Work Text:
‘Happy birthday, Kai-ah’
Hueningkai almost broke into a smile. Almost . Because not a second later, the monitor beside him let out a long beep.
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Hueningkai abruptly opened his eyes. Looking around the dark room, his heart racing like it wanted to leap out his chest. He was shaking like a leaf, trembling with intense fear. Tears streaked down his face he had no control of. He was scared, no, terrified. It made him want to throw up, even slightly moving his head made him nauseous.
It feels real. It feels way too real. He thought.
Ignoring the pounding in head, he threw his blanket away. He felt his body was heating up but he chose to ignore it too. Not now. He needed to check on something. With wobbly legs, he trudged to the door but not before checking on his same aged-friend on the other side of the room, and sighed in relief when he saw the said man was sleeping peacefully on his bed.
He walked to the front door and unlocked it. With the mess in his head, he walked unsteadily, barefooted on the dusty floor to the other end of the hallway that led to the other dorm. He set his sights for it, he needed to make sure so that he could calm his racing heart and mind.
As he approached the front door of the dorm where his other two brothers lived, he immediately punched the passcode. But it refused to let him in. The tears blurred his sight. Why is it not working? He tried to punch the pin again frustratedly. His hand was shaky. He knew he knew the code. They had shared the passcode among them so that anyone could come anywhen. So why is it not working? The long error beeping sound made him more annoyed. He almost smashed the lock barehand with all the energy he had but after a few more attempts, the door opened and he immediately rushed in.
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Beomgyu slept peacefully on his bed. After long hours at the company, his energy depleted drastically and all he wanted as soon as he reached the dorm was his bed. And that he had.
With his tired being, he did not hear someone bursting his door harshedly. He certainly was not aware someone was approaching his bed and diving under his blanket next to him. Only when a hand sneaked around his waist, he jolted awake and shrieked, pushing and kicking the intruders away before turning his bed side lamp on.
His heart beat fast, he was tense looking at the lump on his bed, ready to fight if it was needed but all he heard was deep heavy sob. His eyes softened looking at familiar blonde hair peeking from under his blanket.
“Kai?” He called.
And sure, there he was. The youngest had made himself sit sluggishly on the bed, face flushed red with tears strimming down his face. Beomgyu felt bad all of the sudden when looking at the kid.
“Aigoo. I’m so sorry, Kai-ya. I didn’t know it was you. Did I hurt you? I’m sorry.” He cooed. “Don’t cry.” He leaned closer, cupped the youngest face in his hands, trying to wipe away the tears but all attempts were fruitless.
“N-no go. H-hyung, c-can’t go.” He muttered under his shaky breath.
“What?” Beomgyu strained his ears to comprehend all the stutters.
“Hyung can’t go. Hyung can’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me. Promise me don’t leave me.” He sobbed. He tried to take a deep breath but failed, feeling his chest tighten as if he had no air to breath. He felt he had lost all his composure and trembled when he remembered back what he experienced earlier.
Looking at the youngest crumbled being, Beomgyu at once pulled him into a hug. His hands rubbed comfort circles on his back and he felt the youngest tighten his hands around his waist, so tight, as if he was terrified that Beomgyu would be gone once he let go.
They stayed like that for some time, only hush words comforting the younger and rambling words of hospital, sick, bed from the younger followed by slurred, gibberish which Beomgyu was unable to comprehend. But none mattered at this moment.
As the sob turned to sniffle and his shaking had calmed, Beomgyu felt soft breaths on his neck. The youngest had fallen asleep with his body slackened against him.
Beomgyu laid down both of them onto his bed, carefully not to awake the sleeping youngest. He whimpered and trashed slightly in his sleep when Beomgyu tried to pull away from him, but relaxed again when he felt the hand was hugging him back after they laid down.
Beomgyu sighed in relief after they had settled in. Kai was sleeping in his arms, face smushing on his chest. Truth to be told, he was on the verge of panicking himself with the youngest’s sudden breakdown. Their always so calm Hueningkai. Brushing his hair away from his face, he could see his pale face, tears still brimming on his eyes and he was warmer than usual. Kai might have caught a cold. And to combine it with the possible nightmare that he had, Beomgyu could genuinely understand the breakdown.
“Hyung will not go anywhere.” He whispered.
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