Title: Till Death Don't Us Part
Pairing: Chanyeol/Baekhyun, Baekhyun/Others
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Smut, Angst
Word count: 4.3k words
Warnings: Character Death, Gore

Summary: At first Baekhyun thought it was just coincidence, but when it kept happening on the same pattern, that was when he suspected something. It was as if Chanyeol was still alive, watching his every move.

Notes: Happy Halloween! Read at your own risk, I promise this is not that creepy! Enjoy~

*

It has been five years since Baekhyun's boyfriend---ex-boyfriend--died.

Baekhyun got together with Chanyeol back in high school when they were seventeen. It was a romance that developed from honest friendship to a teenage romance; both were each other's firsts. First love, first kiss, first sex. Everything was just beyond perfect, and at an early age they already knew that they were meant to be for each other like destiny. Overseas same-sex marriage, adopting kids, owning a house in a beach in Hawaii, and growing old together, was a future they both planned. They promised each other forever, and most importantly, their families and friends were very supportive and open-minded about their five-year long relationship, and Baekhyun couldn't ask for more.

But then it happened when they were twenty-one.

It was a car accident one rainy evening which took Chanyeol's life exactly on his birthday, the twenty-seventh of November.

Baekhyun was devastated so he blamed himself for Chanyeol's death despite the fact that it was an accident. Nobody wanted it to happen, and Baekhyun was just using himself as an excuse so that it wouldn't hurt too much to accept the truth. The truth that Chanyeol was gone. The truth that Chanyeol couldn't hug him, kiss him, and make love to him anymore. That Chanyeol wouldn't come back to him no matter how we wished it wasn't real. That Chanyeol wouldn't be able to fulfill their dreams together. That Chanyeol wouldn't be by his side for the rest of his life.

It was so hard to accept that Chanyeol was now just a past relationship in his early twenties which he could only recall from his bittersweet memory.

First two years without Chanyeol was like torture. It was hell. Baekhyun didn't want to move on because every single damn thing his eyes could reach reminded him of his dead lover. He felt empty, hopeless, and broken, so he eventually suffered from depression. He stopped going to college and underwent therapies with the help of his family.

Baekhyun needed emotional support from his loved ones, so bit by bit, although still not completely, he started to get back on track again in the third year of Chanyeol's passing.

Close to four years without Chanyeol, he decided to continue college, surrounding himself with people who loved him while also doing things that he liked. After completing his mandatory military service, he indulged himself with hobbies such as photography, singing, online gaming, sometimes travelling with friends, and even working out in the gym. He even owned a puppy he named Mongryeong. Undeniably, there was still a hole that punctured his heart due to Chanyeol's death, but that didn't prevent him from becoming a normal person again.

Life shouldn't stop just because he lost someone he loved. Instead he should keep going for them, live for them, and remember them with a smile on his face.

Five years without Chanyeol, Baekhyun was now twenty-six, and a successful professional in his field of work. All was well in his career as a young businessman. Side-by-side deals and projects were always coming to keep him booked and busy. Though there was nothing special to what he does in an office setting, he admitted he was fairly contented with his job. There was a sense of assurance that he wouldn't starve himself or get homeless any sooner.

But he felt like this kind of living still lacked something.

"When are you gonna start dating again?"

That was the most frequent question thrown at him on a regular basis.

Baekhyun was aware he's beautiful, he's competent, and he's good at what he does, enough for men around him to swoon over him--- Co-workers who also swing that way, a friend of a friend who is gay, random dudes in a bar he frequented to with his colleagues, old classmates, even in a gay dating app--- there was actually a lot. It was not like Baekhyun didn't try. He was making a move and he was open to friendships, then seeing where it went from there. He was a man with needs too, who was yearning for affection and warmth of a special someone he could call mine and spend mornings with.

But it never worked out for a certain reason; it wouldn't last long before a new relationship could even progress. Why? There seemed to be always a hindrance when he was close to accepting new people in his life.

At first Baekhyun thought it was just coincidence, but when it kept happening on the same pattern, that was when he suspected something.

It was as if Chanyeol was still alive, watching his every move.

It started in February when he met Kris, a Chinese guy from the office.

