There are rainbows scattered on the ground, Baekhyun notices, as he cuts through the park near his apartment complex one late afternoon on his way home from school. At first he is confused by the random splashes of color, but when he casts a look around the area he quickly finds the source. At the opposite end of the plaza a guy is standing with a bundle of balloons, handing them out to a group of elementary school children who were just about to board their bus. It's the way the sun hits the material of the colorful orbs that makes rainbows dance on the flagstones by their feet.

The colors isn't what catches Baekhyun's attention the most, though. It's the guy. After all it isn't every day you see a full-grown male in a bunny suit. The guy is too tall for Baekhyun's confidence's good and he is covered from head to toe in baby pink, fuzzy cloth that sacks around his frame, complete with long bunny ears attached to the fabric. A tuft of hair sticks out from under the hood, all big and wild and frizzy. There's something about his features too, as if they're too big for his face, that just adds to his entire appearance. The giant smile on his face is absolutely breathtaking and the best word to describe him would be adorable.

A sudden urge strikes Baekhyun and he reaches into his satchel for his camera and starts capturing the whole thing on film. He finds himself smiling along with the children when the guy in the bunny suit somehow manages to get their favorite color right every time - one of the kids asks if he's a magician and in response the guy leans closer to whisper something that has the small boy giggling - and when the guy insistently ties the last balloon, a dark purple one, around the blushing teacher's wrist despite her numerous polite rejections, Baekhyun chuckles. This guy is definitely something else.

The tall male animatedly waves goodbye to the children as they drive off in their bus and continues to wave until they're out of sight. Then he turns and looks right at Baekhyun from across the open space. The shorter male lowers his camera slowly, gulping down the uncomfortable lump that forms in his throat. The cheerful expression that was previously on the other's face has been replaced by a scowl and there are tears in his eyes. Baekhyun watches him walk away with long strides.

For a few moments he stands frozen on the spot with his camera still tightly clutched in his hands as he stares in the direction the tall male went. Then a shudder rakes through his entire body, originating somewhere around the base of his neck and running rapidly down his spine. There's a gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach as if something is horribly, horribly wrong, but he doesn't quite know what it is. He shakes off the feeling and starts walking.

The apartment is completely quiet when Baekhyun steps through the front door and it's not until then he remembers that his roommate told him the previous night that he has the nightshift at the hospital he interns at. Letting out a sigh the young male drops his bag on the floor and kicks off his shoes. He flicks on a few lamps, only enough to provide light for him to see. The sun hasn't even set yet and still the apartment is dark. That's one of the things he hates the most about the place, but it's all they can afford since they're both students.

The corners of Baekhyun's lips curl slightly upwards when he makes it to the kitchen and he sees the casserole that is left on the stove for him, most likely leftovers from his roommate's early dinner. Kyungsoo always worries that he doesn't eat enough so every day the younger male cooks extra food for Baekhyun to heat up even though he keeps saying it really isn't necessary. He acts like such a mother sometimes. It's actually quite endearing.

Baekhyun turns on the stove and puts it on low heat and he takes a quick shower while his food heats up - if Kyungsoo was there he would without a doubt murder him for leaving it unattended and then revive him just so he could give him another one of his lectures on kitchen safety - and then sits down on the couch in the living room in front of the TV with the food that is only burned slightly.

While Baekhyun eats, the anchorwoman on the news informs him of some sort of accident that has taken place close to where he lives, but he doesn't pay much attention to what she's saying. The TV is actually more of a source of background noise than anything else. It's so Baekhyun doesn't feel so alone, even though he actually is and definitely feels that way as well.

At one point the screen changes to show images from the scene of the accident, clips of a bus that seems to have flipped a couple of times judging by the way the large body is crumbled, lying in a ditch while paramedics and firefighters pull body after body out of the vehicle. No survivors, they say. The overwhelming feeling from earlier, the feeling of something being off, hits Baekhyun again out of nowhere. He turns off the TV and pushes his still half-full plate away from himself. He has completely lost his appetite.

