Sound of Winter || Taegyu

Chapter Forty Five

Today should have been like any other day. He should've woken up next to Beomgyu, rolled over and placed a gentle kiss on the side of his head. He should've gotten out of bed to make himself a cup of coffee, offering one to Beomgyu as well even though he knows the offer will be declined, and in replace, he'd make him a tea – chamomile or black, whichever he's in the mood for. He should've been up earlier, even by an hour, just long enough to have stopped Beomgyu from going on a walk.

Or maybe he should've just been honest, instead of caring about Kai's – or anyone else's feelings. But he didn't, and now he'll forever regret it.

He regrets his decisions even more when Beomgyu lies almost motionless on the floor, his eyes closed, chest barely moving. Taehyun's heart races as he shakes Beomgyu's shoulder again, harder this time, making sure to keep his other hand pressed against the open wound. The blood is a deep, rich red, almost black in color, and warm and sticky like honey, clinging to his skin like a bad omen.

"Come on, Beoms. You've got this, just stay with me," tears start to fall freely down his chest as he looks up at Soobin, eyes pleading with him to just do something to make all of this stop. His free hand comes up to push the hair away from Beomgyu's face, letting out a shaky breath when he realizes how cold Beomgyu is. "Baby, please wake up," he begs, trying to shake him once more.

Beomgyu doesn't move in the slightest, and Taehyun lets out a blood curdling scream, wrapping his arms around Beomgyu and pulling him to his chest.

The room around him disappears, only the both of them existing. His tears soak into Beomgyu's shirt, hands shaking as he holds onto him tightly. "Don't leave me, Gyu," he cries into the soaked fabric harder. "I'll be a better boyfriend, I promise. I'll marry you – anything that you want, just please don't leave me." He pulls back enough just to see Beomgyu's eyes still closed.

There's a pair of hands on him, grabbing him from behind and pulling him back. "Let go of me!" Taehyun screams, thrashing around in their hold, desperately trying to grab Beomgyu again. He can't leave Beomgyu by himself, not right now, especially when Beomgyu needs him most.

"You don't need to be in here for this," Soobin says sternly, holding him back. That's when Taehyun finally notices the paramedics in the room, now crowding around Beomgyu like he's some science fair project.

"Soobin, stop!" Taehyun screams, trying to pry Soobin's hands off of him as he's being dragged out of the room, Beomgyu no longer in his sight. "I'm going to fucking kill you, let me go!"

Once they reach Kai's room, Soobin gently guides him to the bed, still holding onto him tightly. Taehyun buries his face in Soobin's shoulder, whole body shaking with each ragged breath that he takes. Soobin rocks them back and forth, trying to comfort him.

"It's going to be okay," Soobin says softly, wrapping his arms around Taehyun tightly. "They're going to help him and he'll be right back to how he was before."

And maybe Soobin really believes that, but Taehyun doesn't, not in the slightest. He's spent the past several months working hard with Beomgyu to get him to where he is now, only for Seiji to ruin it again within a matter of hours.

"If Beomgyu dies, kill me," Taehyun forces out, struggling to breathe between words. "He's the only thing I have left. If he doesn't make it, I don't want to live anymore."

"Taehyun," Soobin scolds. "Don't talk like that."

"I don't want to live in a world without him," his voice trembles, more tears rolling down his soaked cheeks. "If you don't do it, I'll do it myself."

He means it. If Beomgyu doesn't make it, he doesn't want to live anymore. He can't wake up every day knowing he'll never be able to see Beomgyu again – even the thought is too much.