"YONGBOK!"

Changbin knew he was too far away. He knew he couldn't do anything. But he still charged forward, unable to do anything else.

Zombies charged at him from both sides but he knocked them away robotically. No one was getting between him and Felix.

Felix pushed back at the zombie who'd closed in on him, pushing its face away with his hands. But others followed its trail, starting to swarm.

Changbin threw his case ahead of him, knocking the second fleet of zombies to the floor, leaving him weaponless. But he didn't care. He needed to protect Felix.

He shouldn't have let him crawl away. He should've made him get on his back. He should've never left the bathroom.

They were safe there.

Finally he reached Felix, kicking back all of the zombies who approached. After he'd made a semblance of a gap, he yanked Felix up to his shoulders, grabbing his hands as he forced them around his neck. Supporting him with one hand on his back, Changbin yanked open the supply closet, dragging Felix inside and slamming the door.

He turned to hold the door with his front side, not wanting to crush Felix. The force against the door was worse than he'd expected, and he felt himself digging his heels into the ground just to keep them back.

"Bin...it's too late..."

Felix sank to the ground, letting go of Changbin's neck. Changbin turned, pressing his back into the door as he reached a hand forward to grab Felix. But Felix looked away, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's too late."

"I don't care."

"Bin, I don't want to hurt you!" Felix yelled, eyes pooling with tears.

Changbin felt his lips trembling.

"Maybe it's not too bad! Where did they get you? Maybe if we tie something around it we can cut it off before it-"

Felix pulled up his shirt, revealing the bloody bite mark just below his rib cage. The black veins already making their way up his chest.

Changbin shook his head.

"No, no, no, this isn't real. We're just imagining-it's not real-"

"I felt it, Bin. You need to leave, now. I don't want to hurt you..."

Felix sobbed into his hands, not able to look at Changbin's panicked eyes. How hard it was to see the pain in his expression. As if he was already dead.

"Yongbok. Come here."

Felix shook his head, staying tucked into his knees.

Changbin leaned forward, pulling Felix off the floor and into a tight embrace.

Felix tried to push away, squirming in his grasp.

"Changbin! Let me go! I'm already turning! What if I attack you!? Please! Don't make me do this!" Felix pleaded, screaming into Changbin's shirt.

But Changbin just held him tight, sobbing quietly as his back held the door closed.

Finally Felix gave up, crumpling into Changbin's safe embrace. Feeling the warmth of his soft body. If he just closed his eyes, he could pretend everything would be okay. Could pretend he would be okay.

"I'm not letting you go through this alone. I'll stay until the very end," Changbin whispered and he reached his hand up to Felix's hair, stroking it softly.

Felix nodded, his body shaking as his mind thought of what was coming.

"Bin...can you...I don't want to become one of those..."

"What? I'll do anything you want. Anything."

Felix took a shaky breath.

"Can you...kill me?"

Changbin's body ran cold and he immediately shook his head.

"No! No, no, I can't-Yongbok..." Changbin's voice cracked, more tears finding their way down his cheeks.

"Please...I don't want to...I'm so scared, Bin."

Changbin gasped for air, his chest tight as he sobbed. He shook his head, pulling Felix closer to him.

"I-I can't! I can't do it!"

He could feel Felix shivering in his arms and it hurt so fucking bad. But he couldn't possibly kill him. Not while he was still....

Yongbok.

His sunshine.

"Okay."

It was so quiet, Changbin almost didn't hear it.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered holding on to Felix as tightly as he could.

"It's okay."

"I'm sorry for everything," he whispered, finally pulling Felix back to a viewing distance.

"You never did anything wrong. You don't have to be sorry," Felix smiled through the stream of tears on his face.

"I'm sorry I wasn't watching. I shouldn't have let you leave that bathroom," he managed before bursting into tears, looking away from Felix's sad eyes.

"Bin, look at me. Look at me," Felix said with a soft smile, placing his hands on Changbin's cheeks and turning his face towards him.

Changbin tried his best to calm his tears but they kept flowing. His lips trembled as he locked eyes with Felix.

"I love you. I'll always love you. Okay?"

Changbin tried to turn away, his eyebrows drawing together as tears sprung from his eyes. But Felix held him steady.