Baekhyun watches slightly horrified as every single one of the pictures he has spent time and effort on turns out completely black. When the first one showed nothing he thought that he had just been unlucky, that maybe his finger had been in front of the lens - even though he usually makes sure by double-checking, triple-checking, that his fingers are out of the way before pressing the trigger - but when the fourth and fifth picture turns out the same way he starts sensing the pattern and stops wasting materials.

"Maybe you forgot to remove your lens cap," Jongdae comments. They're in the school's darkroom together since the other male needs to develop pictures as well, but all he has done so far is lean heavily on Baekhyun and breathe down his neck. Literally.

"Maybe," the latter mutters. He's about ninety-eight percent sure he remembered to remove it, though.

Jongdae pulls away and pats him on the back. "Too bad about your film. So many pictures wasted." He shakes his head solemnly and then walks over to the table where his own equipment is. Jongdae's pictures usually consist of scantily dressed - or sometimes not dressed at all - women and that isn't something Baekhyun is particularly interested in seeing more of, so he decides that it would be better for him to get out of there.

He gathers his things slowly, putting them all in his satchel before slinging it over his shoulder. He advances towards the door to leave. "I'll see you later," he says and the other male gives a hum in response, already busy with his pictures. Baekhyun doesn't even want to see what's on these particular ones. He's seen far too many private parts he didn't want to see for him to take the chance.

Baekhyun sees the balloon - today there's only one of them instead of a bunch and this one is a bright, sun yellow one - before he sees the guy in the bunny suit. He spots him as soon as he leaves the school property and stops in his tracks for a few moments because to be honest he had never expected to see that guy again and definitely not several times in the same week.

The tall male is walking next to an elderly lady who looks more frail than what seems healthy with bird-like features and a pair of glasses that take up half her wrinkly face. The woman seems to be head and a half shorter than him and all in all they are an odd pair. Their arms are linked together as they walk along the sidewalk, the younger easily adjusting his walking pace to suit the bird-like lady by his side. She is the one holding the balloon in her boney hands. There's something familiar about her that Baekhyun can't quite place.

He doesn't say anything as they pass each other. The other male is smiling affectionately at the woman who seems very engrossed in the story she's telling the younger. When his eyes flicker to Baekhyun for a brief moment, however, the other notices that there are tears in them again and for some reason it's concerning to Baekhyun. Something is definitely wrong, but he can't bring himself to ask. He just watches them silently until they're out of sight.

A few days later when Baekhyun comes home from school there is an ambulance in front of his apartment complex. The fear hits him full force. Despite carrying several bags of groceries he bolts up the stairs as quickly as he can and comes to a stop on their floor. First his eyes dart to the team of paramedics who are just covering up the body on their gurney. Then his gaze drifts to land on his roommate who's standing in front of their door, watching the scene.

Taking a couple of deep breaths to make up for the oxygen his lungs missed out on when he sprinted up about a dozen flights of stairs Baekhyun advances towards his friend. "What happened?" he asks the younger in a quiet voice.

Kyungsoo jolts as if he hadn't noticed his presence and then turns his head, but seems to look right through him. "The lady across the hall from us passed away," he answers and the shiver Baekhyun has become so familiar with runs down his spine once more. The other's eyes are a bit red and his voice is slightly trembling. He was always so sensitive. "Apparently she's been dead for days, just lying in there. It's horrible." Baekhyun sighs and pushes him gently back inside their apartment.

"Did you know her?" he asks while he unpacks the groceries. Kyungsoo is sitting by the dining table.

"I didn't, but it's still sad, you know? She was in there all alone when she died. Imagine how lonely she must have felt." The younger wipes his eyes and sniffles. "It really makes me think. I don't want to die alone."

Baekhyun tenses up for a moment, but he goes back to unpacking so quickly that it's almost unnoticeable. He's sure his roommate didn't notice it, anyway. "You're not going to die alone, Kyungsoo-yah." His movements are still stiff and he feels his hand shake just the tiniest bit. He ignores that. "Besides you're only nineteen years old, you shouldn't be thinking about this now. I'm pretty sure you have a good few decades ahead of you."

"You don't know that! I could die tomorrow and so could you. Accidents happen all the time, Baekhyun."

The older slams the cupboard shut a little harsher than he had intended. "You're not going to die any time soon and you're not going to die alone so just stop thinking about it, okay?" Kyungsoo doesn't say anything and only stares speechlessly and with wide eyes as his roommate stalks out of the kitchen and goes to his own room, shutting the door behind himself.

