onemorechansoo | 2015: All The Little Lights (for prompt 21)

Author: ANONYMOUS until July 15, 2015

Title: All The Little Lights
Rating: NC-17 (for violence)
Other pairings involved: Baekhyun/Chen, Xiumin/Lay (friendship)
Length: 14,066 words
Summary: Everything happened too fast, and now all he can do is watch the lights burn out in Chanyeol's eyes.
Warnings: very mild sexual references, violence, gore, lots of swearing, character deaths

Notes: To OP: I kind of deviated from the actual prompt, and I know it's probably really different from what you imagined. I apologize in advance if the ending seemed abrupt, but I was running out of time. I hope you and the readers will still enjoy it though! Have fun reading! (:

"Breaking news: it has been reported that a highly contagious virus has been unintentionally released from the Laboratory of Advanced Cellular Research and Medicine by unknown circumstances. Police nationwide has already been informed and will be dispatched throughout Canada from midnight until seven in the morning to ensure no civilians are out and in danger of contracting this virus. Citizens watching this news are advised to stay indoors until further notice-"

x-x day one of outbreak x-x

Kyungsoo holds the strap of his backpack in one hand and lets it slide slowly from his shoulder as he approaches the classroom.

He sidesteps Jongdae as he enters, feet taking him to the desk nearest to the window at the last row on autopilot. Chanyeol is too tall to sit anywhere else.

"Wake up," he says as he drops his bag onto his seat in front of Chanyeol.

The sleeping figure stirs and the fluff of brown that is Chanyeol's hair ruffles adorably. A low groan rumbles from between the lips of a boy who looks the farthest away from ever having possessed such a deep voice.

"Already? Shit.... I'm in no mood for school right now."

Kyungsoo snorts.

"You're never in a mood for anything, fucker."

"Oh hey!" Chanyeol completely bypasses that comment, "You heard the news about that weird virus thingy last night?"

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Woah man, that was the shit. Totally dope. It sounds like the beginning of some crappy cliché zombie movie or something. The internet went crazy last night."

Kyungsoo shifts so that his back touches the wall. He can feel the cool breeze tickling his sweaty neck. Sweet.

"Yeah, my parents turned on the podcast but then it got interrupted by the report," he shrugs. "Pretty creepy, to be honest."

Chanyeol hums, "I don't know, B-B-C was saying it might be dangerous or something. Uh, maybe like Ebola? I don't know."

"Hmm. Well, it shouldn't be that bad," Kyungsoo mutters distractedly as he wipes at the perspiration beading at his philtrum.

Chanyeol gazes out the window, a hand propping his chin up. "I wonder if it'll spread to Korea."

"Not likely. Canada's kinda far out from here. The virus will have to cross the oceans before it can infect us," Kyungsoo says, eyes locking with Chanyeol's brown orbs. "Don't get your hopes up."

A grin stretches wide across Chanyeol's face.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

x-x

"As the head of the research faculty responsible for the accidental release of the virus the day before, I would like to offer my utmost sincere apologies to the citizens of Canada and the United States. Details of the virus are strictly confidential and until a quarantine of the people within the country can be confirmed, I am afraid that the L-A-C-R-M cannot disclose any more information."

x-x day two of outbreak x-x

"I can't believe he said that. Not cool, dude."

Kyungsoo sighs as Chanyeol repeats his dissatisfaction once more.

"Stuff like these happens all the time. No laboratory would ever want to fully disclose information like that," Kyungsoo mutters as he flips to the next page of the latest volume of One Piece. "Think about it-the virus probably has some high infectious or mortality rate if Canada needs to be quarantined. Definitely something like Ebola, maybe."

Chanyeol chews his bottom lip in thought.

"Makes sense, yeah. It's probably something like that," Chanyeol says absent-mindedly. "Sucks though, I really wanted to know what kind of shit the virus can do."

"Kill people?"

"Duh," Chanyeol deadpans. "But like, how? Does it make people's brains explode? Does it eat their hearts? Does it give a person weird powers? That's the question."

Chanyeol's eyes widen at a realization.

"Hoooly shit! Maybe it turns people into zombies! Fuck yeah, that'll be fun!"

Kyungsoo closes his book and whacks Chanyeol at the back of his head.

"But wouldn't it be kinda cool if we see like, I don't know, a zombie apocalypse virus thing going on like one of those R-P-G games Baekhyun's always playing?" Chanyeol pouts, a hand flying to his hair to protect that soft perm. It cost him thirty bucks, mind you.

Kyungsoo returns his attention to Roronoa Zoro kicking Kaku's square ass. "Nope."

"I'll choose an axe or a baseball bat as my weapon! Hot damn, it'll be cool to smash some zombie heads!" Chanyeol barrels on. "I bet we could be like those main characters in those shooting, zombie games!"

"Uh-huh."

"Eesh, you're no fun," Chanyeol sneers at Kyungsoo's unenthusiastic response.

Kyungsoo slams his book shut and turns his head towards Chanyeol. "You know what? If a zombie apocalypse really occurs, I'll leave you behind as bait."

Chanyeol sputters indignantly as Kyungsoo nods in satisfaction and goes back to reading.

x-x day four of outbreak x-x

Chanyeollie (8:01pm):
Dudee!!!! Dude!!!!! TUNR ONYOUR TV and WAHTC THE NEWS

DYO DYO DO DYO (8:02pm):
What. I'm eating

Chanyeollie (8:02pm):
noOO TRUST meEE!!! zOBMIE

Rolling his eyes but really curious now, Kyungsoo balances his bowl in one hand and with his fork in his mouth, walks to the living room to switch on the local news station.

The television flickers on to show the pretty news reporter that kind of resembles Chanyeol's older sister. There is a frown worrying her forehead as she recites her script to the nation, the screen in the background playing the scene of the organized chaos of an American hospital.

"It has come to the United State's attention that the recent virus outbreak, potentially dangerous, has proven to be truly and possibly life-threatening. Just under 200 victims have been discovered collapsed along sidewalks and roads within a 5 mile radius from the L-A-C-R-M since yesterday-"

"Ooo, sounds serious," Kyungsoo mutters as he munches on his Thai chicken and egg noodles. His phone vibrates and he brings it closer to his face to see another text from Chanyeol.

Chanyeollie (8:04pm):
Did you see??

"-and doctors have no clue what is happening to the patients who were admitted to the hospital. No visible signs of illness were observed, however none of the patients show any sign of coming out of their unusual coma. This incident has baffled authorities and doctors all over the nation. More investigation is still underway."

DYO DYO DO DYO (8:06pm):
Ya? So?

Chanyeollie (8:06pm):
Oi dude it means it's happening!! Theres no way so many ppl can die at one time and not be the end of the world!!??!!??! HOWWW??? WHAT DO WE DO??!!!!!

DYO DYO DO DYO (8:06pm):
Calm your tits >_> no one died, stupid

Chanyeollie (8:06pm):
Being in a coma is the same as alr dead duh!!

DYO DYO DO DYO (8:07pm):
Stupid. Stop bothering me, I'm gonna go back to eating lunch. AND DON'T CALL ME

Chanyeollie (8:07pm):
))):<<

Chuckling fondly at his phone, Kyungsoo shakes his head and flops onto the couch, still eating his Thai food. His phone stays close at his side just in case he receives a very important text, and not because he thinks Chanyeol may call, of course.

x-x day seven of outbreak x-x

Kyungsoo pushes the giant glass door open and wrinkles his nose as it becomes assaulted with the heavy stench of grease and curry. God damn, this place stinks.

He struggles to keep his head above the crowd as he tries to spot Chanyeol and his elf ears. There are people constantly pushing against his back, making him stumble forward and onto other students. It doesn't help that most of them smell just as bad as the cafeteria, maybe even worse.

A hand grips at his forearm at that moment, and that along with a loud "Kyungsoo-ya!" is the only warning he has before he is pulled onto Chanyeol's lap.

"Woah! Easy, man," Kyungsoo yelps lightly, a hand coming up to Chanyeol's shoulder to steady himself. He looks down to see a beaming Chanyeol, happily holding on to him. A voice at the back of Kyungsoo's mind screams that this position is not so appropriate.

"Aww man, you're so tiny I was afraid you might get lost in the crowd if I didn't snatch you up. Dude, I was right beside you and you couldn't even see me," Chanyeol deadpans.

Rolling his eyes and ignoring the sarcastic coos from Baekhyun and Jongdae, Kyungsoo shifts so that he falls onto the bench beside Chanyeol and places his bag at his feet. "What's for lunch?"

Chanyeol grins, "Zombie brains."

Kyungsoo glares.

Chanyeol sighs, "Kimchi stew."

"Nice. Anyone need anything?" Kyungsoo says as he moves to stand.

"Nope, but I'll follow you!" Chanyeol exclaims while the other two shake their heads.

As they walk over to the soup stall, Kyungsoo can feel Chanyeol's chest occasionally hitting his back as he tries to keep close to Kyungsoo. With the pool of students flooding in from all directions, Chanyeol's chest against his back feels warm and solid, like a wall shielding him. Something deep in his guts tingle when he realizes he can still catch a whiff of his cologne in the midst of the nauseating cafeteria stench.

"Why the heck do they sell that awful curry set lunch every day if no one eats it?" Chanyeol mutters to himself as they finally arrive at the soup stall. He speaks quietly because the curry stall lady seems to be staring at him.

Kyungsoo shrugs, "Different preferences I guess."

"Well, then those preferences are pretty questionable," Chanyeol speaks while barely moving his lips. Kyungsoo glances at the annoyed-looking serving lady and snickers.

"Shut up, idiot."

They both chuckle as they left the queue after ordering Kyungsoo's stew. They won't be eating any curry for the next month or so, based on the look on that lady's face.

