Word count : ~4.5k

Pairing           : Jongin×Baekhyun (slight Chanyeol×Baekhyun and Jongin×Kyungsoo)

Summary      : In which Jongin can’t have his happy ending with Baekhyun because Kai had ruined it in the past.

 

 

‘May 6, 2016’

 

 

He didn’t know what brought him there.

 

He was just aimlessly wandering around the downtown streets. Exactly a year ago, he woke up from comatose state. He had stabbed his chest, right into his heart, and as if God wanted to mock him, the doctors got him a new one. So he woke up three months after that, with a long scar running on his chest, and someone else’s heart in his ribcage.

 

He was given the second chance to live.

 

He would like to think of living as a punishment for letting the one he loved die.

 

But especially that day, living became a little bit too overwhelming.

 

So he went round and round from one street to another with his sedan. Not really looking for a place to go to.

 

It was almost ten in the evening, and he stopped.

 

There was a flower shop at the intersection, brightly lit, decorated in boxes of colorful petals.

 

He got off his car and walked towards there. Just across the street is a late night snacks shop. Maybe he can get his stomach full if he couldn’t fill his heart. Walking towards the intersection, he glanced at the flower shop.

 

A man, looking so gloomy, was sitting inside, right next to the window.

 

He stopped.

 

And out of sudden, there was a pain in his chest. Right at where the heart rested. It was so painful that he had to lurch forward, falling on his knees against the pavement.

 

He was starting to scream when he felt fingers wrapping around his arms, bringing him up.

 

“Are you okay, sir??” a voice asked.

 

He was sat on the bench in front of the flower shop. The man had ran into the shop to get some water and went back to him to hand it over. He drank the water greedily, finally feeling properly at ease.

 

“Thank you.” he said to the man, who looked petite and fragile.

 

“Are you okay now?” the man asked.

 

He nodded. “I’m so sorry for being such a trouble.”

 

The man chuckled softly. No joy was in his eyes. “It’s fine.” the man said. “Anything else I can do?”

 

He had stared into the man’s eyes. There was emptiness, with a hint of sadness and despair.

 

He was a broken soul, just like him.

 

“K – Jongin.” he offered a hand.

 

The man took it, albeit hesitatingly.

 

“Baekhyun.”

 

=

 

He flutters his eyes open when he feels a tingling touch across his cheek.

 

The cold yet warm atmosphere around the bedroom greets him like an old friend. Sunlight creeps through the curtains of the tall window not too far from his bed. His gaze then falls on the spot next to him, where another man lies awake, albeit sleepy. Soft knuckles are still grazing his cheek, like a touch of consolation.

 

When their eyes meet, he is welcomed by the warmth that swirls inside those dark brown irises; ones he has been drowning in.

 

“Good morning,” the angel whispers softly, nearly inaudible, yet it rings like church’s bells inside his ears.

 

The person in front of him is just like church.

 

A holy place, too holy to be tainted with someone like himself.

 

“Morning.” he reaches out a hand to hold the angel’s own hand and plant feathery pecks on the knuckles. “You’re beautiful.”

 

The angel giggles involuntarily, pink dust spreads throughout porcelain cheeks. “Too early, Jongin.”

 

Jongin.

 

He’s been playing as Jongin for a year.

 

“Never too early to speak of the truth.” he smiles.

 

‘Never too early, but it can be too late sometimes’, his mind tells him.

 

He shuts his demons down.

 

“Baek,” he calls for his angel, “can we stay like this today? All day?”

 

Giggling, Baekhyun snuggles closer to him, burying his face into the column of his neck. “Silly. You need to work, I need to open the shop.”

 

“Just for today?” Jongin tries his luck again.

 

“Is it to make up for the whole two weeks of missing from my sight?” Baekhyun lifts his head, facing Jongin. “Because last night was actually enough for me. Not that I’m complaining, though.”

