HyunSung," DongHyun said.

YoungMin smiled. "Yeah. It was cool." He relaxed. "It felt familiar when I left, as if that were something I did regularly."

"Is that good?"

"It felt more real that even being at home, so yeah, I think so." He leaned forward, resting his elbow at on his knee. "You're interesting," he said after a moment.

DongHyun couldn't think for a moment, staring at him. "I've been in this bed since you woke up," he said. "Almost."

"I know," YoungMin said. "But you look so… like you'd rather smile than to anything else. I like it."

DongHyun stared at him. "You…." He should have figured out what to say, because he didn't know any better now than he had before. He shook his head. "You don't remember anything yet," he said finally, trying to keep his voice even, quiet.

"I know," YoungMin said. "I just wanted you to know. I think I'm starting to remember something, though. I just don't know for sure."

"You'll get it," DongHyun said. "It'll come back to you."

YoungMin watched him for a moment. "You don't think of me like that," he said. "Why?"

DongHyun shook his head. "Because I don't," he said quietly. "It's just not…." He nearly choked. "It's not how it is."

"Why?" YoungMin asked.

DongHyun shook his head again. "Ask me again when you remember everything," he said. "If you need to."

YoungMin looked less than pleased, but he didn't push the point.

Minwoo came in half an hour after YoungMin had gone and sat down in the same chair. "You look like you had a really horrid conversation," he said.

DongHyun sighed. "I wish I'd never met any of you," he said without any heat behind it. Minwoo lifted an eyebrow. "I don't think I can take another confession."

"He confessed?" Minwoo asked, surprised.

"Yes," DongHyun said.

"He's a little slow," Minwoo mused.

"He doesn't remember," DongHyun said, sounding miserable. "He doesn't remember anything."

Minwoo pressed his shoulder gently. "And you didn't tell him?"

DongHyun barked a laugh. "No. I told him to wait until he remembered. I can't do that again."

"Again?" Minwoo asked. "Do what again."

"Explain why he hasn't got any hope at the moment." DongHyun sighed and closed his eyes. "Don't say anything to anyone, please. Not until we get this worked out and things get something close to normal."

Minwoo didn't say anything for a long time. "You could make it work," he said.

"Not without breaking them both, and I will not be the reason that happens."

"I'm not sure how you can avoid it," Minwoo said.

"Yeah," DongHyun said quietly. "I don't know either."

The doctor had just left, later that morning, when KwangMin came in, and DongHyun nearly groaned. He knew he shouldn't have ever started this. And yet. He couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face in answer to KwangMin's grin. "You look happy," DongHyun said.

"YoungMin's acting sort of normal," KwangMin said. "I think yesterday might have been good. JungMin's got him right now, I think he's showing him a couple of the MVs."

"That should be interesting," DongHyun said. "The doctor said I could leave as soon as they get me checked out," he added, to forestall KwangMin's next question. "Within a couple of hours, I think."

KwangMin brightened. "Yeah?" he asked. "Are you going to go back to the dorm or your place?"

"My place, most likely," DongHyun said. "It'll be easier for now."

KwangMin nodded. "Probably," he said. "Do you want company at all?"

DongHyun smiled. "I'll call you," he said gently, and KwangMin accepted that.

It felt wonderful to be in his own place, alone, for about half an hour. He couldn't take more than that, and called KwangMin. "Are you free?"

"I can be there in about an hour," KwangMin said. "I'll see you then."

The hour took forever, and DongHyun spent the time straightening his place, then he paced through the front room, too restless to sit down and do much of anything. He didn't have enough time to do any in depth cleaning like he might have wanted to, or anything else that might make his mind stop thinking.

If things didn't resolve fast, he didn't know who would break first, him, or the relationship between the twins. He hoped neither, but who knew. He didn't even know why he thought that, only that he could feel the stress, the weight of everything, and it scared him.

Maybe this had been a bad idea.

No, take that back. At least the maybe part. It had all been a bad idea, possibly the worst idea he'd ever had.

