16
Consequences
Suho won't mind if I go
down into the foyer...' Bri-chan thought as she headed to the stairs. As she reached for the door, it was swung open, and she fell onto the ground as she screamed. Hastily, a panic-stricken Suho and Baekhyun sprinted out into the hallway, along with another boy she hadn't seen who came out of room 18.
"Oh my god I am so sorry." The boy from the stairwell offered a hand to help her up.
"Can't. Hyper. Ventilating." She winced between breaths. Suho walked over defensively as Baekhyun picked her up from behind.
"You're human?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Xiumin retorted.
"I'm Joonmyun."
"Minseok." The stranger nodded.
"Xiumin who are these people? I heard a scream."
"Chanyeol, this is Joonmyun and..."
"I'm Baekhyun. This is Bri-chan."
"Hey! I've seen you before!" Chanyeol said in surprise as he looked at the girl.
"What?" She said in confusion.
"You and these two!"
"Okay I'm officially weirded out."
"No no, um, my friend lives-... Lived... Down the hallway. I used to come here every once in a while and you'd be sitting out in the hallway singing songs, both Korean and Chinese, while the other two sat with you. Sometimes youd be dancing. Actually you'd be sitting usually in his lap." Chanyeol pointed to Baekhyun, who grinned.
"Oh." Bri didn't really know what to say.
"I'm going back to sleep." Suho yawned and retreated back into the apartment.
"You should aswell, Chanyeol." Minseok muttered. He was about to protest but nodded, waved goodbye and went back down the hallway. Baekhyun had his arms wrapped around Bri-chan's waist as she turned to face Xiumin.
"So did you guys run here from the Infecteds?" She asked. Xiumin swallowed as his throat and mouth turned dry.
"Yes."
"Are you okay? You look a little pale..."
"I'm fine. It's probably hunger."
"We have food if you need it..." Baekhyun offered.
"That's kind of you but I'm a dead end."
"What do you mean?"
"If you start something unstoppable it'll find a way to finish you." Xiumin sighed.
"What do you mean?" Baekhyun was confused.
"I-.... It's nothing. I am so sorry to have scared you, Miss Bri-chan."
"It's okay. Hey, you guys can stay with us during the day if you'd like."
"I scare you and you offer us help?" He chuckled. "We'd be glad to."
"Glad to hear. Come visit us anytime you need anything, okay?"
"Thankyou very much. I think I'll get some sleep. Goodnight." He bowed before he left.
"So you never got to think, huh." Baekhyun muttered. Bri-chan shook her head.
"Come on." He led her into the stairwell and they sat down. They said nothing for a few minutes until tears fell from Bri-chan's eyes.
"I don't get it. I just don't understand why he wouldn't come to help me, willingly." She whimpered.
"Even if he had refused to, everyone else would have. He does care, it's just..."
"What?"
"He's worried that if he gets hurt trying to save you.... You won't forgive him..."
"I-... Oh. Well... You're kind of right I guess."
"Now stop crying." Baekhyun wiped away her tears. "Suho will think I did something."
The two walked back into the apartment, soft snoring coming from every room. Baekhyun shut and locked the door, kissed Bri-chan's forehead and went to bed. The girl sat on the kitchen bench for a while. No lights were on and it was freezing cold but she still felt sad and couldn't bring herself to go to bed.
'What if he does get hurt and its my fault?'
Suddenly all she could think was about how he could get hurt, which made her start crying again. The sobs caught in but silenced when someone shuffled into the kitchen.
"Bri-chan?"
The kitchen light flicked on to reveal a drowsy (and shirtless) Lay.
"Hey..."
"Are you oka- what happened?" He slid up onto the bench alongside her, placing an arm over her shoulders as she began to cry again.
"Shhh..." He whispered as he rubbed her back.
"I'm scared one of you is going to get hurt because of me." She winced.
"Baobei, we had the choice to not go with you. I had the choice to not go save you. But I took it because I'd rather be here to help then be hurt for something meaningless. You give us something to fight for other than the people we came here with. Lu Han is in debt to you, and most of us are in fact. I know, I am one of them. Your hospitality is too much, really." Lay chuckled softly.
"Baobei?"
"Really. That's what you took from that? It's Ch."
"Oh. Thankyou. Did I wake you up?"
"Honestly? Yeah."
"Sorry for bringing you and all your shirtless glory out into the kitchen when you were trying to sleep."
"Yeah shirtless me is pretty glorious, huh?" He laughed before sliding off the bench. "Go to sleep now okay?"
"Okay."
"Also, uh, Kai wants to know where Sehun sleeps."
"He sleeps in my room."
"And now Luhan owes Kai 5000₩." He smirked before the two both went to bed, flicking the light off as they left.
Bri-chan wandered sleepily into her room, shutting the door behind her and sliding into bed next to a snoring Sehun. She sighed and curled up next to him. Warmth radiated from him and she felt his heart beat as she wrapped her fingers with his. His breath could be felt on her arm with every exhale and each snore brought comfort in ways she'd never felt before, save for a few special occasions.
He moved in his sleep, wrapped an arm around her, yawning and proceeding to snore once again. She laughed to herself before curling up to him and eventually falling asleep.
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