Trigger Warning! mentions of suicide and other things.

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Baekhyun felt like he was losing himself. 
Since the day he had seen Chanyeol in jail, the day he had regained all of his memories, he'd been feeling less and less like himself by the minute. His entire being almost seemed to be aching for Chanyeol, like he could no longer live without him. It didn't matter that Chanyeol had hurt him so much, it never had. That night that wall had fallen on him, Baekhyun had only been angry for a moment, but he hadn't been angry with Chanyeol so much as himself. He'd pushed his father's death to the back of his mind, trying to forget it'd ever happened, and he could see that his mother was extremely worried about him. She told him to forget Chanyeol, she told him that she only wanted what was best for him, everything just short of: I told you so, I told you he was bad news. Baekhyun liked to think, though, that no one knew Chanyeol like he did. 


He found a matchbox in his kitchen the day after he saw Chanyeol, and he was prepared to empty it, to just keep the box, but then he noticed that there was only a single match in it, so he left it. He wasn't sure why he wanted this matchbox, but he was certain it was somehow related to Chanyeol. Baekhyun wrote a short note, saying that he'd wait for him, that he wanted Chanyeol escape so they could run away, and slipped it into the box. Of course, Baekhyun was certain that he wouldn't be able to show this note to Chanyeol until he was out of jail, until he had "escaped" from jail.

Afterwards, he started to keep the matchbox on his person at all times, because it reminded him of Chanyeol, and since he didn't actually have anything of Chanyeol's,  the matchbox was enough, for the time being. 
And then, the car accident happened. It was all over the news. A drunk driver had crashed into a prison transport vehicle, and though they didn't say anything about who was in the car, Baekhyun had a gut feeling that Chanyeol had been. He was worried sick, and it had started to show in his complexion, and his general daily routine.

The day after, his mother took him out to the park, trying to get him to feel better. She offered to buy him ice cream, and he agreed, even though he hadn't really been in the mood. A few minutes after she left, someone started pushing him away from the wide open space of the park, and towards the back of a building. He hasn't panicked though, because something told him that the person was trustworthy, that the person was Chanyeol. Baekhyun asked the obvious questions, why he was there, how he was there, and asked him not to leave, even though he already knew the answers to all of them. They kissed, and Baekhyun couldn't deny the way Chanyeol made him feel, not that he ever did.

There was also the little voice that was nagging at him at the back of his head, telling him that he shouldn't be doing this, that he should just let Chanyeol go. He knew he would never be able to do that though; ever since he'd regained his memories and fallen for Chanyeol all over again, Baekhyun believed in the concept of soul mates more, and he wasn't about to let the one that was most likely his soul mate just go. Baekhyun didn't even mind that Chanyeol still had handcuffs on his wrists; it allowed him to concentrate on the fact that this was temporary, that Chanyeol had to leave again. After Chanyeol had settled him back into his wheelchair, Baekhyun pulled the matchbox out and thought about giving it to him, and eventually did, hoping that Chanyeol would understand the meaning behind his message, that he didn't want Chanyeol to literally escape from jail. He forgot about the lone matchstick in the box.

"Yixing hyung," Baekhyun wasn't even looking at the other. He understood why Yixing had called the police on Chanyeol, but at the same time he just didn't. "Besides the fact that Chanyeol was doing something largely illegal, did you have another reason for turning him in?"


Yixing just chewed on his lip, not giving Baekhyun an answer, like he just couldn't say what he wanted to say. The silence was irritating to Baekhyun; he wanted answers to fill the silence. Why was Yixing being like this? Didn't he understand how badly Baekhyun needed to know? Did he, maybe, no longer care about him? Yixing mumbled something then, something completely inaudible, and Baekhyun tried to shift closer.


"I'm sorry?"


"I love you, okay?!" Yixing shouted, his eyes closed and his hands clasped tightly in his lap. "I love you, and all you see is Chanyeol, all you've ever cared about is Chanyeol, after all I've done for you. I care about you so much, and you've never once returned even a little bit of my feelings. I hate myself for loving you so much, for wanting you even though I know it'll never happen. Byun Baekhyun, I hate that I love you."


