For The Best - YeChul
100 THEMES CHALLENGE
Theme: 6 - Burn [Heechul/Yesung]
Title: For The Best
Words: 1,750
Completed: October 8th, 2011
Genre: AU, fiction
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Character death, murder, schizophrenia/psychosis, vaguely necrophilic behaviour
Summary: Heechul's not entirely sure why he does it
"Hyung?"
Heechul didn't hear the call the first several times it was uttered, despite his eyes being attentively fixed on its source.
"Hyung, are you alright?"
Heechul finally blinked in response as his dongsaeng crossed the room and knelt in front of him, peering into his face concernedly. "Hm, what?"
"You're completely spaced out," Yesung noted blandly.
"As if you can talk, turtle," Heechul snapped back snarkily, reaching out to pat the younger's cheek.
Yesung screwed up his face as he was patted, then stood back up and slid onto Heechul's bed behind him. Heechul closed his eyes as the younger started working, his small but skilled fingers kneading into his shoulders.
"Yikes, hyung." Yesung murmured, "What have you been thinking about? You're like a rock."
Heechul just moaned as Yesung coaxed the knots out. He would miss this, he realized, he would miss the skilled hands and the gentle, smoky voice humming quietly as he worked, the scent the younger used, and oh god, those hands just knew exactly what to do.
It's for the best, though, hmm?
Heechul opened his eyes as the oh-so-familiar, seductive voice echoed through his mind.
"You should relax," Yesung's voice broke through, between the humming, and Heechul's eyes fluttered closed again.
Yes, yes, it's all for the best.
* * *
Tonight, tonight, we'll feast our eyes,
Our hearts will bleed to crimson skies,
The grey will cry to tarry home
And scarlet drops we claim our own…
Heechul's body was perfectly still in bed as the melody wrapped its way around his mind and squeezed it tight.
You're calm. The singing halted to make the comment. There was no response and the voice continued.Of course you are, there's no need to be anything but, hmm?
Enough… let me sleep…
You are asleep. What are you feeling? Impatience? Apprehension? Even… regret?
Tomorrow. It will happen tomorrow.
The voice chuckled coldly. Clearly you haven't been listening. It's after midnight, didn't you notice? It will happen tonight.
* * *
"Hyung." Yesung smiled as his friend entered the room, closing the door behind him, keeping his back turned to the room as the wood thumped softly into place, he slowly released the knob and the latch clicked. He took a deep breath, his other hand cradled to his chest, and turned around slowly.
Yesung had gone back to his book. Heechul approached him, socked feet padding silently over the carpet. He sank down onto the bed beside him, sighing as he leant against his shoulder.
Yesung looked over and smiled faintly. "Hyung?"
Heechul turned his head slightly, looking into his friend's face thoughtfully, roaming over the features; the rounded, full cheeks, the plump lips, the straight nose, the forever mop-like dark hair that fell down to cover the eyes… the eyes, full of light and sparkling as they looked right back into Heechul's. One of the things he would miss the most.
He pushed himself up on his arms, suddenly whipping around to kiss the younger hard. Yesung's eyes went wide and he fell backwards under the weight with a very unmanly squeak, far to stunned to respond, even if he'd wanted to. Heechul pulled away and Yesung was still too confused to notice the prick in his arm, until he followed the elder's gaze and yelped at the sight of the needle buried in his skin just below his elbow. He gasped as he suddenly felt the pain.
"Hyung, what-?" he whimpered, jerking away, pulling his arm from the needle, tearing his skin in the process. A thin trail of blood trickled down and around his forearm and he cradled it to his body, shocked eyes travelling to Heechul's face.
"It's for the best," the elder murmured softly, but Yesung heard each syllable perfectly.
"What did you- aah!" he clutched his arm tighter. It hurt. It fucking hurt. He whimpered again, gripping the cut hard instinctively to try and alleviate the pain. It didn't work. Liquid fire shot through his veins, down to his fingers which tingled and pricked with a million red-hot needles, and spreading up to his shoulder.
"Hyung…" he gasped, "Hyung, what… why…?"
Heechul just reached out to cup his cheek, pressing another kiss to his lips. Yesung jerked away again, this time crying out in pain as the fire spread over his collarbone. He struggled away from the wall, away from Heechul, legs trembling as he stood and backed towards the door. "Hyung, what did you do to me?" he whispered, more whimpers falling from his lips at the pain, the pain like nothing he'd ever felt before, spreading across to his other shoulder and down his spine.
