FICKLE HEART

Baekhyun's p.o.v.

After the clasp of the monster, Baekhyun had thought about just leaving him there and walking away, but he wasn't that kind of person, so he had called for an ambulance and told them the address. Then, that's when Baekhyun decided to leave, after he had gotten the monster help. Baekhyun stumbled from the house, and much like the last time he walked through that door beaten and broken, he only had one thought in mind. That of being inside Park Chanyeol's warm, loving arms and feeling him embrace Baekhyun and hearing him whisper how much he loved him. And Baekhyun needed that right now, he desperately did.

Clutching his bleeding abdomen Baekhyun slowly started to walk. It wasn't bad, his father had only sliced him across his scar. He wasn't in danger. He was just in pain.

By the time Baekhyun had reached the end of the driveway, his shirt was soaked with his blood, and his vision was spotty. God, he was an idiot, why didn't he just stay at the house and wait for the ambulance? Why did he feel the need to make it worse by walking? Why did he have to continue to hurt himself? Before Baekhyun could collapse to the ground, he saw a car pull up on the side of the road and the driver's side door flew open. Baekhyun's vision had become both fuzzy and spotted now, so when he looked at the figure running towards him, they were hazy and blurry around the edges. The moment before Baekhyun could collapse into the gravel, the figure caught him around the waist and gently picked him up. Baekhyun's head rolled to the side and gently laid against a very strong shoulder.

"Baekhyun, just hold on . . ." their voice drifted through Baekhyun's head. He couldn't seem to understand the words — he was starting to slip. "Baekhyun, don't close your eyes!" they said sternly. And obediently, Baekhyun opened his eyes. He was so sleepy though, but he obeyed.

"Hmm, sleep . . ." Baekhyun whispered.

"No, Baekhyun, keep your eyes open!" they said.

"I don't want to," Baekhyun whispered. "I don't to fight . . ."

"Fight for me, Baekhyun!" they said.

"Hmm," Baekhyun mumbled. "But I'm so tired . . ." Baekhyun felt something wet hit his cheek and he weakly opened his eyes as he lifted his hand to brush away the tears and whispered,  "Don't cry."

"Then don't leave me!" they replied, their voice full of raw emotion.

"I'll never truly leave you," Baekhyun whispered.

"Fuck, Baek, stop talking like that!" they yelled. "Now keep your eyes open!" Then suddenly Baekhyun was being gently placed on something sturdy yet soft and his head leaned back against a comfortable cushion. He didn't really remember anything after that, just sensations: the sensation of being cradled in someone's arms; the sensation of lips pressing roughly against his forehead; and the sensation of being placed onto something slightly hard before he started to float.

But one thing Baekhyun knew for such . . . Death didn't visit him. Not once since leaving the house. Not once since he turned on his master.

And another thing Baekhyun knew for sure, he wouldn't be claimed by Death.

. . . .

Chanyeol's p.o.v.

Baekhyun was in the hospital again. He was getting stitched up again. He was suffering again. He was attacked again.

Was this a higher power telling them something, because it was like clockwork. A month before Baekhyun had been stabbed, then a month before that he was . . . Chanyeol couldn't think it, and every time before that . . .? Were their lives never going to be easy? Were they ever going to be without pain? Would they continue to suffer? Would Baekhyun continue to suffer?

Chanyeol dropped his head into his hands as he fought back the tears, then after taking a moment to compose himself he pulled out his phone and called his parents.

"Chanyeol!? Honey, where are you? We've been worried sick!" his mother answered on the first ring.

"I'm at the hospital," Chanyeol whispered. "It's Baekhyun again, he — he . . ."

"Oh honey, don't say anymore, we're on our way!" she said before hanging up the phone.

Chanyeol clicked his phone off and dropped it beside him as he placed his head in his hands again and ran his fingers through his hair. He pulled on the ends out of frustration and anger. "Why is this happening?" he whispered to no one.

