Still Life ; Junsu/Changmin
HIATUS.
I'll be on hiatus for two weeks, maybe a little more. So this is the last thing I'll be posting for a while.
Title: Still Life
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Dong Bang Shin Ki
Pairing(s): Junsu/Changmin
Disclaimer: The boys do not belong to me. This is also nothing but pure fiction.
Summary: Time is running out for the two of them, no matter how much Junsu wants to pretend.
Still Life
"We have all the time in the world, we have all the time in the world," Junsu tells Changmin, threading their fingers tightly together, and leaning so close that their noses touch and Changmin is forced to inhale what Junsu says. "We have all the time in the world."
They steal time without considering the consequences. Junsu takes seconds, minutes, hours by the handful, filling up his pockets, desperately turning all the hourglasses he can find. Changmin watches Junsu try and slow the hands of time, and he knows that they're going to have to pay for this defiance, for taking things that don't belong to them. Changmin tries to tell Junsu it's not going to work, but Junsu keeps going back for more.
"Take this," Junsu thrusts an hour into Changmin's hands, face flushed with hope. "We have all the time in the world," Junsu promises him again.
Changmin looks down at his hands and watches the hour dissolve and slips away through the gaps of his fingers, and wants to laugh. It's just not meant to be.
Changmin is helpless as he flickers like a projected image, a dying flame. He feels the life trickling out of him slowly, but when Junsu grins at him, and holds out a soccer ball, he takes it and joins Junsu.
It's a Friday when Changmin opens his eyes to find himself in hospital. There are tubes weaving in and out of his body, and Junsu's face hovers over his, anxious and pale.
"I'm okay," Changmin says, his breath fogging the oxygen mask. He coughs and flinches as blood flecks the transparent plastic. "I'm okay," he tries again.
Junsu sits down next to the bed, rests his forehead against their clasped hands. "We still have so much time, we still have so much time," Junsu whispers fervently, kissing the skin on the back of Changmin's hand, and Changmin doesn't tell Junsu that it's getting harder and harder to breathe.
Changmin's vision goes next. All he sees are blobs of colours. He asks Junsu to sing to him. Junsu always chooses to sing the upbeat, light-hearted songs, and Changmin doesn't have the heart to tell Junsu he's always liked hearing Junsu sing slow, sad ballads more.
"Yoochun just came back from Paris," Junsu tells Changmin. "He says it's lovely."
Changmin smiles.
"We should go, yes?" Junsu says, squeezing Changmin's hands. "We still have time left. I'll take you to the Eiffel Tower. We'll go shopping."
Changmin nods, and closes his eyes when he hears the machines he's hooked up to start to beep shrilly, and Junsu shouting desperately for a doctor. He closes his fingers around Junsu's with all his strength- in case, just in case this is the last time.
We still have time left, we still have time left, Junsu's voice repeating those words over and over again is all Changmin hears. He wants to tell Junsu, yes, we do, but his lips don't move, and neither do his hands.
"Changmin, we still have time left," Junsu says.
There's a long pause, and then Junsu says, "Don't leave me."
Changmin feels sadness roll through his body in painful waves. He wants to tell Junsu, I'll never leave you, I'll always be with you.
"I love you," Junsu says. "I love you."
The claws fastened around Changmin's throat loosen a little, and Changmin says, "I love you too," but it comes out in a gurgled rasp. Before he can try again, the claws tighten again. And tighten again. Tighten again, until he can hardly hear Junsu's voice, mingled with the insistent urgent beeping of machines.
He feels Junsu's mouth ghosts over his. I'll see you on the other side, Changmin thinks, as hard as he can, before his last thread of consciousness snaps.
When Changmin opens his eyes again, they're running down the streets of Paris, stopping to kiss in the middle of a throng of people. Junsu's hands on his back are warm like the first rays of sunlight.
Junsu's smile is exactly like he remembers.
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