if I could wish one thing
Title: if I could wish one thing
Character: Yoochun
Rating: Gen
Word count: 1151
Summary: Yoochun comes back.
Author's Notes: For the open challenge at dbsk_flashfic.
Yoochun drives five hundred miles across the country in under six hours, the night he hears that Jaejoong's father's had a stroke and won't wake up, has maybe only hours to live. It's not even Jaejoong who makes the phone call to let him know, it's Yunho, playing leader one more time. Yoochun knows that's an indication of just how bad a best friend he's been in the last few years, but the knowledge that he's not the first person Jaejoong calls any more still hurts, a gripping ache that makes him step a little harder on the accelerator. He may be a failure at being Jaejoong's friend, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know what he should do. Maybe what he should've done years ago.
He pulls up to the hospital at four in the morning, leaving his car parked carelessly across two spaces - it's probably going to get towed, but he can't bring himself to care. Not when Junsu's standing outside the hospital entrance, head ducked and shoulders shaking ever so slightly. Yoochun slams his door shut and watches the weakness disappear from Junsu's stance at the realisation that someone can see him. "Hey, it's just me," Yoochun calls across the yards of space between them, voice too loud in the pre-dawn stillness.
Junsu calls back, "Yoochun," in a tone that Yoochun doesn't know quite how to read, then smacks at Yoochun's shoulder when Yoochun's close enough. "Where have you been all year, you ass?" Junsu demands, scowling as if it'll hide the sheen in his eyes.
"Being an ass," Yoochun replies, as another wave of regret twists his gut. He knows Junsu well enough to realise that it isn't just Jaejoong Junsu's grieving for, but the idea of the day it'll be his own father, or maybe Junho. The thought makes him pull Junsu into a hug that Junsu tolerates for a handful of seconds before he shrugs out of the hold.
"C'mon," Junsu says, gruff, refusing to look at Yoochun. "Everyone's inside."
Yunho and Changmin are in the waiting room Junsu leads him to, Yunho's arms wrapped tight around Changmin. Yunho's holding on like Changmin's an anchor, and Yoochun's sure it's more to comfort Yunho than Changmin sake. The way Changmin's not complaining about being squashed speaks volumes, though. Yoochun doesn't get a chance to speak before Yunho looks up, untangling himself from Changmin to walk over and hug Yoochun. He doesn't say anything, just holds Yoochun, and Yoochun lets himself sag into the familiar embrace for a long moment, eyes closed. "Where's Jaejoong?" he asks eventually, without lifting his head.
"It's his turn with his dad," Yunho answers, hand moving in slow strokes against Yoochun's back that Yoochun can't help but find comforting. "He's been in there a while, so he should be out soon."
"Does... does he know I'm here?" Yoochun can't help the hesitant tone of his voice as he asks the question, and presses his face into Yunho's shoulder a bit more in an attempt to hide it.
Yunho's hand stills against Yoochun's shoulderblade. "I didn't say anything to him," he replies quietly, making Yoochun flinch at the undertones, the implication that maybe Yunho didn't say anything because he didn't want to have to disappoint Jaejoong when Yoochun didn't turn up after all.
"I'm sorry," Yoochun mumbles into Yunho's shoulder, feeling like he's apologising for everything he's done - and not done - in the last few years.
Yunho hushes him, fingers sliding up into Yoochun's hair to pet soothingly. "It's okay. You're here now."
That's when the waiting room door opens again. Yoochun looks up to see Jaejoong walk in, looking younger and smaller than he did even when they debuted, curled into himself in a way Yoochun hates to see. Jaejoong looks up with an obviously forced smile after he closes the door behind himself. Then his eyes go wide and the smile falls off his face as he catches sight of Yoochun.
"Yoochun," Jaejoong breathes, like he thinks he's looking at the ghost of someone he once loved.
"It's me," Yoochun replies. He shrugs lightly out of Yunho's hold to walk over to Jaejoong, who's just stopped dead in the middle of the room. "Hey."
Jaejoong says, "Hi," automatic, then hits Yoochun's shoulder, not gently. Behind him Changmin huffs a laugh, but Yoochun ignores it. "You're an idiot," Jaejoong says. "This is what it takes to get you to talk to me?"