"Hey slowpokes, did y'all hear the news?" Baekhyun asks when they approach the table.

"What news?" Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow in query. Baekhyun tosses his phone at Chanyeol, who catches it without looking. He's too preoccupied trying to set Kyungsoo's food down without spilling it.

"A couple of dumbasses flew back home with the virus. The internet's going crazy."

Ever enthusiastic about anything that's got to do with the recent outbreak, Chanyeol hastily keys in Baekhyun's passcode and scrolls down the page where Baekhyun last stopped at.

"Hmm... looks like it was three Korean-Americans who decided to come back after the outbreak 'cause they were afraid." Chanyeol purses his lips. "They're still being detained 'cause they don't know if they're carriers or not."

Chanyeol hands Baekhyun his phone back. "That's some pretty serious shit. I'm starting to get worried, to be honest." Baekhyun rubs his index and thumb together.

"It'll be fine, don't think too much about it. Use your non-existent brain cells for something more important, namely, the Big Test," Jongdae quips cheerfully.

Baekhyun punches his shoulder.

Leaving them to their usual banter, Kyungsoo blows gently at his spoonful of soup, sipping slowly and swallowing before directing his attention to Chanyeol, "All ready?"

Chanyeol's fork halts mid-air on the way to his mouth. "What, the test?"

Kyungsoo nods.

"Yeah, sure. It's gonna be pretty easy anyway."

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow, "Confident, are we."

Chanyeol grins widely, a small piece of spinach stuck to his teeth.

x-x day eight of outbreak x-x

Chanyeol scores a ninety-two, Kyungsoo scores an eighty-six and Jongdae scores an eighty-four.

Baekhyun scores a fifty-eight.

x-x day thirteen of outbreak x-x

Kyungsoo rolls out the sleeping bag, attempting to flatten and smoothen it across the mat. He tries for a couple of seconds, but soon gives up when the place he kneels in gets crumpled over and over again.

"Whatever," he mumbles.

Chanyeol pokes his head in just then, eyes bright and twinkling in delight.

"Kyungsoo-ya, come on! The stars look fucking awesome today!"

Smiling, Kyungsoo gets to his feet and leans out of the clumsily-pitched tent. Chanyeol sits on the grass just beside the tent opening. Kyungsoo leans against the opening, subtly staring at Chanyeol's side profile.

Throughout their childhood, Chanyeol had always been bothered by his abnormally large ears. People used to give him all sorts of crap about them when they were younger, but now that they're older Chanyeol's kind of grown into them. In fact, he's actually really proud of them, says they're a part of his charm.

Kyungsoo thinks they look cute.

"Woah, you see that?! Kyungsoo-ya, that was a shooting star, man!" Chanyeol points excitedly at the sky. "Awesome!"

Kyungsoo tilts his head up, tearing his eyes away from Chanyeol. The sky tonight is clear, and Kyungsoo can see a spread of stars shining across an ocean of black. If he rotates his head, the view looks a bit like a panorama, amazing and ethereal.

A shooting star dashes across his vision and Kyungsoo can feel a spark of something indescribable coiling around his heart. "It's beautiful," he breathes.

"Right?" Chanyeol whispers, entranced by the sight.

They stay like that for a few minutes in comfortable silence. It feels like old times, back in the days when they go camping nearly every week because they love the smell of grass and fresh air. It's been years since then.

"I really miss doing this with you," Chanyeol speaks quietly, unwilling to break the calm. His head is still tilted towards the sky, eyes roving the large expanse of universe, caressing. "Graduation is in two months... I feel like once we graduate I won't be able to see everyone anymore. Baek and 'Dae will be moving to Busan to study maritime engineering. I'll be working full-time at my dad's place. And you," Chanyeol turns to face him, eyes sad. "You'll be flying off to London to start on your music career."

Kyungsoo blinks and drops his gaze, throat starting to tighten. He picks idly at a blade of grass, the texture of it like those fake, plastic flowers at the florist at the mall.

"Do you think we'll have the chance to do this again?" Chanyeol asks. He's back to staring intensely at the stars as though they can give him an answer.

Kyungsoo hums an affirmative, "We will, Chanyeol-ah. I promise." He reaches out to grasp at Chanyeol's hand. "I promise."

When they go to sleep that night, they sleep a little closer to each other than normal. Kyungsoo doesn't mind.

x-x day fifteen of outbreak x-x

Kyungsoo enters the class cautiously. It's noisier than usual. Oh, the teacher's already here. Oops.

He speed-walks to his desk and plops heavily down on his seat.

"What's up?" he asks Chanyeol.

"School's out the whole of next week. Y'know the three kids from America? Apparently they fell dead asleep two days into confinement. The bunch of doctors and police dealing with him are quarantined too." Chanyeol makes a face. "The big heads are locking down all the schools until they're sure no one else got them."

"What about exam preparations? We're supposed to start next week," Kyungsoo furrows his eyebrows.

Chanyeol shrugs, "Postponed, I guess."

"Ugh, this virus thing is getting annoying. Is that why everyone's so happy?" Kyungsoo glances around the classroom.

"Heh, probably. Baek and 'Dae just skipped."

Kyungsoo shakes his head, "Figures."

"Oh, yeah! Wanna grab takoyaki on the way back? The uncle said there's a promotion going on today!" Chanyeol grins.

"Sure," Kyungsoo smiles.

Takoyaki with Chanyeol always taste exceptionally good.

x-x day eighteen of outbreak x-x

Chanyeol has band practice every Friday. On those days, he will haul along his guitar to school and lay it reverently on the ground under his desk against the wall, safe from the dirty shuffling of their classmates' feet.

Friday is the day Chanyeol will bounce his leg agitatedly towards the end of curriculum, anxious to get to his band mates and blast some music.

It's not like he is the only one though. Chanyeol's band is a pretty popular thing in their high school. There will always be a number of students sitting at the corner of the studio jamming along to their songs, one or two of them sometimes guest singing with the band's lead singer, Yesung.

Kyungsoo is there is because Chanyeol once told him, "Every time I look at you, Kyungsoo, a melody just comes straight to my head. Like magic." Chanyeol looked up at the ceiling then, pursing his lips in thought. "I can maybe even call you my muse."

It made Kyungsoo really happy for reasons he couldn't explain.

Today is one of those rare occasions where the band plays mostly ballads, and Kyungsoo can see Chanyeol's fingers picking delicately at his strings, mouthing along to Yesung's lines. His eyes are closed, his chin slightly raised. He looks serene.

Kyungsoo closes his eyes as well, and basks in the warmth of the music.

x-x day nineteen of outbreak x-x

Chanyeollie (6:01am):
Hey man breaking news!! The 3 musketeers disappeared from the hospital yesterday night!! Advised to stay indoors yeah. Don't go anywhere!!!

DYO DYO DO DYO (8:20am):
In the name of Christ, what the hell are you even doing up so early? But thanks for the info, I'll bear in mind.

Chanyeollie (8:34am):
Sis woke me up

Kyungsoo laughs as he reads the text. Chanyeol's sister, Yoora, is a news reporter. She gets all the latest gossip firsthand from her supervisor. She probably woke him up to share the news. He can totally imagine Chanyeol's confused face as she slams open his room door and turn on all the lights, dragging him out of la-la land.

DYO DYO DO DYO (8:35am):
Get some more sleep, I'll call you later (:

Chanyeollie (8:35am):
Okay!!! :DDDDD

Kyungsoo breathes another soft laugh.

x-x day twenty-eight of outbreak x-x

Baekhyun is munching on a piece of cookie when Kyungsoo sees him.

"Where's Jongdae?" Kyungsoo looks around.

"Noodles," Baekhyun says distractedly without lifting his eyes from his phone.

Kyungsoo places his burger on the table before settling down. A while later, Chanyeol and Jongdae approach with bowls of udon.

"The cafeteria's weirdly empty today," Jongdae wonders. The fragrance of the soup wafts towards Kyungsoo's nose, making his stomach growl. It smells hot and delicious. Chanyeol notices and pushes his own bowl in Kyungsoo's direction. "Try some," he offers.

Baekyhun breaks out of his focus on his mobile. "Well, I think a fair bit of kids are at home 'cause of the virus. Another day or two indoors wouldn't make a difference anyway, since we've already missed a week of school."

"This whole thing's fucked up. What is that virus, exactly?" Chanyeol grouses.

Baekhyun shoves his phone right into his face, "Look."

Chanyeol squints, silently reading whatever's on Baekhyun's mobile screen. His lips move a few times, and Kyungsoo starts getting curious when Chanyeol's eyes widen.

"Holy shit. Is that for real?"

"I think so."

Intrigued, Kyungsoo asks around a mouthful of bread and chicken, "What?"

Chanyeol turns to him. "That massive bunch of people who fainted in Canada? About half of them disappeared from the hospital. No one knows what's happening." He looks worried.

Kyungsoo contemplates. "What about the other half?"

"Still sleeping."

Jongdae blows at his noodles, "That's creepy. It's the same as the three musketeers here."

"Yeah. I wonder if this thing is that contagious..." Baekhyun scratches his nose nervously. "I hope it doesn't spread to this area. I'm too young to die."

"You're too dumb to catch it," Jongdae scoffs.

Baekhyun huffs in faux anger and grabs his neck, causing Jongdae to choke on his udon. "Ugh, fuck!"

Ignoring them both, Kyungsoo side-eyes Chanyeol. He's strangely quiet.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Chanyeol startles a little, before shaking his head. He smiles at Kyungsoo, "Nah, it's nothing. Just a little concerned about the stupid virus." He shrugs. "It's probably nothing serious."

Kyungsoo nods. He reaches up to ruffle at Chanyeol's hair. "Don't think too much."