When Chanyeol's parents arrived, they enveloped him into their arms. His mother kissed his cheek and gently asked, "Do you know what happened?"

Chanyeol bit his lip as he thought, Baekhyun, please don't hate me, before he said, "It was Baekhyun's father. He abuses him."

Chanyeol's parents eyes widened and his father gasped, "Why did you never say anything before Chanyeol!? Baekhyun's in the hospital . . ."

Chanyeol cut him off by saying, "Dad, I know, but Baekhyun was terrified to say anything."

"That doesn't matter! When someone is suffering like that you don't just turn a blind eye. Chanyeol, you say you love him, but did you even try to help him?" his father asked.

Chanyeol instantly became furious as he yelled, "Yes I do help him!"

"How?" his father said. "As far as we know this is the second time Baekhyun's been in the hospital!"

Chanyeol wanted to punch his father, and Chanyeol hated to admit it, but he was also right. Chanyeol had saved Baekhyun's life once when Sehun threw him into the pool, but compare that to every other time Baekhyun's needed him, and what Chanyeol had done didn't seem like such. But then again it was, Chanyeol had saved Baekhyun from his worst nightmare. He prevented the water from claiming Baekhyun — but it still didn't seem like enough.

"I'm going to ask a nurse if Baekhyun's out of surgery," Chanyeol muttered before walking away.

. . . .

Baekhyun's p.o.v.

Baekhyun felt detached from his body, and he floated like an apparition. He felt tired and empty, and his pain was finally gone, but shouldn't he feel better than this though? If he were truly dead shouldn't he feel at peace, or some form of happiness and warmth? But he didn't, he still felt so empty. So maybe that meant he wasn't truly dead? Maybe that meant, wherever he was, his heart was beating, still fighting? Maybe that meant wherever his was he would wake and Chanyeol would be there. Maybe that would be his happiness. Maybe that would relieve his pain, stop it even? Maybe that would mean the emptiness would go away? Maybe his life could finally start to get better? Maybe then, his father would finally leave him alone.

When Baekhyun woke up, his eyes instantly fell upon the curly brown haired, brown eyed giant that he loved so much. A smile upturned the corners of Baekhyun's lips and he so desperately wanted to hug Chanyeol with every ounce of strength his possessed, but the tubes that were taped into his arm and connected to the machine beside him prevented him from moving. Baekhyun glared at them in annoyance as he so badly wanted to rip them out. Sighing, Baekhyun gazed back up at Chanyeol, and the smile that he saw melted his heart. He loved his giant so much, he couldn't even put it into words. Baekhyun just wanted to be with him; to be consumed by him; to be forever loved by him.

"Chanyeol?" Baekhyun whispered.

"Yeah, Baek?"

"Marry me," Baekhyun whispered.

Chanyeol smiled and kissed Baekhyun's forehead as he whispered, "I've been wanting to ask you that, that I even carry around a ring, waiting for the right moment . . ." Baekhyun felt tears in his eyes as Chanyeol pulled out a plush, dark purple velvet box, and gently opened it to show the two engagement rings comfortable tucked inside, with the craving C and B engraved on the underside of each ring. Baekhyun bit his lip and whispered, "How long have you been carrying that around?" Chanyeol smiled and murmured, "I got them made the day my parents arrived, that's why I made that excuse of 'I had been helping my parents', then I picked them up earlier the next day." Baekhyun's eyes were misty as he whispered, "You've had them for that long?" Chanyeol nodded. "I wanted to ask you when the moment was perfect, but . . ." Chanyeol had been about to get on one knee when Baekhyun hurriedly said, "Chanyeol! No, not yet!" Baekhyun sighed before whispering, "Wait until I'm out of the hospital. Wait for that perfect moment." Chanyeol smiled softly and pressed his forehead against Baekhyun's as he murmured, "It'll be perfect if it's you. But okay, Baek, I'll make it special for you." Then he gently kissed Baekhyun.

Baekhyun smiled. "I love you, Chanyeol," he whispered.

