Afternoon Drive
Title: Afternoon Drive
Pairing: N/Hyuk
Rating: M
Warnings: Character death
Hakyeon’s eyes narrowed as they focused on the stoplight blurring red in front of him. He eased his car to a stop and exhaled, turning the radio down. It was droning some boring talk show host who was offering some absurd giveaway gift if a caller happened to be picked.
He rolled out his wrists relishing in the slight popping noises it elicited. Next, he lolled his head from side to side, trying to relieve some of the tension in his muscles, but to no avail. Hakyeon had been at work for thirteen hours, the only thing he wanted to do was unwind and relax. His suit was stuffy, his shoes too tight, his business smile frozen on his face, and his briefcase heavier than the morning time when he had set out for work. It was spring, and the showers had come through while he was locked away in his office. The smell of rain and freshly growing flowers permeated his nose, and it brought him back to one of his most fondest times.
“I bet you can’t!” a chirpy, young voice chimed within his mind. A sigh was heard, Hakyeon’s mind blurred out into darkness until a spotlight illuminated the middle of his mind.
There was a couch and two people, Hakyeon was one of them. A young boy, hair bleached into whiteness with hair dye and ruffled to perfection, sat with his feet on the couch and his knees against his chest. He was conversing with Hakyeon, who sat opposite of him on the other side of the couch. Hakyeon’s hair was neatly straight, hanging down just to the top of his eyebrows before curving off to the side slightly. Dyed a medium brown, he contrasted the other boy.
Hakyeon’s face was tired, but he still possessed a smile that offered kindness from his heart. “Hyuk-ah, you know I know everything about you. It’s useless to resist my charm,” Hakyeon chuckled, his eyes forming crescents as his teeth appeared between his lips.
“I don’t believe you!” Sanghyuk, the blond boy, shot back; a sly smile spreading its way onto his own features. “If you know me so well, then what’s my favorite show? My favorite food? Do I have a favorite family member? Why did I choose to become a trainee? What did I say I loved most in this world? Why did I say I loved it the most in this world?” Sanghyuk crossed his arms triumphantly, smirking all the while.
Hakyeon sat back into the couch, adjusting himself as he held his smile to Sanghyuk. “Your favorite show is Naruto, and your favorite character is Sasuke. Your favorite food is gopchang, you even got me to eat it and agree that it’s good. You don’t have a favorite family member because you said no one favored you growing up so you shouldn’t favor anyone back. You chose to become a trainee because I told you you should. You’ve always sung and wanted to sing and perform for others, it’s in your blood. That’s why you’re enrolled in an academy right now. You love your iPod most in this world because it holds all of your music and your memories,” Hakyeon spilled with ease.
Sanghyuk shifted, no longer folding his arms. He was beat. “Well… I guess you do remember a thing or two,” Sanghyuk mumbled, scratching the back of his neck in defeat. Hakyeon giggled, scooting closer to Sanghyuk on the couch.
“A thing or two? I’ll show you a thing or two!” Hakyeon began attacking Sanghyuk’s sides, tickling him and relishing in the laughter that Sanghyuk was making. It made him laugh as well.
Hakyeon was brought out of his flashback with a loud horn coming from behind him. The light had turned green a bit ago, but he hadn’t moved.
He breathed, eyes darting around the dashboard of the car as he absentmindedly pressed on the accelerator.
Hakyeon tried his hardest to push the memories from his brain, but some days it just wasn’t possible. Today was one of those days. He drove on the same road, the same feeling coursing through his veins, as if Sanghyuk were right next to him.
Exhaling through his nose, Hakyeon swerved into the turning lane, going down a joy-killing road. The only road left he had to see Sanghyuk anymore.
The clouds gray in the sky, blocking what was left of the sung late hour of the afternoon, Hakyeon flicked his headlights on. It had just rained. That was when some of his most favorite memories occurred.
He continued to drive down the road, the road narrowing from two lanes on either side to just one for several miles, until he finally reached where his feet and mind were taking him to. He made a sharp right, passing through the iron gates. His breath hitched in his throat as his eyes scanned the area. Everything was so gray. Normally that was okay, but this time it made his stomach turn into knots. Just as it had the previous time he came here.
Hakyeon parked his car in one of the available spots, getting out of his car and nearly slipping on the muddy, clumped up leaves. He sighed, shutting the car door behind him. His works shoes were already attracting dirt, but he wasn’t in the mindset to care.
Venturing out, Hakyeon wandered around, hitting small puddles of water in between pathways and stones. It must have rained a lot, he thought to himself.
Hakyeon sluggishly made it over to the one stone he knew well. It still had the flowers he had placed from last time in the vase, but they were wilted and dead and lacked any color.
“Just like my Hyuk-ah…” Hakyeon choked. He fell to his knees, embracing the tombstone between his hands. Tears were already beginning to spill from the edges of his eyes, his body quivering with anguish. He dropped his head, sniffling, and read over the words on the gray stone in front of him for the hundredth time. “Rest in peace and fly to all the dreams you couldn’t accomplish while on earth. Han Sanghyuk, July 5th, 1995 to June 29th, 2013,” Hakyeon became a mess and unraveled. His hands dropped from either side of the tombstone, landing in the earth beneath him.