A touch on his shoulder made him turn, and he realized he'd stopped pacing at some point. "You look like you've hit the worst realization of your life," KwangMin said.

DongHyun didn't answer that. He turned to face KwangMin, grabbed him around the waist, and kissed him. KwangMin relaxed against him, arms sliding around DongHyun's neck.

No, maybe it was the worst idea he'd ever had, but he wouldn't give this up, not until he had to. And hopefully he wouldn't have to.

"Are you okay?" KwangMin asked, nestled into DongHyun's side a while later, on the couch in front of a blank TV.

"I don't know," DongHyun said quietly. "But I think so."

"Can I help?"

DongHyun laughed and squeezed him gently. "You already did, a lot," he said. "Thanks for coming up here tonight."

KwangMin laughed. "I had to sneak out. YoungMin got all… possessive, I guess."

"Really? Do you think he's any closer to remembering?"

"I don't know," KwangMin said. "But it's close enough now that we could actually do practices, and it might help him."

"Maybe we should," DongHyun said. "I'm certain that they'd rather have us there than not."

"Without question," KwangMin said. "But I don't want you getting hurt again because you start too soon."

DongHyun smiled and kissed him. "With you watching over me, how can I?" he asked, and felt pleased when KwangMin blushed.

When KwangMin went home later, DongHyun felt like his world had reestablished itself. Even if the feeling didn't last long, at least he had it now, and he could remember that it existed. It helped him sleep a lot better than he had at the hospital.

YoungMin woke up with a feeling of… anticipation, stronger than he'd had the day before, or any of the days before. Today would be the day he remembered everything. And if not, he'd keep trying.

"Ready to go?" KwangMin asked, poking his head in the doorway to their shared bedroom.

YoungMin shoved the blankets off and got up. "Yep. Where'd you go last night?"

KwangMin regarded him seriously. "Why?"

YoungMin grinned. "Someone the company would get after you for?" he asked.

"Something like that," KwangMin said. "Come on, I don't want to be the last one in for once."

YoungMin laughed and got dressed. "Is this someone I would know?" he pressed on the way into the company.

"What?" KwangMin looked far away when he looked at YoungMin, and then gave him half a smile. "Why do you want to know so badly?"

"How else am I going to tease you?" YoungMin asked.

KwangMin rolled his eyes. "Maybe you shouldn't," he said.

"That wouldn't make me much of an older brother, would it?" YoungMin said.

Getting out and checking in at the company meant KwangMin couldn't answer, and YoungMin had the impression he didn't want to. He scowled lightly, tired of not knowing, of not having everything readily to hand. And at the doctors, for not letting them all just tell him. It would be so much easier if they'd been able to do that. He followed KwangMin into the practice room, and caught the edge of a smile from DongHyun aimed at KwangMin.

He reeled backwards as it all came back to him, everything, the whole sordid (actually a good word) situation. He stared at them, all of them staring back, and just as comprehension crossed Minwoo's face, YoungMin spun and ran. He stopped when he reached a tiny, mostly unused closet on the 13th floor, leaning in the back corner and trying to catch his breath and regain his sanity. He could remember everything, the whole story, both sides of the accident, the reason for the accident….

"You're lucky you never told anyone else about this place," Minwoo said as he stepped in and closed the door behind him. The closet didn't have enough room for both of them, not really, but YoungMin didn't care. "My guess is you remembered."

"Everything," YoungMin groaned, and covered his face with his hands. "I must look like a complete idiot."

"No more than usual," Minwoo said, and YoungMin groaned again. "Really. We're just glad to have you back, everything else is forgiven."

"From you," YoungMin said, and his hands fell to his sides. "This is so stupid."

"I have a question. What made you change your mind?"

"About?"

Minwoo narrowed his eyes at you. "I know DongHyun confessed to you, and you blew him off," he said, and YoungMin felt his cheeks go red. "What changed your mind?"

"I don't know," YoungMin said.

"Jealousy?" Minwoo asked.

"What?"

"You heard me."