 

Jongin laughs amusedly, wrapping his arms around Baekhyun’s petite body. “Technically yes. I want to make up those two weeks of not hugging you.”

 

“You always do more than just hugging, Jongin.”

 

“Touché.”

 

“We can’t ignore our work.” Baekhyun leans in to kiss the bridge of Jongin’s nose. “But you can have me all night later, how does that sound?”

 

Jongin smirks. “Hot.”

 

“Kim Jongin!”

 

“Stay with me tonight,” Jongin whispers, suddenly getting serious it catches Baekhyun off guard, “will you?”

 

With a shy smile, Baekhyun nods.

 

Can Jongin keep that smile?

 

=

 

‘January 13, 2015’

 

 

That day was supposed to go as planned.

 

The ride to the bank was unusually silent. In the black van, everyone was polishing their own guns, checking everything. Kai sighed heavily. His team was a walking corpse.

 

“So this is it?” Kai started with a bark. “This is really how our last project would be? Like a ing mummy parade?”

 

No one said anything at first.

 

“Hm?” Kai added.

 

“I’m ing sad, okay?” Sehun finally opened up. “And when I’m ing sad I’d rather be silent or I would need to blast some er’s head to calm down. What do you ing suggest, soon to be ex boss?”

 

“Dramatic little prick.” Luhan whistled under his breath.

 

“I heard that, babe.”

 

“It’s not that bad, actually.” Yixing calmly said, slender fingers fiddling with his beloved glock. “If the skies allow, we would still find each other a year from this and by then we can assemble again and plan new projects again.”

 

Kyungsoo snorted behind the wheel. “Boss is already rich; he doesn’t need more projects.”

 

Sehun turned at Kai with watery eyes. “Is that why you’re tearing us apart, Boss?? Because y-you don’t need us anymore?!?!”

 

Luhan flicked Sehun’s forehead. “You’re such a bad luck.”

 

“Yeah, he’s the reason why those dogs could sniff us at our last project.”

 

“You’re the reason we’re disbanding.”

 

“Enough, okay, don’t talk about this anymore.” Kai clapped his hand once to gather everyone’s focus. “Let’s do great on our last project. Make our hiatus the vacation we always dreamed for. No police.”

 

“No police.” everyone chorused.

 

“Only money,”

 

“Money!” they chorused louder.

 

“and hot chicks.”

 

“Luhan and Sehun don’t swing that way, Boss.”

 

“Yixing you ing smart mouth-“

 

“Kick him back to Changsa, Boss!”

 

“That’s best hacker in the entire Asia you’re talking about, Sehun.”

 

Sehun already went on bullying Yixing, Luhan’s face still looked like an overcooked shrimp, and from his peripheral vision, Kai could tell Kyungsoo was chuckling softly to himself.

 

Kyungsoo. After the project, Kai would tell Kyungsoo.

 

‘I like you. Been doing so for seven years.’

 

The timing would be perfect. Both of them would be free by then.

 

Kai smiled.

 

That day was supposed to go as planned

 

=

 

With a kiss that lingered longer than it should have, Jongin sends Baekhyun away. There’s a big client that will visit him today, so Baekhyun needs to prepare some things at his flower shop. Jongin grins as Baekhyun gives him his last smile before closing the door of his apartment. When Baekhyun is out of sight, the grin drops as fast as it had spread on his lips.

 

His stomach churns in mixed feelings. Nervousness, guilt, disappointment towards himself, and other demons that have been with him ever since the day he met Baekhyun.

 

He makes his way to his bedroom, stopping right in front of the mirror. He lifts his shirt up and takes it off. Staring at his bare chest, his fingers immediately go to touch the scar that runs across the left side.

 

The reminder of his sin.

 

He feels like throwing up.

 

But he digests everything back when his phone rings. He walks to the bed post and snatches the device. He picks up the call.

 

“Are you coming today, Boss?” the caller asks.

 

“Yeah.” Jongin answers. “We need to talk.”

