Seungyoon’s breath is hot, quick, and desperate. His heart pounding wildly in his chest as his blood rushed loudly in his ears. He’s on his knees, digging through the dirt under the veil of darkness - fingers bloody and throbbing in pain as he gripped grass, sharp edged rocks, and clumps of mud. By now his husband’s name is a mantra on his lips, although his voice barely scratches their way out of his too dry throat.

Feeling something solid under his fingers, tears leak unannounced from the corners of his eyes as he frantically dug even further. He’s digging even faster now, scattering leaves of crimson, a mound of dirt around him - all he can think about is his husband trapped under the ground. Seungyoon’s back aches, arms screaming under the strain but he won’t give up, he won’t stop, his husband is waiting. Finally reaching the wood, he starts to pound on it - arms shaking, lungs burning. The wood starts to give and eventually snaps with a resounding crack, dirt falling in. Seungyoon holds his breath as he breaks the rest of it with his bare hands.

His husband lies there, eyes shut and pallid. Or rather someone, something otherworldly, wearing his husband’s face. Seungyoon gingerly reaches a hand in and touches his cheek, he is cold - frighteningly cold. He’s not moving, not breathing, and neither is Seungyoon.

This can’t be. It can’t.

He hauls his husband up, his hand going over his face, his chest, his wrist - searching for any sign of life he can find. His husband’s head falls back, his body limp and lifeless, but Seungyoon doesn’t care - his husband promised him that he wouldn’t leave him and he always made sure to keep his word. He starts to shake him and call his name, hand touching the side of his husband’s cold face as he desperately tried to breathe life into him...but all of it yields nothing.

His husband is gone.

Seungyoon’s mind reels, his world tilting. His shaking fingers gently tuck his husband’s hair behind his ears, a movement of comfort and solace. He feels like a lost puppy, his once beautiful vibrant husband now a limp ragdoll in his arms. He buries his head into his husband’s shoulder, rocking him slightly, his tears blinding him.

“Can you hear me?” the voice was low, urgent. “Please wake up.”

“Seungyoon...please...” the voice didn’t give up, “I need you to wake up.”

Something hard landed against his chest and Seungyoon bolted up in bed, skin damp with sweat and gasping for breath. He felt uneasy, pulled-taut, chest heaving and not just from the lack of air.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry...” Jinwoo began to mumble pressing the heel of his palm on Seungyoon’s chest and rubbing the spot gently. “You weren't waking up. I got desperate.”

Seungyoon stared hard at his husband, as if he’s seeing him again for the first time after a very long time. His shaking fingers reached out and carded through Jinwoo’s hair pushing them out of his eyes.

It was just a dream.

A nightmare.

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