Blaze

Team Strong

The words were like a blunt attack to the head. Donghae stared, stupefied. He got the gist that ever since Namjoo's strike down Tao had lost it, but he had, too, underestimated Tao's feelings. Time, he'd thought, would help Tao get back on his feet. It wasn't it.

"Tao," Donghae started, but Tao wasn't up for listening to him. Eyes lifeless, Tao rose to his feet. He wasn't planning to bring anything with him as he left Donghae noticed. The criminal offender was really going to go.

This man...was really down trodden.

Holding his wrists out together as he turned toward Donghae he said, "Cuff me."

The stare on Tao's beaten expression turned firm. Just as stubbornly Donghae told, "No."

Tao's eyes widened slightly. The bedroom heightened softly with tension. He couldn't let Tao leave. Donghae needed manpower more now than ever and because letting him go right now didn't feel right. Tao's presence may have been temporary from the beginning, but as their two teams incorporated into one he wasn't just a simple outsider anymore.

"Your job here isn't over yet," Donghae began. After a momentary pause he went on, "This team needs you, Tao. We all need you. We still need you."

"I've had enough with your politics. I want out, Donghae." he said with an aggressive note.

"Why leave now when you didn't earlier?" Donghae questioned. "You may have complained but you were willing to trade anything for freedom. You almost have it, but now you want to give it up?"

"Don't question me," Tao defensively stated.

"Oh, I will, that's my job," Donghae shot back and received Tao's long glare. "You want to give up because Namjoo lost her baby. You knew about it this whole time, but chose not to say a word because you wanted them to yourself. It was your little secret. For a moment you thought 'I could be selfish', but then Namjoo put her life on the line and lost her baby and you couldn't do anything. Yes, you're right. The baby died for nothing and its death was meaningless, and it was your fault! You could have prevented it if you'd spoken up about her pregnancy, but you chose not to! Now it's too late and all you can do is wallow in your own grief. Is that right, Tao? You're the one to blame."

Donghae heard a loud, angry grunt in that split second before he was shoved to the wall, Tao's hand gripping his collar and the other threatening to choke the living daylight out of him. "Shut up!" he screamed. "You don't understand!"

Heaving a breath Donghae asked, "What don't I understand, Tao?"

Tao's menacing gaze penetrated his eyes. The grip on his collar tightened. What Donghae saw was an inconsolable man anguished by his own feelings. Donghae's heart went out to the man who had never loved before.

Softening his tone Donghae said, "It's not your fault."

Gritting his teeth Tao hung his head low, woeful. He probably didn't know how to deal with his own suffering.

He heard a pained cry from Tao, "No...you don't know. You don't know anything. If I stopped her...if I just held her back..."

"Tao," Donghae tried again, "you can't blame yourself. If anyone is to take the blame, it's theirs. We did what we had to." Then he repeated, "It's not your fault."

Tao's lips trembled with a sob. His grip tightened on Donghae's collar once more and loosened before releasing him and stepped back. Tao was broken. His heart and his body, and Donghae did what he never thought he would have to do. He hugged him.

~_____~

Chorong had just finished dinner when the doorbell rang. She wasn't expecting anyone and she couldn't recall informing her parents of her mishaps, so they hadn't been informed of her injuries. Excluding them from the list of possible visitors she walked away from the sink to the door.