"I love you too, Baekhyun," Chanyeol whispered back.

. . . .

Baekhyun heard later that day from his father's doctor that he had had a heart attack, and Baekhyun found that both humorous and ironic. His father, a heart attack, who would've known? Along with hearing that his father had a heart attack, Baekhyun was forced to explain their relationship. He was forced to spill all of his secrets, and throughout all of it, Chanyeol had stayed by his side, holding his hand and rubbing the back of it soothingly with his thumb. Baekhyun was so grateful for Chanyeol, he had managed to save Baekhyun's life again, and in return Baekhyun promised Chanyeol his heart.

Once Baekhyun had finished telling the police everything, they told Baekhyun they'd be taking his father under their district of control and that they would keep him there until his court date. No one wanted a repeat of the days events, and Baekhyun knew the monster would do it again if he got the chance. And if it did ever happen again, the monster would kill Baekhyun, and he wouldn't allow Death to toy with him because now they both knew Death was weak when it came to Baekhyun. Death could never claim him, he only wanted to play with him. When he had whispered, "Sorry master, but I must claim you first," it had been a ruse to trick Baekhyun. Death would never give Baekhyun what he truly desired — that of the death of his father. No, Death had different intentions, that of playing with Baekhyun, and the words Baekhyun knew so well whispered through his head, "I'm toying with you in my palm however I want . . ."

Aren't you though, Baekhyun thought. You can never be truly satisfied until you have claimed a life — a soul. It doesn't matter if it's that of an innocent, or that of darkness because all you want to do is immerse yourself in its power. You want to consume it to fill yourself with its light or darkness. And you won't stop will you? No, not until you've claimed that one life, and only then will you be truly satisfied. One life. One soul. Innocent. Or dark. Death wasn't picky, just a trickers who liked to play games, and it didn't matter who was in his crosshairs.

Chanyeol's p.o.v.

Baekhyun was released from the hospital two days later with over ten stitches in his abdomen and a transfusion of blood as he had lost more blood than was safe. Baekhyun was lying on Chanyeol's bed with his head resting against Chanyeol's stomach, as Chanyeol ran his fingers through Baekhyun's slowly fading honey-blonde hair. Chanyeol brushed his thumb across Baekhyun's cheek and muttered, "Is there anything you want to do today?"

Baekhyun shook his head and murmured, "No, I just want to lie here with you."

Chanyeol nodded. He was worried about Baekhyun, he hasn't been himself since he had to tell the police the truth about what happened inside the closed walls of his house. Chanyeol knew Baekhyun was worried, and so was he. Neither of them knew what would happen next, and the fact terrified both of them. They didn't know what would happen with Baekhyun's father's trial. They didn't know where Yixing was, or the next time he would come after Baekhyun. But until those two problems went away, Baekhyun wasn't safe because he now had two people out to kill him, and they would if given the chance. Then there was also the thought of Chanyeol getting hurt himself, and he agonized over it because what if he got hurt so badly he was beyond help, then what would Baekhyun do? Chanyeol couldn't bare the thought of Baekhyun hurting himself over him — it ate at Chanyeol. But Chanyeol also knew if Baekhyun was ever hurt like that, Chanyeol wouldn't want to live without him either.

They couldn't win, could they? They were sitting ducks, both of them, and eventually someone would die . . .

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Author's Notes

Hello, my lovely readers!

I just want to apologize for the back to back sadness, but yeah, things will get better in the next update. Also, I made a mistake in the last Author's Notes, saying there was only on more chapter until part two, when actually there was this update that you just read, and now one more. So yeah, only one more update after this one, then part two of Monster and the revealing of the book cover.

As I've said before in my prologue, I'm deciding to split this story in half because at a certain point in the story, the tone shifts and calling it Monster still just didn't fit. But with the next chapter the cover (although horrible) will be revealed, along with the name.

I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! Please don't forget to vote, comment, and share with your friends!

Anyway, until next time.... 🌸🌸

Love from,
BunnyBaekkiee ❤️