As soon as the door closes Baekhyun sinks to the floor and covers his face with his hands. His entire body is trembling with fear and worry and something else. Realization. He's been trying to push reality away and pretend like everything was alright when he knew that it wasn't. He knew that the bird-like lady he saw the other day seemed familiar somehow, he just knew it. He's also pretty sure he knows what's going to happen to him and it terrifies him to no end.

Surprisingly Baekhyun doesn't feel scared at all when he crosses paths with the guy in the bunny suit again the following day. He had expected to feel the fear wash over him in waves when it happened, but when he sees the tall male approaching him he's calm and collected. He just stops walking and stays there, unmoving, until the other is standing right in front of him. Baekhyun looks up. He doesn't like the way he has to lean his head almost all the way back to see his face, but the other is just so tall.

For a while they just study each other, none of them speaking a word. Then the shorter takes a deep breath. "I know who you are... what you are."

The giant male smiles, face practically splitting in half as he does so. It's even more breathtaking up close. "You do?" he says. His voice is deep, melodious. Baekhyun swallows something and nods.

When the taller reaches out to fasten the balloon he's holding - this time it's a grey one - to Baekhyun's right wrist he doesn't recoil. He just stares as large fingers fumblingly make a neat bow out of the golden, metallic string. It's a bit too tight, digging into his flesh, but he doesn't say anything about it. "Do you have a name?" he asks instead, looking up at the taller male again.

"I haven't had one for a long time," the other answers slowly. "Do you want to give me one? Would that make things easier for you?"

Baekhyun bites his lip. For a few moments he studies the crazy hair and the smile that is almost too big for his small face. "Chanyeol," he exhales.

"Why?" newly dubbed Chanyeol asks.

"You remind me of a friend I used to have when I was younger. We knew each other practically since birth. He was a bit weird and all the other children seemed to think so, but we were inseparable. I liked him a lot."

"I see." The tall male takes his hand and intertwines their fingers as he begins to walk. Baekhyun follows him without struggle. "May I ask what happened to this Chanyeol?"

"He died when we were eight years old."

"How?"

"Car crash."

"Oh." They are both silent for a while, walking alongside each other with their hands clasped as if they are just a young couple on a date. "If you have any questions now would be the time to ask them," Chanyeol then says.

"Why do you look like this?" Baekhyun blurts out almost right away because he's been wondering for a while. "Why are you wearing a bunny suit?"

"I'm wearing a bunny suit?" The other's raucous laughter startles Baekhyun at first. It's rather unexpected. After a moment he finds himself smiling, though. "Wow, I'm pretty sure that's a first. Is it pink too?" The shorter flushes slightly. Chanyeol laughs again. "The bunny suit is all your doing, man. Let me guess, did your friend Chanyeol wear a pink bunny suit most of the time?"

Baekhyun's eyes widen. "How did you...?"

"You see me the way you want to see me. You see me as someone you would trust. That's just how it works and it makes my job so much easier. People are more willing to follow me this way."

"What do you do if someone refuses to cooperate? I'm sure that happens sometimes."

"Some people do choose to fight me. Some people win. They get an extension period. Some people lose. Then I have to take them with me by force. It's a lot easier if they accept their fate. It's easier for everyone." He lets out a sigh, but in a matter of seconds the smile is back on his face. "So how do you want it to happen?"

"I get to choose?" Baekhyun says, a bit incredulously. Chanyeol nods. The shorter thinks it over for a moment. "Is 'painlessly' an option?" There's a slight shiver to his tone, the only thing that hints how anxious he really feels - but, honestly, he think he's entitled to feel that way in the given situation.

Chanyeol merely sends him a soft smile. He's probably used to people being frightened. "Are you afraid of Death?" he asks as if he can read the other's mind and frankly Baekhyun wouldn't be surprised if he could.

The shorter glances at him out of the corner of his eye. "Not really," he admits. "To be honest you're a lot less scary than I imagined you to be." The way Chanyeol flashes his face-splitting smile at the end of Baekhyun's sentence just serves to emphasize his point. Chanyeol is actually more adorable than anything. It's a little strange. Baekhyun bites his lower lip and he leans his head back to look up at the tall buildings that tower over them on both sides. He releases his lip with a sigh. "I always wanted to fly."