Baekhyun was in shock, never had he expected Yixing to say anything like that. He opened his mouth in an attempt to reply in some way, but nothing came out. Yixing got up and left then, like he was never wanted to see Baekhyun again, and Baekhyun really could not blame him. As he slowly wheeled himself home, though, he couldn't ignore the increasing feeling of guilt that was gnawing at him. And by the time Baekhyun had returned home, he was almost certain it was going to swallow him whole, and it wasn't just about Yixing.

And then there was an announcement of another prison transport vehicle accident, that it had been set on fire, and Baekhyun immediately knew he was to blame, that he had given Chanyeol the match that led to this. Three police officers were injured in the blaze, one inmate was pronounced dead at the scene, and two were transported to hospital with rather severe injuries; one of them was Chanyeol.

Guilt, worry, self-hatred, and pain in general were eating at him, his heart throbbing painfully in his chest. Baekhyun almost felt like he wanted die because these feelings were almost too much for him to handle. His hands were clapped over his head and he just screamed, feeling the need to let all of his feelings out. His mother came running out immediately and pulled him into her arms without a word, like she just understood. His screaming soon became sobbing, and Baekhyun knew he needed to help Chanyeol somehow, that he also needed to apologise to Yixing, if nothing else. At that moment though, he felt like he was about to collapse from exhaustion, and so he got his mother to tuck him into bed, which she did rather happily. His sleep was filled with nightmares and other generally unpleasant things, and he knew that he would not be sleeping peacefully for a long time, if ever again.

Chanyeol was in critical condition. Baekhyun hadn't really listened when the doctor had been filling him in, and the only things he really took in were smoke inhalation, heart failure, third degree burns, and that he was lucky to still be alive. Baekhyun asked to see him, and the doctor agreed after a little minor persuasion, but was told not to stay too long because he was a criminal. It was the truth, but it hurt a little to have it be said so frankly. Chanyeol had an oxygen mask on his face, and Baekhyun almost didn't want to be there, realising that this must have been what Chanyeol had felt like seeing him in the hospital. He wheeled himself over to Chanyeol's bedside and placed a hand over Chanyeol's own. Chanyeol's hand was cold, definitely not as warm as Baekhyun was used to, and it scared him, it made him feel like this wasn't his Chanyeol.

Baekhyun continued to stare, one hand the back of one of Chanyeol's. He wanted Chanyeol to wake up. He wanted to apologize to him; to tell him that he had forgotten about the match, but he really just wanted to make sure Chanyeol was still alive. Baekhyun sighed, his heart racing as he wondered about what he would do if Chanyeol didn't make it. How would he make it? He was as dependent upon Chanyeol as Chanyeol was dependent upon fire. A life without Chanyeol was not a life at all at this point.

It was crazy how much things had changed in these few short months. 
Baekhyun remembered that feeling of fear when he had first bumped into Chanyeol, fear that it had been another bully who had wanted to hurt him. Chanyeol had picked up one of his books then, offering it back to him, and that fear had instantly become relief. For a moment, he had taken a moment to take in the other, his black hair, his warm chocolate brown eyes, and there had been this look there, like he was afraid, but not of Baekhyun. Baekhyun understood now, he knew that Chanyeol feared the inevitable oblivion that the fire was leading him towards, and that Chanyeol didn't quite understand that himself. At the time though, Baekhyun had been in a rush to get to class, so he hadn't taken the time to really think about it. The next day though, after Chanyeol had saved him, Baekhyun had noticed a different emotion in his eyes. The fear had still been there, and still was, but then there had also been a stronger emotion, something like relief. It had been then, Baekhyun realised, that their destinies had become entangled.

Destiny was the only thing that explained this, the meeting, the feelings, the inexplicable magnetism, and that little scar on his left middle finger that he still couldn't quite explain. He had been skeptical when Yixing had explained the concept of soul mates, because be had felt that it was just an ideal someone created to feel better about being alone. What changed his mind had been when that wall had come crashing down upon him. At that moment, without a single thought in regard to his own safety, he had pushed Chanyeol out of the way. At that moment, when he had practically been staring death in the face, Baekhyun had chosen Chanyeol.

