There was a sudden crash as the door was slammed open. A small figure stood in the doorway. She had large eyes and long brown hair. Her hip was pulled to the side as she rested her arm on the door frame.
Ten had never met her before but he had seen plenty of pictures of her from Taeyong. It was Taehee. Taeyong's older sister.
"That would be me." Taehee strode forward and stretched out her hand to the doctor. "Pleasure to meet you, I am Taehee, Lee Taeyong's older sister." It was then that she finally looked over at Ten as he stood behind the doctor.
"Ten! It's so nice to finally meet you I've heard so much about you!" Taehee reached out her arms and grasped Ten into a big bear hug. Ten felt he could do nothing but stand there shocked. Finally she let go and looked him in the eyes.
"Close your mouth before you start catching flies." She smiled and turned to the doctor who also seemed to be in a state of shock at Taehee's whirlwind appearance. "Anything you need to say, you can say in front of him as well."
"Uh-oh. Well- " The doctor seemed to be grasping at the right things to say. "Um, Taeyong's surgery has just finished and he is being taken to the ICU. The surgery went well and the surgeon seems quite proud of his work. He may still not be able to hear but that may come with time. We have done all that we can to help the process and get his hearing back. Now it is up to his body to get itself working again."
"Can we see him?" Ten asked anxiously. He wanted to see Taeyong soon and apologize for how he acted earlier.
"His sister can but I'm sorry, it's immediate family only. There are too many sick people in the ICU to let just anyone come in. Once he is moved back to his regular room you may see him." The doctor cleared his throat. "Now, miss if you'll come with me."
"Can I have a moment to speak with Ten privately please? I will be along as fast as I can. Just wait a minute for me at the nurses station, would you?" she flashed a smile that could have blinded even the sun.
Taehee might be the only woman in the world that Ten thought might, if he was very drunk and feeling free, turn him straight for a night. Which was weird to think because she was Taeyong's older sister.
The doctor spoke quickly as he exited the room a little stunned. "No need to rush, he is still out from the anesthetics".
Taehee then turned to Taeil who was still sitting in the chair. "You too. I am sure we will get to talk soon."
Without saying a word Taeil left the room as well.
Taehee reached out and grasped Ten's arm. "Tell me everything, What happened? Why are they talking about Taeyong's hearing being gone?"
"Uh, well I don't know most of what happened myself. He only woke up yesterday and we never got to talk about what happened to him."
"Tell me what happened to you then." Taehee perched herself on the bed.
Ten tried to speak but he felt his throat constrict and close. "I- I- I was taken." It was the only thing his body let him speak before it closed and he felt mute. He started to gasp for air at the memories of it all. "I can't."
"Oh, oh, It's okay. Taken? Like kidnapped? Oh my goodness."
Ten was still gasping but he tried to tell Taehee. "She- she- she-"
"Ten, it's okay you don't have to say it."
Taehee was silent for a moment as she thought about how to calm him down. "Tell me about my brother." Now probably wasn't the time to be quizzing her brother's boyfriend but she had to make sure that her instinct about Ten was correct.
Ten's breathing started to come easier, "Taeyong? Well, what do you want to know?"
"Well, do you love him?"
"Of course I love him I would do anything for him." His voice is almost offended that she would doubt that.
"Okay, you know as his older sister I have to ask." Taehee looked into Ten's eyes.
"Taehee, I could live 500 lives as ghandi and not be as wonderful a person as your brother has been to me, he is the most self-sacrificing and brave person I think has ever lived. He's kind and caring and perfect." He didn't elaborate on why but the sincerity in his voice was there. "I wish I deserved him. For the rest of my life I'll wonder what I did to have him be a part of my life. The knowledge that all that happened is my fault, it haunts me. I am the reason that Taeyong is going to live a much different life than the one he thought he would be living a year ago." Everything, all of it, it was Ten's fault.
Taeyong would have probably gotten a girlfriend and written her love songs that he could sing while they cuddled. If not for Ten being gay and having an obsessed fan. If not for Ten. His freedom, his hearing, his life, it was all taken away from him because of Ten. The thought caused the tears that had been brimming in his eyes to finally spill over. He let his hands rise up to cover his face.
"Ohhh," her arms wrapped around him as she tried to comfort him. "We can't think like that. I will go see him and I'm sure he will have started to hear something. Is there anything you would like me to tell him?"
"No, I'll tell him myself when he comes back to the room." Ten wiped his eyes and let out a small sniffle. There was one thing that Ten ached and yearned to tell Taeyong but it was the one thing that he had sworn he would never tell.
