19:52.

it worried her, that he wasn't here.

jack hadn't turned up, even though she knew that it was his shift tonight, along with her and laura. the restaurant was bustling, busy with customers, the fleeting conversations were slightly higher in volume than most nights. heat of the lasting day stuck to her back, her white shirt and black skirt warm and damp from the high temperatures. her persistent worry and continuing anxious state only added to the perspiration gathering along the brim of her forehead.

roma had attempted to preoccupy her thoughts, but her strategy had proved unsuccessful, her mind consumed by questions concerning jack's whereabouts. and questions concerning whether baekhyun was okay.

she'd only just managed to convince him to let her work tonight. her stomach still did flips at the remembrance of his caring nature and somewhat over-protective words. baekhyun had stared at her with that captivating, penetrating stare, the one that made her feel as if she meant far more to him than she thought. couldn't be true.

"doesn't jack work tonight? where is he?" roma casually asked her colleague, laura, during a spare moment that the two girls shared behind the bar, away from the sweltering heat of the loud dining room.

"no idea. you're right, he normally does work, though," laura said, not bothered by her asking in the slightest. didn't think anything of it. "maybe he's ill or something."

laura took a large sip of the rather worryingly large glass of gin and tonic that she'd just poured for herself, not before offering a similar concoction to roma, to which she politely declined. you weren't supposed to drink on the job. roma wasn't one for reckless behaviour.

"i wouldn't worry about it, though," laura said, downing the drink in one shot. similarly, roma noted how laura's tight clothes also clung to her body. roma brought the back of her hand up to dab at her forehead. it was so hot.

"oh, no, i'm not," roma reassured. perhaps she had come across as anxious for him, wondering whether jack was fine. "just thought it was weird for him to miss his shift, is all."

that certainly wasn't the case. her heart thumped as the recalled his rough touch encompassing her small frame, violating, marking her with his alcoholic breath and drunken threats. perhaps roma was more shocked about the entire ordeal because she'd been naïve enough to think that her and jack were friends.

she cringed at the thought.

"ah, well," laura sighed.

the manager called upon them both, telling them to stop chatting. quickly, they turned their attentions back to waiting tables and serving drinks. laura wiped her mouth and tested her breath before the two of them had jumped up over the counter.

now that the bar was beginning to clear as the night slowly progressed, and the orange lamps were rid of their burning candles, roma began to collect her things, taking off her apron in the process, and saying goodbye to everyone. earlier, she'd insisted on walking home, informing baekhyun that she only lived a few streets away--even though he knew that. she'd see him tomorrow. as usual, he had reluctantly agreed.

as she stepped out of the doorway and realised she'd have to cut through the church square, her heart began to race and her legs began to shake. memories flooded back.

roma didn't normally mind walking home through the town; it wasn't too late, anyway, and it wasn't far. but tonight, there was something in the air, a thick, humid tension that mirrored her own distress at jack's absence. a heavy feeling rested in the pit of her stomach, weighed her down, as she tried not to think of what she assumed.

roma rounded the corner, watching the restaurant's lights diminish in the background, bag slung over her shoulder, bringing her jacket in closer to her shivering body. it wasn't cold. but her skin prickled and her teeth chattered.

streets were emptying, slowly, as she left behind the seeming safety of the thronging crowds of people. each corner revealed less and less, a diminishing population. roma held onto her thin jacket tighter, hands clasping the material, eyes shutting to recollect her thoughts and attempt to count her breaths.

the church tower's spire loomed above.

it reminded her of her first encounter with the strange boy she'd come to be entranced with. it reminded her of the frightened look on baekhyun's face when the lamp had exploded, its light shutting off, leaving them in a complete darkness of cobbled streets and unmoving stars. it reminded her of her pounding heart.

as the memory occurred, the string of street lights were all cut off: one by one, as if on cue. roma stopped. breathed.

saw him.

//

baekhyun had gone into town.

partly because he was sick of being stuck in the apartment with nothing but black coffee and kai's endless rambling to keep him company, and partly because he was worried about roma.

he had to get her out of his head. it was already affecting him; the lights, not being in control anymore. it was her. her big, blue eyes and her soft touches. everything. it was too much: not enough.

he was drunk. very drunk.

baekhyun's steps were uneven and all over the place. his hand reached for the wall, his arm offering support against the bricks as he clutched his forehead, straining his vision. he felt sick. the street lamp above him cut off, sparks flying, hitting the cobbles on which he was standing.

"fuck," he swore to himself, picking his body up. the darkness. "roma."

he tripped over his feet. swore again. tried to see where he was.

baekhyun hated this; the echoing of his heart resounding through his body and the convulsing of breaths that left his mouth in short gasps. he remembered the night before, the lights following him, the running, entwining himself within each corner and alleyway. alone. empty.

the church tower; tall, looming, piercing the navy sea of sky.

blurred vision. dizzied mind. baekhyun was tired and it was so dark.

a matter of moments and he was shoved to the side, losing his balance, falling to the concrete ground. if only he could see. he felt the first punch to his face, his chin, the metallic taste of blood seeping into his mouth. baekhyun attempted to fight back, his hands gripping onto the other body. pushing them off. he felt the presence of more than one person. someone else lifting him up by his shoulders.

he couldn't see. he was drunk.

