“Why?” Kyuhyun allows the question to hang in mid air as he presses his trembling  hand on the gunshot wound, trying to stem the flowing blood. The cloth he uses is  already soaked with thick fresh blood and he know almost there and then, that the other will bleed to death. He watches as the other gasps for air, knowing the intense pain caused by the bullets. His heart clenches, a strange pain, stabbing him deep inside. 

A shrug and a wry smile. 

“Tell me why!” Kyuhyun screams  as he holds  Siwon’s stained collar to haul him close. But he knows.  He already knows why. He knew so long ago but he refuses to see it, to acknowledge it. It is  not supposed to happen. How could he do that, to love another. He cannot, could not betray Seung-Won. Avenging his benefactor is his sole  focus for the past two years, nothing else matters, nothing else should. So he ignores the spark which was ignited, when it happened he did not know but this  spark, this flame, is slowly burning, working in mysterious ways to warm his dead and vengeful heart.

And now as Siwon lay almost motionless, his head flopping forward  after taking the shots meant for him, he knows what he should do, wants to do. 

This man, picked him up, when he was at his rock bottom. Encouraging, helping him.

This man, stood by him, when no one would. Protecting, sheltering him. 

This man, loved him, pledging his life to him. With no expectation of anything in return. 

Kyuhyun gently smooths a strand of wayward hair away from the pale, lifeless face. Realisation jolting him, that this is really the first time he truly looks at him, sees him. Not Seung-won’s  lackey, not his follower, not a  replacement but just… Siwon. 

“You should leave…” Siwon says slowly as he bores his eyes onto Kyuhyun, committing his face, his beautiful and flawless face,  to his memory. “Escape…behind the  wooden door…” Then he his gun as he presses himself to up to face the front door,  he has every intention of keeping Kyuhyun safe, right to the end, to the last of his breath. 

“No.”

“Master Cho...”

“We will face them together. You and I.” Kyuhyun smiles faintly as Siwon stares hard at him, searching his face. “And then you can tell me what you have always wanted to say. Every single word.”

A pause.

A nod.

An exchange of glances. 

Certainty. Promises. Something to look forward to. Something worth fighting for.

Siwon takes a deep breath, willing his pain to tamper down. Expertly, he points his gun to the front door and waits till Kyuhyun does the same with his silencer.  Side by side, as equals. Calmly, they both wait till their enemies break the door under the first hail of bullets.