 

“… let me guess,” the caller ponders, “Byun?”

 

Jongin gulps.

 

“Oh, you’ve decided to tell him.”

 

“Sehun,”

 

“When exactly?”

 

“let’s save this conversation for later.”

 

“Why? Can’t deal with the guilt?”

 

“Oh Sehun.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Sehun exhales too loudly. “We’ll be here, Boss.”

 

Jongin ends the call abruptly. He throws the phone onto the bed before he spins around and walk towards the walk-in closet. Grabbing a shirt, his gaze falls on the thing that rests on the shelf.

 

The heart shaped locket.

 

Another reminder of his sin.

 

He catches his breath when suddenly, his heart pounds inside his ribcage, right behind the scar on his chest.

 

The biggest reminder of his sin.

 

He spins around, and there, at the corner of the room, stands someone from his imagination.

 

Tall. Black thick locks. White shirt with ed collar hidden behind black bullet-proof vest. Dusty black pants. Stained black leather boots.

 

Calm, yet resentful gaze.

 

Jongin feels numb.

 

“Tonight.” he whispers shakily. “I’ll do it tonight.”

 

The man at the corner only stares.

 

His phone rings. Jongin glances away out of reflex.

 

When he looks back again, the man has gone.

 

He falls on his knees.

 

=

 

‘January 13, 2015’

 

 

“You don’t know how adorable you look right now.”

 

“You’re supposed to feel very bad and stay.”

 

Chanyeol laughed amusedly, his index finger was already reaching out to gently tap the bridge of his lover’s nose. “I can’t, baby, I’m so sorry.” he said with guilt thick in his voice. “This is a huge task, I can’t just back out.”

 

“That’s the point!” Baekhyun snapped. “It’s huge and it’s dangerous as well!”

 

“Danger has been our daily meal for a quite long time, Baek.”

 

“Why did you have to become a policeman?!”

 

“Why did you have to date a policeman?”

 

“I hate you!!”

 

“I love you too, baby.”

 

Baekhyun couldn’t run away when Chanyeol suddenly caught him between strong arms and lifted him up, spinning him around like a doll. “Park Chanyeol you’re going to put me down right now!!”

 

“Not until you give me my morning kiss!”

 

“PARK CHANYEOL YOU’RE A PAIN IN THE !!”

 

“I know your is still in pain from last night, baby.”

 

“PARK CHANYEOL!!!!”

 

 

That day was supposed to go well.

 

The atmosphere in the office was great. Everyone was energized enough to hold the mission for the day. After a short yet effective briefing, everyone was preparing things before they go.

 

“Have you eaten, Chief?” Joonmyun grinned. “Because you’re going to need a lot of energy to catch these s.”

 

“Skilled s.” Chanyeol added. “And the Boss is someone we can’t underestimate.”

 

“What’s the point of this ambush if they already know our plan?” Minseok rolled his eyes in annoyance.

 

Chanyeol laughed. “That’s the point. Let them know. We’re going to confront each other, face to face.”

 

Joonmyun laughed as well, nodding as he points at a picture on the board; the youngest yet the most notorious mafia in South Korea. “He’d be all yours later, Chief.”

 

“Thanks, Joonmyun hyung.”

 

Chanyeol’s phone buzzed. A text from Baekhyun came up, notifying that he was going somewhere for the day. He replied with a dozen of heart emoticons and shut his phone off.

 

They were going to arrest the young prince of the mafias of Kim clan and his minions.

 

That day was supposed to go well.

 

=

 

“Chen said he would give you a week. To clean everything up and disappear from South Korea.”

 

Jongin nods. “He’s going to have the Seoul base as well. I’m sure he can handle both Seoul and Beijing.”

 

Sehun growls under his breath. “Greedy er.”

 

“We’ll do well in Tokyo, right, Luhan?” Jongin turns around, finding both Sehun and Luhan are staring back at him. They’re on the balcony of his office room, and the silence that is filled with the noise from the wind only makes everything melancholic.