YoungMin glared in his general direction. "No. It's…." He couldn't go any further.

Minwoo didn't say anything.

YoungMin sighed. "I don't know," he said. "I just… don't know."

"It's perfectly natural," Minwoo said.

YoungMin snorted. "When did you get to be the voice of reason?" he asked.

Minwoo smiled. "Because you'd rather me than anyone else because they'd never get in here, and KwangMin…."

"Don't." YoungMin said. "I don't… Yes," he said finally, and sagged back against the wall. "I don't understand."

Minwoo patted his shoulder. "Because DongHyun is able to move on when something happens. You were pretty firm about putting him down."

"I caused the accident," YoungMin said softly. "I said something, and it surprised him so much he swerved." He sighed. "It was just so… stupid, but I thought he'd be fine, I thought…."

"You didn't think," Minwoo said. "It's normal."

YoungMin rolled his eyes. "What do you know of normal. You're a rapper in a pop group."

Minwoo snickered. "You're a singer in one."

"Which means I know that you know nothing about normal," YoungMin said, and sighed. "I guess we'd better go back."

"Probably," Minwoo said, and opened the door. YoungMin winced at the bright light. "Are you okay?" Minwoo asked, pausing before he left the closet.

YoungMin shrugged. "If I'm not, I'll get that way soon enough." He shoved Minwoo out of the way, then threw an arm around his neck when he got out of the closet. "Thanks."

"Any time," Minwoo said. "Just don't go locking yourself into closets any time soon. You're on your own when you talk to DongHyun. And probably KwangMin."

"Yeah," YoungMin said. "I expect so."

DongHyun could tell, by the time they'd practiced for half an hour, that YoungMin wanted to talk to him. At the first break, he managed to get out of the room on his own, and within seconds, YoungMin had joined him. "I'm sorry," YoungMin said.

DongHyun turned to look at him, trying not to show his surprise, and from the blush on YoungMin's face, he'd failed. "For what?"

"For startling you so badly," YoungMin said. "You look like you still need a break."

"I might not go much longer," DongHyun said, and laughed. "All of a sudden I'm not the dad anymore, I'm like… I don't know."

"Injured and we worry about you," YoungMin said. "Just… I really am sorry. For all of it."

DongHyun shook his head. "All is forgiven," he said. "It's okay."

YoungMin sighed. "I hope KwangMin feels the same way."

"If he doesn't, I'll help him get there," DongHyun said, and turned their steps back to the practice room. "What triggered your memory return?"

YoungMin's smile turned wry. "When you smiled at KwangMin when we walked in this morning. It sort of all hit me."

DongHyun patted his shoulder. "We're glad to have you back, believe me."

"Thanks," YoungMin said.

The minute they walked into the room, though, every one of the others told DongHyun that he needed to stop now and rest. In the face of all five of them insisting, he gave in and relaxed as they continued to work. From the outside, he could see better where they needed work, and so he stayed involved, without moving. By the time they broke for lunch he did feel better.

He caught YoungMin and KwangMin with their heads together, and ushered the rest of the group out to let the twins have their conversation. He didn't wait, although he did move slower than the others, thinking that maybe he needed to stay even stiller that afternoon. He tried to stretch inconspicuously - when he knew HyunSung wasn't watching - and it helped, only he got caught. "You look like your back hurts," KwangMin said, sliding into the seat next to him. "You should probably sit out the rest of the day."

DongHyun lifted an eyebrow at him, but KwangMin didn't back down. He sighed. "What did you two talk about?"

"He apologized." KwangMin said. "We're good."

"Good."

"And you're staying out," KwangMin said.

DongHyun sighed again. "Fine, fine," he said, and smiled to ease the frustration in his voice. "I'll stay off the floor."

"Maybe out of the room," HyunSung said, joining the conversation. "You should probably go home if you're not feeling well."

If he were honest with himself, DongHyun thought as he packed up his bag, he did want to go home, to lay down and rest and try to recover. At least, he thought as he waved good bye and headed out, he knew things would be okay, eventually, if they weren't already.