The uneasy wet feeling woke Baekhyun up. His ears were ringing and he couldn’t move. He was in the darkest place he had ever been and he was stuck, he couldn't even move a muscle. 

He panicked.

The pain in his head was terrible, and the current drowning feeling he was having only made it worse.

The breath started to come in short gasps of air. Why won't he move? Why won't his body move?

The voice of someone from his right gave him some semblance of reality back and he remembered where he was. It only made things worse for him.

'Hello? Who is this?' Baekhyun tried to say but his vocal cords were frozen. He only ended up making a pained noise. He couldn’t even speak without exerting all his energy to the task.

"B-Baekhyun?" The voice on the other side asked uncertainly. Baekhyun put all his will power in to turning his head a little towards the light coming from the phone. A sob breaking through him and then several following it.

"Help." He managed to get out in a broken voice before he was back to struggling to breathe.

"Where are you? Baekhyun we're trying to find you." Said the voice, but all he could do was cry. "Can you tell us where you are?"

They didn't know where he was. He was doomed, he was dead. There was no way he had a fighting chance. He forced himself to calm down a little but failed. The voice on the other end seem to notice this and guided him to a little better state. Enough to say four words before the phone's battery died and it turned off.

The darkness came again and this time Baekhyun’s anxiety took his consciousness from him.

 

***

 

30 minutes.

Kyungsoo’s phone rang and even though it was an unknown number he stilled attended the call.

However all he could here on the other end of it were ragged, panicked breaths.

"B-Baekhyun." He'd know thay voice anywhere, he had seen police interviews many times to know it.. He tried to make the other calm down but there was no helping him. Baekhyun was way too scared to hear him. He soothed the other man the best he could and after his heart ached at the weak voice that hitched 'help' he finally managed to ask the other to reveal his location.

His heart sank into his belly at Baekhyun’s broken words. 

"C-coffin." Kyungsoo blanched he was having a hard time understanding Baekhyun’s mumbling but there was no mistaking. "I can't breathe--"

Kyungsoo didn't realize for a few seconds that the call had ended and he just looked at his phone in confusion. He tried to call back but the number was off.

Then like the flip of a switch he went into overdrive mode. He started shouting orders left and right.

Tao, Junmyeon and Sehun looked at Kyungsoo un utmost confusion while still heeding his orders.

"Kyungsoo?" Tao grabbed his shoulders and shook him a little. 

"Where is he?" Kyungsoo’s wide eyes filled with fear for Baekhyun seemed to quiver as they settled on Tao. He swallowed. "That sick buried him alive." 

Sehun let out a horrified noise at that, sinking to his knees. Junmyeon was immediately at his side.

"We need to bring something dig him out. Shovels, anything." Kyungsoo said, his voice trembling. 

He soon ordered everyone to dig up the places they were at and find that coffin in all of the five locations he sent his teams. They were just getting ready to dig when Kyungsoo’s phone rang again.

He assumed it to be Baekhyun and picked it up faster than his mind could even process the action.

A panicked voice sounded from the other side. It took him some time to fathom that it wasn’t Baekhyun and he realized he hadn’t heard anything the other guy had said.

"Minsoek, Hyung." Kyungsoo shook his head trying to focus. "Slow down. What are you saying?"

"Yeol, the killer called him, he went." 

"What?" Kyungsoo slammed his palm to his forehead in frustration, he was so busy finding Baekhyun, he couldn’t be at two places at once. Now Chanyeol had gone and landed himself in danger.

"Why? Why in the damned hell ..."

"He said that he had Baekhyun." Minsoek cut in. "He said he lied to you and forbade Yeol to call you or he would blow Baek up, he said there was a bomb." Minsoek was breathless. "I'll send you the location Yeol sent me. He said Baekhyun was there."

"What if he lied to Chanyeol." Kyungsoo said frustrated, rubbing his forehead trying to ease the tension in his temples.

"If Yeol doesn't die, he said he'll let me know. I'm going to him right now, you need to send someone there."

"Fine, fine, keep me informed." He hung up and kicked the shovel in his hand, cursing loudly. He looked up to see the three males looking at him with worry in their eyes. Kyungsoo doubted that they were doing any better than him. His head was spinning and he felt so out of touch with his body. He just wanted this to end. Right now he didn't know where to go. For the second time in his life Kyungsoo felt the utter hopelessness of his situation. He was here and everything was happening around him, but all he could do was watch, unable to stop it from happening. He fell back into the despair he had felt a while ago after finding out that Baekhyun was in none of the marked locations. He knew the others were waiting for answers but his words failed him, the only thing he could say was what he truly felt.

"We're ed."

 

***

 

Chanyeol clutched his side right under the ribs as the pain intensified for a moment, bringing him to his knees, turning his world black. He breathed in and out slowly to focus and then rose up again. 

There was nothing there.

Hell. For a moment he felt sure that this was a trap and anyone could jump at him. The fear he felt at that thought alone was enough to steal his breath from him. It was very hard and even though he felt like he couldn’t do it, he pushed through.

