Agonizing pain was the only thing Heechul felt with every dizzying step he took. The smoke was choking him, his eyes were burning but it was his legs that took the most damage. It was simply excruciating, his muscles protesting as he was dragged across the narrow corridors.

“Come on Hyung.” A croaking voice encouraged him as arms, that were possibly made of steel, hauled him towards the exit.

But every fiber in his body was complaining, screaming at him to stop, to give up and find peace in the deep slumber that awaits him. The harrowing pain in his legs intensified as they harshly hit one of the walls when taking a turn. Heechul couldn’t do it.

But with that realization came a wave of panic. Not for him, but for the person beside him who was completely focused on saving Heechul. Someone who Heechul valued more than his life. Dear Donghae who’s muscles were straining in effort with its veins prominent and his brows scrunched up in concentration.

“Donghae...Go...Leave me...The rescue teams will come for me later...” Heechul managed to rasp out.

The younger didn’t even reply just began to drag him faster, but his grip on Heechul tightened showing no signs of letting him go. 

“Hae... Please... You make make it... if you go without me...” Heechul tried again.

Donghae simply brushed the bangs out of his face, squinting as the smoke assaulted his eyes. He let out a cough and attempted to go as fast as he could without falling.

“Hae... Donghae... please... I’m begging you... leave me... safe yourself...” Heechul was pleading at this point, tears cascading down his eyes.

Heechul didn’t mind the pain in his legs that were currently threatening to tear his skin apart. He’d go through this pain a million lifetimes if it only meant that Donghae escaped the burning building alive.

“Will you shut up?!” Donghae finally screamed, his voice sounding like he had just shoved sand down his throat. “I’m not leaving you! Either we both survive or we die together!! Get on my back...” 

So he did. Heechul among the flaming corridors that were filling up with fumes found himself on the back of a man whom he considered to be more of his son than his brother. 

The lack of oxygen and the pain in his legs were not helping his weakened mind at all since he soon found himself in a state of delirium. A precious memory from a long time ago drifted into his mind.

If there was anything Kim Heechul hated more than loud music in the middle of the night it was someone actually attempting to wake him up from his beauty sleep. It didn’t help that the pouring rain was giving him a massive headache and he knew that his beautiful locks of hair would be a nightmare to tame the following morning. And someone actually had the audacity to wake him up in the middle of the night.

Heechul got up ready for a screaming fit and a round of throwing-the-nearest-object-you-find, when he saw who the unwelcome intruder was.

“Donghae?”

The said person was there in his light blue pijamas, the long sleeves going up to his fingertips. Donghae was clutching his pillow in one hand and his Nemo plushie in the other. His brown hair was at a complete disarray and his eyes were open wide in fear. He was literally quivering and shaking.

Bluntly speaking he looked freaking adorable. Like a kicked puppy.

“Hyung... Can I sleep with you today?” He asked his voice shaking.

Heechul opened his mouth in confusion just as a clap of thunder roared closed by. Donghae squeaked loudly, his grip on his plushie tightened.

“Just for today? Hyukkie and Teukie Hyung went for Sukira...” Donghae whimpered.

Heechul found himself helpless at the pitiful gaze of the younger, moving aside to give him space in the bed. Donghae slid into the covers gratefully but put a distance between himself and Heechul. After all it was common knowledge that Heechul went into a swearing fit when Siwon got too close to him at one point.

However another clap of thunder has Donghae jumping in alarm. Heechul looks at the younger a fond smile taking over his features before he softly sighs. He gathers the younger up in his arms hugging him softly. Donghae immediately clings onto him,squishing himself up against him and buring his head in the older’s chest.

Wiping a few stray tears off of Donghae’s face, Heechul begins to tenderly caress the younger’s hair.

“Donghae” Heechul finds himself gently whispering. “If you’re scared, if you need help, even if you’re just lonely, don’t be afraid to come to me. I’ll look after you. I’ll be your older brother from now onwards.”

It’s only a year and a half later Heechul finds himself renewing the promise he had made.

“Donghae, If you’re scared, if you need help, even if you’re just lonely, don’t be afraid to come to me. I’ll look after you. I’ll be your father from now onwards.”

“Stay with me Hyung! We’re almost there!” Donghae’s hoarse voice brings Heechul out of his delirious state.

