NEXT THING HE KNEW HE WAS RUNNING.

"I don't know what that means," Namjoon said, "but bring it on."

Thanatos nodded. "Very well."

The god reached over and laid a cold finger on his forehead. A strong wave of drowsiness overcame him and he couldn't help it when his knees buckled. Everything went black for what seemed like a few seconds before Namjoon was able to reopen his eyes and found himself laying on dry, cracked ground.

He struggled to breathe in the suffocating hot air as he noticed the sky, gloomy and gray, and very unwelcoming. He scanned his surroundings. The atmosphere was eerie and quiet, the area filled with nothing but dead trees and crippled leaves. He sat up and noticed a small worn out house not too far in front of him. There was no front door, but there was Jin standing at the threshold.

"Namjoon," he said simply, reaching out his hand.

Somehow in the back of his mind Namjoon knew that that Jin was the one that was going to take him home—that if he got to him in time he could take him back to his old life.

Namjoon carefully stood up and approached him. When Jin was within reach Namjoon took his hand and felt himself tense as a flash happened before his eyes.

A distorted, blurry visual of Jin holding Namjoon's lifeless hand back at the hospital was shown, as if he was watching from a third person point of view. Jin sobbed as he continued to say, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Forgive me. Please come back to me."

Namjoon then jumped back, letting go of Jin's (the one in his mind) hand. A light behind the elder appeared, and Namjoon immediately realized that it was home. All he had to do was walk into the house.

If only it had been that simple.

Before anything else could happen Namjoon felt a hard, painful press on his chest and the next thing he knew he was flying off the porch and harshly landed back on the ground. He took a second to let the pain in his shoulder and heart die down, but he wasn't given much time before he heard a CRACK! and turned to see that the house was beginning to detach from the ground, as if a thousand balloons were carrying it up. Jin frantically looked around as it began to hover, taking chunks of rock with it.

"Jin!" Namjoon yelled, stumbling to get back on his feet.

Once he did he was sprinting, but as if the house had a mind of its own it started to move away from him.

Jin tried reaching out his hand again as he cried, "Namjoon!"

The house was getting too high and Namjoon wasn't sure if he was going to make it in time. Thankfully, Jin threw down a water hose before he ran inside of the house. Namjoon jumped as far as he could, barely catching the hose. He began to haul himself up, but the shaking of the house sent him back at the end of the length of it. He tried again, mustering up what little strength he had left of his tired arms and, though the house did not shake, he spotted something off to the left side of the house, the side he was currently hanging off of, that looked almost like a wall getting dangerously close. He moved just in time to miss a building passing by that he would've smacked into had he not spotted it ahead.

Where did of all these buildings come from? he asked himself as he realized there were more than one surrounding him.

His heart raced as he looked back, moving farther away from the building. Looking behind was a mistake, because once Namjoon faced forward he felt the air leave his body as a harsh impact of another tall abandoned building's vertex crashed into his stomach.

He yelled in pain, black spots dancing in his vision, struggling to hold on as his knees scraped on it as well.

Pain was all he could think of. Nothing except pain.

I can't hold on any longer, he told himself. He shook his head, thinking of Jin and Min and his friends. No, I have to. I have to, dammit!

Even with no strength his will power kept him going as he climbed up the hose, ignoring the excruciating pain in his abdomen and legs.

Miraculously, he reached the steps of the porch and hauled himself up until he was finally able to collapse on the dusty floor. He closed his eyes and only then did the pain in his lower area feel ten times more gruesome than he imagined.

"Fuck!" he cursed.

"Namjoon!" came a cry from inside of the house.

He sat up with much effort, trying to shake the nausea that started at the pit of his stomach and made its way up to his throat.

A piece of the weak wooden fence that was attached to the porch tore off and flew off somewhere below. More pieces of the the front wall followed it as well. Then more from the roof. Namjoon watched as more and more and bigger parts of the house tore off.

The house, he thought. It's coming apart!

"JIN!" He quickly rose to his feet and limped his way inside of the house, disappointed he couldn't see the white light anymore.

"Namjoon! Over here!"

He sprinted into the kitchen and witnessed Jin being held back by two unidentifiable creatures.

They were deformed, terrifying, hideous looking aliens. Their razor sharp teeth looked as if they could cut the strongest of metals, tongues like a snake, slimy gray skin, and no nose or eyes. They stood on two legs, but that was the closest resemblance they had to humans.