He made himself put one foot in front of the other and look around. He didn't want to loom around. He just wanted to curl up on the ground and hurl his guts out. One moment of peace was apparently too much to ask for in his life. He grunted as his side flared with agony. He bit his bottom lip to stop further sounds from escaping.

No one was here, no one.

Chanyeol turned 180 degrees to see if he had missed anything and took a step back, stumbling over the un even ground. He looked down to inspect it and his heart froze. 

How had he missed it. It was a hole filled hastily. He called Minsoek again. 

"He's here, I think..." Chanyeol felt a wave of hotribel fear wash over him as he let the words out. "I think he's buried. Did you call Soo?" He asked as soon as the call was picked up.

"I did, Chanyeol " said Minsoek. "I'll see you in five."

Chanyeol did not waste anytime throwing his phone to the ground beside him he started picking the dirt with his hands. It barely made a dent. He cursed and looked around desperate for anything to move the dirt. 

He ran all the way back to his car opening the boot, praying to find something, anything, and looked at the tools in it.

Chanyeol almost cried at his luck when he saw a shovel there. He didn't even remember putting it there, maybe it had always been there? He didn't care right now because it was too good. He sprinted back to the place where he was supposed to dig, where the grave was, it was hard to even think about it.

Chanyeol couldn't imagine the horror Baekhyun must be feeling trapped under all this dirt. Was he awake down there? He would feel as his air ran out? Had it run out already? Was it running out right at this moment. Chanyeol was so busy digging that he didn't notice as Minsoek arrived and started to dig with him without saying a word. He wasn't even surprised to see him there he just kept digging, the cold turning into waves of heat as he sweated all over the dirt.

"You've a shovel." He pointed out to Minsoek when he finally took a note of the man helping him.

"Yeah you said he was buried so i bought one on the way." He explain, working to the best of his ability. "Should you even be doing that?" Minsoek asked worried as Chanyeol let out a protest of pain when he lifted a particularly heavy shovel full of dirt. 

Chanyeol wiped his sweat with the back of his hand not caring if he smeared it and looked at Minsoek unbelievably. 

"This is hardly the time to put me in bed rest Hyung!" He almost yelled. Arms shoving the mud away even harder.

Minsoek breathed heavily. "That's why I didn't say anything." It didn't take them long at a to dig half way and then even more until Minsoek's shovel hit something hard. He freed the coffin of dirt.

He positied himself to stand on the edges of the coffin and moved the rest of the dirt with his hands.

Chanyeol took the unsaid hint and climbed out of the hole with difficulty, losing his vision for a moment. 

Minsoek placed his shovel at the edge of the coffin near the feet part and drove it in to break the wood, hoping that he did not hit the man inside. Once the wood gave way, he used his foot to break it further making sure he didn't accidently kick too hard and hurt Baekhyun. 

There was no sound coming from inside, no movement. Minsoek feared the worst.

As soon as he had enough space, he grabbed Baekhyun by the arms and lifted him up. "Chanyeol." He grunted under the weight as he tried to lift the lifeless man. 

Chanyeol was looking right down and reaching out to take a hold of Baekhyun. He noticed how his small lips were tinged with blue. Chanyeol's ears were ringing. He didn't know how he managed it but he put all his strength in lifting Baekhyun out of the ditch and onto the ground. 

He pressed his large ear to the smaller man's chest and heard a faint heart beat through the wihte noise of this pain, there was no breath coming from those lips though.

Minsoek had climbed up. And was checking up on Baekhyun. 

"Chanyeol." He called breaking him out of his ordeal of seeing another person die at the hands of the same man responsible for who knew how many others. He tilted Baekhyun’s head back and started compressions.

"When I say, i need you to breath into his mouth." He instructed and started pushing at the too still chest. Trying to give this man he didn't even know a second chance of life.

Chanyeol did as he was told. He thought of how this could end a family since Baekhyun was apparently the last member of his. He wanted desperately to help save him since he couldn’t lift a finger to save his sister and he wondered if Baekhyun knew what had happened to his sister. 

There was a loud gasp and Baekhyun's eyes flew open gulping down as much air as he could, coughing at the effort. His chest moving heavily. Minsoek sat back, eyes on Baekhyun.

It was then that the cops arrived. Too late. 

Chanyeol didn’t even look up as he kept holding the smaller male helping him breathe, watching him as his eyes fluttered open and shut going in and out of consciousness, his own pain forgotten. 

He didn't realize that he was clutching this guy's hand tightly into his own as if it would somehow transfer his strength into the other guy. He did not take any notice of two men crouching on the other side of Baekhyun taking a hold of his other hand. 

Chanyeol felt something was wrong. The guy had woken up but he hadn't even moved an inch. He gently cupped the other guy's face to make him focus on himself. He saw the head wound then too. The blood was caking his hair.

"Can you move?" He already knew the answer. The other guy swallowed and mumbled something very hard to interpret. But Chanyeol understood and it just made everything even harder to digest. 

