Chapter Text
Kyuhyun had not seen hide or hair of Jiyong for a week now. At first when he woke, he had been disoriented and confused. His mother had been holding his hand calming him while he panicked over his lack of sight.
Two days later he managed to maneuver himself around the room without tripping over his own feet. His members took turns visiting him daily, in groups of two or three. Ryeowook always hovered close fluffing his pillows and refreshing his ice water. Siwon was an angry presence beside the door, even if Kyuhyun could not see him, he could picture Siwon smiling his famous press grin at every doctor that came through and eying the two cops assigned to his case with tense eyes.
Honestly, Kyuhyun felt completely smothered between the two of them, despite the good intentions.
After the twentieth time Ryeowook got up, ‘because the layering of Kyuhyun’s sheets didn’t look right, and who in their right mind turned down the air-conditioning that low, the hospital staff really needed to recheck the plumbing while they fixed the AC, and-’
Kyuhyun had enough, and snapped at everyone to leave or he would end up admitting himself again over a stress hernia. Kyuhyun breathed a sigh of relief as the door shut behind them and he was finally left a moment of peace, which left his mind time to wander.
He’d tried not to think about the specific lack of presence he had expected to be part of the hovering when he woke up. It was a little pathetic, but every time he heard to door click open, his heart would soar, hoping that Kwon Jiyong would walk in like he owned the room, complain about the low quality of the chairs in the room and then proceed to distract Kyuhyun from his shaking hands and new founded vulnerability.
But he hadn’t heard from Jiyong since the-
Since.
Kyuhyun palmed at the coffee table beside his bed, grasping his phone in his hand once he found it. He had probably annoyed Ryeowook with the number of times he asked the man to check if there were any texts, or calls. But Jiyong obviously owed Kyuhyun nothing of the sort, Kyuhyun was the one who had butt into the other man’s life, he didn’t even-
Kyuhyun wondered if they were dating, Jiyong and Teddy. It was possible, they probably spent a lot of time together, knew each other well-
Kyuhyun wondered if he’d be able to stop torturing himself over this.
It was another distraction, from what he was really avoiding.
Red, orange, pain, his manager-
Kyuhyun took a deep shuddering breath as he fisted his shaking hands. He was supposed to be mourning, but he had been stuck in the hospital instead, unable to attend the funeral. He could feel his eyes start to burn, the sobs building up in his chest. This was probably what Ryeowook and Siwon were worried about, rightly so.
But some twisted part of Kyuhyun didn’t feel like he had a right to his pain. He had heard what the cops mumbled, that this was probably the work of an anti-fan. Which meant that this was on Kyuhyun, his fingers gripped and ungripped his phone, trying to keep the anxiety at bae. What did Jiyong think about this? Did he blame Kyuhyun as well, was that why he wasn’t coming to visit?
A commotion at his door broke Kyuhyun away from his thoughts. The door rattled a bit, and the muffled voices from the other end became clear,
“Hyung, did you see the way that nurse looked at me? I think she likes me, maybe I should go ask her out!”
“Seungri-ah, we’re here to visit a patient,” replied a very disgruntled sounding voice, “Jiyongie will be incredibly pissed off if he knew you tried something with one of Kyuhyun’s nurses. And neither of us want him anymore agitated than he already is.”
Kyuhyun’s heart caught in his throat when he heard Jiyong’s name, and he strained his neck to listen further.
“But hyuuung,” Seungri whined, “Just cause Jiyong hyung’s not getting any, why do I have to suffer-”
“That’s enough, we’re going in now and I don’t want to hear a peep from you.”
Kyuhyun heard the door open fully, and he quickly sat back and pretended like he hadn’t been eavesdropping (really, they should have gone elsewhere if they didn’t want him to listen).
The sound of footsteps got nearer and the first person announced themselves, confirming Kyuhyun’s suspicions,
“Annyeonghaseyo Kyuhyun-sii,” he could hear the man shuffle a little, awkwardly, “This is Bigbang’s Taeyang,” he introduced. Kyuhyun couldn’t help snorting, “Yeah, cause there might be another Taeyang coming to visit me, with the same exact voice, who would also get an easy clearance from my bodyguard posted at the door,” Kyuhyun said, wryly amused.
There was a chocked sound of laughter and then a ‘thwack’ sound.
“Ow, why do you guys keeping abusing me! This is domestic violence y’know.” Seungri complained.
“Well, considering your only witness is blind right now, guess you won’t have much of a case to make,” Taeyang replied dryly. “No offense Kyuhyun-ssi,” he added, almost as an afterthought.
“None taken,” Kyuhyun replied easily.
“Sooooo…” Seungri dragged out the word, “We got you fruits and, a pack of wheat energy bars, and what looks like organic cake from a Swiss- Okay-“ Seungri paused, “This has to be some level of double standard, when I was in the hospital the last time where was my cake?? Jiyo-”
“What Seungri means to say,” Taeyang quickly interrupted, “Is that we hope you have a speedy recovery, Kyuhyun-ssi.”
Kyuhyun didnlt let the opportunity go however, “Taeyang-ssi, as much as I appreciate the gesture, I have to ask- Where’s Jiyong?” His phone felt cold in his hands and Kyuhyun tried to hide the slight tremble in them.
Taeyang sighed, “Jiyong is…preoccupied.”
“With what?!” Kyuhyun asked, incredulous.
“Just some things he has to take care of.” Taeyang said vaguely, and Kyuhyun felt himself snap.
“What?! He can’t even look at me anymore?! Is that it? Because I- because-”Kyuhyun could hear the guilt wrecking his own voice, words breaking towards the end. He couldn’t bear to say it however, bring his darkest thoughts out into the open.
“Oh god, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Seungri grumbled, “You two definitely deserve each other. Listen up cupcake, if there is anyone Jiyong blames right now, it’s himself for not being able to get you out of there sooner. Makes no sense, I know, but Hyung tends to be a little dramatic about everything.”
He felt someone squeeze his shoulder, “I’m really sorry this happened to you Kyuhyun-sii,” Taeyang said with his easy sincerity, “Jiyong will visit soon, I promise.”
The rest of the conversation shifted towards the generic, and Kyuhyun couldn’t help clinging to Taeyang’s promise. There was a cruel voice in his head that said, ‘They’re obviously lying, why would Jiyong want to visit a murderer?’
One more week after that visit, Kyuhyun spent in muffled torment, and quiet healing. His eyes were getting better, and Ryeowook had loosed up his spartan guard, letting Kyuhyun take short walks around the hospital- with aide of course.
The sun dipping across the horizon was their timer, and Siwon would dutifully guide Kyuhyun back to bed under Ryeowook’s watchful eye. The problem with going to bed early, especially for a night owl like Kyuhyun, was that it woke him up at an obscene hour.
2 AM
Kyuhyun’s eyes opened up naturally, sensing the same prickling feeling he had since the first time he had woken up at the hospital. The only difference being that when Kyuhyun turned to his head, he could see the physical proof in the mop of red hair resting in the middle of his bed, face tuned towards Kyuhyun, eyes unblinking.
Kyuhyun slowly closed his eyes again, basking in the relief that followed, “Didn’t anyone tell you that it’s rude to stare? Jiyong-ah.”