ZB1/ZeroBaseOne Oneshots

How it ends | Hanbin x Hao

Finding peace in this city was practically impossible. Even up here, away from the bright lights and bustling streets, tonight's heavy downpour provided a depressingly cliche backing track, that could only foreshadow what was to come. The rain ran clear for now, but that wouldn't be the case for much longer. You can't protect what's pure when someones determined to muddy the waters.

This rooftop was Hao's favourite place in the city. It's where he would go when the weight of the world came tumbling down all too hard. He'd sit on the edge, teasing at the idea of death, wondering how peaceful it would feel to fall through the air. He relished in those thoughts; sometimes they were the only thing stopping him from taking that leap. Having the choice on whether he left this rooftop alive or not, gave him the one thing he was most desperate for. It gave him control.

Tonight was different though, he didn't feel that usual point of solace staring down at the world below. The rooftop wasn't generous, it gave him nothing, he was completely and utterly out of control. His body was stiff, and his eyes were glazed over, cold as the rain pouring down on him. A ticking clock in his mind, sparking waves of doubt, that were almost as quick to be flushed away by proclaimed rationality. He focused on the countdown, not of what that lead to, he couldn't bare to think about how tonight would end.

He flinches at the creak of the door, not out of surprise, but as a way to jolt his body awake. He didn't even need to look, he knew who was there. The same person who first told him to sit on the ledge.

There was silence, and even through the rain, he could hear the heavy beating of his heart. No different to the rapid pacing of his own. Neither of them knew what to say, and he hadn't even worked up the courage to look at him yet. Despite, building himself up to be ready for this evening, he knew that one look could knock all of it down. 

"We both know why we're here." 

The minute his voice trickles into his ears, Hao's reminded of the painful truth. They were two sides of the same coin. 

"I'm sorry it had to turn out like this."

With a deep breath and a grit of the teeth, Hao finally turns to face him. He couldn't put it off any longer. He'd been through a lot of pain in his life, but nothing could have hurt as much as this. The person he loved staring back at him with eyes of desperation. His ideals practically sprawled across the stars, reciting how little he actually wanted this, but that didn't mean much. The world was against them, and they were nothing more than lifeless puppets playing into the palm of their masters. 

No words were spoken. Quite possibly his voice had been stolen alongside his hope, when he was forced to this rooftop tonight. They solely communicated with their eyes, and that's when Hao noticed the sudden change, a devastating utter of 'lets get this over with'. It cemented them in their reality, no one was prepared to challenge this. With their destiny set in stone, Hao took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He let his body sink through the darkness, finding that place in himself he had always ran away from. His eyes open to the very person he had always been running to, and before he let himself fade away, he made sure to relay a message that he would not let himself forget.

This doesn't mean I don't love you Hanbin.

Everything happened so fast after that. Hao moved without thinking, he threw punches that didn't land, took a kick to the stomach and fell to the wet floor. His mind was blank, he couldn't let himself think, but that was the very thing working against him. Catching his breath, he stared up at Hanbin, how could he hurt the person he loved? No, he cut off the thought, and quickly pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled towards Hanbin, throwing his arms around the mans waist in such an armature way. One knee to the face, and he's retreating back again, wiping away at the blood pouring from his busted lip, a strong taste of iron coating his tongue.