Baekhyun, the lone survivor, inside a coffin, paralysed by injecting, unable to move or breathe. 

It made him want to hold him close and protect him when he had nothing else to offer.

"I-" Baekhyun mumbled. By now Baekhyun was more in new comer's arms than Chanyeol's. "Wanna stand." He said with extreme difficulty. Chanyeol moved to help the other man support Baekhyun. Minsoek was talking with one of the new comers. Junmyeon, he was a friend of Baekhyun and Minsoek. He remembered as he saw them converse from the corner of his eyes. He had just started walking when Kyungsoo motioned for someone to come to them. 

Wad the ambulance here already? Good. Chanyeol thought as he favored the thought of lowering Baekhyun down bacause it was really hurting him to stand under the limp boy's weight. Kyungsoo ran towards them to check up on Baekhyun, whose hand was lulling to the sides, his muscles seemed to be dead. 

Then he heard it 

A vert faint beep beep beep. He remembered, the bomb. He raised his eyes and he saw the same realization hit Chanyeol, just as it intensified, he yelled at everyone to run. The ones who couldn't run in time were Chanyeol, and Sehun because they were supporting Baekhyun. 

Kyungsoo didn't debate the thought that enteredhis mind, he acted, launching himself at the three men, giving them a hard push forward as the bomb exploded. Kyungsoo felt the heat of a thousand suns sorch his back.

The sound was so loud that he felt like this ringing in his ears would never end. He could feel something warm trickling out of his ears as well as the side of his head. He must have impacted it somewhere. 

However nothing was worse than the pain of the burns in his back, his shirt was fully scorched, sticking to his burns. He heard someone screaming in pain as hands came to lift him. He could only see the world through his tears of pain in burning colors. He could only hear people yelling in desperately loud voices as he sobbed and let his eyes shut to block out the pain and passed out.

Four men ran towards them.

 

***

When the first medical responders arrived they immediately deemed Kyungsoo to be in worst condition of all and strapped him to a stretcher, stomach down, an oxygen mask covering most of his face the next two arrived and headed towards Chanyeol who was also bleeding from his arm and temple. He had momentarily lost consciousness but then had regained it to see the detective being carried out. He had immediately checked up on Baekhyun. He was alive too, but unconscious. So he self diagnosed himself to be feeling much better than him.

As the medical team ushered Baekhyun to the ambulance he refused to in a separate one, he wanted to stay with Baekhyun. He couldn’t leave the other guy now. He had made a vow, he didn’t know when but he had made a vow to make it up to Baekhyun. 

He remembered another look he had seen Baekhyun give him before today. On the day he had snuck into Chanyeol's hospital room, he knew about it now. He had seen the words written on Baekhyun’s face as clear as the day. "You survived l, why didn't my sister."

He had truly tried since then to make his conversations more about Baekhyun leading Minsoek to share what he found out through Minsoek and ever since then he had wanted to protect him.

If he thought back to it. He remembered this being one of the driving forces that had made him call his sister today. He hadn't grasped it before. 

The medic team gave up on Chanyeol and allowed him to ride in the same ambulance as Baekhyun because he wouldn't let them help him.

He wondered if therapy worked the same way. If it made people realise things that they didn't know before or they knew but pushed down.

If he didn't need therapy before he'd certainly need it now. Maybe he and Baekhyun could share this tragedy together and sit like idiots near a stranger opening their hearts up hoping that ut would help.

What about Kyungsoo though. He worried for the detective who had been very badly injured. He recalled Kyungsoo saying that he didn't want this case to go viral. Well they wouldn't be able to now after thia explosion and the whole country would know they had a serial killer to look for including the serial killer and he would hide.

Chanyeol had taken hints from the killer himself and gathered that this was his second regime. If that guy managed to hide, would there be a third one? He couldn’t imagine it. 

Now that he was in this deep he couldn’t imagine it.

The ambulance ride was nothing but worry for Baekhyun and Kyungsoo and pain he himself was feeling. When they reached hospital he saw the rush there, the doctors were busy checking his friends while he and Baekhyun were wheeled into separate rooms to treat. 

He saw a new doctor treating him this time. He blinked in a lethargic manner. "Doctor Yixing?" He asked.

The Doctor offered him a kind smile. "He's treating your friend, Baekhyun. I'm Doctor Minho." Chanyeol relaxed in the bed allowing himself to be treated. 

It was a mess of bandages and tests and more medicine than he could count. He felt like it was hours before he was allowed to fully relax. His abdominal wound had been agitated, but thankfully it had not started bleeding internally. Chanyeol was about to fall asleep when Minsoek entered his room followed by Junmyeon. He pushed himself up a little to sit. "How's Kyungsooand Baekhyun?" He asked them, noticing the bandages on their face. They had both taken a some impact of the bomb too, even from far away.

Drugs that were administered to Chanyeol were very high potency and yet they could not put him to sleep. He had been wheeled around for hours as the doctors checked him for the signs of infections and internal bleeding, but except a few scrapes and bruises and just one big cut on his temple he was fine. 