Taehee let go and shuffled out of the room. She slowly made her way to the nurses station. If there was such a thing as true love Taehee thought she had found it in Ten. He obviously loved Taeyong so much. Hopefully Taeyong felt the same way.
She finally arrived at the nurses station where she looked around for the doctor that had been in Taeyong's room. He stood off to the side behind a desk. It appeared he was using some files to hide himself as he glanced quickly over them.
Men were so silly. Taehee walked over and rapped her knuckles on the desk. "Looking for someone?"
The doctor gave a start and jumped as he clutched his hand to his heart. Before speaking he closed and set down the files he had been using as a shield.
"Right this way, he just woke up." The doctor guided Taehee through the hospital and to a small room where a dozen machines counted, measured or administered this or that. Hooked to the countless machines was her brother. He looked to thin and pale but when he saw her his face broke into a soft smile. He looked awful. Bandages and wraps everywhere. What had happened?
"I was wondering when you would show up." He breathed out.
Quickly, Taehee walked over to Taeyong's bedside and grasped his hand. She didn't know whether she should speak or not. Could he hear?
"You've spoken to the doctors?" he asked. Taehee nodded, keeping her silence. Taeyong took a sharp breath in. "Where's mom?"
"She-" She stopped herself as she remembered Taeyong couldn't hear her. Pulling out her phone, Taehee quickly started to type.
'She's not coming.' When she showed the message to Taeyong she could see the disappointment in his face. She started to type out another message before he could speak. 'She refuses to talk about you sense you came out as gay.' He just came out of surgery, thought Taehee. It wouldn't be good to make him too stressed. She quickly erased the message before Taeyong read it. 'She is very busy with work.'
A scoff escapes Taeyong. "Bullshit. So busy she couldn't even call? No, I know the real reason she didn't come." Taeyong knew it was unlikely that any of his family besides his sister would ever talk to him again but he had just had a near death experience and they couldn't even be bothered to make sure he was okay. "I bet I'm a taboo subject now, huh?"
Taehee's fingers were working quickly once more, 'She'll come around. You just have to give her and dad some time.'
She could see Taeyong roll his eyes after he read. "If I wait for mom and dad to be okay with it, I'll die waiting."
'Let's talk about something else please. Tell me about you and Ten. How did you start dating? Do you love him? Give me all the details.' Taehee looked up eagerly.
"How is he? Is he still angry at me?" his voice was quiet.
For a moment Taehee was taken aback. 'Mad? No? Why would he be mad?'
Taeyong sighed, "We had an argument before I went into surgery. I don't know. He seemed really upset."
'He was just really worried about you when I talked to him. Is everything okay between you guys? You didn't answer my question.' Taehee shows Taeyong her phone.
At this Taeyong didn't answer right away but chose to become very distracted with one of the machines that were reading his heartbeat.
Taehee reached out her hand and placed it on his shoulder. She gave him her best older sister look that said 'What aren't you telling me?' without her having to type a word.
"Where do I even start?" Taeyong toyed in his mind whether or not he should tell his sister everything or just tell her the same thing he told the public. In the end he wanted, and needed his sister's guidance to much to lie.
"A while back I convinced Ten to go on a date with a girl. Ten didn't really want to go, needless to say the date went awful and she ended up in tears. I had followed them on the date, and I got upset at Ten for how he acted. It was then that he, well he shouted it at me but he told me he was gay. And that's why he hadn't wanted to go on the date with the girl. The girl heard and leaked the information to the press who published. Now Ten hadn't told anyone that he was gay, I was it. So I felt like it was my fault that the press found out and I wanted to make the whole thing easier for Ten. So I told everyone we were dating. I'm sure you've seen the articles about it."
Taehee wanted to respond but thought better of it and sat quietly waiting for Taeyong to finish his story. He lied about being gay? But Ten! The poor boy was hopelessly in love with Taeyong and Taeyong was pretending.
"I felt so protective of him. At first I did it because he was my best friend and I would be damned if I was going to let him deal with all that alone. But slowly my feelings became real. Taehee," Taeyong looked sadly into Taehee's eyes. "I'm in love with him."
He paused as if to say that the story was done.
Taehee quickly typed again. 'I sense a but coming although I can't seem to find a problem. You love him, sometimes love happens like that.'
"I started to suspect that he was already in love with someone else." Taeyong could see by Taehee's shocked face that she hadn't seen that coming. "Before everything Ten had told me that he had liked someone. And" he took a deep breath before he continued. "One night we went out on a date, we were at the club. I tried to kiss him and he turned away. It was then that I realized that his feelings for me were of the friend variety and not the same ones I was feeling. I had -"
Taehee held up her hand for him to stop and then started to type a message on her phone. 'I think you're mistaken. I only talked with Ten for a couple minutes but it was very clear to me that he loves you too.'