Chanyeol sighs contentedly at the contact and Kyungsoo swears he hears a purr. A fond smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he takes back his hand and returns to eating. Despite the change in conversation soon after, a part of him cannot shake off the feeling of unease crawling up his spine.

Maybe he should follow his own advice.

x-x day thirty of outbreak x-x

The first death broadcasts while they are having dinner.

Kyungsoo is stuffing his face with Chanyeol's mum's fried rice when Jongdae gives a loud wail. Baekhyun is by his side in a heartbeat, that nosy fellow. He too, shouts anxiously.

"Hey guys! Guys! Come here and watch this!"

Chanyeol dashes to the television with his bowl of rice while Kyungsoo trails behind. The screen shows the same reporter the previous time, only now her face wears a solemn expression. They crank the volume up as the rest of Chanyeol's family joins them.

"Just an hour ago, the news station received an alarming report from an anonymous caller saying that an extremely violent man had started attacking citizens out of nowhere. The report stated that the man looked ill and oddly inhuman, with unusual jerky movements and terrifying screaming. The attacker is believed to be infected with the virus but nothing has yet been confirmed. There were a total of twelve injured persons and one casualty. The government and the police urge anyone who has more informa-"

Chanyeol's father presses the mute button on the controller and exhales loudly. "Well kids, it seems like this is no longer something to take lightly," he says. The video screen behind the reporter continues playing, various scenes of the incident flashing every few seconds. Kyungsoo manages to see the passing picture of a bloodied body, mutilated beyond recognition, the face already entirely unrecognizable. He shudders.

Chanyeol's mother claps her hands. "Okay boys, once you're done with dinner, wash up and go to bed. I don't want any of you leaving to get anything from the convenience store." She tuts as Chanyeol and Baekhyun groan in unison. "Uh-uh. Tonight I'd rather be safe than sorry. Everything else can wait."

Grumbling but still moving to obey her orders, the four of them walk back to the dining table to finish up on their meals. Baekhyun folds his legs on the chair, bony left knee knocking against Jongdae's thigh. He waves his spoon at Chanyeol, who is sitting opposite him.

"Buddy, your prophecy is totally coming true, man. The apocalypse is coming. It's going to be the end of the world," he declares. "We're all gonna die."

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "Don't swing your spoon about. Eat your food, Baek."

Chanyeol slaps Baekhyun's spoon away from his face, mildly offended at his barbaric behaviour. "Whatever. If we die, we die."

Baekhyun whistles lowly. "Woah woah woah. Am I hearing this correctly? Scaredy-cat Chan not afraid of dying? Facing death straight on? It's really the end of the world, alright."

Chanyeol lunges across the table at a squealing Baekhyun. They tussle like a pair of children for a minute or two before Kyungsoo decides to break them up.

"Fight and both of you sleep on the floor tonight."

Chanyeol's head pops up.

"Oi, it's my room and my bed!"

"Doesn't matter," Kyungsoo rebuts.

"You can't banish me to the floor in my own room..." Chanyeol tapers off sadly. Kyungsoo's heart jumps to his throat.

"Fine. Baek, then."

"Oi!"

For all the attempts to lighten the mood, no one gets any sleep that night. All they see as they close their eyes, is the image of a dead man on the screen, a man they think may eventually have their own face on if everything goes to hell.

And they're not sure if the ride hasn't already started.

x-x day thirty-two of outbreak x-x

{A.M.}
Kyungsoo rubs tiredly at his eyes. Fuck, all the thinking lately is making it hard for him to concentrate in class. Is it even worth listening anymore, though? He doubts it. He breathes a sigh of relief when the bell rings and sends a heartfelt thanks to whoever's up there for releasing him from this torture.

"Oh my god, someone-"

Kyungsoo whips his head towards the classroom entrance, surprised by the sudden shout.

"Someone, help! Someone help Junmyeon! He's-he's fighting alone, he needs help!" Kwanghee appears at the door, yells hysterically as he points down the corridor towards the gym. "Oh my god, oh my fucking god-"

Chanyeol is out of the door in a flash. His bag lies forgotten at his desk, but Kyungsoo thinks the bag is the least of Chanyeol's concerns right now. Kwanghee, glad to have someone respond so quickly, sprints after Chanyeol, long legs easily catching up to longer legs.

Heart thudding for no reason, Kyungsoo grabs his bag without bothering to stuff his notes in and jogs swiftly out the back entrance of the room.

What the hell is going on?

As he nears the gym, he hears a series of high-pitched shrieking coupled with sobbing. The gym doors have been kicked apart, some deadly force causing one to barely hang from its hinge.

He stumbles into the hall, sneakers skidding slightly on the varnish. A girl is collapsed on the other end of the gym, curled into a corner and screaming shrilly each time she gets startled. And for good reason. What Kyungsoo witnesses makes his head spin.

In the middle of the gym, Choi Siwon, the toughest basketballer on the school team, is swinging Junmyeon around from his throat like a rag doll. The school's head prefect is limp in Siwon's grip, limbs dangling loosely. His eyes are closed and his head lolls back and forth in perfect tandem with his captor's manhandling. Junmyeon's usually pristine white shirt is stained with splatters of blood and holy fucking shit Kyungsoo prays to high heaven that let that not be Junmyeon's blood please please please.

Chanyeol is bravely trying to pry Siwon's hands away and kicking against his hips in hopes of dislodging his hold on the unconscious man. He may be lanky, but there's still some power in those legs of his. Kwanghee has his arm wrapped around Siwon's neck, struggling to choke him.

Siwon doesn't even look affected. His grip on Junmyeon remains steadfast and Kyungsoo thinks that might be it when Junmyeon suddenly pries his eyes open with effort.

"Go..."

It is so soft Kyungsoo barely hears it, but could see Chanyeol and Kwanghee pause in their tracks for a second, before fighting once more with renewed determination.

"Chanyeol... Kwanghee... stop it..." Junmyeon gasps weakly as Siwon clenches tighter, apparently lucid enough to understand what he is saying. There is a crazed glint in his bloodshot eyes, and his skin is a sickly pallor Kyungsoo had never seen before. What happened to Siwon?

"He's... not himself.... a... monster..." Junmyeon continues, voice growing anxious. "Run..."

"Don't fuck with me, Jun. I'm getting you outta here," Kwanghee snarls.

Before anyone can blink, Siwon's arm comes up and swings backwards, knocking Kwanghee over with incredible force. He slides across the gym floor with a shout, clutching his ribs.

"Hurry... run...! Grab the girl and go...! Now!" Junmyeon yells as best as he can.

As Siwon turns to Chanyeol, fully intending on making him his next victim, Chanyeol ducks under his reach and towards the frightened student, grabbing at her hand and pulling her along. Kwanghee scrambles to his feet and all three of them hightails it out of the gym.

Kyungsoo, who was waiting at the entrance, can only watch as Junmyeon smirks at Siwon, or whatever that thing is. A hand comes up slowly to rest on Siwon's arm, nails digging deep and painful.

"Guess it's just you and me now, buddy," Junmyeon rasps. Siwon growls, low like an animal, before roaring into his face.

"Kyungsoo, come on-" Chanyeol urges, fingers secure around his forearm and pulling him with strength Kyungsoo had never felt him use before. They sprint down the corridor back to the classroom, trying not to look back. A scream echoes out of the gym and they push their legs to go faster.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck. What the fuck. What in the world is going on?! Fuck!" Chanyeol curses.

The girl with them starts crying as she runs, her breath coming out harsher and wetter. They round the corner and slam right into the classroom door. Chanyeol turns the doorknob, or tries to, shaking violently at the flimsy wood. Locked.

"Hey, what the fuck. Guys, guys! Open the door, it's Chanyeol!" Chanyeol pounds on the door with his fist. "Don't kid around anymore guys, this is serious. Open the door!"

Frustrated and scared, Kwanghee kicks at it. "Open the fuck up!"

A voice from inside shouts at them, "Go find another room and hide, guys! This one's full! Hurry! And don't make too much noise or they'll find us!"

"Who's 'they'?"

"Let's go," is all Kyungsoo says as he goes further down the corridor away from the gym and classroom and in the direction of the music room. As the rest follow, they notice all the other classrooms are locked and windows shut tight.

Something is wrong. Something is so wrong.

As they are about to reach the end of the hallway, Kyungsoo hears a noise. A scratch, a sniff. Then a low groan.

"Ssh," he whispers, holding an arm out. They stop.

The scratching and moaning are quiet and occasional, but sounds like they're increasing in volume every second. Whoever is making those noises is near. Beads of perspiration start to form on Kyungsoo's forehead.

The girl hiding behind Chanyeol is jittery and shifts impatiently. Without warning, she dashes out, thin calves carrying her lightly across the corner towards the last classroom at the end of the hallway. Kyungsoo's eyes widen and he leans forward to try to catch her.

"No, wait-!"

For a moment there is nothing, and then right in front of their eyes a figure jumps out from the other side of the corridor and pounces on her. The both of them hit the ground with a heavy thud, the girl wriggling fearfully. She punches the figure at the temple, but it doesn't seem to deter them. With a roar, spittle flying everywhere, the figure sinks their teeth into her throat. She screams.

"Holy fuck-"

"Run, run, run, run, run! Run! Run!"

With a burst of adrenaline, the three of them sprints down the rest of the hallway. The figure, monster, continues growling and snarling as it tears into the girl's throat. The sound of skin ripping sends goosebumps up Kyungsoo's arms. It doesn't take long for the screams to turn into gurgles, into gasps, and then nothing.

Deciding that they've run out of time, Chanyeol sneaks into the nearest available room and gestures for them to follow. It's the counsellor's office. Once Kyungsoo and Kwanghee are safely inside, Chanyeol closes the door gently and turns the lock.

There is silence.

No sounds from outside, none whatsoever from the inside. Kyungsoo thinks he doesn't dare to breathe yet.

