Baekhyun wanted to leave. He saw Yixing torturing himself and he wanted to go up and take him into his arms and tell him to stop but he promised himself he wouldn’t, and it was a promise he intended to keep until he died.

He managed to keep himself barely in check, all the way until Yixing bent over and vomitted bright red blood onto the floor. He was up in an instant, all things forgotten, and he had already cleared half the room when Chanyeol snatched him up before he fell onto his knees beside Yixing. Baekhyun’s chest was starting to hurt, more than usual, and he was in a coughing fit again.

The members were frenzied. They thought when they saw Baekhyun vomit blood it was the first and last. Minseok was ready to rush Yixing to the hospital but Yixing stopped him and reassured them he was okay. That he just needed to take some medicine, and he’d had this before during his trainee days, and he was fine, everyone please don’t worry, he was fine.

The next morning the members left Yixing to sleep in and Baekhyun to rest, and drove to practice by themselves. Chanyeol wanted to stay behind and take care of Baekhyun, but the others waved his worries away. They hoped with the time Baekhyun and Yixing spent alone they would be able to sort some things out.

Baekhyun was in the bathroom, his mouth full of toothpaste foam, when the door burst open and Yixing stumbled forward and fell onto his knees over the toilet bowl. Baekhyun’s fingers tightened around his toothbrush and he gripped the edge of the sink to keep himself from throwing himself at Yixing. God, he felt so horrible. This was a mistake. How could he ever have thought he would be able to keep away from the only person he loved? Who was he kidding?

Baekhyun squeezed his eyes shut tightly, his chest tightening at the sound of Yixing’s empty retching. When was the last time he’d eaten? Baekhyun didn’t know. He spun around, heart in his throat, ready to apologise and take it all back, but his chest was hurting so much he winced and started coughing.

He saw Yixing raise his head, his hair disheveled from sleep, face pale and skinny from heartbreak, eyes red and teary from being sick. They’d lost their spark sometime in the past week, but they were staring at him with a concern so tender and gentle that it hurt.