If this was what dying felt like, Yixing wished Baekhyun would have a smoother journey.

He felt like he’d emptied all his insides out on the tiled grounds, considering how much retching he’d done, but all there was were puddles of transparent fluid streaked with dark red. Yixing had never felt so sick and broken in his 25 years of life. And he lay sprawled at an uncomfortable position, making shallow gasps for breaths, as he listened to Yifan’s sneer from above.

“He’s turned his phone off, you loser. He doesn’t want you anymore.”

Then there was a new, painful fire burning at the pit of Yixing’s battered stomach and he surprised himself by lurching onto his feet and throwing himself onto Yifan. And he channeled all of his grief, helplessness, and hopelessness into every feeble blow onto Yifan’s perfect, handsome face. Tao gripped him from the back, but he thrashed, kicking at every part of Yifan he could reach, because for a moment the pain from his heart overpowered all the bruises and cuts.

He knew Tao could easily snap his neck if he wanted to. He knew they wanted to torture him for as long as possible, because they thought one more blow on him meant one more blow on Baekhyun’s heart when he found him. If only they knew. Yixing gave a bitter laugh.

When they were done and they knew Yixing wasn’t far from gone, they threw him on the ground beside his phone.

“One last call, boy.” Tao’s voice, although punctured with pants, was sickeningly sweet. “Say your goodbyes.”

They laughed as they watched Yixing’s spasming fingers struggle with the touch screen. He wasn’t expecting an answer because they’d said Baekhyun had turned his phone off, but the familiar voice picked up and for a precious moment Yixing felt all the happiness in the world.

He was struggling to breathe and he inched his lips as close to the speaker as possible, whispering words only meant for him to hear.

“Ja-Jagiya…” It came out as a rasp. Yixing had to swallow to continue.

“I…I feel like a part of my soul has loved you since the beginning of everything.” He smiled against the pain. “Maybe we’re from the same star.” He managed a small chuckle.

He strained to hear what Baekhyun was saying, but the ringing in his ears was too loud, and his energy was draining rapidly.

“You said I had a beautiful mind…” he clenched his teeth as Tao yelled and landed another kick to his stomach to hurry him up, “…but…but that’s only because you’re all I think about.”

“And your lips were…made of broken glass but I still…kissed you because I thought…I thought the pain was worth the love, and now…now I have bleeding lips and a…a bleeding heart.” His breaths were coming out in jagged rasps and he heard a faint shouting from the phone.

“I’ll see you soon, Baekhyun. Byun Baekhyun…my miracle…my star…my only one.”

He let his head fall back when he got the last words out. It was a relief, really. To know that he’d been able to say everything he’d wanted before he left. If only he could see those beautiful eyes one last time. Those eyes that contained a whole galaxy, but he was only a star.

Yixing pulled up a memory of Baekhyun’s brown eyes as he closed his and waited for death. He was shoved over the ice that had formed over the puddles on the floor. When he hit the murky waters he didn’t try to struggle. His lungs burnt with fire from the deepest pits of hell, and water was entering his body from everywhere, but he held on to those pair of shining, gentle eyes, and they smiled to him from inside his mind.

They were filled with warmth, love, and it spread to each of his cells as he slowly sank to the bottom.