Heechul sees smoke and fire everywhere. His lungs burn for relief as tears leak mercilessly out of his eyes. The pain in his legs show no signs of reducing but through all his agony, Heechul faintly smiles.

“Donghae, when did you grow up?” Heechul wants to ask but his weak state doesn’t allow it. “How did the little boy who was scared of thunderstorms become this handsome courageous man, carrying into safety? How did the time fly by so fast?”

The smoke thickens and Heechul begins to feel lightheaded.

“Hae... I’m proud of... you...” He tries to say instead. “I love you... my little... baby Hae...”

All that comes out of his mouth are a mismatched jumble of words, but as the light somehow begins to fade he hears a reply.

“I love... you too Hyung...” Donghae croaks out ignoring his burning lungs.

Heechul smiles as darkness overtakes him completely. 

•••

“We’re all so glad both of you managed to escape safely.” Jang Hoon said while the cast members nodded. 

“What happened outside though?” Soo Geun ask hesitantly. “The media blew up over it.”

“Well Hyukjae Hyung was the first one to actually realize it. And everyone just panicked.” Ryeowook answered.

“Leeteuk Hyung immediately told me and the managers to look for other exits.” Shindong said. “And he asked Yesung to go find Heechul Hyung and make him come to them.”

“At that time we didn’t know that Heechul Hyung wasn’t with the MCs.” Yesung explained. 

“Everything was a complete mess.” Leeteuk finally spoke. “Then the managers came to me and said that Donghae was nowhere to be seen. No one had seen him come out of the burning building. At the same time they were saying that both Exo and Red Velvet were safely evacuated but TVXQ’s Yunho was injured seriously.”

Leeteuk pauses to take a breath his hands clenching into fists as he recalled the incident. 

“And then I came back because it turns out that Heechul Hyung wasn’t with the MCs. And he’s completely disappeared too.” Yesung said.

“I think that’s when everyone lost all logic and reason and tried to run towards the building.” Siwon added.

“Yeah because Donghae had the physical strength to actually survive this. Heechul Hyung... with all the ramen he eats and the most exercise he gets is sleeping... Not so much.” Shindong intervened teasingly.

“Yah! I’ll get back at you later.” Heechul yelled playfully from the other side of the set.

“Donghae had a better chance of surviving.” Hodong nodded.

“But then again, Donghae Hyung has the attention span of a goldfish so it’s even.” Kyuhyun said patronizingly.

“Hey!” Donghae glared at him.

But then again, the best threatening look that Donghae could give was similar to an offended puppy. Everyone laughed at the banter.

“Somewhere along the way everyone just snapped. We were scrambling to somehow get them out of the building.” Ryeowook said. “And Kyuhyun was helping me get up because in the middle of all of this, I managed to sprain my ankle. I ended up telling him to just leave me and go help the others.”

“Then the security announced that the evacuation had to be stopped because it was too dangerous and the building might explode.” Leeteuk continued, his eyes slightly teary. “And we all just became desperate. We tried to convince them to let us go and find the members ourselves.”

“Even the managers tried to convince the security saying that they could go instead... that they weren’t idols so they should go.” Siwon stated. “But it was the security protocol so they didn’t let us. Of course we highly respect it, but at that moment in time we weren’t thinking straight.”

“I think Siwon Hyung’s the only one who spoke coherently to the security.” Kyuhyun added grinning lightly. “Teuk Hyung and Eunhyuk Hyung were too far gone to even make sense.”

This stirred up another round of light laughter as Kyuhyun smile slowly dimed.

•••

Cho Kyuhyun always thought himself to be completely in control of the situation. He was always prepared for anything. The only time Kyuhyun had broken his self made declaration was when he was lying on the floor, bleeding to death after the accident that took place after they were done with Sukira years ago.

But standing in the hard cemented ground staring pathetically at the burning building, he felt his resolve slipping once again. The members were desperately trying to run back into the building, the unyielding arms of the security restraining them.

Yesung and Shindong were running around speaking to managers, the security team, the firefighters, anyone who would listen to them and begging them to search the building for survivors one last time. Ryeowook was on the floor, his eyes dripping with tears of frustration as he attempted to get up by himself.

That was when the second shock wave travelled through the Super Junior members. 

Heechul wasn’t there.