 

Luhan offers him a soft smile. “We’ll do well anywhere as long as you’re there, Boss.” he says. “And wherever Sehun is, that’s where I’ll be.”

 

Sehun coughs awkwardly, looking somewhere else than them, but his fingers immediately reach to intertwine themselves with Luhan’s.

 

Jongin smiles. He can’t break that bond. He can’t break them just because he wants to keep his little lie longer.

 

“What about the Byun guy?” Yixing comes in, tablet secured in his arms. “When will you cut your ties with him?”

 

“Tonight.” Jongin answers.

 

“How? I mean, he’s been so attached to you.” Luhan muses. “Won’t he go crazy if you suddenly tell him you want to break up?”

 

Jongin glances at Sehun.

 

Sehun looks away.

 

“I have a plan.” Jongin says. “He will drop me immediately. I’m sure.”

 

“Well, yes, but,” Yixing puts a hand on Jongin’s shoulder, “are you going to be okay with it?”

 

Jongin tries to imagine how his days would go without Baekhyun.

 

And it suddenly hurts his chest.

 

“I won’t be okay.” he answers. “And as long as I can set him free, I don’t need to be okay.”

 

He doesn’t even think he deserves to be okay.

 

Not after all that he had done to Baekhyun.

 

“Boss, I was thinking,” Yixing speaks up again, “why don’t you just, you know, take Byun along with you?”

 

“Yixing, the whole point of leaving Byun is to make sure of Byun’s own safety because Chen threatened he would get his maniac hands on Byun if Boss doesn’t leave Byun and this Seoul base. What’s your point here?” Luhan chides.

 

“Well, Boss has been sneaky for his whole career. Why can’t he sneak Byun into the plane with him?”

 

Jongin looks at Sehun.

 

Sehun refuses to help.

 

=

 

‘Febuary 10, 2015’

 

 

“We should’ve been there.” Sehun whispered. “Shouldn’t have left even a ing second.”

 

Luhan buried his face into the crook of Sehun’s neck, muffling his sobs. Yixing exhaled in frustration.

 

“Kyungsoo ed his mind. He’s as dead as a ing rock yet he still ed Kai’s mind.”

 

“Watch your mouth.”

 

“Was I ing wrong??” Sehun growled. “He ing stabbed his own chest, Yixing!! Right into his heart!! And now he’s ing dying and the last thing he did was crying at Kyungsoo’s picture!” Sehun looked up at the ceiling. “What a ing way to call him over, you er!!”

 

“Jongin’s going to be – “

 

“He hates that name.”

 

“ – alright, okay? The doctors are on their way to find a heart donor for Jongin and – “

 

“And what if they don’t find it?”

 

“Stop it!!” Luhan pleaded. “I beg you.”

 

Sehun tightened his arms around Luhan.

 

“I’m scared.”

 

 

“Lord, we gather before You.”

 

There were eight of them in the ICU. Chanyeol’s parents, Joonmyun and Minseok, the doctor, the nurse, the priest who was saying the prayers, and himself.

 

Chanyeol was on the hospital bed,

 

ready to fly away.

 

“Take our hands, Lord, and lead us through.”

 

It was all settled. After a month of comatose state, they had concluded that recovery was impossible for Chanyeol. The damage in his brain was too severe. It failed to keep him living.

 

And before the other organs stopped working from the lack of support, they had recommended a donation program. They asked if Chanyeol’s unaffected organs could be donated to those in need.

 

Chanyeol would save lives, they promised.

 

“We lay our fears at your feet. Your promise is that You, and You alone, will come to take us home.”

 

Baekhyun could only stare at Chanyeol. Tubes were everywhere.

 

He cried.

 

He cried and cried.

 

His love was slipping away from his grasp, and he could only cry for it.

 

“For even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,”

 

He soundlessly bid his love the most heart wrenching farewell.