They stay like that for a few minutes, Chanyeol at the door holding the doorknob, and Kyungsoo and Kwanghee just standing in the middle of the room. The shock of what transpired mere seconds ago still fresh in their systems.

When it seems like everything's settled down for now, Chanyeol exhales heavily and wipes his forehead with the back of his hand. He looks at them.

"I have no idea what's going on. But that... that is some grade B horror movie right there."

Kwanghee slumps into the leather couch, elbows on his knees and face in his palms. He shakes his head. "Junmyeon... Junmyeon..."

No one needs to state the obvious - Junmyeon is most likely already dead. Kyungsoo's chest hurts for him. He had always been a nice guy.

Chanyeol leans against the door and slides slowly down to the floor, bringing his legs up and hugging them like a child. He buries his head in his knees. Kyungsoo mirrors him.

They remain like this for the rest of the day.

x-x day thirty-two of outbreak x-x

{P.M.}

Kyungsoo raises his head when he hears shuffling. Chanyeol crawls to him on all fours, quietly so as not to startle Kwanghee, who had fallen asleep on the couch, exhausted from crying.

"Hey," he whispers once he reaches Kyungsoo's side.

"Hey," Kyungsoo whispers back.

Chanyeol presses close to him against his side, and Kyungsoo is grateful for the familiar warmth. They don't speak for a while, just hearing each other breathe. Kyungsoo can smell Chanyeol's cologne.

"Kyungsoo... what do we do now?" Chanyeol says in a small voice. "People are dying... it's scary. It's my first time seeing so much blood in real life."

Kyungsoo reaches for Chanyeol's sweaty palm and squeezes.

"We'll be fine, Chanyeol-ah. We'll be safe in here." He reassures.

Chanyeol squeezes back. "But we can't stay in forever."

Kyungsoo nods, "I know, I know. But we'll be safe for now. We'll figure something out later."

"Yeah... I wonder if Baek and 'Dae are okay."

"They will be. You know them, nothing kills them," Kyungsoo jokes and Chanyeol chuckles half-heartedly.

Another hour passes without a peep from either of them. Once in a while they can hear the damned shuffling of that monster outside the door, and each time they hold their breaths for fear of spilling their whereabouts.

Kyungsoo digs into his bag for his phone. He clicks on the home button to see sixteen missed calls, all from his family. His brother texted a frantic 'where r u????' at lunch time and he swipes at his screen to reply 'Still at school. Something happened, will explain once I get home.' It's half-past nine at night now.

"Are you hungry?" he asks Chanyeol.

"Kinda, but it's okay. I feel like anything I eat now I'll just puke it all back out," Chanyeol mumbles.

"Okay," Kyungsoo laughs softly. He's starved, to tell the truth, but leaving this place now is calling for suicide. Food will have to wait.

"Let's just sleep. We should be able to get help in the morning."

"Yeah," Chanyeol yawns, jaw stretching wide. "Come on." He wriggles forward and shifts until he's lying down on the carpeted floor, the top of his head against the wall. He spreads his arms and there's an expectant look on his face as he looks at Kyungsoo.

"What?" Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. No way.

"Sleep," Chanyeol says matter-of-factly and slowly, as if Kyungsoo's too stupid to understand what he meant.

"Yeah, I know sleep. I am going to sleep. Just not on you," Kyungsoo retaliates, cheeks starting to grow warm.

Chanyeol scoffs and then pulls Kyungsoo down beside him. "Whatever. It's cold in here and I'm not gonna freeze in the middle of the night just 'cause you're scared of cuddling," Chanyeol snickers. His strong, veiny arms wrap around Kyungsoo, providing a sense of security Kyungsoo will never admit to having when he's with Chanyeol.

"Can't breathe," he mumbles into Chanyeol's shirt. He feels more than hears the laughter bubbling up from Chanyeol's body, and smiles.

"Kyungsoo-ya, I'm glad you're here with me. If anything happens... just know that I am the luckiest person in the whole world because you're my friend," Chanyeol whispers, his words teasing the edge of Kyungsoo's earlobe.

Feeling full of affection, Kyungsoo nods. "Me too."

When Chanyeol falls asleep and Kyungsoo stays wide awake, listening to the steady beat of his heart, warm, alive, he thinks there is more than love tonight.

x-x day thirty-three of outbreak x-x

{A.M.}

Kyungsoo gets woken up by Chanyeol moving under him. He blinks awake gradually and turns on his back, looking up at Kwanghee who is staring at them with a knowing look.

"Had a good sleep?"

Kyungsoo sits up abruptly. "Not really, but beggars can't be choosers. How are you?"

Kwanghee smiles sadly.

"Yeah, stupid question. Forget I said that," Kyungsoo shakes his head. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Everything's just fucked up right now. This is crazy. I can't believe people are dying here. Our friends, people we know. And those fucking creatures out there? They used to be our friends too," Kwanghee spits out. He curses again in anger.

Kyungsoo runs the information through his head. "Does this have... anything to do with the virus?"

"No shit. Of course it's got to do with the virus." Chanyeol pipes up from beside Kyungsoo. He's frowning as he speaks. "My guess is that a couple of them got infected during the shutdown and they brought it back here with them."

Kwanghee clasps his fingers together, "They're turning into savage creatures. Violent after a period of sleep. Contract the virus, take a nap, wake up and voila, killing machines." He scratches roughly at his head. "My father's a doctor. He tells me it's top secret. No one knows how long this will go on, but once it starts, there's no stopping them."

"What about a cure?"

Kwanghee laughs humourlessly, "There is no such thing."

"Will the infected die, then?" Kyungsoo prods further.

"No," Kwanghee grimaces. "They rot and bring everyone to hell with them."

Chanyeol sighs, "How did they get infected anyway? How does it work?"

Kwanghee shrugs tiredly. "My dad's theory is that it's transmitted via transfer of body fluids. Saliva or blood on wounds, biting, y'know."

Chanyeol hesitates. "Is it possible to... to stop them? Or... kill them?" he looks sick at his own suggestion.

Kwanghee nods. "Right through the head or neck."

Kyungsoo bites his lips. "We can't stay here forever, guys. We have to go."

"I'm sure some students must still be here. We should stick together and get help," Chanyeol says nervously.

The three of them huddle around the door, pressing their ears against the old wood for any signs of growling or moaning. No footsteps. Good. Kwanghee volunteers to peek out the door.

Signalling that the coast is clear, they tip-toed their way out of the office and towards the cafeteria, avoiding the few bodies that litter the corridor. Kyungsoo holds Chanyeol's hand throughout, and he can feel the tremble that rakes through him as the stench of blood hits their noses. Kyungsoo brings a hand up to cover his and tries not to vomit.

They pick up the pace as they spot the large glass doors, hurriedly pushing them open and into the greasy air of the canteen. It's not empty.

Baekhyun and Jongdae whoop in delight at the sight of them, and they rush forward to meet them in a shower of hugs. Groups of students are scattered all over the place, and Kyungsoo can see the used containers and cans of food that they most probably stole from the supply room. Leftover tins of the previous day's lunch have been licked clean and lay abandoned on the ground.

"It's fucking awesome to see you guys man! I was worried sick!" Baekhyun cheers.

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol laugh as the four of them embrace and give one another high-fives.

"What's the situation like?" Kyungsoo asks after they calm down.

Jongdae sighs. "Four students got taken from here. A few kinda tried to escape but..." he shudders. "Man, those monsters out there are like straight out of a grade B horror movie."

Chanyeol nods, understanding completely.

"Yeah... look guys. This is totally out of whack. I think this virus thing is going out of control. I really, really, really don't wanna die here. We should get out of the school. It's not safe," Baekhyun says, his expression serious.

"The entrance is on the other side of the building though. I mean, we can try breaking out of the windows here but I'm just afraid the noise might attract some unwanted attention from those motherfuckers," Chanyeol inputs. "We're not exactly sure how many of them are there now."

Kyungsoo rubs at his chin. "We'll have to go the long way. If we run, it'll take us three minutes at most. Walk, and we might reach in about seven minutes."

"We'll see how it goes." Baekhyun rakes his fingers through his hair.

x-x day thirty-three of outbreak x-x

{P.M.}

They're among the first to sneak out.

Having filled their stomachs with cold, hardened rice and curry, the four of them leave the cafeteria as inconspicuously as possible. Kyungsoo has his big slung over his shoulder, while Baekhyun and Jongdae carry their backpacks. Chanyeol is the only person without his bag.

"Do you wanna grab your stuff from the classroom?" Kyungsoo whispers.

Chanyeol narrows his eyes and shakes his head, pressing a finger to his lips.

Kyungsoo nods.

With Baekhyun leading the team they scamper through the long corridor, sticking close to the wall. They lengthen their strides as much as they can, feet landing lightly. It's eerily quiet, but they don't stop to think about it.

As they approach Kyungsoo's and Chanyeol's classroom, Kyungsoo begins to feel unease twirling in his gut.

Don't pass through there.

That instinct screams at Kyungsoo as they get nearer and nearer. There is something dangerous there, and it's waiting.

Not wanting to risk being exposed though, Kyungsoo keeps his mouth shut. When they finally arrive at the dreaded place, every fibre of Kyungsoo's being is telling him to run. Instead, he treads slowly with the rest, crouched under the windows. Just as they are about to fully pass the classroom, a noise blasts from inside.

Chanyeol's cell phone.

Oh, shit.

They stay deadly still, not daring to twitch a single muscle. A thudding echoes further down the hallway, and they watch with horror as a disfigured Yesung stumbles towards them. Half of his hair is gone and blood flows from his gaping mouth, sloshing wetly onto the floor. His left arm is missing. Chanyeol gives a moan of despair as his senior comes for them.

