WinTeam Week 2021

I Would Too

In the aftermath of an accident, there is a truth Win knows....but even he cannot accept it.

feat. cameos from MingKit

prompt: "this isn't your fault"

Ooo

Despite his best intentions, Team is fast asleep by the time Win returns from his coffee run. He's moved from the chair that he'd been occupying to the large couch across one wall of the room. Hair mussed and lips parted, Team shivers lightly thanks to the air-conditioner and Win is quick to tuck his boyfriend's cardigan-turned-blanket under the younger's neck to ward off the chill. Team mumbles under the touch, exhaustion lining the contours of his face as he nuzzles under his sweater and it brings a soft smile to Win's face.

Then he turns his attention to Ming.

Much like Team, the young entrepreneur looks like he's about to collapse from fatigue, eyes red from crying and fingernail indents scattered across his uncovered bicep. His leg never stops tapping the linoleum even as his eyes flit to the prone body on the bed.

Win takes one of the coffee cups from its disposable tray and places a gentle hand on Ming's shoulder. The touch, soft as it is, still elicits a flinch from Ming who startles and then calms under Win's gaze.

"Oh...you're back. Team fell asleep."

"I know. You look like you might too. Drink this. It's tea." Win adds when Ming eyes the drink with distaste. He knows Ming hasn't had much to eat and coffee would be hell on his stomach. The chamomile tea from the cafeteria would have to suffice.

Ming takes the cup gratefully, fingers interlocking around the hard paper but he doesn't drink. Next to him, Win brings a chair over and they sit together in silence.

Win's eyes flit from Ming near him, to Team across the room and to Kit, lying on the bed, tubes in his nose and bandages across his chest and face.

Ming looks at him, follows his gaze to Kit and the breath he takes is wet and hitched on a sob. Without a word, Win winds an arm across the boy's shoulders and brings Ming closer, letting him cry softly into his shirt.

"You know this isn't your fault. This was just a freak accident; no one could have stopped the car. And N'Kit's going to be okay, the doctor said there were no complications."

"That's not the problem!" Ming says in distress into Win's shoulder and when the older man makes a confused noise, the young painter pulls back, despair written in his dark eyes.

"I should have been there! With P'Kit! I was so busy being mad about the fact that he forgot our anniversary that I didn't answer his calls nor did I meet him at the pub when he asked me to see him. The hospital had to call me to tell me what happe- I should have been there- should have been there to hold his hand in that ambulance. I should have been there at the pub; I could have pulled him away and-"

"And what? Gotten hurt as well?"

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you, Ming. You don't know what would have happened. If you were there, maybe you could have pulled Kit out of the way but suppose you'd gotten hurt? Hurt worse ? Kit miraculously got away with nothing more than a broken collar bone and a few scrapes and bruises. But you could have been crushed under the weight of that car. You could have been impaled. You could have had a brain bleed after slamming your head on the concrete. There's a number of other possibilities that could have happened but didn't because you weren't there. Instead, you're here, alive , next to me, and well to take care of Kit. Isn't that better?"