Chanyeol had hurt him and his family in many ways, and more times than Baekhyun could count, he wondered why he still loved someone that has done so much to hurt him. Baekhyun loved the feeling of Chanyeol's lips on his own, the feeling of Chanyeol's arms around his waist, the feeling of Chanyeol's fingers intertwined with his own, the feeling of Chanyeol's luscious voice in his ear, and all of the ways that he managed to make Baekhyun's heart pound whenever he was around. 


He really couldn't live without him anymore. He really didn't want to imagine his life without Chanyeol anymore. Maybe his father would still be alive, they would be more financially secure, and Baekhyun would be able to walk, but he would still be miserable, and he would probably still be bullied on a daily basis. In every situation, there were positives and negatives, and in this case, many may argue that the bad outweighed the good. Baekhyun disagreed though, because Chanyeol made him happier than he ever thought possible. 


The same doctor that had let him in came in then and informed him that it was time for him to leave. Baekhyun nodded in agreement before saying his goodbyes to Chanyeol, promising that he would be back and that he loved him. He allowed the doctor to wheel him out of the hospital. Outside, though, he just stayed on the sidewalk, staring up at the sky, until it began to rain. The rain felt cool on his face as he slowly began wheeling himself home. He felt no rush to get there, preferring the outdoors at the moment, even though he was already thoroughly soaked.

His wheelchair got stuck in a crack when he was nearly home, and so he struggled, trying to somehow get it free, but his struggling proved futile as all he managed to do was fall out of his wheelchair and land face first in a puddle. Feeling humiliated, Baekhyun tried to push himself into at least a sitting position, but was unable to, he was too tired, weak. He let out a soft sigh as he decided to relax, praying that someone would find him; someone would be able to get him out of this rain. His body began growing numb as he wondered if it were possible to die from this, and he knew he was about ready to give up when he decided this wouldn't be a bad way to go. It took him a moment to realise he was being lifted out of the puddle, and he was surprised by this since he could barely feel the person's touch. Slowly, he turned his head to see who it was, and smiled before he allowed unconsciousness to claim him.

"You're finally awake," Baekhyun jumps at the voice, but relaxed after recognizing who it belonged to. "How are you feeling?"


Turning his head to the right, Baekhyun saw Yixing sitting next to the bed, looking tired, like he hadn't slept much. Baekhyun tried to sit up, but Yixing stopped him, gently pressing him back on to the bed. Sighing, he gave up and just looked into Yixing's weary brown eyes.

"I..." Baekhyun wanted his and Yixing's relationship to go back to the way it had been before, but he wasn't sure how to go about it. He figured, though, that the first step would be to tell Yixing the truth about how he was feeling. "I feel terrible. My head is pounding, I still can't feel anything from the waist down, and I just… I really want to apologise to you. I'm sorry, Yixing hyung. I'm sorry for unintentionally pushing you away. I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. I'm sorry for everything I've done to hurt you. I understand if you still hate me, I would hate me too."

"Shh, Baekhyun-ah," Yixing smiled at him, but it seemed forced, the smile never quite reaching his eyes, showing that Yixing had yet to forgive him. "I don't hate you, I could never hate you. And I think I've come to terms with the fact that we could never be together, no matter how badly I want it."

Yixing moved from the chair to the bed then, and lay down next to Baekhyun, pulling the blanket around them both. Baekhyun smiled, liking the warmth as Yixing wrapped his arms around him. He was about to wrap his arms around Yixing, like he had done so many times before Chanyeol had come into his life, but then Yixing kissed him. Stunned, Baekhyun froze, not returning the kiss, but not pulling away either. When Yixing pulled away, there was no regret in his eyes, instead they were shining with something like accomplishment, like Baekhyun was a prize he'd just won. 


"You taste so sweet, Baekhyun-ah," Baekhyun shuddered at the voice Yixing was using; it was condescending, but oddly encouraging, like Baekhyun was a pet. "I'm so glad you see things my way now. With Chanyeol out of the picture, maybe we could become something..."

"But I don't-" Baekhyun was cut off by Yixing’s lips on his again, and the feeling of Yixing's hands moving from his face, to caress his neck, and across his shoulders, all while his lips remained upon Baekhyun’s. Finally, he pulled away, there was a pause, and Baekhyun took advantage of that pause to speak again. "What are you doing? Yixing hyung, please, I'll stay with you, I promise I won't go back to Chanyeol."