"Fucking hell. Go, go! That way!" Baekhyun shoos them in the opposite direction hastily as they race away from the monstrosity in front of them. With nowhere to go, they aim for the stairs.

Gripping tightly to the banister, they use the momentum from running to propel themselves up. Kyungsoo's not sure how many flights they ran, but he's guessing they're at the third level because he sees the dance studio.

"In here!" a familiar voice shouts.

"Jongin!" Jongdae yells in relief.

Refuge in sight, they cover the short distance with a slight jog and enter the studio. It is stuffy and smells of shoes, as always. All the dance members of Jongin's crew are present, namely Minseok, Yixing, Sehun and Taemin.

"Y'all don't look too swell," Chanyeol remarks in greeting.

Minseok chuckles, "You don't look that hot either."

"We heard the news. Thanks for trying to save Junmyeon." Yixing stands up from where he's sitting and gives them a one-handed hug each. "Good to see you," he says to Jongdae.

Kyungsoo shakes his head sadly, "We failed."

Yixing pats his head, "He knows it. He's probably grateful. At least... at least he died fighting." Yixing swallows thickly and sniffs, before exhaling deeply.

"This town's suddenly exploded with these... these... zombies. And so many people are getting hurt or dying because of them... It'll be difficult to save everyone," Sehun mutters from the back, his expression dark.

Jongin smacks his head. "We'll get out of here alive. Stop talking crap."

Baekhyun nods in agreement, "Yep. The best way to protect ourselves now is to find something to use as a weapon. Get something sturdy, something that can inflict damage."

Minseok walks toward a door that is labelled 'Storage'. "We have dance props in here. Come and see if you guys can find something useful."

Kyungsoo trails after Chanyeol into the musty storage room and sees a shitload of instruments. There are sports equipments, music instruments, art props and all sorts of things. How do these even get here?

Chanyeol goes to some baseball bats and picks one up. Turning it over in his hands, he stares at it blankly.

"Does this mean we have to kill our friends, Kyungsoo?" Chanyeol asks as Kyungsoo sidles up beside him, not looking at him.

"It's not a choice, Chanyeol-ah."

The search for a personal weapon is a quiet affair. No one has much of a mood to talk anyway.

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol each select a bat, while Baekhyun takes a walking cane. Minseok puts on a spiked-knuckle glove. Jongin playfully picks up a lightsaber, but after testing it against the wall, decides to go with it. Sehun and Taemin both have matching steel batons, one in each hand.

The only ones left are Jongdae and Yixing. They're at the far end of the room, closer towards the corner. They have been rummaging through a large, cardboard case of materials for quite some time now, and Kyungsoo's become really curious with what they find.

"Hah!" Jongdae exclaims, before lifting his body out of the box and turning around. He is holding a large, metal sword that looks like it belonged to the Wushu club. It's flexible, and gives off a pleasant twang when Jongdae bends and releases the tip.

Yixing appears next with a pair of nunchucks made of solid wood. He swings them experimentally, satisfied when they wrap firmly under his arms.

"Nunchucks, really?" Baekhyun raises an eyebrow.

Yixing smiles serenely, albeit a little miserably. "In remembrance of a friend," is all he says.

"Alright, we'll leave in an hour's time. Don't leave anything behind," Minseok instructs, strapping on his glove.

"Aye, aye, sir."

As they trudge back to the main studio, Kyungsoo pulls out his phone again. Battery is low. Chewing on his bottom lip, he speed dials his mother. She picks up after two rings.

"Kyungsoo-ya! Oh thank heavens! Where in the world are you?! You didn't return last night and you didn't pick up any of our calls! My boy, you scared me half to death! Are you safe where you are?" comes Kyungsoo's mother's voice, panic evident.

Kyungsoo exhales. "Yes, Mum, I'm fine. Chanyeol's here with me. Baek and 'Dae too." His eyes flicker to them for a brief second. "We're trapped here at the school building. Last night was... last night was terrible. Is everything okay at home?"

Kyungsoo's mother sighs shakily. "It was pretty chaotic yesterday, sweetheart. The streets are still occupied with those... creatures as we speak. There was so much screaming, I just-" she breaks off, and Kyungsoo can hear her try to muffle a sob. His heart aches.

"Don't worry, Mum, I'll be back soon. Stay indoors no matter what. Listen to whatever Dad says. Seungsoo-hyung too. Stay safe, Mum. I'll be back, I promise," Kyungsoo comforts, his free hand forming a fist. Damned zombies.

"Alright, my dear child. Stay safe and come back home to me," she begs. "I love you, Kyungsoo-ya."

"I love you too, Mum."

Kyungsoo pinches the bridge of his nose after he hangs up. Fuck. Remembering something, he walks over to Chanyeol and tosses him his phone.

"Give them a call."

Chanyeol fumbles to receive the device. Holding it gingerly, he looks at Kyungsoo with grateful eyes. "Thanks, buddy."

"Anytime."

He leaves Chanyeol alone for a couple minutes, sitting roughly ten feet away to allow him some privacy. He inspects his dirty nails, cleaning out flakes of dried blood and dirt. Probably got there when that girl got devoured, or something.

A few more minutes pass.

He spies Chanyeol walking over to him not longer after and he makes no move to shift when Chanyeol sits right next to him, all up in his personal space.

"How are things back at home?" Kyungsoo asks.

Chanyeol doesn't reply immediately, but sighs heavily when he does, "Bad. Like, real bad. You know how my house is on the ground floor right?" He continues when Kyungsoo nods. "Those freaks destroyed the living room and they got to the bedrooms. My parents had to flee."

Kyungsoo widens his eyes. "What the... are they alright?"

The taller tightens his lips. "They are... for now. They went to my uncle's place, but it's like, ten miles away from here. They're pretty much still at risk of being hurt... and maybe something even worse."

Kyungsoo rubs at his temple. God fucking damn.

"What about your sister?"

Chanyeol throws up his hands. "Like I know! She's always everywhere all the fucking time. I bet right now she would be at the news station still gathering updates on the zombies and what fucknot. She's always doing that, I hate it as heck, y'know. Doing dangerous things no sane person would consider in the middle of a situation. It's the fucking end of the world. Zombies are coming for her and she doesn't know it." Chanyeol's hands tremble with the amount of effort he's exerting to not punch through a wall. "She's always trying to find out the truth, no matter how absurd or dangerous it may be. Fucking hell, I wish she would love herself a little more, y'know?"

Kyungsoo chooses not to add anything to the outburst. He possesses a secret... fixation on being the person Chanyeol pours his sorrows to, Chanyeol's confidant. He wants Chanyeol to know he can count on Kyungsoo for everything.

"I've decided," Chanyeol clenches his jaw. "I'm going to K-B-S right after we get out of this hellhole."

"I'll go with you."

Chanyeol swivels his head to look at him. "Are you crazy? It's an hour away from here! Just go home, Kyungsoo, your family needs you."

Kyungsoo shakes his head. "Seungsoo-hyung will be with my parents. They'll be fine. As for you," he smirks. "I can't afford to let you go to the city alone. You'll die in less than ten seconds. Those zombies will be on you before you can even blink, what with your loud voice and clumsiness."

Chanyeol splutters indignantly, smacking Kyungsoo on the arm. "Hey, I'm not noisy! Or clumsy. I'm just... not used to this body of mine. Haven't been adjusted to it yet," he sulks playfully.

Kyungsoo laughs.

"But... thanks. Again," Chanyeol mutters. "I guess it'll be nice not to be alone at a time like this..."

When Chanyeol turns to look at him, Kyungsoo can see the tenderness in his eyes. They give each other a small smile.

Minseok breaks up the silence by clapping twice, "Alright guys, let's get a move on!"

x-x day thirty-seven of outbreak x-x

{P.M.}

Kyungsoo inhales slowly and holds his breath. Leaning against the side of the principal's desk, knees pulled close to his chest, he grips the end of his baseball bat with practiced ease. His right cheek is pressed to the cold wood, eyes picking out shadows in the dark.

Yixing sits opposite him, nunchucks loose in his hands. His face has a long scratch from under his left eye till his jaw, but the bleeding has long since stopped.

The both of them are waiting. As the sound of shuffling gets nearer and nearer, they ready their weapons.

A tall zombie stumbles into view. Its eyes are missing, empty sockets caked with blood, leftover eye bits, and the occasional maggot swimming in and out through both holes. Its groan is distressing and filled with pain. Kyungsoo cannot find room in him to feel sorry for it.

Signalling to Yixing, they make a mental count of three before standing up simultaneously and pounding it into a pulp. Kyungsoo brings the bat down on the zombie's spine twice, dead skin and rotting flesh flying up. Yixing swings his nunchuck around its neck and gives a sharp tug, pulling the head off in an instant. The zombie barely had time to lift its arms.

"How many do you think we still have left?" Yixing asks, popping his stiff shoulder.

Kyungsoo flings his bat at the wall, getting rid of the guck. "Not sure. Might still be a couple more. Maybe ten? Or less, if the rest are successful."

Yixing sighs, "We should hurry. I'm getting real tired of this shit."

"Tell me about it," Kyungsoo grits his teeth. "I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever leave this fucking school."

The afternoon they were scheduled to escape, the group of them planned to charge down all the way to the ground floor and out the entrance. The goal was to avoid as many zombies as possible.

However, as they were passing the corridor that leads to the cafeteria, they discovered that the glass doors had been slammed open. A small pile of students lay scattered in a haphazard heap of blood and intestines, like slaughtered pigs.

Alarmed but not curious enough to investigate, they continued down the route they were supposed to go, only to end up face to face with the cause of the damage. Or rather, the causes.