He was fine, thanks to Kyungsoo. 

Chanyeol sighed as he covered his face with his hands. The darkness soothed his eyes as he closed them. And yet they started to sting moments later and he opened them. Kyungsoo had gotten very badly hurt while trying to save him and Baekhyun, and Sehun too. He didn’t know Sehun but from what he had heard when Minsoek came to him he found out that he was also fine and all of them except Baekhyun and Kyungsoo would only slap a bandage on their wounds and be okay.

He felt bad, very bad. But his bad feeling stopped just short of feeling guilty because his recklessness had saved a life. He had saved Baekhyun.

Chanyeol considered sneaking out of his room to see him, but Yixing had popped his head in a while ago and given him the deadliest of stares forbidding him leaving the room.

That was until he found out that Tao had ordered a room change for him and Baekhyun. They were too exposed on the ground floor so they would be shifted to the third floor, he and Baekhyun in the same room. He didn’t know where that came from but his heart swelled a little at the thought. Tao was junior to Kyungsoo, and he was so scared after Kyungsoo had gotten hurt that he refused to take any chances. 

As Canyeol sat in his room he looked around taking in his new surroundings, it was a little more spacious, to make room for Baekhyun most obviously, he figured.

It didn’t take long when a bed was wheeled next to his holding an unconscious figure. His face covered with an oxygen mask. Chanyeol couldn’t help but feel sad seeing him. He could see so much pain on Baekhyun’s face even when he was asleep. He wanted to chase them away. He wanted to chase his worries away.

Too hard, he gathered. Some wounds never healed, people just had to learn to live with the gaping hole in them while trying their best to not feel that it was there.

Chanyeol didn’t know how long he stared at the features of the other man, constricted with stress.

The drugs finally took effect and when Chanyeol woke up a little, he didn’t open his eyes. He listened to the hushed voices talking. Minsoke and Junmyeon. He were both talking about going to get something to eat. He felt a little bad for keeping Minsoek tied with him for this long. Ever since he had gotten hurt, he hadn’t left Chanyeol’s side. He drifted again. 

When he rose again, he didn’t know what had risen him. He focused a little opening his eyes to room with dimmed lights, he figured that it must not have been long because Junmyeon and Minsoek weren’t back yet. Then he heard it again, the sound that had woken him, a whimper. The only thing he thought was that someone was attacking Baekhyun, Chanyeol leaped off the bed and ripped open the curtains separating their beds but there was nothing there but the man himself.

It looked like he was having a bad dream, Chanyeol looked at the door uncertainly, as if Junmyeon and Minsoek would come back and handle this situation but nothing happened. He bit his lips in contemplation thinking of that to do. 

He decided to act because the next sound of distress was a half sob. He couldn’t take it anymore. So he grabbed Baekhyun’s shoulders taking a note of his possible injuries in that area but all he saw were the bandages around the other man’s wrists. He felt awful seeing him like this. He tried to shake the other male but that didn’t help so he tightened his hold on Baekhyun just a little, enough for him to feel it through his sleep but not nearly enough to be painful. 

As soon as he did, Baekhyun’s eyes sprang open, in panic, wide, startling Chanyeol as he started to push him away. Chanyeol let go, he thought he had hurt the other man for a while but then he saw the other man still panicking. He realized what was happening, Baekhyun thought he was buried. He quickly struggled his way to the switch to turn more lights on and then he grabbed Baekhyun’s hand as gently as he could to pin it to his side so he won’t get hurt by the IV inserted there.

Baekhyun was sitting up and Chanyeol didn’t stop him. If he had been paralyzed and put in a coffin, he would be horrified of waking up in the dark with someone stopping him from moving. So he only kept his hold on his hand to keep it still and let Baekhyun move as he needed, gently calling his name. When it wasn’t helping, Chanyeol remembered the panic button and pressed it.

That was when Baekhyun leaned into him and started to cry. Chanyeol looked down to the face buried in the crook of his neck and stilled. 

He slowly brought his other hand to Baekhyun’s back and patted, not knowing what else to do. 

They were there for hardly two minutes when a breathless Yixing ran inside followed closely by Minsoek and Junmyeon. The doctor immediately approached Baekhyun and assessed how he was clinging to Chanyeol. He tried tentatively to pry Baekhyun’s hand from Chanyeol’s but the other male pulled it back with fury and settled it back. Chanyeol looked up at Yixing, his eyes almost saying, ‘it’s not my fault’. 

“Baekhyun.” He patted to get the other man to respond but there was no response.

‘Bad dream’ Chanyeol mouthed. The other males stared at them and Chanyeol felt very awkward being stared at like that, he pursed his lips shyly and averted his eyes from them to Baekhyun.

This time he tried to call Baekhyun’s name and the other male did nothing but quiet his sobs down, the tears still flowing. Chanyeol gave up and tightened his hold on Baekhyun a little, his heart aching for him. His closed his eyes and rested his cheek on his head, feeling the soft of his hair. Chanyeol was the kind of person who cried easily, he could not see people cry in pain easily and right now his own tears were on the verge of falling and he didn’t want to cry in front of anyone.