"Why didn't he kiss me then? Why after that night did he demand boundaries? And that we keep our private lives separate? Why would he do all that if he shared my feelings? Why would he push me away over and over?" Taeyong's heart beat faster in his anxiousness and the heart monitor beside him also picked up its pace. He realized after a sharp pain in his hand that he was clenching his fist and his nails were digging into his palm.
She thought a moment, about what Taeyong had said and also what she had observed with Ten. Something didn't add up. When she talked to Ten he seemed to be missing half of his heart. She could clearly tell that Ten loved Taeyong.
Suddenly it all clicked. Taehee let out a sharp laugh and once she started she couldn't stop at the irony of it all. How could the both of them be so silly?
Finally Taeyong couldn't take it any longer and spoke up, "Are you going to share what's so funny about my pathetic love life or?"
At this Taehee's laughter quieted and she quickly got to typing.
'Oh you silly, silly boy."
'Have you told Ten that you love him?'
Taeyong shook his head, still not getting why that was funny.
'So you haven't said anything to let him believe that you are in fact gay for him and that it isn't all for show?' Taehee smirked as Taeyong read.
"What do you mean?"
'Ten still thinks you are straight and pretending to be in love with him. He doesn't think your feelings for him are real. I am 110% sure that Ten is in love with you. It was probably too painful to kiss you and think that it was all pretending. So he turned away. He wanted boundaries because he thought his feelings for you were too strong or something. You idiot.'
She watched as Taeyong grasped for words. His mouth gaping like a fish out of water. "But- But-"
Taehee was already typing again. 'No buts! You need to confess your feelings to him.'
"What if you're wrong. What if he actually likes someone else?" Taeyong panicked.
'Am I ever wrong?' Taehee handed the phone to him and made sure to look pointed at him so that he listened.
"Okay, okay." He muttered.
Just then the same doctor came in and spoke to Taehee. "It's time to move Taeyong to his regular room."
"So soon?"
"Yes, we only needed to keep him here for a while so we could observe him and make sure he didn't have any bad reactions to the anesthetics or surgery."
The doctor got to work hooking Taeyong up to portable machines.
Soon Taeyong was being wheeled down back to his room.
Neither of them said anything more about Ten.
Taeyong hoped to have some time alone with Ten where he could apologize for yelling. But when they arrived back in the room Ten wasn't alone. Standing beside him were two police detectives.
They waited until Taeyong got situated in his room before they spoke.
"Hello I am detective Kim and this is detective Park. We need to speak to Taeyong and Ten alone please."
Taeyong spoke up. "If she could stay, my hearing is currently lacking, and it will be hard for me to understand everything you say without a scribe."
"Oh, um, sure. We will be recording everything said for our records of course."
Taeyong looked at Taehee. For a moment the two siblings stared at each other and seemed to be having a silent conversation.
"Oh!" Taehee said finally. She pulled out her phone and wrote down what the detectives said for Taeyong.
"Here, Taehee take my spot." Ten stood up from his spot in the chair next to Taeyong's bed. Taehee started to protest but Ten insisted. "Just so you can show him your phone easier. I'll expect my spot back when we are done." He gave her a small smile.
"Okay," Taehee quickly shuffled over and sat in the chair. Her phone in her hands, ready to translate.
"Ten if you would start, Please recap what happened to you."
Ten looked over at Taeyong, before looking back at the cops. "I-I can't. I tried already. I can't."
Detective Park spoke up, "We have to know what happened in order to prosecute Eunjin." He pulled a notepad and pen from his jacket pocket. "Sit. What would make it easier to tell the story? Maybe pretend that the rest of us aren't here and it's just you and Taeyong. Tell him what happened."
Ten looked down to where Taeyong was laying back. Taeyong reached out to take Ten's hand. He gave it a squeeze. "It's okay."
"I was at the broadcast. I- I-" Ten faltered as he though about why he had left. "I wasn't feeling good. Like my limbs were in jelly. I started to black out. Someone," He paused as he tried to remember who it was. "I don't remember who. I thought they were taking me home."
Taeyong looked deeply at him. He had no idea what Ten was saying yet but that didn't make it any easier to talk about it out loud. Ten swallowed and started again. "When I woke I was tied. To a chair." His mouth felt dry as a bone. "The room was covered in photos of me. Eunjin was there. She told me that we would be together. That she had taken care of everything. She even sent you a message on my phone saying I was alright. She would come and go.
