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Why Jisung was sitting in a cafe, perched beside a darkened window with the angry fists of rain bashing against it, and opposite a man he didn't even know....he wasn't sure. It just sort of 'happened'. The steaming latte in front of him, wrapped with his fingers as the tendrils of condensed air swirled towards his cheeks to subtly tickle them, distracted his nervous form.

The ginger boy in front of him, however, seemed completely lax and unbothered, stirring his black coffee with a little wooden swizzle stick and wearing a blank expression that could've meant anything.

"So...." the younger traced his tongue over his lower lip to disguise how much his anxiety had peaked, "I'm assuming you want more from me than a chat...." Chenle, as Jisung had learned his name, had the air about him of a stone-cold killer, regardless of whether he was one or not. Nonetheless, the taller remained suspicious and sceptical when living in an area notorious for crimes.

"Where's Donghyuck?"

Damn it, he's asking me that again, the blonde gritted his teeth. In complete honesty, Jisung hadn't a real clue where his friend was, only that he 'left to go home' as far as he was concerned. Another factor preventing him from spilling the beans was that he didn't trust this person. Would any friend in there right mind, no, any decent human give up information on a person they cared about to some random dude?

Jisung hoped not.

"He went home," the young adult decided to stick with, taking his drink in his hands to sip from it. Did he appear any more intimidating than he actually was? No. No he didn't.

"I've heard this somewhere before," Chenle raised his hand as though he was asking for silence, looking around sarcastically. "Ah yes, it was a broken record I once discarded. Do you know why I got rid of it?"

I don't like this guy....

The Chinese male's expression darkened as he tilted his head down a bit to look up at Jisung through his lashes, "Because it was useless, Blondie. It played the same thing over and over like an annoying part of a tedious story. So, if you've caught my drift, I'd like you to answer again. Do you actually know where Lee Donghyuck is?"

Jisung stifled a groan, having many metaphors regarding how the assassin was as much like a broken record as he was with this same bloody question to throw at him....but he refrained. He was wiser than that. "Honestly, I think he went home. But I have no idea where that is, so I'm terribly sorry for wasting your time, Mister."

"I see," Chenle muttered defeatedly while sitting back and downing the whole cup of boiling hot coffee without a flinch. There was no way it didn't burn him, leaving the younger severely uncomfortable and fearing for his life. "Then I have another question. Do you spend time with him after work hours? Or at the weekends?"

"Look, you're awfully pushy for a man with a disadvantage. I'm the one with my thoughts, and I can choose to decline answering, but you? You're here solo and demanding shit from me that I would prefer to keep to himself. If you're so curious about Hyuck, find him and ask him."

The shorter growled, managing to grab Jisung's wrist faster than light and grip it tightly. Too tightly. "Listen here! I'm at no disadvantage, and if you won't take my peaceful approach, then I won't hesitate to rip out your vocal cords and construct a violin to play them on, got it?"

His deathly intense hold on the younger's wrist only clamped harder with his rage. The veins and joints could be felt grinding beneath his touch. "O-Ow!"

"Do you spend time together?!"

The barista at the counter shifted in her place uncomfortably, looking as though she wanted to intervene, though unable to handle violent confrontations. She was alone. Alone with two boys, one of which being an apparent psycho.

"W-We don't...." Jisung begged, leaning over the table to pull at the older's fingers locked around his limb. "C'mon, please..."

Chenle leaned forward as well, bringing his free hand up to cup Jisung's cheek and forcefully part his lips, shoving his thumb in to put him in a compromising position where the orange-haired boy pressed against his tongue, almost choking him. "Talk for me, Blondie."

•

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•

I'm seeing things....I must be, Renjun thought as the picture between his fingers slid away to flutter down upon the mattress again. His feet, without much thought, stepped backwards as he in-took the image with more focus.

"I thought you might like to see that," the other smiled softly, reaching down beside him to take the picture again, "I've been keeping it safe."

".......Am I asleep right now?"

"I don't know. Are you?"

Renjun covered his mouth with his hands, stifling a whimper as he moved forward again to touch the male's face. It was so cold. Inhumanly cold. "M-Markie....?"

"Hey Baby."

The younger's stomach flipped uncomfortably at the nickname he hadn't heard in forever. There was no way this was real, was there? He saw Mark Lee's body that night. So what was this? A lucid dream? An illusion? "Wh-What? How?" Renjun choked out, continuing to feel the ravenette's cheeks, running his fingers over the skin and hardly noticing his own tears flood from his eyes. "Markie, how?"

The ex-leader held his own hands up to take the other's in his. His lips kissed the soft knuckles that were shaking along with the rest of the limb. Trembling. "Oh Renjun, you're a mess, aren't you?"

