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sungyoon was panicking.
the dust storm had picked up with sudden ferocity, and while you two were climbing over debris, he had lost his grip on your hand.
sungyoon wasn't usually the type to lose his cool in stressful situations; he had cemented himself as the calm and collected member of your group. this had made him the designated scout, which, in hindsight, had gotten the both of you in this mess in the first place.
because you’d pleaded to go with him. you’d clung to his sleeve, begging for a chance to escape the tiny shelter and see the outside, even just for a moment. the only time you ever spoke to him was when you wanted to get out.
sungyoon knew with a certain dread that this was a bad idea even as he agreed, unable to say no to you.
and now here he was, tucked behind a ruined car to avoid the dust, stupidly hoping that you were still nearby when it would have been wiser to just give up. all because he’d let himself care about you more than he should.
and for what in return?
an array of creatures often followed the storms ― swarms of insects, irradiated rodents, and the like.
with the winds dying down and you still nowhere in sight, he regretted it all too late. he called out to you as loudly as he dared, but only a deafening silence responded.
sungyoon surveyed the area as the dust settled: run-down cars, abandoned shopping carts, and several corpses littered the street. two corner stores were on either side of him. the bodies were fresh; his desire to find you grew more urgent.
he searched the area profusely, not even looting the cars like he usually would. you were the only thing on his mind.
he briefly stopped to check the bodies, wanting to know the cause of their death. he had to know what he was up against. upon inspection, it appeared to be dogs ― rabid, irradiated ones.
his analysis was cut short by your screaming.
sungyoon bolted to the corner store the sound had originated from, drawing his chef's knife from its makeshift sheath.
you had jumped onto the counter, dogs nipping at your heels from both sides. you kicked at them, keeping them at bay but only just.
"hey!" he called out. the dogs' attention snapped to him.
he was thankful the aisles were narrow ― they were tunnelled into him one at a time. their weak spot was their underside, and sungyoon took full advantage of that as they jumped at him.
when nothing remained but blood on his blade and bodies on the floor, he turned his attention back to you.
you wouldn't look at him.
he stepped over the dogs, intending to help you off the counter. you shook your head at his offer of assistance and got down on your own. sungyoon frowned in disappointment but otherwise made no outward comment about it. as much as he cared about you, he wasn't going to make a scene about your distance when he had to stay alert.
"let's get going then?" he asked, letting his voice stay monotonous.
you nodded, following him outside.
the sky had darkened, grey and overcast ― another storm threatening to fall upon you. sungyoon prayed for just rain, normal rain. acid storms were far too common.
the two of you weren't far from where the group stayed, but the walk felt endless. you were usually chatty, asking sungyoon questions about the area and the new flora and fauna that came to be. the geography interested you more than he did.
today, you didn't say a word as you walked back.
***
sungyoon noticed something was wrong when you reached the street your shelter was on. a faint smell of smoke lingered in the air, and the road was eerily quiet. he reached out to take your hand, flinching when you recoiled.
"we aren't safe," he mumbled weakly.
your expression softened, and you extended your hand.
he took it, interlacing your fingers as you approached the building. "be ready to run," he said, keeping his voice low.
your grip tightened.
he pushed the door open slowly, the sunlight leaking in. basked in the rays was a pile of bodies: your friends, family, new survivors. raiders had overtaken the shelter. sungyoon’s legs threatened to give out from shock, but with inhuman strength refined by daily horrors, he pulled himself together. he had an inkling they were still around, watching and waiting to pick them off.
the end of the world had brought about the end of humanity, too.
your nails dug into the back of sungyoon’s hand, a sob escaping your lips. “sungyoon-”
“we have to go. it’s not safe,” sungyoon mumbled, pulling you close to him. he didn’t wait for an answer to start dragging you away from the building.
you were no more than six steps from the doorway when a gunshot rang through the air. the bullet missed both of you, instead hitting a mailbox to your right. sungyoon took off in an immediate sprint, his grip tight on your hand as you serpentined through the rubble in the street. several more bullets flew past you ― sungyoon wondered bitterly how they had so many to spare, to waste ― but nobody put up a real chase. they stopped once you’d turned onto a new street. sungyoon assumed they just wanted the shelter to themselves.
once he was confident that the two of you were safe, sungyoon slowed to a walk, eventually stopping when you wouldn’t move any farther. tears lined your face, and your body shook as you tried to control the sobs that threatened to pour out.
sungyoon’s heart broke. he promised to protect you but failed to protect the people you cared about. you didn’t protest when he pulled you towards him, wrapping his arms around you.
“i’m sorry,” he whispered, his face buried in the crook of your neck.
you shook your head, telling him that he hadn’t done anything wrong, that it wasn’t his fault. he didn’t believe you.
“i’ll be better,” he promised.
“you’re already the best you can be. you couldn’t have known.” your voice shook like buildings in the distance, ground unstable below them.
he nodded slowly, acknowledging your words but not taking them to heart. “let’s get somewhere safe for the night.
you nodded, pulling away from his embrace and wiped your eyes dry. “sungyoon?”
“hmm?”
“thank you. for protecting me.”
“i always will.”