"I tried to get out of my bonds. One day, it could have been night, she came to me." The words started to stick in his throat again. His eyes started to prickle as the memory overwhelmed him.
"She told me you were dead." He quickly wiped at his eyes. The pain that he had felt was rising in his chest. Even though he knew and saw that Taeyong was with him and safe he couldn't help but panic a little.
"I don't remember much after that. Eunjin would visit but I didn't care. I didn't want to play her game. I wanted to die myself." He stared in Taeyong's eyes and Taeyong reached his other hand over to hold Ten's in both of his own. His eyes shone in the florescent lights. The deep never ending brown.
Finally with the hardest part over, Ten looked up at the detectives. "uh, then I remember seeing Taeyong's face look at me. I thought it was a dream. I thought I was hallucinating. It took me a while before I believed that he was real. When I walked out into the front room of where she was keeping me I saw Taeyong tieing her up. She was unconscious. It was then that I let myself think that this was actually reality. We escaped and we were walking when Taeyong passed out. I stayed there with him till the police showed up. And you know the rest."
Ten looked back at Taeyong once he finished and they looked at each other in the silence until Taehee tapped him and passed the phone that had all that Ten had just said. He read it quickly. His eyes scanning the words like lightning.
Finally he looked up at Ten. His hand that was still holding Ten's squeezed. "I am so sorry."
Ten wiped at his face again. He didn't want any tears lingering. "You shouldn't be sorry. You went through so much worse than I did."
He waited for Taehee to scribe it down.
Once Taeyong had read it he looked up at Ten once more. "You don't even know what happened to me."
"I don't need to know what happened to know that you didn't deserve it." Ten's voice was just above a whisper.
There was a soft cough from one of the Detectives. Ten realized now was not the time to have this moment.
"You're turn, Taeyong." Spoke detective Park.
Taeyong was quiet for a moment before he spoke. He told his story quickly and with a couple questions from the detectives. There were collective gasps from both Taehee and Ten when he told about the collapsing building. He told about the girl and Eunjin, having to fight them both. Then he told about finding Ten and fainting.
By the end of his story Ten was clutching Taeyong's hand.
"I'm the one that's sorry, I am so sorry Taeyong. It's all my fault." His face fell and he no longer could keep looking in Taeyong's eyes. He let his grip on Taeyong's hand loosen till their hands were almost apart. But he suddenly felt Taeyong's hand gripping his tightly again.
"Look at me Ten," he heard Taeyong's soft voice. It took him a moment before he could meet Taeyong's eyes. When he finally did, Taeyong's eyes were full of sadness as he spoke. "None of this is your fault. I never want to hear those words come from you again. Promise me you won't blame yourself."
Ten couldn't speak so he just let himself give the smallest of nods. He couldn't promise not to blame himself.
There was a shuffling and a sniffle as Ten was pulled out of their small moment and he remembered that the police officers were still in the room.
Ten cleared his throat quickly before he spoke. "uh, anything else?"
Detective Park spoke, "We will need you to come down to the station to give official statements and testimonies for our records but its good enough for now that we understand what happened." They both made to leave. "If you will excuse us, we will be on our way." They seemed to have gotten uncomfortable with all the affection going on between Ten and Taeyong. Opening the door they quickly shuffled out and Taeil poked his head in before the door closed.
"Hey man! I'm glad you guys are good. I have to get going though, practice and all." Taeil spoke quickly before he ducked his head back out of the door.
There was a moment of silence after he left before Taeyong finally spoke, "Ten, would you care to learn some sign language with me?" Taeyong had been thinking about this for a while. He knew there was a possibility that his hearing wouldn't come back and while it was gone he needed a better way to communicate until it chose whether or not to return.
At hearing this Ten's face lit up. He quickly pulled out his phone.
Taehee gave up her seat so that Ten could show him all the signs he had looked up on his phone. Taehee watched from a distance as the two boys learned different signs for this and that. She watched them bond and laugh together as Taeyong asked what certain swear words were or how horse looked like devil horns.
She couldn't help but marvel at the chemistry and love that both of the boys had toward each other without knowing the other one felt the same way. How could men be so dumb?
The sight of the two of them Taehee took out her phone and took a quick picture. She would show it to them later. Once they had finally told each other their feelings.
YOU ARE READING
Baby Don't Stop
FanfictionTen and Taeyong are best friends, but what Taeyong doesn't know is that Ten is gay. What would happen if Taeyong found out? What happens when the whole world finds out? You'll have to read BDS to know!
