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He never stops waiting; hoping.
"I'll miss you too, Baekhyun - but it's just 16 days, I'll be back in no time - it'll be like I've never left."
He never stops waiting; hoping. Jongdae will return. He promised. Jongdae never breaks his promise, so Baekhyun waits. "When I'm back, let's go ice skating. You know - like in the dramas. It's romantic and fun!" - Jongdae once suggested before his departure, always wanting to go to an ice skating rink as a date. Baekhyun wants to go, too.
So he waits for him. Jongdae will return. They have a date together.
Closing his eyes, Baekhyun can almost vividly imagine their date; the two of them screaming, earning annoyed looks from the rest of the rink, and the two of them laughing at each other when one of them falls.
He snaps his eyes open, feeling bags forming under them. The clock shows 4:36 AM, the bedroom is quiet.
He never stops waiting; hoping. He wants to believe that today is day 16 and that Jongdae is arriving home, but day 16 was, maybe a month ago - he isn't exactly sure.
He feels like he's turning invisible day by day. In the pit of his stomach there's a constant string of pushing and pulling - it hurts a lot. His insides could be melting, but he doesn't think about it. He is too dizzy and nauseous to think of anything actually. His body is forcing him to close his eyes again and to potentially welcome sleep into his system.
"Wait for me, okay? Don't disappear."
-"Jongdae, that happens only in movies."
"Duh, I knew that. I was just joking."
Baekhyun opens his eyes again - not sleeping, he was just dreaming awake again. He thought he heard Jongdae's voice in the living room and he hazily gets out of bed just to go and check. Body tired - reminding him that he hasn't eaten for days. "Jongdae?" He calls out, the living room dark and cold. He looks down, disappointed, before returning back to the bedroom. Sorrow is eating him from the inside.
How bad he wants to see him - or just hear that he's alive at least. Soul is breaking apart - and he doesn't feel his heartbeat; heart barely even beating. He walks towards the bed that has never felt so cold and uncomfortable before, the bed that was always so warm and cozy. Jongdae's scent has faded away, too. Baekhyun's stomach twists and rolls, no, he isn't hungry - he just wants his boyfriend home.
He never stops waiting; hoping. Yet he feels like a walking corpse, his hair has lost its way, same clothes for days and he's gotten thinner.
''Flight 480, Otawa-Incheon, late 2 hours.''
''Flight 480, Otawa-Incheon, late 2 hours.''
''Flight 480, from Otawa to Incheon reported missing.''
Baekhyun is in the bed again, clutching his phone over his chest whilst crying hysterically - something he does every day for a month straight. His eyeballs are red, begging for sleep and his cheeks are paler than usual. Jongdae has to return, he promised. ''The number you are calling is not available right now, if you like to leave a voice message...'' His cold, slim hands try calling him over and over again. "Please, Jongdae. Please." - He whispers desperately.
"I'm not that into children, but I would have one with you, if I could." Jongdae once said, kissing him on the shoulder from behind. It made Baekhyun giggle as he turned around and claimed his lips before saying: "Well, obviously you can't."
-"Yeah. Actually - don't you think it's better this way?"
Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows slightly in confusion.
"I would have to share you with that child. This way, I can have you all to myself." His boyfriend said, Baekhyun rolls his eyes at this: "You are unbelievable." He replies.
-"And you are mine."
A buzz pulls him back to reality. His ears are painfully beeping and he feels heaviness over his entire body. He needs time to move his arm towards the phone. His body is aching and he uses all his strength to answer the incoming call. "Yes?" - He barely speaks.
"Sir, we have news about the plane crash. They have just arrived. The plane has been found beside the western coast of Canada. As researched, only four passengers are reported alive. Sadly, Kim Jongdae didn't make it. His body is yet to be found. I am truly, deeply sorry for your loss...Pardon me for a second, sir." Baekhyun has already shut his eyes tight, heartbeat increasing rapidly now, he hears it in his ears while his head spins painfully. "No, no, no, no." - He mutters.
Only now he stops waiting; hoping.
He gives up entirely. Looking up in the white ceiling, memories and memories mashing around his mind while his eyesight goes blurry and dark - phone sliding off his palm. And as his body is shutting itself down, he pictures Jongdae one last time - before he exhales his last clot of air and all pain comes to an end.
Beside his head, a faint voice is heard from his phone: "Sir, there's a storm in Canada right now, so some of the report was running late. But, I have it now. Jongdae is located alive with a couple of others. They were really lucky to have enough supplies to survive. Beautiful news, right? Sorry for the inconvenience and bringing sad news by accident earlier. We are taking them home. You will reunite with him and...are you there, sir? Sir? Hello?"