The Chinese male froze up, staring at the man and finding his vision to blur in a way, perhaps from stress. His heart was racing, and everything inside him wanted to cuddle up to this person, whom he hadn't seen in three years, and sob. "Huh?"

"My baby is going crazy," Mark whispered against his hand, pulling the young adult in for a hug and kissing along his ear. "Aren't you terrified?"

I forgot how strong he was....Renjun thought as he too wrapped his arms around the older's back. The black jacket the leader had always worn smelled of leather, a familiar and soothing scent to both Renjun and Jaemin. "I'm not crazy, Mark."

"Oh, but you are. You've always been different, haven't you? Jaemin drove you up the walls with anger, but he always managed to keep you grounded. Without us," he pulled back slightly to press their foreheads together, "You're losing your mind."

"C'mon," the brunette swallowed harshly, eyes flickering to Mark's lips regardless of what cruel words were spilling from them. "Give me a break. You loved my craziness."

"Because I could control it. Look at you now. Mad."

"Stop..."

"You miss me so much, but you're not the one stuck in a crypt, Baby. It's so cold down there-"

"Stop it!"

"Where were you when he shot me?"

"Mark-"

"I died alone because you left me."

The wound on Renjun's shoulder started to burn intensely, searing with pain as he pulled away from his old boyfriend and ripped his sleeve down to see what the problem was. The bullet hole was still there, but now in the form of a fading scar. So close to the heart, yet missed due to poor aim. Damn, why is this happening? This thing hasn't ached in about two years!

"Does it hurt?" Mark muttered sadly, turning away with his back to the younger, rubbing his eyes. "I-I can't even remember what pain is like anymore."

"Mark...."

He glanced over his shoulder again with glassy eyes and his lip caught between his teeth. "I want you back."

"What-"

Dropping to his knees, Mark pulled Renjun in and hid his face against the other's stomach, hugging him desperately like it would be the last sensation he'd ever be granted. "You're racing against the clock, Love. The candle is melting lower and lower."

Renjun ran his hands through the black hair like he used to once, but there was no heat, only bitter cold. "What are you talking about? I'm confused-"

"Renjun?" A new voice entered, the bedroom door being thrown open and in walking none other than Jungwoo. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh?" The shorter shot his gaze back down to his waist to find that his love was gone. Vanished like a ghost in daylight. "W-Wait! No! No! Oh my god, Mark! Where did he go? Wh-Where is he?"

Jungwoo furrowed his brows as he looked around, appearing a little concerned. "Um.....he's down in the catacombs?"

"No, he's not. He was here just a second ago," Renjun started to spin around frantically, searching every corner of the space. There were no windows, no escapes, no nothing. How had Mark left?

"Damn it! Mark, where have you gone?"

The older popped his head back out to peer down the halls, panicking when he found he was alone to deal with another 'episode'. "Okay, Renjun. Let's go to the kitchen, yeah? We can get a drink, and maybe-"

"He was here! I swear I'm not going crazy! It isn't true! Look, he even gave me this picture, for fuck's sake!" The younger brandished the image around like the damn thing meant nothing to him, only the person who had gifted it. "I'm not mad."

Jungwoo stared at the piece of laminated paper that had Renjun and two unrecognisable characters snuggled up together. "A-Are they past members?"

"It's Mark and Nana! This was never seen since Mark died, okay?! So how the hell could it have ended up on my bloody pillow without me having dug up his body?!"

The red-haired adult nodded slowly while edging out of the room and cautiously closing the door over. "I'm just going to get Donghyuck, okay?"

"Wait! Jungwoo!" Renjun gasped, racing towards the wooden frame, though slamming against it a second too late as the outside lock clicked. "Fuck! Open the goddamn door, Jungwoo! If you respect your veins and arteries, I suggest you listen to me!"

The taller sighed on the other side, pressing his back to it and rubbing his face tiredly. He really did hate seeing the boy like this. It was utterly heartbreaking.

But Renjun was messed up, and had a few screws loose after getting shot three years ago. He didn't seem to know this though, and neither did Donghyuck. Taeil quietly requested that everyone keep it under wraps until the 'time was right', whatever that meant.

For now, listening to the melancholic screams of a lost boy pleading for his love to come back would have to stay. Mark was gone. Renjun would just have to accept that.

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Oh my god guys, I am so sorry that the updates for this have become so random and irregular. I never imagined I'd be so busy, and it's never happened before :(
I'm hoping that the longer chapters make the wait more worth it, and thank you all so much for the patience!

Love you all~
-lily