All of a sudden, a splash of wetness was felt on Hakyeon’s back. Then two. Then three. Then several at one time. It was beginning to rain again. Hakyeon pulsed forward, sobbing. He missed Sanghyuk the most out of anyone in his life. Sanghyuk was always there for him, Sanghyuk made his future bright and glitter with happiness, but he was taken away from Hakyeon too early.
Collapsing, Hakyeon whimpered in the downpour, covering his eyes with his muddied hands as another flashback popped into his mind.
“So you’re coming over for my birthday, aren’t you?” Hakyeon purred into his phone. He heard a small squeak on the other side of the call as a first response.
“Well yeah… I’m getting into the car right now, so don’t get your panties up your ass,” Sanghyuk replied.
“Pfft, how rude of you to say such a thing to the birthday boy! My birthday is tomorrow after all,” Hakyeon pouted.
Sanghyuk laughed on the other side of the line. “I gather, that’s why I’m getting in the car to go to your place you bathead,” he giggled.
Hakyeon growled in his throat, but moved on. “But are you going to bring me a present??” Hakyeon giggled, bouncing on his feet slightly. “A birthday isn’t a birthday unless there are presents!” He could hear Sanghyuk sigh, but he could tell there was a smile on his face, and just knowing that lit Hakyeon’s day up. His birthday was the next day, and all he had asked for was for Sanghyuk to stay with him through the night for his birthday to be the best it could possibly be.
“Oh hush up, you’ll find out when I get there, okay?” Sanghyuk giggled once more. “I’m going to get off because I’m driving but I’ll see you in just a little, all right? Try not to have a stroke waiting on me,” Sanghyuk remarked, drawing a gasp from Hakyeon, but a chuckle soon followed.
“All right, all right, be safe! I’ll see you in a little. I love you, Hyuk-ah,” Hakyeon called into the phone’s receiver.
“I love you too, doofus. Happy earlier birthday,” Sanghyuk ended the call.
Hakyeon hurried around his apartment to make sure that everything looked nice, candles were lit, and that not a thing was out of place.
It was 6:04 pm. Hakyeon sat on his couch and turned on the TV, but he was too excited for the show to hold his attention. About ten minutes in, he ended up turning it off and examining what he was wearing in the mirror. He then proceeded to change into several different shirts, finally resettling for what he had on earlier, and sat back down.
“Ugh, what’s taking him so long? Is he purposely keeping me waiting because it’s almost my birthday?” Hakyeon childishly stomped his foot, but went into the bathroom to pout for a few moments.
Sanghyuk chortled to himself, opening the small box he had shoved into his pocket while getting in the car. Inside it held two rings, each with the small words “I Promise” imprinted on the front. They were modest, but beautiful.
Sanghyuk cackled with joy; this was going to be his birthday present for Hakyeon. He didn’t want anyone else to be called Hakyeon’s own, he wanted himself and only him to be Hakyeon’s.
It had just begun raining. The visibility was getting worse and worse, and Sanghyuk slowed his speed down to ensure he wasn’t going to slide on the water building up on the roadways.
He could see the traffic light. It was green. As green as the clovers a leprechaun dances with.
He kept his speed, the rain coming down hard, but the green light passed and was replaced with a white light coming fast on his right. Sanghyuk turned his head, and then all the light was gone.
Hakyeon stirred on the couch. It was 7:45. Sanghyuk should’ve been here an hour ago, Hakyeon thought to himself. Something’s not right.
Digging in his pocket, Hakyeon fished out his cell phone and dialed Sanghyuk’s number to make sure everything was all right. He waited and waited, listening to the repetitive dial tone connecting his call, but Sanghyuk never picked up.
“I swear, if he’s just doing this to be mean, I’ll castrate him,” Hakyeon said to try and relieve himself, but on the inside he was antsy and anxious. Hakyeon began to pace around his apartment. “I think I should go and check on him. It is raining pretty heavily, maybe he just got caught in the rain and his phone died or something,” Hakyeon tried to whisper some relief to himself, but it wasn’t necessarily working. Grabbing his coat and car keys, he headed in the direction of Sanghyuk’s dorm.
For how slick the roads were, Hakyeon was dangerously speeding. His heart pounded in his chest. He needed to know Sanghyuk was all right.
“This is totally how I want to spend the night before my birthday,” Hakyeon muttered to himself before almost running a stop sign. He was almost to Sanghyuk’s dorm, just a few more miles down the highway and he’s be there, but he saw red and blue lights flashing ahead. His stomach dropped, but he continued driving towards the lights.
Coming across a few cop cars, an ambulance, and tons of caution tape, Hakyeon skidded to a stop. A cop was redirecting traffic.
Hakyeon jumped from his car, running towards what looked to be the remains of a car. “Wh-What’s happened here??” Hakyeon demanded of the cop, arms stretched out towards the wreckage.
“Hey, hey, back up son! This is a fatal collision scene, you can’t be over here unless you’re authorized personnel,” the cop instructed him.