 

“I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

 

‘So long, Yeol.’

 

 

Luhan, Sehun and Yixing could only gasp at the doctor.

 

“You heard it right.” the doctor said. “We got him a new heart.”

 

Sehun choked.

 

“He’s going to live.”

 

=

 

Painstakingly, the humid day turns to a dry evening.

 

Jongin drags his legs through hesitating steps, walking from the corner of the street towards the flower shop Baekhyun owns. He can already see it, brightly lit white building at the intersection, adorned with boxes of colorful petals. As he gets closer, he finally notices Baekhyun through the windows, talking to someone, probably a customer.

 

He halts his steps. And watch. The smile on Baekhyun’s face. One of so many things he would painfully miss.

 

Does he even deserve to miss him?

 

He walks slowly, as if God would consider giving him mercy if he stalls long enough. In his mind, the scene of his first arrival in front of the shop replays, filtered in grunge. That night, a year ago, when he couldn’t see the purpose of surviving death. When he was aimless and felt undeserving of the second chance he got.

 

(Maybe he’s indeed undeserving after all.)

 

That night, the Baekhyun he first met was the Baekhyun who wore clothes colored in monochrome, whose black locks were a little bit messy, skin as pale as a paper, who had emptiness with a hint of hopelessness on his face.

 

He had been staring at the florist longer than he should have, and then there was this excruciating pain in his chest. He had clutched his hand against it, and by the unbearableness, he fell on his knees, right in front of the entrance door to the flower shop. The florist, who had seen him, ran out of the building to get him up.

 

‘Are you okay, sir?’ the florist had asked with the left amount of concern he could manage to give.

 

The Baekhyun he’s seeing now is the Baekhyun who wears his favorite baby blue sweater, with his honey brown locks noticeably messy, skin looking bright with a tint of pinkish hue on his cheeks, where wide, almost rectangular smile adorns.

 

The florist waves excitedly, telling him to come in.

 

But Jongin’s feet are locked on the ground beneath him.

 

The costumer who was inside the shop has already walked out.

 

His feet are still refusing to move.

 

Baekhyun, who finally senses something wrong, runs out of the shop towards him.

 

“What is it?” he asks cautiously.

 

Jongin stares.

 

=

 

‘January 13, 2015’

 

 

But fate, after all, never compromised.

 

 

He was keeping everything under control.

 

The moment he encountered the ever so cocky Kim Kai, who was wearing a black mask which served no purpose since all the police officers in the site already knew his face, Chanyeol felt so confident that his plan was going well. Joonmyun was somewhere behind him, backing him up.

 

“Do you need to do that?” Chanyeol pointed at the hostage locked in Kai’s arm. The face was hidden in such position.

 

When he saw the white sneakers the hostage was wearing, his stomach churned.

 

Kim Kai then dragged his hostage forward. “Little bunny said your name, Park. You know him?”

 

Chanyeol’s heart sank.

 

It was Baekhyun.

 

The terrified, pale looking Baekhyun, who was mouthing his name.

 

The sudden rage took him over.

 

He immediately cocked his gun and pointed it at Kim Kai, finger already resting against the trigger. “Let him go.” he growls lowly. “Now.”

 

“Oh??” Kim Kai mused. “Interesting. Bunny, is he your boy?”

 

Baekhyun only mouthed his name more.

 

Then it was too fast. One second, Chanyeol heard someone firing a shot. The next he knew, one of Kai’s minion fell down onto the ground.

 

Kim Kai turned around to see who were down.

 

And then screamed.

 

At one second, Kim Kai was screaming a name.

 

At the next, he turned back to Chanyeol and raised his gun,

 

and fired.

 

Straight at Chanyeol’s head.

 

 

The way back to their quarters was a mess.

 

Luhan had taken over the wheel and drove them out of the chaos. Sehun was screaming against his phone to inform the quarters about what happened. Yixing was busy pressing his hands against the wound hole on Kyungsoo’s abdomen.