Kris got the looks, the brains, the height, and the humor. He was a total package everyone in the office dreamt of, and most importantly, he liked Baekhyun. They exchanged awkward chats in the break room at first, and then it improved into texting when a co-worker gave out their numbers through a memo pad. It finally succeeded into frequent coffee dates and movie nights. The two of them just clicked at some point and enjoyed each other's company, so they called it mutual and decided to go out.

Baekhyun invited Kris to come over one night in his place to officially do the deed. Baekhyun was more than excited and nervous, because it was gonna be the first time again in five years that he was gonna get laid after Chanyeol's death. They ate homemade dinner, watched Netflix, and sent signals to each other about wanting to do it already. So in no time, they got frisky and started making out on the couch.

But when Kris was about to rid Baekhyun out of his clothes, the lights, the TV, the aircon--- shut down all at the same time. There was a black-out in the whole building and a sudden power interruption was announced.

They both laughed it off and decided to just continue where they left off after getting some emergency lights. Unfortunately, they had no batteries so they settled for candlelight instead which Kris suggested, for a more romantic feeling.

Baekhyun didn't expect what happened next.

In the kitchen, they discovered that the stove was left switched on, causing the curtains and the cupboard to set into flames. It alarmed all the residents living at Baekhyun's floor. The firefighters arrived after Kris called for emergency, and they had to evacuate into a safer place that same night. The damage was put under control, and thankfully Baekhyun's important things, including Chanyeol's memorabilia Baekhyun kept with him, weren't burned into ashes.

The next morning, Baekhyun had to get his kitchen and some part of his living room repaired so he stayed at a friend's condo for the meantime. Kris was awfully guilty because of the accident even though Baekhyun explained it was not his fault. None of them remembered that they forgot to turn off the stove, so Kris shouldn't blame himself. Because of the fire incident, it kind of put a strain in their blooming relationship.

Kris was transferred into a new company. They broke up on good terms and it was cool, although it was a pity not giving it a chance to grow. Nothing really sexual happened between them since they barely dated for three months anyway. Baekhyun kind of regretted not even sleeping with Kris even just once.

February, March, April---May.

May is Baekhyun's birth month, same goes the month when the second man who attempted to date Baekhyun came.

Jongin was younger than Baekhyun for two years. The age difference wasn't pretty much a big deal to Baekhyun, because he was actually close with everyone in his workplace, no matter what age they are. It was the fact that Jongin was his underclassman back in high school.

The twenty-four-year-old man joined the company as a new intern in Baekhyun's department, so their relationship was like that of a senior-junior. The two of them had a mini reunion talking about the school they both went to over a few cans of beer and laughter. Jongin was already a familiar soul to Baekhyun---to both him and Chanyeol, actually--- since the guy was a witness to their relationship back in their teens.

So, it was a huge surprise to Baekhyun one night in a drinking party with the boss, when Jongin confessed to him that he had hidden feelings for Baekhyun in high school that time when he was already dating Chanyeol. Jongin admitted he genuinely liked him, and his feelings rekindled now after applying for the same company as Baekhyun. He was hoping for a chance that he could get closer to him, maybe even just sex friends at first? Now that Chanyeol had passed away, Jongin was wishing he could somehow replace Chanyeol in Baekhyun's life his own way.

Baekhyun was speechless. No one could ever replace Chanyeol in his life. He was outrageous hearing that from Jongin so he left and hailed a taxi on the way home. Strangely that night back in his apartment after drinking with Jongin, Baekhyun dreamt of Chanyeol. They were riding a bicycle like what they did in high school. Chanyeol played the guitar for him and they sang their love song together. They watched the fireworks from the balcony and kissed under the stars. The last time Baekhyun had a dream about his dead ex-boyfriend was two years ago, so when he woke up the next morning, he found his pillow soaked with tears.

Also, he kind of noticed Chanyeol's guitar hanging on his wall moving a little. Or maybe it was just his imagination?

Days passed uneventfully but Jongin wouldn't stop following him in the office, annoying the shit out of Baekhyun. The younger would reason out he needed guidance as his supervisor, but Baekhyun refused to believe that. He knew Jongin was desperate but also sincere about him. Jongin would bring him lunch and coffee every day, do errands for him, and complete his job efficiently since the guy was honestly a capable employee. It made Baekhyun smile, yes, but he was still holding himself back for the sake of him being Jongin's superior.