Yixing’s mouth was twitching as he shifted into a sitting position before pulling Baekhyun into his arms. "You're making the right choice, Baekhyun-ah, I promise I will be better for you than Chanyeol will ever be."

Baekhyun knew that Yixing saw Chanyeol as nothing but a troublemaker, an arsonist, and perhaps a thief, but Baekhyun knew Chanyeol better. He was certain that he knew Chanyeol even better than he knew himself. Chanyeol would hold nothing against him, he would most likely be happy for Baekhyun, tell him this was the right decision, and then wish him luck and happiness. Chanyeol wouldn't want him to wait for him to wake up, only to be shipped back to jail, and so he would have to wait more. Baekhyun stared up at Yixing, a single tear slipping down his face as Yixing kissed him again. And at that moment, Baekhyun made up his mind. For Chanyeol, he would try to move on. For Chanyeol, he'd stay with Yixing, even though he did not feel that way about him. And even though all of this was for Chanyeol, for Yixing, and presumably the right thing to do, why then did it all feel so wrong?

The doctor told Baekhyun that Chanyeol was going to die. He had simply inhaled too much smoke, his heart was slowing down, and the only reason he was still living was because he was hooked to the machines; he may never wake up. The only way to save him was with a new set of lungs, and a new heart, and even then, he'd most likely encounter health problems for the rest of his life. Baekhyun took in the doctor's words silently, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that because of his mistake, Chanyeol was dying. Finally the doctor left them alone, and Baekhyun buried his face into his hands and cried, crying until he could no longer feel anything. He looked up when he thought he saw movement out of his peripheral vision and was pleasantly surprised to see that Chanyeol's eyes were open and that he was smiling at him.


"Chanyeol-ah," Baekhyun breathed, moving himself as close as possible before taking one of Chanyeol's hands and holding it as tightly as possible, like he was afraid to let go. "Chanyeol-ah, you're awake, I'm so happy."


Chanyeol moved a hand to remove the mask from his face but Baekhyun stopped him.


"I don't think you're strong enough to breathe on your own yet..." Baekhyun paused, his mouth set in a straight line, wondering if he should tell him what the doctor said. "Just relax."


Baekhyun offered him a smile, and Chanyeol just seemed disoriented as his eyes moved from Baekhyun to the wall to the machines around him, and finally back to Baekhyun. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but quickly closed it, only to open it again. Baekhyun pulled the mask away from his face slightly and leaned in as close as possible to hear Chanyeol's words. 


"Am I... dying?" 


Baekhyun paled visibly, gently placing the mask back in place while contemplating if he should reveal the truth. He realised then that even if he lied to Chanyeol, Chanyeol could mostly likely feel that he was not going to make it. In the end, words failed him, and all he managed was a slight nod. Chanyeol wasn't surprised at all, like Baekhyun had expected, but the pain was clear within his glassy orbs, and Baekhyun felt at a loss.


"Maybe you should try to get some rest," Baekhyun said. "I'll let the doctor know you woke up. You'll be okay."


Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun in a way that made it clear he didn't believe him, but didn't try to argue, before his eyes drifted shut. Baekhyun could feel that familiar sense of guilt threatening to swallow him again, and no longer just guilt that Chanyeol was in the hospital because of him. He felt like he was betraying Chanyeol by agreeing to be with Yixing. He knew that Chanyeol would want this for him, would want him to be happy, but the thing was, they were technically still together and he didn't even feel anything for Yixing. So really, he was sacrificing his own happiness, and Chanyeol's, for Yixing. He took a deep breath at the revelation. Thinking that way was unfair to Yixing, though, because Baekhyun was hurting everyone and everything by agreeing to be with Yixing. Baekhyun had been Yixing's “boyfriend” for about five days, and he had spent every single one of those days trying to avoid Yixing. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling, instead, he saw Yixing standing right behind him. 


"Yixing hyung!" Baekhyun exclaimed clumsily turning his wheelchair so that he was facing the other. "What are you doing here?"


Yixing frowned, his hands on his hips. "I think the better question is what are you doing here?"


"I... I came to see Chanyeol," Baekhyun quickly stuttered. "We may not be together anymore but I still care about him."