He sniffed a little to keep his composure and stayed there, even when his wounds started to ache. He grimaced a little when Baekhyun squeezed him and Yixing gave him a concerned look taking a step forward to take Baekhyun off of him but he out up a hand to stop him sending a clear no his way. Junmyeon however still tried to take Baekhyun off of Chanyeol but Baekhyun did not relent his hold. And Chanyeol nodded to Junmyeon reassuring him that it was okay. 

“Can you give us room.” He finally said, tired of being stared at.

“We’ll be just outside.” Chanyeol nodded. When they had left, he saw that he had almost slipped off of the bed and when he tried to readjust himself he winced loudly, that did it. Baekhyun finally looked up. His eyes swollen and red rimmed. He wiped his tears quickly but to no use because the new ones spilled just as quickly. Chanyeol wiped them too with his thumb. He sat on the bed and pulled Baekhyun back into a hug. 

Long after when he had cried to his heart’s content and Chanyeol had too shed a few tears unable to keep from it. Baekhyun pulled away and Chanyeol let him, carefully maneuvering the IV lines so they did not tangle. Chanyeol offered Baekhyun tissues and watched his clean his face.

“Better?” he asked and then felt stupid for asking this generic question. How could he be better after going through that nightmare? Chanyeol still felt his hair stand when he thought of Baekhyun buried. Who even did that?

Baekhyun shook his head as was obvious. 

He suppressed a shudder as he looked away from Baekhyun, somehow he could feel that his constant gaze was making the other male uncomfortable.

"Can..." Baekhyun hesitated. Chanyeol was now leaving his bed and going to his own. "Please call Junmyeon in." He requested his voice still shaky and vulnerable. 

"Of Course." Chanyeol replied and opened the door to their room, the three men who had left about half an hour ago were jittery and stood up as soon as they heard the click of the opening door. "Is he okay?" Junmyeon asked. Yixing was still there too eager to make sure Baekhyun was alright, physically at least. 

Chanyeol pursed his lips, showing his dimple and nodded at Junmyeon. "As okay as he can be at the moment." He answered. "He-ah- he's asking for you."

Junmyeon practically ran inside to where Baekhyun was followed by Yixing who stopped just behind the curtain waiting to see if Baekhyun would be okay with his presence. 

Minsoek led Chanyeol back to his bed and while Junmyeon convinced Baekhyun that he had to be checked by the doctor, Yixing made sure Chanyeol was okay. 

Five minutes later Yixing was on the other side of the curtain and talking in quiet voice with Baekhyun. Chanyeol didn't realise he was looking at their silhouettes visible through the white curtain until Minsoek called his name. "Are you okay though?" He asked, giving him the look. Chanyeol turned his wide eyes to him and they said all that he couldn't. No he was not okay. Yes, he was physically fine, and he was mentally fine too. He+ wasn't but he wasn't admitting it to Minsoek. 

"Yeah." He breathed. "I'm fine." He fiddled with his fingers.

Minsoek nodded. He showed Chanyeol the food he had brought for him and Chanyeil rejoiced, reaching out to take the juice. He needed some sugar to boost him up. 

"Thanks. This is so good." 

Minsoek smiled at him putting some healthy snacks on his bed side table and then offered the rest to Junmyeon.

"You didn't sleep yet right?" Chanyeol asked Minsoek.

Minsoek shook his head provisionally. 

"Go home, Hyung." He offered.

"No." Minsoek declined immediately. 

"It would do none of us any good if you're too tired to help here." He argued. "Go home rest and shower."

"Are you saying that I smell?" Minsoek raised an eye brow jokingly.

"Kinda." Chanyeol chuckled. "But seriously, you need to relax. Come back in the morning I'll be fine."

Minsoek still looked uncertain.

"Look I'm also going to sleep. You have brought me food and other provisions so I'll be more than okay. Its not like you need to help pee like before." Chanyeol said turning red. 

Minsoek laughed. "It was nothing. Don't worry about it." He stood up. "Are you sure?"

"I am." Chanyeol reassured, smiling. And as soon as Minsoek was gone, so was Chanyeol's smile. He could hear the hushed talk between Baekhyun and Junmyeon. He felt like a jerk, listening in but no matter how much he tried to block it out, he could still hear it. He heard as Baekhyun was told of his rescue. He wanted to in and tell Junmyeon to stop making him out to be a hero. That Baekhyun didn't need to listen to that. He wanted his sister to be alive instead of him. But he stayed quiet and eventually got used to the chatter and the burning lights keeping his eyes open and drugs sent him to dreamland again.

 

***

 

Baekhyun felt extremely embarrassed, even hours after his breakdown, he felt like his cheeks were still warm. That was one of the main reason he didn't want to see Yixing. If one less person saw him with pity, that would be nothing short of awesome. But strangely, he felt himself starting to like the man. Yixing had this warm aura and a weird charm that made everyone feel comfortable with him. He even made Baekhyun smile.

