Sanctuary | Chanbaek (2)

Fourteen

The rest of Chanyeol and Baekhyun's time spent living with DJ went surprisingly smoothly, minus Baekhyun getting beat up by Minho and Kibum a few times. Baekhyun hated his graduation, he was lost in the crowd. Chanyeol was salutatorian, so obviously his graduation was a little more exciting. He had plans to go to college, his plans were put aside when he found out that DJ was sick with lung cancer. This was the first time Baekhyun had seen Chanyeol cry.

"He will be okay, Chanyeol," Baekhyun rubbed Chanyeol's back to comfort him. Baekhyun wasn't used to being the strong one, but he had accepted that DJ was closer to Chanyeol than himself.

"I feel like this is all my fault. Why did he have to get sick right after we moved out?" Chanyeol leaned his head on Baekhyun's thigh.

"It's not your fault. Things like this happen, you know? It was just bad timing."

"He can't die. He's only in his forties," Chanyeol hid his face, "I'm sorry for crying so much."

"It's okay for you to cry."

"It is? I don't like crying, I want to be strong for you."

"It's okay, you can only be strong for so long. Cry as much as you want."

"Thank you, Baekhyun," Chanyeol found Baekhyun's hand and squeezed it, "Can we go visit him?"

"If that's what you want," Chanyeol wouldn't let go of Baekhyun the entire way to the hospital. Or the entire time they were in the hospital, Chanyeol did it for himself and because he knew being in hospitals triggered Baekhyun's PTSD.

"DJ, how do you feel?"

"I feel like shit, but I'm a little better now that you two are here."

"Doctor, he can survive with one lung, can't he? I am right now. He can too, right?"

"It's both lungs, Baek."

"It's just not fair," Chanyeol muttered.

"I know it isn't, Chanyeol," DJ sighed, although it pained him to do so, "I always knew smoking would come back to bite me in the ass."

"You smoked?" Baekhyun asked.

"Just never around you two, especially not you, Baekhyun."

"Thanks for that, I guess," Baekhyun kept his swollen eyes on his shoes.

"Dad, you weren't supposed to die yet. I wanted you to be there when I graduated college or when Baekhyun and I got married. Or when we adopted a baby boy. Or two, dad, I wanted to name them Donghae and Jinwa."

"I'm sorry," DJ was crying now too, "Maybe I won't die, Chanyeol. Maybe there will be a miracle, just like our Baekhyun."

"I love you, DJ," Baekhyun sniffled, "Thank you for always putting up with my bullshit."

"I wouldn't have put up with it if I didn't love you too, Baekhyun."

"I'm sorry for being terrible and running away and keeping you up all night."

"I forgive you."

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble too, dad. I'm sorry for not being the easiest to take care of, but thank you for putting up with it anyway."

"Of course. I forgive you. I love you, Chanyeol."

"I love you too, dad."

With each cough that came from DJ, the boy's hearts broke more and more, "Chanyeol, I want you to have DJ's. I want Baekhyun to have the house."

"Stop saying that kind of stuff," Chanyeol sighed.

"I mean it. I feel like it could be any second now."