The desperation came back in twice the amount. Kyuhyun knew what was going through each of the members. Because he was thinking of the same thing. Everyone was clinging on to the hope that Donghae would make it out, just because he was Donghae. He was strong and athletic enough to make a miracle happen. He was stubborn enough to do it.

But Heechul. If Donghae couldn’t make it out , it meant that Heechul stood no chance. Kyuhyun couldn’t even bare the thought of either on of them being hurt let alone dying. 

It was one of those rare moments that Kyuhyun actually felt like the maknae of the group. Everyone was doing something useful while he was just here pitifully crying his eyes out. 

“One of our members hurt his legs. He can’t run that well.” Siwon attempts to convince the security. “And another member still didn’t come out. There’s two of them in there. If I quickly go I can find them both, I promise.”

Siwon is the only one who had even a shred of sanity at the moment. He attempts to be calm and rational but nothing disguises his shaking fists and the eyes that’s looking at the burning building fearfully.

“Heechul can’t make it out without help.” Leeteuk yells in distress, struggling against the arms holding him back. “He’s in there... Donghae’s in there...My members... need help...”

The leader writhes about, until he lets out an anguished scream which shakes the members to their core.

While everyone tries to run forward it’s Hyukjae who puts up the most struggle. He violently thrashes against the restraints of the security at least five of them holding him back.

“Donghae!! Save him!! Need to... save...Hae!” Hyukjae howls, his arms twisting painfully.

Kyuhyun doubts that Hyukjae even registered that fact that Heechul was in the building too. He was too far gone before that came to be known.

Somehow his despairing pleas are answered as a figure in sapphire blue emerges from the destruction. No. Two figures emerge from the burning building. 

A grunt sounds as Hyukjae somehow rids himself of the restraints and is running towards the pair. Kyuhyun doesn’t even realize his feet had began to move until he notices that he’s getting closer and closer to the duo.

Hyukjae is ahead of him, sprinting fast enough set an Olympic record, and Leeteuk is not far behind. Kyuhyun ,who never considered himself as a good sprinter, finds himself surprised as he runs with a speed to match Siwon’s. But it doesn’t matter. None of it matters. Donghae and Heechul just need to be safe. That was enough for Kyuhyun. 

The next couple of seconds fly by fast.

Siwon immediately yanks Heechul off of Donghae securing the older in his arms, running back to the crowd with Leeteuk supporting Heechul’s head. A manager is with them, holding Heechul’s legs still in an attempt to reduce the pain.

Kyuhyun rushes past them towards Donghae. Hyukjae wraps an arm around his waist, get guiding him as Donghae stumbles forward.

“I can walk...” Donghae murmurs.

Hyukjae doesn’t listen. He simply slides his hands under Donghae’s legs, lifting him up, bridal style. Kyuhyun settles himself to supporting Donghae’s arms as he buries his head in Hyukjae’s chest.

They all rush away from the burning KBS building, and are met with more relieved faces. In his moment of pure euphoria, Kyuhyun almost misses Heechul being loaded into an ambulance and Leeteuk leaving with him promising to keep in touch, and leaving Siwon in charge.

“Heechul’s alright.” The leader says tearfully. “He needs to be checked up just in case.”

But the feeling of utter joy and relief is painted in the faces of all the members as they surround Donghae who is panting and mildly hyperventilating. Hyukjae’s loving words is all it takes for the former to calm down. Kyuhyun knows that he should be worried. He knows that he should be cautious. But he couldn’t bring himself to care. No one of members could bring themselves to care.

No one cares that Donghae was practically on Hyukjae’s lap, the latter gripping on to Donghae’s thighs with one arm and his waist with the other almost possessively. 

No one cares that Donghae’s declaring his love for Hyukjae in public, where anyone might hear.

No one cares that Hyukjae and Donghae are being way too intimate for two people who are supposed to be just members of the same group and the reporters could easily snap pictures of them together in this position.

No one cares that the secret the members spent almost a decade protecting might be revealed in this moment of weakness.

No one could bring themselves to care because Donghae was safe and in that moment it was all that mattered.

•••
 

(A/N: I almost typed in like&subscribe until I realized this wasn't YouTube. I don't even hv a channel... Anyway I've uploaded the next chaper(yay!) 

I'll be uploading the final part as soon as I finish editing it. This is the first time I finished a fanfic in two days.xD

I'm not really sure why I'm so enthusiastic about comments but please do let me know what you think of this chapter down below! Thanks again for reading.)