The quarter of the student refugees in the cafeteria that tried to flee the building the day before were attacked by zombies and thought to be dead, but in actual fact they had been infected. With the last of their memories strongly associated with the cafeteria, they had all dragged themselves to the doors and ran through the glass. The students could only scream and choke on their blood as the zombies bit into fresh and very, very terrified meat. The ones that didn't die joined in the wandering along the hallways.

With more than a hundred undead hot on their heels, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had accidentally split up. Yixing, who was more athletic, was at the front of the team with Kyungsoo close behind. Chanyeol and Jongdae were the least active amongst everyone, so they were right smack in the middle. Minseok stayed at the rear end as lookout. Thinking on the spot, Minseok had told the team to go off in pairs and handle themselves, and then they'll meet again once the situation has calmed.

And here they are, separated for nearly four days with little progress. Kyungsoo misses Chanyeol's incessant chatter.

They stride out of the office cautiously, searching for signs of the rest. They keep walking until they hear Baekhyun's cursing. Concerned but relieved, they ran into the classroom where his voice is coming from.

"Baekhyun!" Kyungsoo calls. He charges into the room with Yixing close behind.

Baekhyun is on the floor, cradling a bleeding Minseok. The oldest has a gash around his side, under his ribs. Seeing the puddle of blood gradually forming on the concrete, Kyungsoo guesses it must be a deep wound. Minseok has a limp hand pressing lightly against the gash, but the blood seeps out in rivelets.

"I'm... sorry..." Minseok rasps weakly. His lips are extremely pale, and a cold sweat has broken out on his forehead.

Baekhyun shakes his head violently. "Shut the fuck up, idiot. It was the zombie, fuck. Fucking zombie and its damned annoying teeth."

Kyungsoo looks further to the left, just behind Baekhyun and he sees the remains of a dead zombie, beaten into a mangled mess by someone in a fit of rage.

Yixing kneels on Minseok's other side. Grabbing his free hand, the one with his gloves, Yixing brings it up to his lips. "How bad?"

Minseok chuckles with difficulty, "I don't have long. I lost too much blood." His pants are completely soaked with blood. Kyungsoo wonders how long he'd been bleeding out. Baekhyun curses again.

They all flinch as more footsteps thunder down the corridor, expecting a horde of zombies to fall upon them, attracted by the smell of human blood. Kyungsoo narrows his eyes at the door.

Chanyeol appears, dishevelled and dirty. His wild hair is even wilder than usual. Jongdae pops up beside him a second later, followed by Jongin, Sehun and Taemin. They all look like they've been thrown into a sewer and told to do gymnastics in there, but other than that they look unharmed.

"Minseok-hyung!" Jongdae gasps, pushing past Chanyeol to kneel beside Baekhyun. The other four frown at the sight.

Minseok sags visibly. "Looks like... everyone's fine. I'm glad..."

"Hyung, we're all fine, don't you worry. Right now, the most important thing is to get you to the hospital. Come on," Yixing urges softly, squeezing Minseok's hand in a silent plea.

Minseok squeezes back. "You know I won't make it." His remark is met with silence. Everyone knows he's right.

"Leave," Minseok says, voice gaining strength. "Leave now. Get out of here."

Chanyeol shakes his head in defiance, "Hyung, we'll all leave together. Come on, I can carry you on my back!" Jongin and Sehun start to move towards Minseok.

Minseok opens his mouth to speak again, but is interrupted by Yixing. "No. You guys leave."

They turn to him in shock. "Hyung!"

He smiles, "You guys leave while I stay here with Minseok."

"No way in hell," Jongin spits out, angered by his seniors' wilfulness.

Yixing looks at the classroom clock. "Based on my calculations, I figure we have about ten more zombies to go through on this floor. They should be approaching any minute now. If they come straight here all at once, we won't stand a chance." He turns back to them. "Your best bet is to leave now. Don't worry about us."

Minseok and Yixing exchange words silently with their eyes, then they smile. "We'll be fine."

Kyungsoo can see the affection between the both of them, and an enormous amount of gratitude in Minseok's eyes. He reaches for Chanyeol's hand, yearning the contact of his skin. Chanyeol blinks at him, but tightens his grip.

Baekhyun sighs, "If that's what you want." Carefully, he adjusts Minseok so that he is leaning against Yixing for support. Standing up, Baekhyun places a comforting hand on Jongdae's shoulder, palm stained red. "Let's go then."

They take turns giving Minseok and Yixing hugs. "Survive, no matter what," Kyungsoo overhears Yixing whispering to Jongdae. They've always been close in their own way. Jongdae nods, eyes watery. "I'll never forget you, hyung." Sehun looks close to tears.

They hurried out of the classroom, Kyungsoo leaving last. He looks over his shoulder at Yixing and Minseok one last time, Yixing bending low towards Minseok. His heart clenches as he overhears their whispers.

"Thanks... thanks for being here."

Yixing never lets go of Minseok's blood-slicked hand.

"That's what friends are for."

Kyungsoo bites his lips and runs in Chanyeol's direction.

Just as they are about to climb down the stairs, Kyungsoo feels the wooden banister tremble. A subtle rush of feet against tiles thunder from the other end of the corridor, heading straight for the classroom Yixing and Minseok are in.

"No. No... no, no, no, no," Chanyeol repeats slowly as he starts to return to the classroom.

"Chanyeol, no! Let's go, we have to go! There're too many of them, we'll die if we try to take them on!" Baekhyun shouts as Kyungsoo and Jongdae link their arms through Chanyeol's, trying to hold him back.

"Yixing-hyung! Minseok-hyung! Run!" Sehun hollers as he too is held back by Jongin and Taemin.

The swarm of rotting, filthy flesh races forward, thirsty for blood. Their groans overlap with one another, creating a cacophony of desperate, suffering calls. Their arms are outstretched and fingers grabbing, searching for the nearest food source. As if possessed, they stumble in unison to the only classroom that still inhabits living, breathing, precious humans.

"We... have... to... save... them...!" Chanyeol grits as he struggles against the grip on him. Kyungsoo pulls at his arm with all his strength. "Chanyeol, please, there's nothing we can do!"

"We have to! We have to!" Sehun begins to scream as his panic increases at the looming sight of unrelenting zombies. His voice attracts the attention of a few scattered ones, and Kyungsoo can see them changing targets.

"Chanyeol, Sehun, come on!" Kyungsoo shouts in exasperation. Curses tumble smoothly out of Baekhyun's mouth as the zombies split into two directions. With a final tug, they manage to drag Chanyeol and Sehun away from the top of the stairs and they clamber down the building at a manic pace.

Kyungsoo scrambles for the wall as a zombie's fingers brush against his back. "Move faster!" He yells at the guys in front of him, his baseball swinging heavily at whatever's behind him.

"Fuck!" Sehun screams angrily as he bashes his baton into the skull of a zombie clutching at his sleeve. "Fuck off! Fuck off! Fuck you bastards! Fuck all of you! Fuck!"

Chanyeol grunts as he knocks the head of another zombie off its neck. Kyungsoo can see his pale face and wide eyes, large with fright as he rains down attack after attack on the zombies crowding the stairs in front of them. His breathing is short and winded, and Kyungsoo fears he's going into shock.

"Chanyeol. Chanyeol! Stay with me, you hear?" Kyungsoo says sternly, not losing focus on the raving, disgusting creatures looking to sink their teeth in his neck once he has his back turned completely. "Breathe."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm breathing okay. I'm good," Chanyeol says quickly, nodding.

"Clear!" Taemin declares as they jump off the last step, free from undead. Encouraged, they make a dash for the school's entrance, charging through any roaming creatures along the way and leaving the horde behind.

They burst out the doors and run across the entire yard before leaping up the metal gates. Jongin turns on his lightsaber and throws it over the gate, illuminating the path ahead of them. Jongdae follows his example. Sehun shoves his batons into both of his back pockets before hoisting himself up the bars. Kyungsoo stuffs his bat into the back of his pants and starts to climb. He's halfway up the gate when he hears a cry from below.

"Kyungsoo!"

He looks down and spots Chanyeol, barely hanging onto the bars as several zombies cling on to his trousers. Those abnormally strong fingers rake down his leg, causing the fabric to tear. Chanyeol cries out again in pain.

"Shit!" Kyungsoo curses. He releases a hand and tries to reach for Chanyeol. "Chanyeol-ah, grab my hand!"

"Help, Kyungsoo!" Chanyeol yells as he extends his arm towards Kyungsoo. He looks back at the zombies all vying for a piece of him and yells in fear. He pulls at his leg, attempting to dislodge them.

"Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, hurry up! They're going to climb the gates!" Baekhyun shouts from the other side.

"Kyungsoo, please...!" Chanyeol whimpers as he finally grasps onto Kyungsoo fingers. Relieved, Kyungsoo clutches tightly onto him and taking a deep breath, hauls Chanyeol up to his level.

With nothing to hold them back, the pair scale the metal bars in record time. When they touch ground, Taemin, Baekhyun and Jongdae are already running down the streets with Jongin leading the way with his lightsaber.

Sehun is in a face-off with one of the zombies on the other side of the gates. He looks slightly crazed, face red with anger. He spits a bunch of vulgarities at it before raising his baton and smashing it right into the eye of the zombie. It screeches as its eyeball explodes in a shower of mush and gross-smelling fluid. Sehun laughs as he grinds it deeper into the back of the zombie's skull.

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol grab his arms. "Stop it, Sehun-ah. Let's go!"

With no small amount of force, they yank him out of his disturbing killing frenzy and they race to catch up with the rest. As Sehun jogs in front of them, Kyungsoo's gaze meets Chanyeol's and he shakes his head.

They travel in silence for the next one hour, walking stealthily around town. Most of the lights have been blown out and the roads lie abandoned. Cars everywhere either have had their windows broken into or crash-stopped against shophouses or lampposts. Random bodies are scattered on the roads and in alleys, some huddled together in a corner. Kyungsoo swallows when he passes what looks like a family of four, dismembered and devoured beyond recognition.