But maybe, maybe he was liking Jongin a little bit more today than yesterday.

So what totally swept Baekhyun off his feet, was when Jongin planned out a very sweet surprise birthday party for him.

The entire office was decorated with balloons, party ribbons, and confettis. There was even a big banner greeting Baekhyun on his twenty-sixth birthday. The staff were in for the surprise too, and when it was time for the surprise, Jongin was holding a cake with a sparkler on it and singing a happy birthday song. Baekhyun was so touched he could cry; Jongin looked so handsome that night, and a sudden thought of wanting to kiss Jongin crossed his mind. They were standing face to face, everybody in the room was singing, and Baekhyun felt very special and happy.

But when Baekhyun was about to blow out the sparkler on his birthday cake, Jongin purposely shoved his whole face down into the cake, burning half of his face with the hot fire from the brightly-lit candles.

The crowd around them stopped singing. Baekhyun was flabbergasted and dumbfounded as he stared wide eyed. When Jongin lifted his head, Baekhyun saw how the melted icing trickled on Jongin's burnt skin turning into red angry blisters. There was blood and fresh wound because of the sparkler poking through his eyeball. Not knowing what to react, Baekhyun just froze there in complete shock as Jongin screeched out a cry of pain it pierced everybody's ears.

An ambulance was immediately called in no time. They took Jongin to the hospital, and Baekhyun's birthday party was turned into a disaster.

Baekhyun was trembling. He saw it with his own two eyes. It was as though a force out of nowhere slammed Jongin's head down, shoving it into the cake. It made Baekhyun's skin crawl. It crept the hell out of him, thinking it was his dead ex-boyfriend's ghost.

No. That was impossible.

Baekhyun never saw Jongin again after that day. A gossip spread like fire that Jongin was batshit crazy and a total psycho for doing something so horrifying. Everyone saw how the man burned himself at Baekhyun's birthday party, but Baekhyun had a strong doubt that Jongin wouldn't do that.

I'm sorry, hyung. I can't replace him after all.

A text was only Jongin's way of goodbye. Baekhyun heard that he lived in the province in hiding because of shame, and also because of his burnt face that needed reconstruction surgery.

May, June, July, August--- September.

Four months has passed after the event with Jongin, Baekhyun was told that he was gonna be in an overseas business trip in Hawaii for his promotion.

Memories of Chanyeol came back like a surge when his boss broke out the news to him. Happiness, but mostly nostalgia, was what he felt. He was glad for the promotion, but remembering the promise he had with Chanyeol who was no longer here made him very sad. But it was fine, it was part of reminiscing the past. As a simple celebration, he drank expensive wine by himself that night in his apartment, played jazz music that Chanyeol liked, danced like crazy, and watched Chanyeol's old videos, including those sexy ones.

It was kind of ridiculous and maybe a little embarrassing, because when he got horny, he masturbated to the thought of his dead ex-lover who died five years ago. The thought of Chanyeol's cock fucking him doggy style made him come so hard, while he used the dildo which comforted him all these years. It was his first sex toy way before Chanyeol was still alive so he never threw it away. Chanyeol even used it to him once before. It was very important to him.

He really loved Chanyeol, and probably, he still does until now.

"I missed you so much, babe..." Baekhyun cried himself to sleep, reciting these words like a mantra. "I really missed you, Chanyeol..."

That night, he dreamt of having sex with Chanyeol and it felt so real. They fucked like horny rabbits at this very apartment. In the kitchen, in the living room, and in the bathroom, they never missed a single spot. But when they got to the bedroom, they made love, kissed, cuddled, and hugged without letting go of each other. They talked and laughed on the bed cuddled in sheets like the old times, before fucking again until dawn.

Baekhyun must be crazy because when he woke up the next morning, he felt a huge discomfort in his ass like he was actually pounded by a big cock. He was really sore down there. The inside of his butt was sticky too, as though cum filled it entirely. He blamed it on the dildo and lube; he jerked off furiously last night and that made him all limp and aching. He still had a flight to Hawaii to catch so he better get his shit together and have his ass moving, literally.

September, October, November.