"He's a criminal, Baekhyun-ah," Yixing said immediately, kneeling and placing a gentle hand upon Baekhyun's knee. "You're with me now, I'll take care of you. You don't need Chanyeol anymore, okay?"


Baekhyun felt his heart clinch painfully at Yixing's words, but when he forced himself to agree; he was sure he felt his heart stop beating for the briefest of moments. 


"Good, now let me take you home."


He didn't do anything as Yixing took hold of the handlebars and began wheeling him out. Baekhyun kept his eyes down, trying to ignore the pain and guilt gnawing at him. Completely absorbed in his own pain, he was unaware of the fact that Chanyeol was awake and had heard that entire conversation. He also missed the tears that fell from Chanyeol's eyes as he left the room, and he had no idea of the circumstances of their next meeting.

"Do you really love me, Yixing hyung?" Baekhyun heard himself asking. He didn't actually doubt Yixing's love for him, he just felt the need to ask, and the need to reassure himself that he was making the right choice. "Am I... worth your love?"


"Of course, Baekhyun-ah," Yixing replied with a gentle kiss to Baekhyun's temple. "I've loved you since that time I found you after you'd just been hurt by those despicable bullies. The way you had leaned against me, your tears staining my uniform, your hands shaking as you held on to me, made me realise that I need to protect you from anything and everything. Eventually, the need to protect became love, and now I... I love you so much it hurts."

Baekhyun subconsciously shifted closer towards Yixing, clinging to him the way that he had that one time Yixing had just mentioned. He remembered that time. It had been after a particularly bad bullying session, and he had just been terrified. When he had felt Yixing's warm embrace, he'd completely broken down, clinging to him like a lifeline. Baekhyun thought of Yixing as nothing more than a really close friend, and that feeling would most likely never change. He needed to tell Yixing this before this went any further. Yixing's feelings were genuine, and Baekhyun just felt like a fake, someone who did not deserve someone like Yixing.


"I'm sorry, Yixing hyung," Baekhyun says.


"What for, Baekhyun-ah?" Yixing asked, continuously running his hand through Baekhyun's hair. "You've done nothing wrong."


And Baekhyun wanted to say that he had, that he really had. He was sorry for agreeing to be with Yixing even though he felt nothing for him, he was sorry for leading him on, he was sorry for ever thinking this was the right thing to do, and he was so sorry for hurting Yixing. And still, he was even more sorry when he said none of that. He should have never agreed to this in the first place. By agreeing to be with Yixing, he was really hurting them all.


"I'm sorry..." Baekhyun began again, nervously ringing his fingers. "I'm sorry for visiting Chanyeol yesterday without telling you."


Yixing just chuckled, kissing the top of Baekhyun's head. "It's okay, I understand why you did. You're not ready to move on from him yet, and that makes sense, he was your first love." 


He's my only love, Baekhyun corrected silently in his head. And you're right; I'm not ready to move on yet, since we're technically still in a relationship...


Baekhyun sighed at the last thought, realising just horrible of a person he really was. He had chalked up Yixing's last acts as desperation, and he was being gentle again because all he needed was love, which he thought he had. Baekhyun really was a terrible person.

The next day, Baekhyun received a call from Chanyeol's doctor, much to his surprise, and immediately paled at his words. He told him that Chanyeol did not have much longer to live, that if he did not receive a new heart and lungs within the next couple of days, there was no chance at all. He asked the doctor if he could be a donor, and the doctor said they'd need to run some tests first. Baekhyun immediately made his way down to the hospital, as fast as he could in his wheelchair, and asked for that doctor.

It wasn’t until that moment, when he was waiting to take these tests, did Baekhyun realise that if he gave up his lungs or heart, he'd be sacrificing his life, but it didn’t matter, for Chanyeol he was willing. Unfortunately, the tests showed that Baekhyun was not a match with Chanyeol. When the doctor had given him the results, he was dejected that the results were negative, but at the same time, he was relieved because part of him really was not ready to die, at least not yet. 
Afterwards, he asked to see Chanyeol, and the doctor only agreed after Baekhyun said he'd give him the news.

He wheeled himself up to Chanyeol's room, pausing in front of the door, unsure if he was making the right decision. Taking a deep breath, he finally pushed the door open, and went in, only to find the room pitch black, and empty.