Chanyeol smiles and changes their direction. "Then fly you shall."

The sun shines blindingly when they step through the door that takes them to the rooftop of one of the tallest corporate buildings in the city. It's slightly windy up there and despite the heat of the sun Baekhyun shivers until Chanyeol wraps one of his large arms around his shoulders, pressing him up against his side. He's oddly warm. Everything about him is odd, actually. This wasn't how Baekhyun had imagined him at all.

Together they walk towards the edge of the building, looking down at the people and cars that rush by far below. Baekhyun swallows the lump that forms in his throat when he realizes how high up they are. He quickly pulls away from the edge. "Why?" he asks a bit desperately, another question in the pile of questions already asked, and he fears that he is being bothersome, but at the same time he doesn't care. There are just so many things he wants to know and so little time to have his questions answered. "Why me? Why now?"

"It's not my decision to make, unfortunately. I just follow the orders I'm given and today I have been told to end your life. The Time has come." Chanyeol is looking at a point behind the shorter as he says the last sentence and Baekhyun turns his head and flinches when he sees another young male standing there because he sure as hell wasn't standing there earlier.

"Wh-who's that?" He doesn't intend for his voice to tremble that way, but the guy is pretty scary with the way he appears to be glaring at them with his dark eyes.

"The Time," Chanyeol states matter-of-factly and there is a hint of amusement in both his tone and his expression as he says it. "He has come to take you away."

"You won't be coming with me?" Baekhyun didn't intend for his voice to sound so disappointed either.

Chanyeol chuckles softly. "That's not my department, I have to stay here. Don't worry, Time is a good friend of mine and he isn't nearly as scary as he looks. He'll take good care of you." They both turn their attention to the black-haired male again. Baekhyun isn't sure if he believes the other's words, because the guy Chanyeol calls Time seems to be glaring even harder now. He swallows thickly and quickly looks away.

"Let's get this over with," he says.

Chanyeol holds his hand to support him as he steps up on the ledge. Standing on the narrow platform adds a few inches to Baekhyun's height, which means he is now taller than Chanyeol. He feels oddly triumphant upon realizing this. "Don't be afraid," the other mutters.

"I'm not."

"You are. I can tell."

"Okay, I am. But I kind of think I'm allowed to. I don't want to die." It feels infinitely more terrifying to say it out like that. It makes reality so much more real, because that's what's going to happen. He is going to die.

"You have no choice."

"I know, but I still don't want to." Chanyeol smiles a bit at his defiance, but his eyes are welling up and when Baekhyun reaches out to cup his face, they spill over. The smaller wipes the tears away with his thumbs. "Why are you crying?" It seems so misplaced. It should be the other way around.

"I don't want to do this any more than you do," he whispers. "I don't like taking lives." He tenses up immediately when Baekhyun's arms wrap around him in a hug. Soon he reciprocates it, however, holding the smaller frame tightly in his grasp with hands in clothes. They pull away after a moment and he stares into Baekhyun's unwavering gaze with his fingers now splayed out across his soft cheeks. "Are you ready?"

"No, but do it anyway." He's a little surprised when Chanyeol leans closer, still cradling his face, but he doesn't move. The taller male's mouth is soft against his own and the contact sends a burst of electricity through Baekhyun's veins and he can feel the life being out of his body the longer their lips are pressed together. Kiss of Death, he thinks. A sudden violent shove in the chest sends him toppling backwards over the edge of the building. Soon he is floating in the air, hurling towards the crowded street at a rapid pace.

Falling feels like flying until you hit the ground.

~*~

A/N: wow. this was a lot nicer in my head. now I dislike it.
actually this isn't inspired by donnie darko (I saw that one comment about it, yeah yeah). I did consider using that whole "why do you wear that stupid bunny suit?", "why are you wearing that stupid man suit?" exchange in my story, but I decided against it just... because. I don't know. I love donnie darko a lot, though. I should watch it again soon. /irrelevant
oh yeah, I'm sorry about killing off baekhyun.
bye!