The thunderstorm rages on.

The night is dark and chilly. Rain pelts down heavily, turning the surroundings a confusing mix of colours. My flimsy umbrella barely withstands the wind and rain battering down heavily on its waterproof covers, and I struggle to move through puddles that almost comes up to my ankles.

It’s bitingly cold, and shivers run down my spine. The umbrella isn’t enough for complete coverage from the storm, and rainwater soaks through my clothes as well. There seems to be nobody in sight--it’s late at night after all.

I need to quicken my steps. I need to get home quick.

It’s hard to see what’s in front of me. Everything is confusing and blurry. The dim glow from the lamp post nearby doesn’t help much either--it’s hard to see anything through the thick veil of rain.

I start to cross the road quick. Just a few more steps, and I will be home.

Home. There’s a sinking feeling in my stomach when I think of returning home, but it’s the most important thing I have to do at the moment.

Through the loud splattering noises of the rain, I hear the low thrumming of an engine and the splashing of car tyres against water. I turn around only to see the blinding white light from the headlights of a car, fast approaching…

A scream begins to bubble in my throat, but nothing manages to come out when I open my mouth. I know I need to run, to move, but nothing seems to be working--my legs aren’t listening to my brain’s commands.

I’m stuck. I can’t move.

The light pierces into my eyes, and my entire world turns white.

It’s too late to run... It’s too late…

Auntie Byun wakes up with a gasp, her heart thumping wildly in her chest and cold sweat running down her forehead.

Her eyes take in the familiar surroundings of her bedroom. It’s turning light outside; she can see the beginnings of dawn through the thin cotton curtains. She turns to her left, taking in the sight of Uncle Byun still in deep slumber.

Auntie Byun isn’t usually scared of dreams. She’s had countless nightmares before throughout her years, but never before had she experienced one that felt so real, almost like…

A premonition.

Auntie Byun still remembers clearly the panic she felt from the dream. The helplessness when the car approached her. The scream that never managed to escape from .

She remembers the rain splattering against the concrete pavement. The chilly wind tugging at her umbrella. And then blinding white light moments before she woke up.

She knows something is wrong. Something bad is going to happen. Auntie Byun can’t explain how she knows, but she feels it in her bones.

Uncle Byun stirs awake, almost as if he could sense Auntie Byun’s discomfort. “Hmm? What’s wrong?” He asks groggily, sitting up in their shared bed immediately. When he notices the tears b up in Auntie Byun’s eyes, he straightens up immediately.

Auntie Byun never cries. Auntie Byun never was one to display her emotions so readily.

He wraps her in an embrace, trying to soothe her with soft, cajoling words. Auntie Byun’s tears slips out of her control, and she starts to sob into Uncle Byun’s shirt.

“Shhh, it’s alright, everything is fine.” Uncle Byun tries to convince her.

Auntie Byun takes in a deep breath, trying to calm her quickening heartbeat.

It’s just a dream, she tells herself. It’s just a harmless dream.

A dream that felt too real.

Auntie Byun still finds it hard to dispel the fear that lingers on long after she gets out of bed to cook breakfast for her family, despite reminding herself over and over again that everything was going to be fine.

This marks the beginning of Auntie Byun’s recurring nightmares.

Chanyeol doesn’t know how time manages to pass so quickly, like sand slipping through his fingers.

Because in the blink of an eye, Baekhyun’s blowing out 7 candles on his birthday cake, and Chanyeol is already almost 21, of legal adult age. Chanyeol still remember high school times like it were yesterday--the days of hellish studying till hours after midnight, and the bitter cups of coffee that barely managed to keep him going through the day.

Baekhyun puffs out the flames of the candles with much gusto, smiling proudly as he manages to extinguish all of them in one single breath.

“Make a wish!” Auntie Park prompts Baekhyun excitedly whilst keeping the video camera trained onto the birthday boy.

Baekhyun closes his eyes so tight that it scrunches up, forming little wrinkles around his eyes. It’s one of Chanyeol’s favourite things about Baekhyun--his eyes. The droopy corners of Baekhyun’s eyes give them an innocent look--a look that Chanyeol is never able to resist.

Chanyeol loves to look into Baekhyun’s eyes, especially when Baekhyun smiles. When Baekhyun smiles, his eyes turn into happy crescent slits that twinkles with such happiness, and Chanyeol feels warm whenever he sees that.

Baekhyun finishes making his wish and opens his eyes. Chanyeol’s heart starts pounding again, because--there it is, Baekhyun’s doing that eye smile thing again, and it’s doing weird things to his heart.

“I made my wish!” Baekhyun announces happily.

“What did you wish for?” Auntie Park questions eagerly.

Baekhyun purses his lips. “Not telling anyone!” He laughs.

