It took fifty–nine seconds for Baekhyun to die. I held him in my arms and felt his skin get colder, felt the life run out of him. I felt him spasm and I felt his heavy, irregular breath on my face when I leaned down towards his face.

He coughed and a small rivulet of blood appeared in the corner of his mouth. “No, Baekhyun,” I managed to get out between sobs, “not like this.” My voice was weak and hoarse, so obviously colored by pain that Baekhyun closed his eyes for a moment. It made me panic and he must have felt it, for he opened them soon again.

“Not like this, not now,” I begged him. I could hear sirens in the distance and hoped against hope that they would get there in time. “Please just stay with me, you have to stay with me.”

Another spasm shook his body and his eyes became glassy, unfocused. Nonetheless he kept his gaze on me and forced his lips into a small, shaky smile. He took a deep breath that rasped rather alarmingly in his throat.

“Chanyeol,” he got out, his voice just barely above a whisper. I could hear the sirens getting steadily closer and prayed to whatever deities may listen that they would get there quick and keep Baekhyun here, with me, alive. I was barely aware of the stinking chaos around me that the car crash had resulted in.

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun said again, and another violent sob wrenched its way from my throat. “I love you. So much. Don’t you ever forget that.”

Without being able to help myself, I leaned down and kissed him. I tasted blood and fear on his tongue. Death, I thought as I pulled away. I’d tasted death. I the hair away from his forehead and watched him take his last few breaths.

“I love you too, Baekhyun,” I said, a mere second too late. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Fifty-nine seconds was all it took for my world to come crashing down.