It could have been me, but it's not. But it's not.

They pass an electronics store, its sign flipped to 'closed'. A commercial television on sale is displayed at the display stand and the channel is turned to the nation's broadcast station.

"Forty percent of Seoul's population has been infected with the deadly virus, now widely termed the 'Sleep Virus'. Infected victims have been observed to fall into deep sleep not long after infection, and once woken up, will be subjected to cannibalistic and violent behaviours. Doctors stated that essentially the patients are pronounced dead upon infection because their bodies have already begun to decay and their brains and senses completely dysfunctional. Schools are no longer in operation for the safety of the children. Public transport systems have been disabled for the time being until further notice. Everyone is advised to remain indoors."

The reporter carries on to the topic of safety measures to be taken at home, Kyungsoo tuning out her professional tone. He stands beside Chanyeol and he can see their in the reflection of the glass window. Unkempt and haggard, bloodstains and dirt colouring their once white uniforms, both of them are holding worn-out baseball bats. He notices Chanyeol staring back at him.

"Hey," Kyungsoo says gently.

Chanyeol blinks slowly. "Hey."

The more they stare at each other, the more Kyungsoo wants to hold him.

He twists to look at him, Chanyeol doing the same. Kyungsoo steps closer and brings his hand to Chanyeol's face, where it slides to his nape. Pulling him down, he lets Chanyeol bury his face in his neck. He can feel him shudder.

"Kyungsoo... I-" Chanyeol stutters.

Kyungsoo strokes his nape, and then his hair.

"I-feel like I'm lost. I feel like I'm so... distant," Chanyeol speaks with difficulty. "My friends... our friends just..."

Kyungsoo hushes him. "It's okay, it's okay."

"I feel like I'm so helpless. And stupid. And weak," Chanyeol continues, voice wobbling. "So many people died, and are still dying. People we know, Kyungsoo-ya. I'm so scared, Kyungsoo-ya. The zombies are fucking scary. They kill and eat people, people they used to be friends with. If I snap and go crazy, I might become like Sehunnie. I'm really scared."

He pulls away from Kyungsoo a little bit to look at him, eyes shiny with unshed tears, lips trembling slightly. "I'm scared I'll lose you too."

Kyungsoo grips his nape firmly and gazes into his eyes. "Then only believe in me," he mumbles. "Look at me, believe in me. I won't let you go crazy. We'll make it out of this nightmare."

Kyungsoo's expression softens as he smiles. "We'll survive, and then we'll go far, far away and stargaze together again. Then there'll only be you and me, and all the little lights at night."

Chanyeol stares wordlessly at him. His eyes drop to Kyungsoo's lips, and Kyungsoo stops breathing for a second. After a short moment, which very frankly felt like years, Chanyeol leans forward to plant a sweet, chaste kiss on his lips, Kyungsoo meeting him halfway.

Chanyeol's lips are chapped but soft, and his breath warm. Kyungsoo tilts his head to deepen the kiss, their lips sliding smoothly together. They pull apart from each other with a light pop of their lips, Kyungsoo's heart pounding rapidly. Chanyeol's cheeks are flushed, the tips of his large ears endearingly red.

"Alright, lovebirds, time to get a move on before the zombies decide they want a free meal to go with the free show," Jongdae teases, spoiling the tender afterglow of a first kiss. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol jump.

"Let's just fucking go," Sehun grumbles. Jongin pats his back.

They arrive at the local department store. It's the largest one in town and it sells everything, ranging from food to clothes to furniture.

"We should probably hide in here for a while, or at least until daylight. There's food inside. Hopefully we don't bump into any-" Baekhyun breaks off when a groan resonates down the street.

"-of those. Okay, whatever, let's get the fuck inside," Baekhyun concludes in a rush and they all run into the air-conditioned building. They head straight to the fifth floor, where the furniture are.

Baekhyun and Jongdae snuggle into a king-sized bed together. Jongin turns bright red at the sight and averts his eyes, while Taemin just grins. Sehun ignores them all, pulling a fluffy blanket over his head in his king single.

Chanyeol walks to another king-sized bed, one that looks cosier than the bed Baekhyun and Jongdae are sharing. He slips under the baby blue duvet, his head resting comfortably on a pillow that must feel like heaven. He looks at Kyungsoo expectantly and really, who is Kyungsoo to deny him? So he slides into the bed as well, pressing close to Chanyeol for warmth. They lie on their sides, face less than a hair's breadth from each other.

"Goodnight, Chanyeol-ah," Kyungsoo whispers, unable to control the corners of his lips from curving upwards.

Chanyeol's eyes twinkle a little.

"Goodnight, Kyungsoo-ya."

x-x day thirty-eight of outbreak x-x

{A.M.}

They get a full three hours of rest before shit hit the fan. Again.

The only warning they got was the roaring that sounded like a weird mix of a crow's screech and a dog's bark, amplified ten times and lowered by five notches with a back-up choir. The rumbling happened then, and a load of literal dead-weights fell onto each bed and knocking against their bed frames.

Baekhyun screams in shock as he falls flat on his ass on the floor, Jongdae scrambling to hide them both under the safety of the blanket. Jongin and Taemin rolls swiftly out of bed, weapons already in their hands as they start fighting in sync.

Kyungsoo tosses Chanyeol his bat as he ducks out of the way of an approaching zombie. His limbs are still overworked and his muscles ache when he stretches his arm to hit it.

They all turn when they hear a shriek. They locate Sehun on his bed, kicking furiously at a zombie that is clinging onto his arm. Kyungsoo's eyes widen when he realizes what is about to happen.

"No, Sehun! Watch out!"

Sehun screams when the zombie opens its jaws and bites down, all the way to the bone. It rips a chunk of Sehun's forearm out and blood splatters all over the bed. Sehun's screams become louder.

"Fuck! It hurts, it hurts! Hyung!" Sehun yells hysterically as he stares at his arm, trying to scramble away from the creature that is munching on his flesh. Jongdae, nearest to Sehun, leaps to his defence and slices the neck of the zombie clean through with his sword. Its head rolls across the floor, meat and skin hanging from its yellow teeth.

"Help me, hyung! Someone!" Sehun cries as pain wrecks his body. His weapon has long disappeared and he sits on the bed cradling his injured arm, tears flowing from his eyes.

"Shh, shh. Sehun-ah, calm down, you'll be fine, you'll be fine. It's just a bite, it's nothing serious," Jongdae tries to help.

Kyungsoo curses as he pummels zombie after zombie, hyper aware of the fact that if he gets distracted now, it'll be game over for Jongdae and Sehun. Chanyeol behind him pants heavily in lethargy.

"I'm not okay! I'm not fine! Fuck, I'm gonna turn into one of those freaks! I'm gonna fucking turn into a fucking monster that eats people!" Sehun screams, eyes wild and not quite sane. Snatching Jongdae's sword from his grip, he swings it at the zombies stumbling towards him.

"Fucking bastards, I'm gonna make you pay," Sehun hisses hatefully. He scoots off the bed and charges at the mass of undead, deaf to the warnings of the rest.

"Shit! No-" Jongdae gasps in horror. Chanyeol turns so pale Kyungsoo thinks he might pass out.

Jongin roars in rage when he sees Sehun swallowed up by the crowd of flesh-eating monsters, a fool's suicide. "Sehun!" he screams.

"We have to get out of here!" Baekhyun shouts to be heard over the chaos. He dodges a zombie that is running straight to the horde gathered where Sehun was last seen. Kyungsoo can feel bile rising in his throat. Chanyeol vomits onto the floor.

Bending down, Kyungsoo wraps an arm around Chanyeol and drags him along, anxious to escape the hellhole that was supposedly their sanctuary. He wipes hastily at Chanyeol's lips. "Please, Chanyeol, can you walk? Chanyeol-ah?"

Chanyeol nods weakly. "Get me... out of here..."

The six of them race to the escalators, skipping two steps each time. Jongdae sticks close to Baekhyun because he's lost his only weapon, and Kyungsoo can see the nervousness seeping out of him.

They make it out of the department store and into the sunlight. Jongin throws his lightsaber onto the ground and cries into his palms, chest heaving.

"Fuck it!"

Taemin shuts his eyes, his knuckles white with how hard he is clenching his fists.

"I can't do this..." Jongin sobs, not removing his hands from his face. "I can't see anyone... die... please, not anymore..."

Exhaling, Taemin nods, eyes opening. "Okay, Jongin-ah, okay. No more."

He strides over to an abandoned car on the roadside, its driver's door unlocked and key left in the ignition, and makes himself the designated chauffeur. "Get in, we're leaving." Kyungsoo wonders how he knows how to drive.

Jongin slowly lets his hands fall. He stares at Taemin and the car in silence, then moves to sit in the passenger sit, lightsaber in his lap. He stares blankly at the glove compartment.

"Coming?" Taemin asks.

"Sister," is all Chanyeol says. Kyungsoo shakes his head, "I'll be with Chanyeol."

"The same goes for us," Baekhyun pipes up. "The four of us are inseparable, I'm afraid."

Taemin smiles, "That's great, in your own way. I'm glad I bumped into you guys. Stay safe now," he waves. "Maybe we can see each other someday."

Just like that, he's gone. Jongin didn't even look up.

No goodbyes, I guess, Kyungsoo thinks.

Baekhyun sighs, "Now what? We're totally fucked now, aren't we?"

"I need to find Yoora," Chanyeol rasps hoarsely, throat dry from the vomit. "I need to."

"Then we'll find her," Kyungsoo simply says.

x-x day forty of outbreak x-x

They hide for another day, resting more completely in a local pharmacy. Kyungsoo gives Chanyeol a couple of vitamins. He is looking worse than ever, and Kyungsoo worries about his mental state.