Yoochun ducks his head and mumbles, "'m sorry," earning himself another punch in the other shoulder.
"Idiot idiot idiot," Jaejoong says. "You are such a dumbass." Then he pulls Yoochun into a fierce hug.
"I missed you," Yoochun says, arms just as tight around Jaejoong.
Jaejoong makes a sound that's almost a laugh, except there's a little too much pain in it. "I missed you too. That doesn't mean you're forgiven."
Yoochun nods slightly. He hadn't expected forgiveness yet, but the hug is more than good enough. "How's your dad?"
"Not good," Jaejoong replies quietly, leaning into Yoochun in a way that Yoochun hadn't realised he missed so much. "They don't think he'll last long."
Yoochun sighs and brushes his lips against Jaejoong's temple, not knowing what to say. 'It'll be okay' is so clearly a lie. "We're here," he says instead, soft. "As long as you need us."
The words are echoed by Yunho, who walks over to curl his arms around Jaejoong from behind, then Junsu and Changmin join them too, wrapping Jaejoong into the middle. "I'm not leaving again," Yoochun whispers into Jaejoong's ear, but the words are meant for all of them to hear.
"You'd better not," Changmin replies after a moment's silence. "If you pull a stunt like that again, we'll just follow you and drag you back."
The words make them all laugh, shaky but still a welcome release of the tension that's been in the room. "You bet," Yunho says, smiling at Yoochun over Jaejoong's shoulder. Yoochun kicks himself again for letting the fear of drifting apart drive him away. Before he can say anything, the door opens again and they all break apart to look at it.
"Jaejoong-ah," Jaejoong's oldest sister says, poking her head into the room, her face twisted in a way that Yoochun can't read.
Jaejoong seems to have no problem, though, his eyes going wide and hopeful. "Is he...?" he asks, taking a step towards his sister.
"He's awake," she says, quiet, a tone reserved for unasked for miracles.
Jaejoong's across the room before the words are completely out of her mouth, his sister right behind him as they head down the corridor. Yoochun turns to the others and finds smiles on their faces that match his. "It'll be okay," he murmurs under his breath, and lets Yunho pull them all back to settle on the couch and wait for Jaejoong to come back.
Character: Yoochun
Rating: Gen
Word count: 1151
Summary: Yoochun comes back.
Author's Notes: For the open challenge at dbsk_flashfic.
Yoochun drives five hundred miles across the country in under six hours, the night he hears that Jaejoong's father's had a stroke and won't wake up, has maybe only hours to live. It's not even Jaejoong who makes the phone call to let him know, it's Yunho, playing leader one more time. Yoochun knows that's an indication of just how bad a best friend he's been in the last few years, but the knowledge that he's not the first person Jaejoong calls any more still hurts, a gripping ache that makes him step a little harder on the accelerator. He may be a failure at being Jaejoong's friend, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know what he should do. Maybe what he should've done years ago.
He pulls up to the hospital at four in the morning, leaving his car parked carelessly across two spaces - it's probably going to get towed, but he can't bring himself to care. Not when Junsu's standing outside the hospital entrance, head ducked and shoulders shaking ever so slightly. Yoochun slams his door shut and watches the weakness disappear from Junsu's stance at the realisation that someone can see him. "Hey, it's just me," Yoochun calls across the yards of space between them, voice too loud in the pre-dawn stillness.
Junsu calls back, "Yoochun," in a tone that Yoochun doesn't know quite how to read, then smacks at Yoochun's shoulder when Yoochun's close enough. "Where have you been all year, you ass?" Junsu demands, scowling as if it'll hide the sheen in his eyes.
"Being an ass," Yoochun replies, as another wave of regret twists his gut. He knows Junsu well enough to realise that it isn't just Jaejoong Junsu's grieving for, but the idea of the day it'll be his own father, or maybe Junho. The thought makes him pull Junsu into a hug that Junsu tolerates for a handful of seconds before he shrugs out of the hold.
"C'mon," Junsu says, gruff, refusing to look at Yoochun. "Everyone's inside."