Junmyeon seemed all the better for it. Baekhyun feared if Junmyeon worried for him this much, he would have these worry lines plastered to his face forever. But who else did he have to take care of him. He blinked rapidly as he fought another round of tears. He hated being this much of a cry baby. He had worked very hard on walking past the tragedy in his life, but tonight he had very rudely and brutally been pulled back to the start. 

He remembered the killer's words loud and clear. A new fear creeped and settled itself into his heart as he looked at the bandages on Junmyeon. He realized for like the thousandth time since he lost Baekhee that he was utterly and truly alone but this time it came with a vengeance. He was alone for a reason, he was the only one alive out of his family. Everyone around him that he loved was dead. He was still looking at Junmyeon and he feared that he was going to lose the only thing as close to family he had. Junmyeon and Sehun.

Junmyeon seemed to figure out his dive down the rabbit hole of dark thoughts and he distracted him before he could lose his way back. He was offered food and he accepted it gladly, he was famished but couldn't eat much. 

He didn't want to go back to his cave of depression so he inquired what he had been so curious to know. How had he gotten out of that coffin? Junmyeon explained everything he knew to Baekhyun including everyone's part. He told Baekhyun about how Chanyeol was there and how Kyungsoo was injured. Baekhyun remembered almost nothing of being dug up even though he was conscious. 

Baekhyun felt horrible now for a number of things, for being a curse to the people around him. And for doubting those who had been trying to help him all along. He was fascinated by what Junmyeon had told him about Chanyeol. How could that man dare to come to the place he was at not knowing if he was actually there. How could he take the chance when it could have ended in his death.

Baekhyun stayed awake into the long hours of the night, he shifted the curtains a little and looked to the other bed. He needed to see the face of the person who had saved him. He was back in the hospital because of Baekhyun he had agitated his still healing stab wounds for him. The wounds he had gotten while trying to help his sister. How many people were going to get hurt because of him? He wondered at he observed the sleeping peaceful face of the other. 

In the back of his mind a thought lingered. His whole family was dead, how did he have the right to live. If only Chanyeol hadn't saved him he would have died and that would have been his punishment. He felt so thankful for being saved, that would have been a crazy way to go, but at the same time being the only surviving member made him feel like he was at fault for this like somehow he had caused this to happen to every single member of his family. 

Baekhyun was numb. If he allowed himself to dwell on these thoughts they would break him and this time he won't be able to put himself back together. He wanted to live, live for the people who loved him but he felt like he had no right to breathe when they were all dead. 

Baekhyun remembered everything the killer had said but he did nit thunk about it. He couldn’t specially not what he had said about Baekhee. He kept staring at Chanyeol. What had the killer said that Chanyeol had not told him anything? He would ask Chanyeol tomorrow. He told himself and sat up a little. He was very sleepy, the medicine were making him sleepy as hell and yet every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the darkness of the coffin. When he nodded off, it felt like he the jerk from when the coffin was pushed into the hole. He gulped. 

No, he could sleep. He wasn't brave enough to actually relive that again. 

But Baekhyun closed his eyes anyway. It felt like a punishment. It felt good. The tears of helplessness and hurt, fear and misery washed over him. 

He jolted when a hand clasped his. He looked around to see who had grabbed him.

"Don't." Said a voice. Chanyeol. That crazy, brave, amazing man. That deep voice seeped into Baekhyun like water to the most thirsty person.

Chanyeol was looking at him as if the world around them didn't exist, his eyes steadily meeting his in a telling gaze.

Baekhyun felt confused. "What?" He asked, his voice hardly louder than a whisper.

"Don't face the darkness when you're not ready." Baekhyun was taken a back. How did Chanyeol know that? He opened and closed his mouth several times, gaping like a fish out of water. "How can you tell what I'm thinking?" Great he might as well have confirmed it outright.

"Considering how you are reacting to closing youreyes its not hard to tell." He explained. To Chanyeol it felt like a given. Right now he could see everything that Baekhyun was thinking written on his face in clear writing.

"You're wrong." Baekhyun denied, averting his eyes.

"Am I?" Chanyeol posed. "Is it not a punishment you're giving to yourself? You don'thave to face this darkness alone if it scares you."

"Why do you care if I do that? I am not scared and I certainly don't need your pity." Baekhyun was doing it again, he was being hostile to the person who had saved his life at his own peril. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel if half of that was out of pity for him and that was the last thing he needed.

Chanyeol didn’t mind. He knew what the worst scenario of this talk could be. Baekhyun would scream at him and insult him which would probably be much deserved because he felt like feeling bold. If that was the case, the next thing he was going to say would definitely piss Baekhyun off. "I'm not pitying you Byun," he shook his head a little. "You are."

Baekhyuun stared at Chanyeol open mouthed. "How is this pitying myself?"

Chanyeol registered that his words were harsh but his tone was very gentle. "You think this is helping anyone? You dwelling on the darkest aspects of your life, digging yourself deeper into depression."