One lunged at him so fast Namjoon had no time to react. The creature had its cold, slimy claws wrapped around his neck before he could blink, letting an ear-piercing, inhuman screech erupt from its throat. Namjoon gagged as it lifted him off of his feet. He needed to think fast, but his vision was red.

Focus. Focus.

Struck with an idea, he folded his legs to his stomach and then kicked out his feet, causing the creature's head to go flying off. Immediately he was released and dropped to the ground.

Half of the kitchen tore off, leaving Jin and the creature at the edge of falling out of the sky. Jin wobbled, trying to keep his balance, but the creature wasn't helping with its extra weight.

"Hyung!" Namjoon got to his feet and ran to him, but he was too late.

Jin had lost his balance and tipped over the edge with the creature.

"NO!" Namjoon felt more dizzy and exhausted the farther Jin got from him. He knew that if he let him get away he would die.

I'm as good as dead either way, he thought.

He jumped after him.

He saw the elder reaching out his hand to him, even though they were too far to touch. Luckily there was no sign of the other creature.

You can do it, he heard Jin's voice in his mind say. Come back to me. Please.

Namjoon had come this far. He couldn't give up. He wanted to go home. So, he, too, reached, concentrating hard, wishing for Jin, yearning for him, to be next to him.

I accept you, he said in his head. I promise I won't let you go. I want you to be a part of my life. I want to have a future with you in it. I want you to be my friend.

The more he spoke these words in his head the more he grew closer to Jin, until their finger tips were barely touching.

"Come on, hyung!" Namjoon reached out two arms this time. "Come on! You can do it! Come to me!"

Jin stretched out two arms to him, as well, eyes glossy with tears. "Joonie!"

They finally were able to hold hands.

Namjoon smiled with true, genuine joy. "Yes! There you go! Yes! That's it! Come here!"

He grabbed a hold of his elbows and then found himself breathing in relief when he was able to wrap his arms around Jins' waist. He twisted their positions so that Jin was resting on top of him. If they were going to fall he wanted to soften the landing for him.

He closed his eyes, feeling no more pain, no more anxiety, no more fear. He smiled as they fell, content that he would die at peace with himself. Maybe that was home. Maybe home was where he could finally accept himself.

Even if this wasn't the real Jin he was holding, he still said, hoping the message would somehow pass on, "Take care of yourself and my sister for me, please."

A few seconds later he couldn't hear the whistling of the wind anymore.

His eyes were closed, but he could still feel a hand in his, wrapped around his fingers rather tightly. He squeezed back, not caring who it was; he was just glad he could feel something.

A gasp came after that.

He forced his eyes to open, but it took a moment with the bright light of the room he was in. It was blurry at first, but he could gradually make out a mattress with his body in it, a white room, and a person sitting at the side of the mattress.

It was dead silent for a few moments.

Then. . .

"O-Oppa?"

Namjoons' eyes landed on the person sitting next to him, and though he could not completely make out every detail on her face, he knew who it was.

And he smiled. "Min."

"Oh my God." Min stood up abruptly, releasing their hands. "Oh my God! Oppa! It's you! It's really you! You're alive!" He laughed when she tackled him in a hug and began to sob. "H-How dare you? Leaving m-me a-all alone?"

"I would never leave you alone, Min," he said after he took off his oxygen mask.

That only made her sob harder. "I-I'm so s-sorry f-for wh-what I said be-before you l-left! I take it b-back! I t-take it all back! I-I don't hate you! You're my b-brother! You're the o-only family I ha-have left!" She began to hiccup.

Namjoon caressed the back of her head as he held her, strangely knowing that this was not in his head anymore. He was back home, in the real world. "Shh. I forgive you. You're the only family I have left, too."

They stayed in each others' embrace for a long time, both afraid that if they let go the other would disappear.

Later, a click of a door and another gasp was heard. They both turned around to see Jungkook with wide eyes, frozen as ice as he stood in the threshold. All three stared at each other, wondering who would break the silence.

Namjoon finally cleared his throat. "Hey."

It started out as a twitch on the corner of his lips, but in no time Jungkook was full on smiling. He ran out the door and into the hallway.

Even when he disappeared Min still stared at the door and sniffed. "He's going to tell everyone. I know it."

Namjoon nodded. "Where is everyone? How long have I been asleep? Where's Jin?"

"It's understandable you have a lot of questions, oppa," Min said, looking up at him. "We'll explain when everyone gets here."

Namjoon agreed to wait patiently, but as time went on he grew anxious. He wanted to see Jin. He wanted to make things right between them. It felt like years since they'd seen each other. Who knows? It could have been, but Min didn't look much different than when he left her in the apartment and neither did Jungkook. Namjoon certainly didn't feel any older, either. He was just tired.