 

“S-soo,” Kai chokes on his own sob, “don’t – don’t do this to me – “

 

Kyungsoo’s gaze were soft at him.

 

‘I’m sorry’, Kyungsoo mouthed, ‘I messed up.’

 

“No,” Kai pleads, “no,”

 

‘Kim Jongin,’ Kyungsoo called inaudibly.

 

Kai broke once more.

 

‘Jongin,’ Kyungsoo continued mouthing, ‘Jongin,’

 

Then Kyungsoo stopped.

 

The gaze towards him froze just like that.

 

Kai let out a heart wrenching scream through.

 

A heart shaped locket rested inside his pocket.

 

=

 

Instead of answering, Jongin reaches into the pocket of his coat, bringing out something into Baekhyun’s sight.

 

At first, Baekhyun looks disoriented.

 

Then the way his eyes widen only make everything inside Jongin sinks.

 

Baekhyun doesn’t even say or ask anything. He only brings up a trembling hand, index finger touching the heart shaped locket on Jongin’s palm. It’s like Baekhyun is trying to process everything himself.

 

“Why,” he finally speaks, “why do you have… this?”

 

Jongin is stoned for a while. “You lost it, two years ago.”

 

“Y-yes.”

 

“In a bank robbery.”

 

“Ye-“ Baekhyun stares at him in shock. “I never told you that.”

 

“You don’t need to.” Jongin holds breath. “I was… there.”

 

Baekhyun shakes his head, stating that he doesn’t understand.

 

“You lost this,” Jongin adds, “to me,”

 

Baekhyun stills.

 

“when… when I grabbed you,” Jongin closes his eyes, “and locked you by y-your neck.”

 

Baekhyun is processing everything inside his head.

 

And when the conclusion is made in his mind, he gasps in horror at him.

 

He staggers backwards, trying to get as far as possible from Jongin.

 

And falls on his bottom.

 

Jongin has became a monster in his eyes.

 

Mission accomplished.

 

“N-no,” Baekhyun tries to get up, but falls every time he supports his own weight, “no, no – no, no,”

 

Jongin doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even apologize, nor does he even try to help Baekhyun get up.

 

He doesn’t have the right to do anything anymore.

 

He can only try to suppress the tears that are already flowing on his cheeks.

 

“W-what,” Baekhyun whispers hoarsely, “what are you??”

 

A bastard.

 

“The bad guy.” Jongin answers.

 

“Y-you,” Baekhyun continues, “you were the one – you killed C-ch-“

 

“I was.” Jongin says through his sobs. “I did.”

 

Baekhyun chokes.

 

“I killed Park Chanyeol.”

 

There’s a silence at first. The calm before the storm.

 

And then Baekhyun screams.

 

And screams,

 

and screams.

 

His sobs interrupt once in a while.

 

But he screams,

 

and screams,

 

and by each passing second, Jongin’s world crumbles into a limbo.

 

Somewhere at the corner of his sight, the tall man stands.

 

Jongin looks at him.

 

The tall man is looking at Baekhyun instead,

 

with remorse in his eyes.

 

=

 

‘December 3, 2016’

 

 

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

 

“Not now.” Kai hissed through the phone. “I’m waiting for Baekh-“

 

“Have you ever wondered about the locket you picked up on the day of that ambush?” Sehun said casually at the other side of the line.

 

Kai felt rage building up. “We don’t. Talk. About it.”

 

“You always kept it in your drawer but never opened it.” Sehun continued. “I did. It’s actually surprising.”

 

“You better cut this crap or-“

 

“Park Chanyeol died on February 10 last year. He was in a comatose for a month after you put a bullet through his head. When he died, they signed out his other organs for donation. Guess who the got a new heart on the same day?”

 

Kai frowned for a second.

 

And then he lost the color on his face.