November was Chanyeol's birth month and his fifth death anniversary. It was also the moment when Baekhyun finally decided to move out of his old apartment after saving enough money. He bought a condo closer to his workplace, and he was still contemplating whether to bring Chanyeol's stuff with him or not. His Mom told him to just leave them at his old apartment so it wouldn't take too much space which he could actually use for new furniture.

Baekhyun was hesitant at first, but he followed his Mom's advice. The day he moved out, he didn't take Chanyeol's stuff with him--- his guitar, his love letters, his skateboard, some of his hoodies, his mug, his bicycle, and even the sex toy. He left them all locked up inside his old bedroom after clearing up all the furnitures. He told the landlord to contact him when someone bought the place so he could transfer Chanyeol's stuff to his parents' storage house. The only thing he brought with him was their picture together which he kept hidden inside the closet of his new bedroom.

First week living in his new condo was super tiring for Baekhyun, taking care of his new place, buying furniture and appliances, and adjusting to a new environment. But on the second week to third week here, he pretty much got used to it already. He invited his co-workers over for a housewarming party. They had a couple drinks and played games.

But what happened next totally confused Baekhyun, and probably scared him just by thinking about it. It caused him goosebumps, having no idea how it happened.

"Your new boyfriend? He's so handsome."

That was what his co-worker said when she found Baekhyun and Chanyeol's picture frame displayed on the side table in the living room. The photo was taken five years ago during their fifth year anniversary, and said picture frame was placed beside the telephone so everybody could see it. His colleagues had all gathered around the photo and praised how he and Chanyeol looked good together. They asked how they met and when he was gonna introduce him to them.

As Baekhyun stood there sweating coldly, he laughed and told them that it was his ex. He didn't mention that Chanyeol was already dead for the sake of the atmosphere.

But thinking about it again, Baekhyun was sure he had that picture kept in his dresser, so what was it doing there in the living room?

What if someone took it out?

He must be really fucking crazy. No. It couldn't be. Chanyeol wouldn't do that. Chanyeol is dead. Ghosts can't touch things, and as if ghosts were real anyway.

"Bye! Good night!"

The housewarming party finished like a blur, and everybody went home. Well, except for that guy Baekhyun knew had been flirting with him for a while now since he moved in to this condominium building.

Lucas was not his co-worker. The guy basically just crashed into their party since he was just living next door. Baekhyun didn't feel anything in particular about Lucas, but he thought the man was hot and had a very handsome face. He was exactly his type, maybe he also had a big cock? So when Lucas asked him if he wanted to casually hook-up and be fuck buddies, Baekhyun just basically agreed to the proposition.

He craved for sex for a really long time, and if the opportunity served itself in front of him, Baekhyun had no reason to decline it, right?

They ended up fucking in Baekhyun's unit, it was a mind-blowing sex, a really hot and rough one, yet satisfying. Baekhyun even got scared at first that what happened with Kris might occur again this night, but fortunately it didn't.

So the next morning Baekhyun woke up alone in bed, he congratulated himself for getting laid. His sex partner might have gone back to his unit when he was still sleeping because he didn't want to bother waking him up. He felt the evidence of their fuck session through the bruises on his waist and the swell in his ass.

"What time is it..."

Baekhyun grabbed his phone and was about to text Lucas if he wanted to have breakfast together, when loud sirens blared from the outside to totally wake him up. He ignored it though, having a glimpse of his calendar with a red circle on it somewhere in the third week. Eyes wide, he immediately shot up, guilt washing over his system.

Fuck. He couldn't believe he almost forgot.

It was Chanyeol's birthday today.

"Shit... I'm sorry!"

Baekhyun cursed to himself and headed straight to the shower, still feeling guilty about what happened. He slept with a guy he was not even dating, and an important event---Chanyeol's death anniversary--- almost slipped out of his mind. Finishing his bath quickly and putting on clothes, he decided to buy flowers before he went to visit Chanyeol at the columbarium to make up for it. The TV was on so he paused for a minute to listen to the news flash while wearing his shoes.

"News Flash: A car explosion occurred at OO street on XX District, 11:27 in the morning today. The driver was identified as Wong Yukhei and he was found dead after extreme third-degree burn, smoke suffocation, and head trauma...."