Auntie Byun and Uncle Byun cuts up the cake into slices and places them into plates. Baekhyun, being the birthday boy, receives the first slice of cake.

Baekhyun runs to where Chanyeol sits and plonks himself heavily into Chanyeol’s lap. Chanyeol lets out a small “oof!” at the sudden weight in his lap, but he smiles nonetheless and rewards Baekhyun with a forehead kiss. Baekhyun never fails to make him smile, even during his most stressful or busy days.

Holding Baekhyun in his arms have become somewhat like second nature to him. Chanyeol would visit Auntie and Uncle Park’s house every other day, sometimes for dinner, other times purely because of the young boy. Besides, the Byun family always welcomed him with open arms--Auntie and Uncle Byun were practically like Chanyeol’s second set of parents.

Before Chanyeol knows it, Auntie Byun, Uncle Byun and Baekhyun have become constants in his life. Chanyeol doesn’t think he can imagine life without Auntie Byun, Uncle Byun, and especially Baekhyun. Baekhyun’s smile, Baekhyun’s laughter, Baekhyun’s warmth… Chanyeol thinks he wouldn’t be able to survive a day without these.

The boy in his arms cheekily smears some cake onto his face. “Channie-hyung!” Baekhyun laughs, his face also smudged with birthday cake. “Look! I put some cake on your face!”

Chanyeol laughs and attempts to rubs his cake-smeared face onto Baekhyun’s cheeks, which Baekhyun responds with a squeal of protest.

Chanyeol thinks that things can’t get any better than this.

Jongdae comes over to visit a few times, but unlike Kris, Baekhyun seems to get along with Jongdae pretty well.

“Dae-hyung is here again!” He claps excitedly. Baekhyun had shortened Jongdae’s name during his younger years when he couldn’t pronounce words properly (much like what he did with “Channie-hyung”).

Jongdae leans down to ruffle the boy’s hair affectionately. “Hey little mate, how’s it going? No school today?” Jongdae asks Baekhyun, who smiles back at him.

“Nope! It’s a school holiday today, so I’m playing at Channie-hyung’s house!”

“Ah… School holidays… It has been too long since I went to school.” Jongdae remembers fondly those times where school holidays were the happiest days of his school life and sighs because time really passes too quickly, and he is already 20 years old.

Jongdae is in his last year of university, a year younger than Chanyeol (something both of them only learned when Jongdae managed to get his hands on Chanyeol’s identity card back then in high school), whereas Chanyeol’s already graduated from university with a degree in computer programming.

Despite this, Jongdae is considerably more adept at programming than Chanyeol still, something which Chanyeol also grudgingly admits. Not only that, Jongdae is pretty skilled at fixing things, a skill that Chanyeol takes advantage of--Chanyeol has called him over many times to fix his computer CPU, his laptop, or even the television in their living room.

“Hey, you’re here already!” Chanyeol appears from the top of the stairs. “I was just about to call you!” Chanyeol grins at his junior as he makes his way down the stairs to where Jongdae and Baekhyun are.

Jongdae rolls his eyes. “What do you want me to fix again, hyung?”

Chanyeol looks at Jongdae sheepishly. “Actually, I did a little experimenting with my radio this time, but I can’t figure out how to put it back together again…”

Jongdae sighs. “So it's the radio this time that needs fixing.” He summarises the sentence for Chanyeol. Jongdae stands up and cracks his knuckles. “I swear I need to start getting paid for this.”

“Hey, I treat you to dinner every time you come over.” Chanyeol argues.

Jongdae just shakes his head and starts making his way to Chanyeol’s room.

“Dae-hyung, Channie-hyung, can I come over too?” Baekhyun quips from his little corner in the living room.

Jongdae is already half-expecting Chanyeol immediate response to the boy’s request. “Of course, Baek. Come here.” Chanyeol grins widely and stretches his arms out. Baekhyun immediately runs into Chanyeol’s arms.

Chanyeol lifts Baekhyun up with a loud “oof!”. “Aigoo, you’re getting so heavy already…” Chanyeol complains. Baekhyun responds with a giggle.

“I want to see Dae-hyung fix things…” Baekhyun turns around and tells Jongdae shyly.

“Of course you can, little mate. Dae-hyung will fix the radio up for your Channie-hyung, because your Channie-hyung is apparently not competent enough to do it himself.” Jongdae mutters the last part loud enough only for Chanyeol to hear. Chanyeol narrows his eyes at Jongdae, but doesn’t argue back because he knows it is true.

Jongdae begins work on the dismembered radio immediately upon reaching Chanyeol’s room. Baekhyun takes his seat on Chanyeol’s lap, and both of them watches Jongdae start taking the radio apart.

Jongdae is usually a talkative person, but he is uncharacteristically silent when he starts working on something. Apart from the occasional clanking sound, Jongdae manages to dismantle the wonky radio soundlessly within minutes. The floor soon becomes scattered with random metal parts from the radio.

