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the fluids of life that once ran hot through his veins now stained his shirt, thinned out and freezing as it permeated the white linen surrounding the torn cloth spotted across his chest. each inch of drenched fabric clung to him in persuasive, reviving harmony, pouring a gallon of sympathy down his shoulders and chest.
"goodbye, dongho."
there was also the one that kneeled before him. a blade of ice met his chin, pressing red into the pale, shivering skin.
"i'm not going to die, right?"
daehyun takes a knee to meet the man at eye level. "no. not today," a pitiful smile contorts his countenance. "you feel cold, but you're not. just sleep for a little, hyung. i'll wake you up for breakfast tomorrow."
"i don't want to die, dae."
"you're not going to die."
"are you sure?" dark eyes lost to fog meet his own. "if i sleep, i—i'm bleeding, dae."
"i know. i'll heal you, hyung. go to sleep. i'll wake you up for breakfast. i'm making pancakes."
"pancakes?" dongho laughs, wet and silent. "i don't like pancakes. make...make them for minsoo and jaewon."
minsoo and jaewon. the memory stings as much as it soothes. daehyun continues, nonetheless. "i will. something else for you then, if you go to sleep. promise me, hyung? it's okay now."
"sleep?" a cracked voice whispers, flinching away from the foreign warmth that grasped his outstretched forearm. "okay...i'll sleep now. i'll see you tomorrow, dae."
daehyun lays the arm down, swallowing his words and commanding away whatever remained of the scraps of his memory. "yeah. rest well, hyung. i'll see you in the morning."