 

“You.” Sehun finished. “But that’s not the point. Come and see the picture inside this locket.”

 

 

Baekhyun once said that his fiancé died in an accident.

 

He never kept pictures of him, not even in his apartment, not even in his shop.

 

Kai never paid attention to that detail, because as Baekhyun said, it was his time to move on. His late fiancé would’ve wanted that.

 

But at the moment, he felt like it was God’s twisted way in mocking him further.

 

Because inside the locket, was a picture of two guys smiling. Cheek to cheek.

 

One was the man he had killed.

 

One was the man who was slowly making him feel alive.

 

And the man he had killed,

 

was the one who gave him the new heart that kept him living.

 

Kai fell down onto the carpeted floor, bottom first. The locket and a folder of documents fell messily around him. His figure was shaking, trembling hard. His throat felt dry.

 

Somewhere along his trance, he saw it.

 

He saw him.

 

A figure of a tall man with black, thick locks. White shirt with ed collar hidden behind black bullet-proof vest. Dusty black pants. Stained black leather boots.

 

Calm, yet resentful gaze.

 

Park Chanyeol, or technically the projection of him – his ‘ghost’,

 

was staring back at him.

 

Kai shook his head vigorously, almost knocking himself own in the process.

 

When he got back again, the figure was gone.

 

He thought to himself that maybe, just maybe,

 

this whole second chance thingy was really his punishment.

 

=

 

‘I promise you, I will never leave you. I’ll be the last person to leave you. Heck, I’ll leave with you, to wherever you go.’

 

‘Will you, Jongin?’

 

‘Yes, Baekhyun.’

 

‘I’m not leaving anywhere. Don’t let me go?’

 

‘I won’t.’

 

 

Jongin drives through the streets with unconscious Baekhyun at the backseat.

 

The latter had passed out after the bloody scream. Jongin immediately took him to the car and drove for the hospital. This is the least he can do for Baekhyun.

 

He hopes that when Baekhyun wakes up later, he’s already forgotten.

 

“Stop.”

 

Or not.

 

“Stop.” Baekhyun whispers again behind him. “Please.”

 

Jongin pulls over. They’re on the bridge. Han River is calm beneath them.

 

Baekhyun opens the car door and gets off. Jongin follows suit. The latter immediately grabs on the railings.

 

And to his shock, jumps over.

 

“HOLD ON-“

 

Baekhyun is already at the other side of the railings. Finger still wrapped on the bar, his feet are standing on the edge of the bridge.

 

If he lets go, he would fall backwards into the water.

 

He wants to drag Baekhyun back to safety, but he’s scared Baekhyun would immediately let go if he does anything careless.

 

Baekhyun is staring at him, emptiness and despair thick in his eyes.

 

Jongin sees no proper ending scene from this situation.

 

So he says,

 

“I’ll go with you.”

 

Baekhyun’s tears fall down without a sob.

 

“Wait.” Jongin pleads as he jumps over the railings as well, landing on the short edge of the bridge, right next to Baekhyun. “I’ll go with you.”

 

“It hurts.” Baekhyun whispers brokenly. “Everything hurts, Jongin.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Jongin begs. “I’m sorry.”

 

At the corner of his sigh, the tall man stands.

 

When he takes a better look, what he sees is something new.

 

The tall man is crying.

 

He feels soft, fragile fingers wrap around his wrist. He turns back to Baekhyun.

 

“I’m tired.” Baekhyun says, almost inaudibly.

 

Jongin nods.

 

“I want to go. Let me go.”

 

Without even counting, they release their hands from the metal bar together.

 

And fall backwards,

 

down, down,

 

into the water.

 

And Jongin prays that Baekhyun would survive, that Baekhyun would wake up,

 

while he himself would be put into an eternal sleep,

 

and would be forgotten.

 

 

[A/N]

 

This was an experiment :’) and was based loosely on the music video of ‘Timeless’ by XIAH Junsu and Zhang Liyin.