"No I... I don't... Its not what.... you cannot --" Baekhyun stumbled over words trying to explain himself knowing well enough that there was no need to offer explanation to anyone. He still felt like he had to because he himself couldn't understand this. "I lost my family and I think I have a right to grieve."

"Yeah, but there's a fine line between self destruction and grief. Baekhyun, I see what you are going through, trust me I can never understand your pain but I see it," Chanyeol began, his voice like a smooth flowing river. "But do you think that this, what you're doing is what your sister wanted? What your brother wanted?" Chanyeol had heard of Baekhyun’s brother from Junmyeon.

"I don't know what they would want because they're not here are they?" Baekhyun said, a little heated. Chanyeol offered Baekhyun a small knowing smile, his eyes sad. Baekhyun was amazed at how much those eyes could say without Chanyeol ever needing to talk. 

"See? I can see it sinking in." Chanyeol said and opened his mouth to speak more but Baekhyun cut him off.

"Don't say they're still with me and all that . It hate it and it's not true." Baekhyun looked at his lap to hide the hurt that crossed his face.

"I wasn't going to." Chanyeol quickly clarified. "They're not here Baekhyun because they were taken from you at a very unfortunate time. That ." He cathartisized. "But that doesn't mean your life ends with theirs." 

"But it did." Baekhyun pressed. "You don't get it! My life ended when they died. Who else have I got to live for."

"If you died, and Baekhee was alive what would you have her do?"

"Live on of course," Baekhyun answered subconsciously, not taking even a moment to think about it. It was as if a light inside his head the way his features changed from resolute, wanting for his sister to have everything to understanding of the point Chanyeol was making. It was so simple yet he felt like he could never have reached here on his own. Maybe that's what people felt when they were super depressed he thought, it looks easy but they can't even see the path out.

"There you go Byun," Chanyeol celebrated in a quiet voice to not disturb Junmyeon who was sleeping. "That brain of yours works. The concussion didn't take away your ability to think."

"Shut up." Baekhyun shot. But there was no real venom behind his words. But his eyes were a picture of melancholy again as he swallowed the lump forming in his throat, thinking about being in that coffin again, he should have just died there and then. So he would have to be the last one standing, so he won't have to listen to that deep voiced gentle giant.

"Baekhyun," Chanyeol began again, all serious. "You're thinking you should have died in that coffin right?"

Baekhyun was so astonished at Chanyeol's ability to read him that he sat up straighter. Not even Junmyeon or Sehun had ever read his darkest thoughts like this guy he was talking to for the first time in his life. Chanyeol too sat up from his lying position, his frame hovering over Baekhyun, it felt safe.

"Tell me this, if you had died, there would be no one to remember Baekhee, or Baekboem." 

Baekhyun didn't say anything.

"Baekhyun if you died without at least catching that sick monster who started all of this, then Baekhee would have died for nothing." 

Baekhyun forced himself to look at Chanyeol, he found nothing but sincerely. How many time would this man safe Baekhyun? He had protected him against the killer and now he was saving Baekhyun from himself.

"I know you have survival's guilt Baek." The nick name just slipped out without Chanyeol ever meaning to say it. "But you have to live on for them. Because they couldn't. You do the things they couldn't."

That was the wrong thing to say because that was exactly what Baekhyun thought too but in a more negative light. "Yes!" He cried. "That's the problem. I'm here and they're not."

"And you think dying would solve that?" Chanyeol said incredulously, rectifying the situation. "Would you dying bring them back?"

"No."

"You're right, its redundant."

"Can't you just accept my thanks and not give me a lecture." Baekhyun said defeated. 

"I could but you didn't thank me yet." 

"Well, then thank you."

"Thank me by living." 

"I'm living aren't I?"

"I didn't mean breathing Baekhyun." Chanyeol explicated. "First you need to let go of the guilt and hate. You need to forgive yourself, because you didn't do anything wrong."

"You said you'll take the gratitude and stop this." Baekhyun pointed out.

"Hmm, I accept your thanks." Chanyeol smiled warmy at Baekhyun and fell quiet. His eyes lingering on him for a while. 

"What?"

"What 'what'?" Chanyeol saw how his silence annoyed Baekhyun, picked at him. He had not expected Chanyeol to stop talking this easily.

"Nothing" Baekhyun sighed. And then after a while. "I'm truly thankful Chanyeol." He said and Chanyeol's heart fluttered hearing his name from Baekhyun. "And I'm sorry too."

Chanyeol was very confused, Baekhyun had nothing to apologies for. He didn't ask questions and gave Baekhyun time to collect himself before he elaborated.

"When I first heard that you were the witness to..." Baekhyun took a shuddering breath. "I was so mad. I wanted Baekhee to be alive instead of you." He admitted and feeling horrible for it. "I came to confront you that day in your room after you woke up, but I didn't have the courage too. Then from the bathroom I heard you talk about it."

Chanyeol was looking at Baekhyun intensely, his round big eyes warm and curious taking in every word Baekhyun was saying.

