Salvation

Chapter 18

More progress! Apparently I just needed to power read two whole books and I'd be good again. Go figure lol.

...

"How's it going honey?" Yixing's lips drooped to a thoughtful pout. "What happened to your nose?!" His mother's voice turned quickly to alarm, her eyes flying wide. Yixing waved his hand dismissively.

"Little accident," he answered vaguely. "Nothing major." Still his mother looked concerned. Rightfully so. He would have been in her shoes. But he was not outing his cousin's blind rage. "How's it going at home?" He quickly changed topics, hoping to steer the conversation away from his crooked nose and his life in Korea, which had grown too mundane for his liking. He craved excitement, and right now ue wasn't finding it. Quite the opposite.

"Going well," his mother answered after a particularly long pause. "Nothing new to report on. How is Zitao doing?" At that Yixing unintentionally pulled a face. "Not going well?" He thought about what all to tell her. "Where's Yifan?" she asked next.

"Probably at the office," Yixing answered. He at least hoped that was true. Yifan had been going to work the last few days, after being in therapy for a few weeks and being prescribed something for depression. At first the giant of a man had scoffed at the idea, throwing them carelessly on the master bath counter. But as the week wore on his sanity preyed at him. Ate him alive. So he broke and began adding them into his daily rituals. They were not a cure all. But they'd definitely helped stabilize his mood. At least for now.

It's not a bad thing to admit you need some help. In fact, that's often a great sign of strength.

"Zitao is doing..." But at that Yixing paused. He wasn't exactly sure how to explain Zitao's situation any better than he knew how to explain Yifan's. His mother wouldn't quite get their decision to admit him to Jung Ahn's. Nor would she understand why Yixing stayed when the core reason of his being here was nowhere in his grasp right now. "He's okay," he settled on. "Seems to be perking up a bit." His mother nodded thoughtfully. "He's been getting some professional help. I think it's been a good thing for him."

"That's good." Another slightly awkward pause. "What have you found for work down there? Anything with your journalism degree?" At that Yixing shook his head. "Oh sweetie. I'm sure something will come up."

"I'm currently a chef," Yixing admitted softly. His mother made a noise of surprise. "I know it's not the chosen career path I want. And it's not at the most upscale of places even though my credentials could have gotten me a job and any restaurant in the world at this point. But it's not far from Yifan and Zitao. It pays the bills. We get steady business. Right now that's all the important things."

"Remember to do some things for yourself," his mother reminded him. "Sure, you're there to help Yifan. Keep Zitao company. But you're also there for yourself. Make sure you take care of you too. You don't have to shoulder all their problems." Ah. But he sort of did. He was the strong one right now. The one who held his composure and didn't collapse under the weight he'd been burdened with. The one who kept everyone else together, or picked up their pieces when they shattered. It had always been this way. Yixing was rational and cautious, but also great at keeping his head level when shit hit the fan. He was a glorious kind of support system.

"I'll remember that," he promised, even if he felt it was sort of false. He would indeed be the pillar his cousin and his fiance needed. He would continue being that foundation as long as they needed it while they worked to rebuild their own.
He also fleetingly thought of Junmyeon, sitting alone in his room at Jung Ahn's. A man with no support. No family that seemed to love him. No friends that checked on him (or hardly, as Yixing found out Baekhyun had visited him a couple of times in the last few weeks). He wouls be support for him too. However he could. Whatever Junmyeon would allow with a heart closely guarded.