"who the fuck--"

"remember me?"

baekhyun summoned the strength to hit jack as hard as he could.

//

darkness.

roma's heart beat louder than ever. she was scared. couldn't breathe.

the shouting, the arguing. their voices sounded too familiar for her to ignore. she couldn't see, her only guidance being the loud yells resounding from somewhere up ahead of her. roma could just about, barely, make out the obscured figures fighting. the hard sound of forceful punches and bodies thrown against concrete.

it couldn't be him. she dreaded to think, didn't want to believe that it was happening.

roma held even tighter onto the ends of her jacket and forced herself towards him. she neared the scene, the scenario illuminated by a single street light that was flashing ominously, hanging from the wall of the alley.

roma didn't know what she was doing.

baekhyun was being held against the brick walls, jack's large arm holding him down by his neck. she noticed the scarlet gash of blood that covered one side of his face, only just visible in the lustreless setting, the red colour dripping from in between his lips. he was trying to fight back, kicking and flailing his limbs, anything to get jack off him.

"baekhyun!" she screamed. fear clouded her shrill voice.

he turned. dark eyes, heavy breathing.

she ran toward him, but was stopped by another person, someone strong, whose meaty arms encased her frightened from.

"get off me!"

"hey, babe," jack spoke, letting baekhyun drop to the ground, his weak body crumpling. it was dark, but she could sense the big smirk wiped across jack's face. all she cared about right now was baekhyun.

"don't call me that," her pathetic voice pleaded. she was scared.

baekhyun was up within seconds, his scrambling feet rushing over to roma. she struggled free from the other man's grasp, wanting baekhyun. her heart beat furiously. his hands were cold and shaking, but he pushed the guy off her, taking her within his embrace.

jack's friend attempted to grab hold of her again. jack intervened.

"nah, it's alright. we're done here."

roma clutched onto baekhyun's leather jacket.

"jack, what are you doing?"

roma couldn't comprehend the situation.

baekhyun stepped in front of her.

too much; it was all too much.

anger masked her fear.

"fuck you, jack."

"roma, shh," baekhyun interjected.

baekhyun looked alarmed, his protective nature showing even though his bloodied face frightened her and his legs were unstable and she could see he was completely and utterly out of it.

"need a girl to defend you?" jack laughed, throwing his head back, not before baekhyun lunged towards him, feet hitting the gravelly pavement.

jack moved backwards, still chuckling. the anger she felt towards him burned inside of her.

"baekhyun, stop," roma urged, desperation evident in her voice.

she pulled him back, grabbing hold of the ends of his jacket. he strained against her, disregarding the caring nature of her hold.

"please," she whispered. her voice cracked.

baekhyun turned. facing her.

he stared at her, searching for the fear and apprehension in her eyes. she held back the tears. his breaths were heavy and echoing. all was silent. roma forgot about jack momentarily.

"he's not worth it," she said, her shaking hand reaching up to touch his damaged cheek.

he winced. dark eyes analysed her intently. like he was still trying to figure her out.

baekhyun shoved her off, and, to her surprise, his mouth quirked up at the corners, his bloodied lips spreading into a crooked smile.

he slowly turned to face jack, and leant in to say something lowly to him, something roma couldn't quite hear. she took hold of his cold, calloused hand.

"...stay the fuck away from us."

roma was frightened; her heart racing against her rib cage and her eyes darting from each person. baekhyun to jack. the large, dopey smirk that jack wore infuriated her, her fists clenching. blood covered every inch of baekhyun's visible skin.

"please, let's go."

roma hated how weak and pathetic her voice mumbled, and she hated how jack and his friend were looking her up and down, and she hated how baekhyun wasn't holding her and telling her that everything was going to be okay.

one last look at jack and baekhyun swivelled on his heel, the silence of their surroundings accentuating the minor movement, feet crunching the gravel. roma felt less fearful as baekhyun enclosed her hand within his.

she didn't look back.

"come on," baekhyun ordered.

he was pulling her roughly now, leading her around the corner and away from the other two.

"baekhyun," she mumbled, trying to get his attention, yanking at his sleeves.

no reply. continuing his fast path forward. he still wore that stupid half-smirk. he was drunk.

"baekhyun!"

roma confidently grabbed him by the shoulders. they'd stopped, in front of a dark alleyway. she was breathing hard, as was he, his cautious grin subsiding.

"what happened?"

her voice choked, the tears tempting to spill over.

dark eyes.

no lights. nothing.

"what were you doing? are you drunk?"

his stiffened posture relaxed, the smirk returning.

"come on, love, it's no big deal."

his arm reached around to rest behind her, bringing her so close to his chest, his warm breath whispering along her neck, kissing her roughly.

she tried to push him off.

"baekhyun, please."

"take me home," he chuckled deeply, arms still trying to touch her. an attempted grab at her backside again. "romaaa."

"stop."

he laughed.

roma removed his hand from her and placed it around her shoulders for support.

the journey home was filled with darkness and baekhyun's warm hands.

//