Yunho and Changmin are in the waiting room Junsu leads him to, Yunho's arms wrapped tight around Changmin. Yunho's holding on like Changmin's an anchor, and Yoochun's sure it's more to comfort Yunho than Changmin sake. The way Changmin's not complaining about being squashed speaks volumes, though. Yoochun doesn't get a chance to speak before Yunho looks up, untangling himself from Changmin to walk over and hug Yoochun. He doesn't say anything, just holds Yoochun, and Yoochun lets himself sag into the familiar embrace for a long moment, eyes closed. "Where's Jaejoong?" he asks eventually, without lifting his head.
"It's his turn with his dad," Yunho answers, hand moving in slow strokes against Yoochun's back that Yoochun can't help but find comforting. "He's been in there a while, so he should be out soon."
"Does... does he know I'm here?" Yoochun can't help the hesitant tone of his voice as he asks the question, and presses his face into Yunho's shoulder a bit more in an attempt to hide it.
Yunho's hand stills against Yoochun's shoulderblade. "I didn't say anything to him," he replies quietly, making Yoochun flinch at the undertones, the implication that maybe Yunho didn't say anything because he didn't want to have to disappoint Jaejoong when Yoochun didn't turn up after all.
"I'm sorry," Yoochun mumbles into Yunho's shoulder, feeling like he's apologising for everything he's done - and not done - in the last few years.
Yunho hushes him, fingers sliding up into Yoochun's hair to pet soothingly. "It's okay. You're here now."
That's when the waiting room door opens again. Yoochun looks up to see Jaejoong walk in, looking younger and smaller than he did even when they debuted, curled into himself in a way Yoochun hates to see. Jaejoong looks up with an obviously forced smile after he closes the door behind himself. Then his eyes go wide and the smile falls off his face as he catches sight of Yoochun.
"Yoochun," Jaejoong breathes, like he thinks he's looking at the ghost of someone he once loved.
"It's me," Yoochun replies. He shrugs lightly out of Yunho's hold to walk over to Jaejoong, who's just stopped dead in the middle of the room. "Hey."
Jaejoong says, "Hi," automatic, then hits Yoochun's shoulder, not gently. Behind him Changmin huffs a laugh, but Yoochun ignores it. "You're an idiot," Jaejoong says. "This is what it takes to get you to talk to me?"
Yoochun ducks his head and mumbles, "'m sorry," earning himself another punch in the other shoulder.
"Idiot idiot idiot," Jaejoong says. "You are such a dumbass." Then he pulls Yoochun into a fierce hug.
"I missed you," Yoochun says, arms just as tight around Jaejoong.
Jaejoong makes a sound that's almost a laugh, except there's a little too much pain in it. "I missed you too. That doesn't mean you're forgiven."
Yoochun nods slightly. He hadn't expected forgiveness yet, but the hug is more than good enough. "How's your dad?"
"Not good," Jaejoong replies quietly, leaning into Yoochun in a way that Yoochun hadn't realised he missed so much. "They don't think he'll last long."
Yoochun sighs and brushes his lips against Jaejoong's temple, not knowing what to say. 'It'll be okay' is so clearly a lie. "We're here," he says instead, soft. "As long as you need us."
The words are echoed by Yunho, who walks over to curl his arms around Jaejoong from behind, then Junsu and Changmin join them too, wrapping Jaejoong into the middle. "I'm not leaving again," Yoochun whispers into Jaejoong's ear, but the words are meant for all of them to hear.
"You'd better not," Changmin replies after a moment's silence. "If you pull a stunt like that again, we'll just follow you and drag you back."
The words make them all laugh, shaky but still a welcome release of the tension that's been in the room. "You bet," Yunho says, smiling at Yoochun over Jaejoong's shoulder. Yoochun kicks himself again for letting the fear of drifting apart drive him away. Before he can say anything, the door opens again and they all break apart to look at it.
"Jaejoong-ah," Jaejoong's oldest sister says, poking her head into the room, her face twisted in a way that Yoochun can't read.
Jaejoong seems to have no problem, though, his eyes going wide and hopeful. "Is he...?" he asks, taking a step towards his sister.
"He's awake," she says, quiet, a tone reserved for unasked for miracles.
Jaejoong's across the room before the words are completely out of her mouth, his sister right behind him as they head down the corridor. Yoochun turns to the others and finds smiles on their faces that match his. "It'll be okay," he murmurs under his breath, and lets Yunho pull them all back to settle on the couch and wait for Jaejoong to come back.