"Hey, I'm not done. Okay? You need to hear this."

Changbin nodded, wiping his face.

"You deserve someone who will love you for the incredible person you are. Someone who sees how beautiful you are, inside and out. Find someone who appreciates you and takes care of you the way I never could, okay?"

Changbin shook his head violently.

"No! It's only you! It'll only ever be you!" he sobbed, but Felix shook his head.

"There's plenty of people out there who will treat you way better than I ever did. And you deserve love, Bin. You need to promise me that you'll move on, okay?"

Changbin couldn't even look at Felix through the flood of tears coating his face.

"No! No! You're the only one! Stop it!"

"Bin, promise me. Promise me you'll let yourself be happy."

"I can't! How can I go on without you?!" he sobbed, reaching forward to grab Felix's face, knowing it might be the last time he ever got to hold it.

"Please! Please don't throw away your happiness for me! You're so talented, Bin! You have a whole future ahead of you! I can't leave you knowing I've taken that away from you!"

Changbin calmed down a bit, trying to ease Felix's panic.

"How can I possibly say that?" he said quietly, turning his head as he let his hands fall to Felix's shoulders, pulling him closer.

"Please. Don't let me be the reason you miss out on your goals. You're destined for great things, Bin. I just wish...I could be there to watch you shine."

Changbin slowly pulled Felix back to his chest, this time holding him gently.

"Okay. I promise," he whispered, burying his head in Felix's shoulder. He could still smell his citrus-scented shampoo.

"Thank you."

They held each other softly as the mob pressing into the door finally began to calm.

Suddenly, Changbin felt Felix twitch, his back pushing him forward unnaturally. His eyes began to water again as he held Felix tighter.

"Bin, it's time. You need to let me go."

Changbin shook his head.

"Not yet. You haven't turned yet. We still have time."

Felix's right arm shot out to the side, his elbow nearly dislocating at the motion. A loud pop followed as his bones jolted at the wrong angles.

"Changbin, save yourself!"

"Not yet. It's not time."

"Bin, pl-"

Felix's head swung backwards, his neck cracking loudly. Changbin's eyes flashed in fear, watching the pained expression cross Felix's face.

"PLEASE!" Felix shouted, pushing himself away by digging his palms into Changbin's chest. But Changbin couldn't let go.

"Not yet."

"BIN!"

Just then, Felix's hand shot forward and his fingernails sank into Changbin's exposed sternum, raking across his skin. As soon as he regained control, Felix yanked his hand back, staring at Changbin in horror.

"BIN! YOU NEED TO GO!"

Blood dripped from the gash and Felix's eyes were drawn to it. He couldn't tell if it was the pain of hurting someone he loved or the new sense of intrigue at the dark red color, but he couldn't look away.

Changbin saw the black veins traveling up his neck, nearing the base of his neural networks.

He would be fully turned in a few seconds.

He knew he should run. But all he could do was break down, falling to his knees in tears.

Felix's eyes no longer held any expression.

The redness had started creeping in, flooding his vision.

Changbin threw his fists against the ground in anguish, the sobs racking his body.

Felix was gone.

It wasn't Felix anymore.

But as much as he wanted to believe it, he couldn't look at him with anything but pure affection.

His little Yongbok.

"Lix...I love you," he managed, finally starting to stand.

But Felix just turned his head to the side inquisitively. Then, in a sudden moment, he charged forward, mouth open.

Changbin grabbed a broom, pushing it out in front of him, holding Felix back as he snapped and snarled at him.

He couldn't hurt him.

Not Yongbok.

Not the boy who refused to let him kill a single bug that found its way into their bedroom, no matter how creepy or ugly it was.

Not the boy whose eyes always lit up so bright every time he caught sight of a rabbit hopping between bushes when they walked along the Han River.

Not the boy who had looked at him like he was the center of his universe.

He couldn't.

He fell back into tears as he used the broom to push Felix against the shelf next to the door, holding him in place. Then, with a shaky hand, he grabbed the door handle and swung it open, pushing Felix out into the zombie-infested hallway and slamming it shut.

As soon as it had closed, Changbin fell against the door in absolute anguish, unable to stop the flood of emotions leaving his body.

He was alone.

He was all alone.