He turned and scrabbled for the doorknob, his right arm trembling violently and his left completely disregarding anything his brain requested. His fingertips barely brushed the cold metal of the knob before he collapsed in on himself, curling against the wood of the door and panting heavily.
Then Heechul was there, Heechul was beside him, wrapping him in his arms as he bit his lip so hard it bled to try and contain his cries. But he couldn't, the fire was spreading too quickly, it was too strong, and tears filled his eyes, spilling down his cheeks, joining the blood on his chin as he cried from the pain.
Heechul bent to kiss him once more, licking the blood and saltwater away, not retreating until suddenly Yesung jerked and screamed into his mouth. Something burned his tongue as it slipped back into his own mouth, like a hot chilli, and he knew the sensation came from Yesung's tainted blood. He held him tight, containing his struggles as he spasmed, still shrieking.
"Hyung!" he managed to blurt, twitching fingers scrabbling at Heechul's shirt. "Hyung… make it stop! Make it stop, please… p-please," he sobbed desperately, limbs moving of their own accord as the poison made its way through his body. "Please… please… ha-AAH! Unngh… nn.. hhh… hmmmmuh…" he broke off with a desperate whimper, legs giving one final kick, then he was still.
Heechul stayed still for a moment, trembling slightly, holding the lifeless body in his arms before laying it carefully down on the carpet, pushing the lids closed over tear-filled, lightless eyes.
"It's… it's f-for the best," he whispered, pressing his lips against the still-warm forehead.
He was surprised to feel the hot tears on his own face.
* * *
Heechul carried Yesung to the car and sat him in the back seat, strapping him in and resting his head against the other car door. He could have been sleeping. He climbed himself into the front, hands now steady as he started the engine and drove off.
He drove for hours, out of the city, along the highway, to old roads that were rarely used. There was no sound in the car apart from his calm breathing and the occasional indicator click over the dull growl of the engine. He glanced back at his friend once. Just once.
He checked his watch as he finally drew the car to a stop. It had turned from evening to full night. There was no-one around. No-one was around here anyway, even in the daytime. He stepped out of the car and opened the back door, unbuckling the body seated there. His blood was draining, leaving his face a deathly white and his fingers and thighs purpling and swollen. Heechul pulled him out and kicked the door shut again, carrying him bridal-style into the trees.
He had to rest several times on his trek, laying Yesung on the ground to give his own body a break from his weight. He wasn't sure how long he walked with him, he assumed as long as he had walked before; he knew the path he had to take by heart.
Finally he came upon the clearing he was headed for. He stumbled forward the last few feet and laid Yesung down, on the small pyre he'd made and prepared for now. He stayed by his side, gazing down at him for a long moment before leaning over and kissing the cold, pale lips, caressing his cheek.
He stepped back when he was done, flicking the lighter in his fingers a few times before finally crouching down and setting a line of tiny flames around the perimeter of the pyre. They only stayed tiny for a second, though, before the gasoline flared up and ringed the body with flame.
Heechul retreated to the edge of the clearing, sitting against a tree and watching the fire spread, licking up the wood. Heechul barely allowed himself to blink, watching the igneous tribute with rapt attention. He watched as the wood caught properly, as the flames continued to creep up, flicking at the figure on top and slowly crawling over it.
The stench of burning acrylic mingled with the gasoline smell of the air, quickly followed by that of burning hair and flesh. Heechul barely flinched.
The fire continued on. Heechul didn't intend to stay the entire time it was burning, the night was clear and it wouldn't be disturbed, and he had to get moving if he was going to make it back to the city by morning.
He didn't stand, though. He had a little more time.
He turned his head slightly, catching the vague figure sitting by another tree. He gazed calmly at it and it turned also to face him.
Heechul wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it wasn't what he got. The shimmer didn't scream at him like the others, didn't cry, didn't try to attack him. It stared at him, an incredible sadness in its eyes that went beyond the normal grief of dying.
Heechul stood and it also got to its feet. He had to approach it so he could leave, and its silvery eyes kept locked with his as he did so. He paused by the edge of the clearing and they stood there in silence.
"It's for the best," he murmured finally, never tearing his gaze from the shimmer's.
The shimmer just smiled, a smile that was just as sad as the expression in his eyes, and shook his head slowly. He took one step backwards as a breeze blew through the clearing, dispersing before Heechul's eyes.
Heechul spared the pyre one last glance before heading back to his car.
He didn't ask himself why. He never did. Why should he?
He knew there wasn't an answer.