“What happened to the car?” Hakyeon repeated himself, terrified to ask if they had identified who was involved. “Who-Who got killed?” his voice dropped to where the cop could barely hear him, a hiccup in the back of his throat.
“Look kid, just back up. The victims are begin identified right now and will be released when the 10 o’clock news comes out, all right? Don’t get your head wrapped up over it,” the cop replied before swapping posted with another cop.
Hakyeon could feel his knees crumbling. He glanced over to the dark mass of mangled metal that lay on the pavement behind the caution tape. That couldn’t be Sanghyuk’s car, could it? He thought. It doesn’t even look like his car.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to please step back from the scene. It’s not safe for unauthorized persons to be around this scene right now,” the new cop barked at Hakyeon.
Tears welling up in his eyes, Hakyeon stepped to the side barely, right as medical personnel were passing yellow tape.
“…Poor kid. Looked to be a college student. It was pretty gruesome in there; it was a straight hit to his right side. Slit his neck with the metal that was cast through the window. He didn’t even die peacefully, either. He bled out,” one person said as they briskly walked.
“How do you know he bled out?” the other person asked, insinuating he was no more than an intern or someone not hired full time.
“There was tons of blood inside the driver’s compartment. You don’t see that much blood outside of one body unless it came out of that body…”
Hakyeon almost collapsed. He felt the breath taken away from him. He was dizzy so suddenly, the world was spinning, his ears were ringing, his vision fading. This can’t be right; this can’t be how it happens. Hakyeon was almost dry heaving, on his hands and knees and sobbing for a second chance.
In a last attempt, Hakyeon ran through the yellow tape, alerting several officials of his presence. He darted towards the crumpled mess of a car that lay beyond the tape, collapsing to his knees once he finally figured out where the driver’s side was.
He was horrified. Blood painted the windshield so thickly the other side couldn’t be seen. The car was upside down and in a terrible position, but the crushed in window on the driver’s side exposed Sanghyuk’s face, lips shaded purple with blood drying on most of his skin. His eyes were open, but there was no life in them.
“Sanghyuk-ah!!!!” Hakyeon screeched, grasping at the wreckage. His hands were instantly cut by the various pieces of glass and metal sticking out. There was a stream of blood lining Sanghyuk’s neck, his head cocked at a bizarre angle. Hakyeon didn’t even want to think how it got there.
Before Hakyeon could do anything else, he was seized by policemen. He was dragged away, kicking and screaming as his hands bled. His vision of Sanghyuk fading out from view as he was thrown into the back of a cop car.
The rain was enveloping Hakyeon’s entire body in mud. He didn’t care anymore. Two broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken leg, multiple fractures in both arms, and a slit neck. That was what he heard his Sanghyuk had endured. So Hakyeon could at least endure being swallowed by the earth.
“Please… Come back to me, my Sanghyuk-ah… It was my birthday… That was the worst birthday present ever,” Hakyeon choked before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a silver ring with the words “I Promise” stamped onto the front of it before sobbing even more.
Hakyeon curled into a ball, clutching onto the ring for dear life. He began to hyperventilate, tears mixing with the rain splashing onto his face. He couldn’t take it anymore. Suddenly getting up, he grasped the stone. “Sanghyuk-ah. You know how much I love you, right? You know how much I miss you. I miss you every minute of every day of every week of every month of every year that you’re not here to spend with me. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to bring you back to me. I needed you in my life. I still need you in my life. Why were you taken away from me?” Hakyeon croaked.
Almost an hour later, Hakyeon, dry of tears, pried himself off the ground. His entire suit was filthy with dirt and mud, but he didn’t care. He traipsed over to his car, getting in and starting the ignition.
“God… If you’re there, please… Grant me a favor… Let me see my Sanghyuk-ah again. Somehow somewhere someway, I don’t care how, just please,” Hakyeon blubbered, trying his best to stifle the sobs. He breathed in and out heavily, closing his door.
He started up the windshield wipers, and put the car into drive, making his way home. The entire world didn’t seem to matter without Sanghyuk in it, Hakyeon thought. There was no point in going on.
Hakyeon got so wrapped up in his thought, he almost veered into the opposite lane of traffic, correcting himself once he pulled himself from his train of thought.
He gasped, trying to shake himself into sense. The rain was still coming down heavily, just as it was at the cemetery. He had to be careful.
Hakyeon rolled up to a stop sign, tiredly examining both sides of the road. He pressed the accelerator again, inching forward just barely when he heard tires screeching. He looked to his left, his hands flying up in defense. One shriek left Hakyeon’s mouth. The rain was still pouring.
“In tonight’s news, a local resident was involved in a fatal car accident. Resident Cha Hakyeon, age 26, was involved in a T-Bone collision that left both him and the other driver dead. Police are saying that the other driver, identified as Kim Wonsik, was coming towards the four-way stop where Mr. Cha was stopped, but skidded and could not come to a complete stop. Mr. Kim collided with Mr. Cha on the driver’s side of Mr. Cha’s car, killing him on impact. Mr. Kim was transported to the nearest hospital where he was pronounced in critical condition, but soon died after. Both men leave behind no immediate family.”
The rain continued to pour down.
Hakyeon got his wish.