Both Chanyeol and Baekhyun watches in admiration as Jongdae surveys each and every part on the floor carefully with an expert eye. Jongdae seems to be oblivious to the world around him as he focuses on studying every nut and bolt, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

It took a couple of hours before Jongdae manages to reconnect the wires and put all the parts back together. By the time he is done, Baekhyun has already begun to nod off in Chanyeol’s arms, and Chanyeol is spacing out while absent-mindedly running his hands through Baekhyun’s hair.

Jongdae finishes the last screw on the radio before plugging it into a power socket. He presses the button and the familar static noise plays from the radio.

This seems to wake both Chanyeol and Baekhyun up. “It’s working again!” Baekhyun exclaims in amazement as some classical music starts playing after Jongdae fiddles around with the knobs. He shifts over to where the radio is sitting and watches it in amazement.

“Thanks buddy!” Chanyeol gives Jongdae a hearty slap on his back. “It still amazes me how good you are at this.”

“You could have at least stayed awake while I was fixing it!” Jongdae complains, but smiles proudly nonetheless.

“Hey, you took too long this time!” Chanyeol protests.

“That’s because you connected all the wires wrongly and I had to correct everything for you.”

Chanyeol sighs, defeated. “Fine. Let’s go have dinner. Auntie Byun’s cooking for all of us.”

The thunderstorm.

It’s dark and chilly. The surroundings is a confusing mix of colours. I struggle to move through puddles that almost comes up to my ankles.

It’s bitingly cold. Shivers run down my spine. There seems to be nobody in sight.

I need to quicken my steps. I need to get home quick.

It’s hard to see what’s in front of me. Everything is confusing and blurry. It’s hard to see anything through the thick veil of rain.

I start to cross the road quick. Just a few more steps, and I will be home.

Home. There’s a sinking feeling in my stomach, but it’s the most important thing I have to do at the moment.

I hear the low thrumming of an engine and the splashing of car tyres against water. I turn around only to see the blinding white light from the headlights of a car, fast approaching…

A scream begins to bubble in my throat, but nothing manages to come out. I know I need to run, to move, but nothing seems to be working--my legs aren’t listening to my brain’s commands...

I can’t move, I can’t move, I can’t move

The light pierces into my eyes, and my entire world turns white.

It’s too late to run... It’s too late…

Auntie Byun knows it is not normal to have the exact same nightmare for 5 times in the same month.

She wipes off the sweat from her forehead tiredly. She has never had recurring dreams before, let alone nightmares.

It is a sign, she thinks. It’s a sign that something is about to go really wrong.

She’s heard of countless stories from her relatives when she was young--about dreams that predicted the future. Her own mother had some of her own--in fact, she managed to predict the death of her grandfather months before the fatal accident happened.

“Hey… what’s wrong? You look so troubled nowadays…” Auntie Byun turns around and sees his husband, who has a concerned look on his face.

He takes a seat beside Auntie Byun on the bed. “You can tell me anything, you know. Don’t keep it all to yourself, it’s not healthy.”

“But… it’s going to sound stupid…” Auntie Byun bites her lips. She knows she needs to do something about this dream, to make preparations, but where does she start? Where can she start?

“Is it about that nightmare again?” Uncles Byun asks, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

“... Somewhat…” Auntie Byun fiddles with her fingers nervously, something that she hasn't done in a long time.

“It’s okay, you can tell me anything… don’t be afraid.” Uncle Byun locks their hands together and smooths her fingers out.

“... It’s just…” Auntie Byun hesitates. “Should I… should I start writing a will?”

Look whos back after months /hides in a box to avoid the eggs thrown at me/

This chapter is not proofread yet, just saying... (I'll come back to edit, I hope)

and the angst officially starts now I guess... :/ so for those who are here solely for the fluff... be mentally prepared... unsubscribe if you need to :(

Also, I declare this fic OFFICIALLY ON HIATUS in 2015 (aka no updates in year 2015 cries)

Why? 1) School's already busy this year (and I'm barely coping), and next year is gonna be ten times worse... this fic is going to be the last thing on my mind. 2) Actually this fic has always been (sorta) on hiatus, with updates at least 2-3 months in between, sometimes up to 6 months... so I guess it's time to make it official (?)
 

To all my readers:

1) don't worry! 2015 will pass by in a flash! (just like how 2014 is already coming to an end ;A;)
2) those who comment "update soon!" I'm really so sorry, updating soon is really not my forte T_T

3) those who subscribe/upvote, (T n T) I'm really, really so thankful to every single one of you. 4) the foreword has also been updated! (some minor changes) go check it out if you want to! :)


really happy that this fic got like 600+ subs and 80+ upvotes T_T I never thought this would be possible... a great big hug to all of you <3