After what felt like an eternity, Taehyung busted through the door and jumped with joy the first moment he laid eyes on Namjoon. He rush over and pulled him into a hug. Min had already released him so he didn't have to bear the weight of two people.

"Careful, oppa," she said.

"HYUNG!" Jimin and Jungkook ran over and joined in.

Nevermind. Make that three people he had to bear the weight of.

He heard Hoseoks' squeals of excitement somewhere behind them.

Make that four.

"Goodness gracious, you guys," he grunted.

"Namjoon?"

Everyone froze at the familiar voice, including Namjoon himself.

His heart stopped for a moment, blood rushing through his veins. Through all the piles of bodies he couldn't see him, but he didn't have to.

Gradually the guys moved away, allowing Namjoon to finally come face-to-face with the man who helped him fight for his life—the reason he was still alive.

Jin stood a good distance away, hair back to light brown, Yoongi along side him. He was as beautiful as ever, even with his bloodshot eyes and bags that hung from his bottom eye lids. His porcelain skin remained flawless and his lips were still just as plumped, but the brightness in his irises had disappeared.

Yoongi cleared his throat. "I think that's our cue, guys. Let's leave these two alone."

The boys and Min nodded and reluctantly exited the room in a rather gloomy way.

Before Yoongi could do the same he said, "Namjoon. . ."

Namjoon took a moment to look at him.

Yoongi's expression softened. "I'm glad you're back." Then he was out of the room as well. . .

. . . And it was only the two of them.

Namjoon looked back at Jin, who had not said a word other than uttering his name. Both only had a staring contest, and Namjoon grew frustrated. He had fought his way to get back here and yet now that he was in front of the person he liked (yes, he admitted it), his mind was blank.

"I. . .," Jin began, but had to take a moment to swallow, eyes misted over. "I was beginning to lose hope. I was afraid. . . I was afraid that you weren't going. . ."

Namjoon steadily sat up, wincing at the sharp pain in his ribs. He looked at the needle injected in him and then at the pulse oximeter pressing down on his index finger with its mouth. He knew it was stupid and irrational, but he didn't care at the moment. He took out the needle and the oximeter and scooted to the edge of the bed.

"What are you doing?" Jin asked. "Namjoon, you need those."

Namjoon pressed the soles of his bare feet against the cold tile, almost smiling to himself. He was back home. He closed his eyes and tilted his head up.

"Namjoon. . ."

"What happened to Joonie?"

He opened his eyes again and looked at Jin, who only remained speechless. This was certainly not how he planned their reunion to go.

He sighed and stood up. He felt like a toddler learning how to walk as he made his way over to Jin, his legs feeling like led. A few steps more and he would've made it, however his ankle gave out on him and he nearly hit the floor when Jin caught him in his arms and softened his landing as he went down with him.

"You must rest. Please."

"Teach me how to love," the dongsaeng blurted.

He felt the older tense his muscles.

"Joonie. . ."

Namjoon met his face, the proximity between them dangerous, as he gripped his forearms. "Hyung, I don't want to leave you."

Jin furrowed his eyebrows, taking Namjoons' face in his hands. A tear ran down his cheek. "Oh, Joonie. . . I was never going to let you leave me in the first place."

A chuckle came from the younger's throat. "No. Of course you weren't, you stubborn mule."

Full of ecstasy, he straddled Jin's waist and cupped his neck before he leaned in and kissed him, full on doing so willingly. Not because of tempation or lust. It was simply because he wanted to. He ignored the pain when Jin gripped sore parts of his body. It was nothing compared to the amount of security and comfort he felt in his arms. He could taste Jin's salty tears on his tongue and judging by the quick inhales he took Namjoon could tell he was trying with much difficulty not to sob his eyes out.

Namjoon pulled away and wiped his hyungs' tears with his thumbs. "How do you manage to look so handsome even when you look like a mess?"

Jin delicately held his wrist and placed a chaste kiss on the heel of his hand. "You died. . ." The sob he tried so hard to choke back ripped from his throat. "You died s-so many t-times, N-Namjoon. A-And e-each ti-time you c-came ba-back, but I wasn't s-sure when you wo-would stop be-being so l-lucky."

Namjoon couldn't take it. He pulled him to his chest and held him, just as he did with Min. Jin wrapped his arms around him and sobbed into his neck.

"N-No m-more le-leaving me, okay?" Jin managed.

Namjoon nodded, silently thanking any deity that existed somewhere. "Okay."