"Chanyeol-ah?" Baekhyun called into the room, but there was nothing. "Chanyeol-ah, are you here?"


And then he was suddenly aware of the loud blaring that was the heart monitor going flat. Baekhyun panicked for a moment, thinking Chanyeol was dead, but then remembered that he wasn't there. Where did he go? He wasn't really in any condition to be moving around. Quickly, he left the room, and the hospital without telling anyone; they'd most likely notice that Chanyeol was missing soon enough anyway. The afternoon was foggy, and Baekhyun could barely see two feet in front of him. He kept going though, pushing on until his arms started feeling tired. That was when he saw orange and red peeking through the thick fog, and he immediately knew that it was fire. Without another moment's hesitation, he began heading towards it, and the closer he got, the clearer the flames became. And then he saw Chanyeol walking towards it.

"Chanyeol-ah!" Baekhyun yelled, trying to get to him as soon as possible. "Chanyeol-ah!"


Chanyeol turned the second time, and his face was almost emotionless, except for the obvious flickers of pain. He turned away from Baekhyun again, but he didn't continue walking. Baekhyun stopped next to him and took one of his hands, but Chanyeol pulled it away. 


"What are you doing here?" Chanyeol's voice was cold, his hands clenched into fists by his sides. "Shouldn't you be with your Yixing? It's not like we're together anymore, so what do you care?"


Baekhyun winced at Chanyeol's words and voice, once again trying to grab hold of one of Chanyeol's hands, only to fail. So Chanyeol had heard him, had heard Yixing, and Baekhyun almost wanted to say that this wasn't his fault, that he was just doing what he had thought Chanyeol would want, but he also knew that it was, because the same way he hadn't told Yixing the truth, he hadn't told Chanyeol either, and it wasn't fair to either of them. 


"Chanyeol-ah-" 


"Stop, don't call me that," Baekhyun winced, realising how deeply he had hurt Chanyeol. "Just leave me alone."


"Why are you here?" He asked, rather boldly; Baekhyun knew that, no matter what, he couldn't just leave.


Baekhyun could see that Chanyeol was breathing heavily, his legs were shaking, and clearly just standing there took a lot of effort. Chanyeol took in a shaky breath, looking at Baekhyun again, and settling on the armrest of Baekhyun's wheelchair. 


"I just wanted to be able to choose my own fate," Chanyeol sighed, staring down at his feet. "I didn't want to expire in a hospital bed, or recover and be shipped off to jail like a common criminal. I wanted to die by the hands of the thing that had gotten me in this mess in the first place..." He paused, and turned his head to look at Baekhyun, an unbelievable amount of pain in his eyes. "I just... if nothing else, I'd like to at least choose how I die."

"I wanted to save you," Baekhyun confessed, staring ahead at the fire. "I went in today to see if my heart and lungs would be a match to yours. Unfortunately, they weren't, but I was willing to sacrifice my life for yours, and I still am, Chanyeol-ah."


"You... what?" 


Baekhyun could see Chanyeol looking at him out of his peripheral vision, disbelief written all over his face. "Exactly what I said. I already told you this, Chanyeol-ah. I need you. There's no life for me without you."


Chanyeol slipped off the armrest, kneeling down in front of Baekhyun, and placed a hand upon Baekhyun's knee. "No, I could never let you do that," he breathed. "I would never let you die because of me."


"Are you going to kill yourself today?" Baekhyun asked bluntly. "Because if you are, I'm going in there with you."


Chanyeol stood up, and he looked conflicted, unsure what was right, and what was wrong. 


"I just want us to be together, Chanyeol-ah," Baekhyun continued, reaching up to take one of Chanyeol's hands. "And if it takes death for that to happen, then so be it."

"So that's how you really feel..." Baekhyun's eyes widened at Yixing's voice, and cursed himself for not noticing the other earlier. "I knew this was too good to be real."

"Yixing hyung..." Baekhyun whispered, turning his head to look at the other. "I..."


"Save it, Baekhyun," Yixing looked disappointed, angry, sad, and yet, he also looked understanding and forgiving, conflicted. "You never actually loved me, and took advantage of my feelings for you. And I believed you, because I was so desperate. You were my first love, Byun Baekhyun, and though it hurts to let you go... it appears that I have no choice. Despite everything, I still wish you happiness."