Baekhyun looked at his watch, disregarding the news and turning the TV off. He didn't know who that person was and he had no plans on knowing. So, if there was an accident today in the street a few blocks away from here, that means he couldn't go outside, right? Maybe he'd just buy the flowers online and ride the subway. Chanyeol's Mom texted him that they were also visiting Chanyeol this morning.

The doorbell suddenly rang and Baekhyun jolted in surprise. Coming! He yelled, as he also took his phone, keys, and wallet with him.

But as soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by a tall man standing outside his unit.

He gasped when he saw Chanyeol smiling in front of him.

"Chanyeol...?"

He had to rub his eyes multiple times, before his vision went back to normal. It was not Chanyeol, of course. It was just his neighbor, his fuck buddy, whom he just slept with that night.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone else."

He must be missing Chanyeol now that he was starting to hallucinate.

"Good morning, what do you need, Lucas?"

Lucas was just staring blankly at him, stoic, eyes dull, and unreadable. His face had little wounds and a few blood here and there, but Baekhyun chose not to ask it even if he was tad curious.

"I uh, kind of in a hurry right now. Did you leave something in my room?"

Baekhyun noticed that the man was holding a small bouquet of dark red carnations, and his heart never failed to race incredibly fast inside his chest at the sight of that.

Why did his neighbor have Chanyeol's favorite flowers?

"Don't leave your house. I'm here now," the man muttered in a low, cold, and sinister tone.

Baekhyun stared intently as confusion hit him. What's this person saying? He has no time to deal with him right now.

"Can I come in, Baekhyun? I wanted to see the inside of your new place."

"You were... just here last night."

"Oh, was I? I think I already forgot about that," Lucas laughed, and that deep and breathy voice resonating inside the room sent chills to Baekhyun's spine, "Since you left some stuff back in your old place, I had no choice but to get rid of him to have a new home. Ha. Serves him right for touching what is mine."

"What are you talking about? Look, I have an appointment today," Baekhyun sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "If you wanted to hook up again, we could do it when I come back, okay?"

"Sure. Take your time. I'll just wait for you here until you get back."

In the corner of his eyes, although feeling a bit weirded out by Lucas' strange aura, Baekhyun watched his neighbor sitting on the couch like it was his own place. He hasn't even known Lucas that long but seems like the guy was being more comfortable now.

Wait. Was it a bad thing? Lucas was even touching and staring at his and Chanyeol's picture frame Baekhyun forgot to return back to its hiding place.

"Go treat your wounds. I have a first aid kit right there. I'm leaving now. Bye!"

"Bye," the man said, a dark and creepy smile making its way into his lips. As he watched Baekhyun close the door, he whispered to himself faintly, "See you later, babe."

"I miss you so much, Chanyeol," Baekhyun placed the flowers beside his ex-boyfriend's urn, smiling wistfully, "It has been five years since you left me but I think I was able to move on now..."

The plain and deafening silence made Baekhyun feel melancholic. It was still painful but the hurt he felt right now has subsided. It would never go away.

"I loved you babe, and I will always love you. But can I let go of you now?"

Probably it was just his imagination that Chanyeol felt so near, and Chanyeol was the reason why he couldn't date any men. But considering nothing happened to Lucas even though their relationship was just no strings attached, it must be the right time to dismiss that intuition. Exactly after five years since Chanyeol died, he felt like he could start a new relationship with someone again. He had quite a strong gut that Chanyeol was allowing him now to be happy with somebody else.

"Are you happy in heaven now? Me, I'm trying to be happy here. Thank you for visiting my dreams recently, but I think you should stop now..."

The phone in his pocket vibrated, so Baekhyun fished it out to read the text message from a familiar number.

01127056614

This guitar suits your wall, babe. Can we display it here in your room again?

Attached was a picture of Chanyeol's guitar placed on top of Baekhyun's bed back in his condo.

"H-how did it get there!?"

Baekhyun's eyes widened in mortification, as though ice cold water was poured into his body. The hairs at the back on his neck stood up. With shaking fingers, he slid open the glass case of Chanyeol's cremated remains. He didn't want to think of anything at this moment but he was honestly frightened to death, now that he was hearing his own heart drilling and beating at his throat.

No. It can't be.

He scrambled with the urn, opening it and letting the lid slip through his fingers until it rolled on the tiled floor.

There was nothing inside the jar.

*

END