He can't break down now. He has to be strong. For Chanyeol, for himself.

x-x day forty-one of outbreak x-x

{A.M.}

They hit the road just after the sun rises.

The bags under Chanyeol's eyes are deep, and his cheeks seem to have hollowed a little. Kyungsoo had pushed a small bun to him for breakfast, but Chanyeol had rejected it, saying he didn't feel hungry.

"Don't you guys think that this entire zombie thing is such a joke?"

Kyungsoo turns to Baekhyun, who's looking contemplative. "I mean, I can't believe we're really in the middle of a zombie apocalypse right now. It's so unreal." Baekhyun taps his walking cane on the ground as they walk. "There're zombies and we have to fight, while some people are safe and sound at home. Hah!"

Jongdae sighs. "Zombie or not, it's happening, and it's not like we can stop it. It is very likely that someone will soon develop a cure though. I guess we'll just have to wait."

Chanyeol says nothing. He keeps walking forward.

"Chanyeol?" Kyungsoo tries to get his attention. He touches Chanyeol's elbow, causing Chanyeol to flinch. Kyungsoo quickly removes his hand. "You okay?"

Relaxing, Chanyeol just nods.

Kyungsoo is about to ask another question, but gets interrupted by an excited shout from Baekhyun.

"Guys, it's the broadcast station!"

Chanyeol's head jerks up and he runs hurriedly behind Baekhyun across the street to the entrance of the huge building. It is made of glass, and the sunlight makes it look majestic. From the outside, at least.

When they enter the place, Kyungsoo can see the explosion of glass shards covering every part of the floor. Blood soaks through the transparent material and paints the reception a gory red. A female worker lies near the lift doors, both legs torn from her body at the knees. He hears Chanyeol sucking in a breath.

"Upstairs," he says. "The filming occurs at the third floor."

Together, they make their journey up slowly. They're careful not to step on any glass pieces that are too large. The crunching is noisy, and they can never be completely sure that there're no zombies around here.

Chanyeol's hands are trembling. Kyungsoo can see the strangling hold he has on his baseball, but his face is ghost-white, and dripping with sweat. Kyungsoo's heart thumps loudly as well. Everything is so quiet.

They arrive at the third floor without trouble, and this makes Kyungsoo's hair stand on end. His stomach sinks as Baekhyun leads the way into the room. His gasp confirms Kyungsoo's worst fears.

It looks like almost the entire broadcast personnel were gathered here for a major zombie sacrifice. Men and women are littered on the floor, on the stage, dumped over cameras, unlucky souls trampled by panicked workers and eaten alive by their undead predators. Kyungsoo sees the inner cavities of a few, ribs having split open and organs feasted on. The look on their faces...

Chanyeol trudges through the thick slosh of blood, his shoes making a squishing sound. "Yoora... Yoora..." he chants like a mantra, voice shaky. He stops in the middle of the red ocean.

Please, please, please, don't let it be her. I'm begging you, God.

Chanyeol sighs and lets the bat fall. Dropping to knees, he digs under a man's corpse, grunting with effort. Kyungsoo rushes to help him.

First, they drag out an arm. Thin, pale, delicate. Female. And then a torso is revealed, followed by a head with short black hair. Half a face with a beautiful, large eye that resembles Chanyeol's so much.

Kyungsoo turns immediately and vomits out his breakfast.

Chanyeol gently cradles what remains of her half body. Baekhyun and Jongdae are shock-still behind him, gazing at the horror in front of them in a trance. Chanyeol gives a tiny whimper. He hugs Yoora's corpse tightly to himself, rocking back and forth slightly as he stares intensely into a dead man's eyes. Tears and perspiration roll down his cheeks, his expression blank.

"Chanyeol..." Kyungsoo chokes out. Fuck everything, fuck all the shit in this world. If there is anything that will break Chanyeol, this is it. And Kyungsoo thinks Chanyeol's already broken.

"Chanyeol... Chanyeol...!" Kyungsoo tries to shout, but what come out are strained whispers, his voice weak with sorrow.

No response.

Baekhun gasps again. "Fuck, I hear something."

Jongdae furrows his brows. "Guys, I hear it. Something's coming," he says worriedly.

Kyungsoo looks up in alarm, his baseball bat ready in his hands. Shit. Right now, Chanyeol is in no condition to fight. They have to cover him.

"Protect him!" Kyungsoo orders. They form a barrier around Chanyeol and Yoora, their backs towards them. Jongdae snatches up Chanyeol's baseball bat.

A stream of zombies stumble and groan into the room, all wearing tattered pieces of their office clothes. These fuckers never know when to quit. They see the group of them and they cry out at the sight of fresh meat. They run forward.

Kyungsoo swings his bat with ease, but sees Jongdae struggling with the use of an unfamiliar weapon. Baekhyun tries to help, but gets overwhelmed by the amount of zombies piling on him. Jongdae growls in frustration.

Kyungsoo's heart skips a beat when he hears Jongdae scream. He chances a look and spots a zombie biting deep into Jongdae's neck. A second scream erupts from behind him and Kyungsoo's heart stops when he sees that it's Chanyeol, a zombie with its teeth lodged in his leg.

"No!" he shouts.

Kyungsoo slams his bat into the head of any zombie standing in his path. He makes his way to Chanyeol as fast as he can and hammers the monster hanging onto him into oblivion.

"Get off! Get off! Get off! Fucking bastard!" Kyungsoo rages with each hit. "Fucker! Fucker! Fucker!"

Chanyeol struggles to move away from the heap of bodies all around him and the zombie that is long destroyed by Kyungsoo. He sobs at the pain of his bleeding wound, his blood mixing with the rest.

Baekhyun kills the last of the motherfuckers and hurries to an injured Jongdae, "Let's go!"

He and Kyungsoo shoulders Jongdae and Chanyeol out of the goddamn building, and blood gets on the two of them. Kyungsoo can feel tears stinging his eyes.

Fuck. This cannot be happening.

Chanyeol and Jongdae have already started leaning completely on the both of them, blood loss causing them to be light-headed. Their faces are ash-pale. Jongdae is pressing loosely against the exposed flesh on his neck, blood dribbling down his arm.

"You better hang in there, you hear me, asshole? Fucking dumb... how the fuck did you even get bitten..." Baekhyun grits through his teeth, but Kyungsoo can hear the tears in his voice. "Don't you fucking fall asleep on me yet, shithead, you hear?"

Jongdae groans, "Shut up, bitch..."

Baekhyun laughs, and then sniffs wetly.

Kyungsoo tightens his hold on Chanyeol's waist and wrist. "Chanyeol-ah, hang in there."

Chanyeol doesn't say a thing, but Kyungsoo can feel a nod.

They hobble along in silence, with the occasional groan of pain from Jongdae and the cursing of Baekhyun. Chanyeol pants against Kyungsoo's shoulder, his footwork slipping.

Kyungsoo prays they at least make it till the next sunrise.

x-x day forty-one of outbreak x-x

{P.M.}

"You know, I've always fantasized that when a zombie apocalypse happens, we'll be the survivors that kinda can kick anybody's ass," Baekhyun jokes out of the blue. Kyungsoo laughs.

They are sitting down in a warehouse, its roof only halfway done. Leaning against the wood, Kyungsoo can see the night sky if he tilts his head just a fraction. He wishes Chanyeol is awake to see this. Both Jongdae and Chanyeol are taking a nap, and Baekhyun and Kyungsoo refuse to disturb their rest.

"We're not in a game, Baekhyun-ah. This is reality, and people are fragile. We die quite easily, after all."

"People can be strong too!" Baekhyun protests.

"They can, and they are!" Kyungsoo agrees. "But this is not our game to play, Baekhyun. Not this time." He strokes Chanyeol's hair. "Not in this lifetime."

x-x day forty-two of outbreak x-x

Jongdae wakes up for a brief moment and all he does is look at Baekhyun, who stares at him and smiles softly.

Home, Jongdae mouths.

Baekhyun caresses his cheek.

"Then home is where we'll be."

Baekhyun carries him on his back, blood and slack limbs, and together they make their way sluggishly to the warehouse entrance. Baekhyun turns back once more.

"See you guys soon."

They leave.

Chanyeol shifts, and Kyungsoo pretends he's still asleep.

x-x day forty-three of outbreak x-x

"Kyungsoo."

"Mm?"

They're on their backs, side by side. The concrete is cold and the night is young, but their hearts are on fire.

"Do you think we can go stargazing again in the future?"

"Of course we can."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Chanyeol turns to look at Kyungsoo, his grin spreading beautifully across his face. He looks happy and free from pain, and Kyungsoo wonders if this is all a dream.

"I'm going to sleep for a long, long time now, Kyungsoo-ya," Chanyeol whispers, his hand reaching up to caress Kyungsoo's cheeks. "Wake me up next time, okay?"

Kyungsoo nods. "Okay," he whispers just as quietly, his vision of Chanyeol blurring as tears cloud his eyes.

His hand grips the piece of glass shard Chanyeol had pocketed earlier, never wavering.

"Goodnight, Kyungsoo-ya."

Kyungsoo looks into the eyes of the person he loves most in the world.

"Goodnight, Chanyeol-ah."

Chanyeol's eyes twinkle a little, and then they twinkle no more.

Kyungsoo cries.

x-x day forty-four of outbreak x-x

It's dawn.

Kyungsoo has Chanyeol pressed up against his chest. His body has lost all warmth, and the blood from his neck has finally stopped flowing.

He's tired.

The groans and hammering from outside is growing louder than ever. It's only a matter of time before they break in. Kyungsoo laughs. Motherfuckers don't know when to quit. He holds Chanyeol tighter, and readies his weapon.

The warehouse doors burst open.

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