And then before Baekhyun could say anything else, Yixing turned around and walked away. Throughout the entire exchange, Chanyeol hadn't said a word; instead, he had steadily sunk lower and lower until he was on his knees. And then he started coughing, coughing until blood came out of his lips, and he collapsed on to the ground, completely depleted of energy. Baekhyun could do nothing but watch, helpless. He knew where Chanyeol was coming from, if it were him, he might have made the same choice; sometimes, there were worse choices than suicide. Baekhyun dragged himself out of his wheelchair, and lay down next to Chanyeol; he'd made up his mind a long time ago, he wanted to die by Chanyeol's side.Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Chanyeol's waist, and after a moment, Chanyeol wrapped his arms around Baekhyun's shoulders, pulling him as close as possible. And then he let go, slowly getting to his feet, his legs barely able to support his own weight. Chanyeol knelt down and scooped Baekhyun into his arms, and Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Chanyeol's neck.

"So we're really doing this?" Chanyeol whispered, like he couldn't quite believe it. "You really want to be with me even in the face of death?"


"Yes, Park Chanyeol," Baekhyun placed his head against Chanyeol's shoulder. "I need you. You're my unconditional soul mate."


"After all of this, you still believe I'm your soul mate..." Chanyeol laughed, giving Baekhyun a kiss. "And I guess I believe it too. There isn't really any other way to describe what this is..."


He started walking, bringing them both steadily closer to the flames that had long ago engulfed the building. Heat attacked them first, and pain as a stray flame their arms, and then Baekhyun started to panic, remembering the last time he was by a flaming wall, when he was crushed by it. He started struggling against Chanyeol's hold, instinct telling him that he needed to get out, needed to survive.


"I knew it," Chanyeol whispered, holding Baekhyun tighter, burying his face in the crook of Baekhyun's neck. "You're scared, you don't actually want to do this."


Baekhyun relaxed slightly at Chanyeol's warm touch, but he still couldn't keep still. "I want to do this with you, but my brain thinks I'm in danger. I can't control it."


Chanyeol sat down in a small area that had yet to be touched by fire, miraculously, and began gently rubbing Baekhyun's back, soothing him. 


"I'm here, Baekhyun-ah," Chanyeol whispered as wooden beams started falling all around them. "We'll always be together now, I promise."


Baekhyun finally calmed down, his head tucked safely underneath Chanyeol's chin. "I love you, Chanyeol-ah."


He looked up when he heard the ceiling creak loudly and knew this would all be over soon. Smiling, Baekhyun found himself thinking back on his short life, realising that Chanyeol really was the best thing to ever happen to him. He had no regrets for the most part. He regretted the way he had lied to Yixing, and he regretted all the trouble he had put his mother through; she deserved a more obedient child, she deserved better than what she got. 


"I love you too, Baekhyun-ah," Chanyeol mouthed, knowing that it would be difficult to be heard over the roaring fire. "And I'm so sorry."


The ceiling fell then, and even though death was what they were both seeking, Chanyeol still tried to protect Baekhyun from the brunt of it. Baekhyun closed his eyes as he felt fire starting to swallow him, and he knew that this was what his dreams had been trying to tell him, that he was going to drown in a sea of flames. He lifted a shaky hand to touch Chanyeol's cheek, and realised that Chanyeol had stopped breathing, and his pulse was barely there. Baekhyun allowed his body to completely relax against Chanyeol before gently placing a kiss upon Chanyeol's temple. 


"Goodnight, Chanyeol-ah."

THE END

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And that's the end. I think there are things missing... if there's anything you think should be added, but just aren't there, please comment below and I'll do my best to write it in. I hope the ending is satisfactory... I've been planning this fic for a while, and it's finally done. I'm just glad it didn't take two years to complete like my last chaptered fic OTL If anyone has any ideas for what you'd like me to write about next, please leave a comment ^_^ 

Thank you to everyone that's supported this fic, it means so so much. If you've been here from the beginning, it means so so much, and if you haven't, i appreciate it just as much for staying until the end. I love you all <3

So until the next one, in the mean time, please check out this EXO Fairytale AU collection that my friends and I are working on ^_^ http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/804219 It would mean so much to us if you did! There are currently 3 different fics, and we try to update monthly. =3