"he'll kill you all before you can do that."

what junmyeon said has become true. chanyeol ended the reporter's father before the other could do the same. the body drops to the side with a loud thud, the twitchings eventually leading to a permanent halt. chanyeol heads behind the chair, slashing the ropes binding junmyeon's wrists before kneeling in front of the chair to do the same to the ropes around junmyeon's ankles. junmyeon does not realize the ropes are so tight until blood flows throughout his body normally once again. chanyeol throws the knife away before carefully holding onto junmyeon's forearms as he supports the smaller to stand. before junmyeon can say anything as soon as their eyes connect, chanyeol slides his arms around him before embracing him firmly with his chin hovering over the shorter's shoulder. chanyeol tears up, staring at the ground with shaky breaths as he holds junmyeon dearly, sensing his heart beating against his own. he needs to have a moment to confirm that junmyeon is alive and breathing.

closing his eyes, a long sigh leaves junmyeon due to the pleasant warmth surrounding him. he wants to hug the taller too but it seems like he is too exhausted to even move his arms so he just stands there with his arms at his side. "father must have hired you," he manages to fist chanyeol's thick coat but is unable to fully hold the fabric. "i made up my mind to find you before he even asked." junmyeon cannot help but to ask, "how did you find me here... ?" 

"i killed the reporter here." 

junmyeon blinks twice at the broken roofs. he had an inkling of what chanyeol would be doing for a living. chanyeol could have lied or avoided the question. he is brutally honest ever since the beginning. "i'm sorry," chanyeol blinks his eyes to ebb the tears away before distancing himself from the other, orbs wandering into those tired ones, "i'm truly sorry." junmyeon keeps staring into those eyes. eyes filled with unspoken feelings. everything kind of makes sense now. "chanyeol," junmyeon calls weakly, managing to hold onto the taller's coat sleeve, "i wish i said this sooner." junmyeon headbutts into the middle of the latter's chest, feeling so tired but he needs to say it. he feels a hand on his back, not touching him but just staying there. junmyeon wants all sorts of things from the man in front of him right now but he declares the most important thing. "i want us to be together," he clutches chanyeol's coat sleeve with all of his might, bringing up another hand to grab onto chanyeol's coat at his hip, repeating, "i want us to be together, chanyeol." chanyeol stares at the disheveled mop of hair, "i kill people." 

"i know."

"junmyeon-"

"you didn't take advantage of me when i was drugged."

"that doesn't mean i'm a nice person."

"you brought me home when i got drunk."

"i-" 

"we aren't even friends but you saved me thrice including today."

"..."

"you feel the same," junmyeon brings up his hand from the coat sleeve to the blood-drenched shirt near the heart of chanyeol's, feeling it thumping rapidly equal to his own, "don't you feel the same?"

hunger, sleep and exhaustion hits junmyeon all at once and he falls before he can hear the latter's answer. he falls but chanyeol catches him as junmyeon senses the strong arms around him again. firmer this time. junmyeon succeeds in having his own arms around the taller too, not bothered by how the outwear is drenched with blood. a palm cradles the back of junmyeon's head and it has junmyeon's eyes fluttering close. "i feel the same," chanyeol responds, relaying the same response he had before the darn car crash yesterday night. he holds junmyeon so dearly, worried that if he will hurt the latter even more than he already is. junmyeon smiles but winces as his lower lip hurts. everything starts to hurt. everything all at once. his head, his face, his wrists, his body. it hurts and with hunger mixed with sleepiness and exhaustion, he struggles to stand on his feet. chanyeol tries his best to keep junmyeon standing but the male keeps sliding down until he has no choice.

he finds a cleaner spot to lay him down on the ground. chanyeol takes off his long coat and pillows it under junmyeon's head after folding it, the male staring at him with half-lidded eyes all this while. junmyeon reaches out for his hand and chanyeol immediately holds it, lacing their fingers together. "let's be together," junmyeon's eyelids droops, catching how worried the taller is. "please stay awake," chanyeol brings the small hand to his chest as he rubs junmyeon's temple with his thumb with tender, his voice weakening, "stay awake, junmyeon." junmyeon feels like taking a long nap but he tries his hardest to stay awake. he really does. chanyeol kneels close before carefully having the upper body of junmyeon's on his lap, gently cradling junmyeon's wounded jaw, "please stay awake." the warmth, the voice and the gentle touches are so soothing. junmyeon is unable to hold it any longer as he gives in to sleep.

tears drop on junmyeon's cheek as chanyeol lets out a shaky breath. he watches his tears trailing down junmyeon's face. he stares at the blue-black surrounding junmyeon's left eye, the dried little cuts on his face, his bruised jaw, his busted lower lip. help will arrive any moment now but chanyeol wishes it would come fast. he does not want junmyeon to sleep in pain. footsteps echo into the rundown building but chanyeol is too deep in guilt to realize it. "son?" chanyeol lifts his head to the owner of the voice. despite informing the elder man of his destination via text, he was not expecting his father to be here for real. the elder male is dazed at the tears running down his son's face.

despite his son being drenched in blood, the tears surprise him the most. he has not seen chanyeol like that ever since his training. his eyes avert down to the man his son is holding. chanyeol follows his father's gaze, unable to speak a word. "whoever that is, get him out of here," he walks past his son as his eyes survey the area for any suspicious movements, "i'll handle this mess." chanyeol scoops the passed out male in his arms carefully, junmyeon's face falling into his chest. he heads to his father and the elder male stares at him with a frown, wondering why his son has not left. "junmyeon's father will help with the bodies," he bows his head, "this is junmyeon." mr park is, once again, unable to say a word. his eyes land on the person's chest, watching it rise and fall. whoever that person is, they are still breathing.

"i see," he mumbles, turning away from his son, "take the car outside. i'll wait for the help to arrive." chanyeol nods even though his father is not looking. he heads out and spots two of his father's men near the car. chanyeol orders one of them to guard his father and tells another to drive to the hospital. mr park scans the bodies on the ground, a huff of chuckle parting from his mouth. he trained chanyeol well. maybe a bit too well. he then spots chanyeol's neatly folded coat on a clean spot. mr park can see his past self holding chanyeol's mother except she was not breathing. pushing the harsh memories away, he picks up the coat and has it over his forearm before catching multiple vans from the outside. help has arrived. cha