"But then I couldn't, I realized that you had truly cared to try to help her, you had truly felt guilty for not being able to do so and I felt so stupid for blaming you." He paused, breathed and continued, wanting to get this off of his chest. "The point being, I'm glad you're alive Chanyeol, if Baekhee couldn't make it. I am damn glad you did. It means that monster lost." Baekhyun's voice broke a little at the mentiom of Baekhee. "Junmyeon just told me what you did." Chanyeol turned red. "Who walks into the line of fire for a total stranger Park?"

Chanyeol felt shy, he hadn’t done the good act to be thanked for it or to be called a hero of any sort. He did it because if it had lead to Baekhyun losing his life he would have been unable to live with himself. Was that not a selfish reason for a selfless act?

"But you still should have let me die." Chanyeol shook his head. Putting up a hand to stop the other man from talking. 

"I know that you are in pain Byun. But saving a life when I knew I could have done so ... its not only my duty but also my right. I cannot turn a blind eye to a human being dying. You cannot ask me to do that. That asking too much of me." Chanyeol put forth. "It's not something I can give. You know why I saved you? I saved you and I tried to help your sister because I can't live with myself knowing I could have done something but didn't. My reasons are selfish too Byun."

Baekhyun chuckled humourlessly. "That's not selfish Chanyeol. And I don't think you realize what you did."

Baekhyun observed Chanyeol's face and continued.

"I think you did that, you saved a family name from dying because you probably feel guilty for losing yours too." Chanyeol was flabbergasted. It was his turn to feel as exposed he had made Baekhyun feel.

"Did they abandon you or did you?" Baekhyun asked already knowing the answer.

"How did you...?"

"Come on Park. You were dying and your family was never here. And your face says what you don't."

Chanyeol felt so vulnerable all of a sudden. "I did." Answering Baekhyun's earlier question.

"Will you go back?"

"If they forgive me."

"They will."

Chanyeol felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

Baekhyun too wiped a traitorous tear that had managed to escape. He wiped it. "I hate feeling weak."

"Weak? Baekhyun you're literally being so brave, I cannot fathom how much strength it takes to face what you just faced. Tonight and before."

"A lot," he answered. "And I am so ing tired." He smiled mirthlessly. "You're hardly the one to talk, you literally walked into a death trap to--"

"Okay!" Chanyeol interrupted. "I think we're both brave in ways the other is not."

Baekhyun nodded. "I can never thank you enough for saving my life Chanyeol. Its not like I don't want to live, I just don't see how I can."

Chanyeol blinked and stared at the ceiling let the quiet dominate the room. 

"Baekhyun?" Chanyeol called after a moment of silence, his heart swelling up with different emotions that he could not comprehend. "Please don't let this be in vein. Please don't let your family be dead in vein."

He looked at Baekhyun and they both locked eyes. "Please don't let my courage be in vein." Chanyeol decided to open his heart and reveal his fear. "I was so damn scared to death going to that warehouse and that alley. It's messed me up quite bad, please don't let that be in vein. If you truly want to thank me."

Baekhyun nodded. "I'll try." His voice was muffled by the lump in his throat.

The silence came back only to be broken by Baekhyun this time.

"Chanyeol?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm scared." Chanyeol examined Baekhyun’s small frame.

"You need to sleep." Chanyeol answered. "Give your mind rest. The longer it will stay awake, the worse it will make things for you."

"If I close my eyes, it will cook up nightmares." He was right. Chanyeol had witnessed Baekhyun waking up from that nightmare.

"Keep the lights on." Chanyeol offered. 

"I will but then you won't be able to sleep."

"I also sleep with lights on." Chanyeol lied.

"Lier." Baekhyun called out.

"No! I promise." Chanyeol didn’t want to make Baekhyun feel worse.

"Fine." Baekhyun accepted. Chanyeol could feel the other male's want to say something. He waited for a while deciding to let Baekhyun say it on his own. 

Baekhyun thought back to their conversation. How had they gotten to this point. Darkness, yeah. Maybe Chanyeol was right. Maybe he didn't have to face it alone. He could see behind him all that the taller male had offered him, would he offer one more favor?

"Chanyeol?" Baekhyun's voice was small and fragile. "Will you-" He gulped and cleared his throat. "Can you sleep next to me and -- I don't want to see the darkness alone anymore."

Chanyeol was really pleasantly surprised. "Of course."

Chanyeol set his IV stand next to Baekhyun’s bed as Baekhyun scooted over to make room for Chanyeol on the bed. Chanyeol slid under the blanket and held Baekhyun tight. He wished that his hug would take away Baekhyun’s nightmares. 

He wished he could walk with Baekhyun into his dreams and chase away anything that agitated him but he couldn't, right now all he could offer was this. He looked down and saw that Baekhyun had already passed out in his arms, asleep.

Chanyeol felt content for the first time in a long time as he closed his eyes too, following Baekhyun into the darkness to clutch his hand there too if needed.