❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

"We need to go to the hospital!" Joshua yelled at the driver who shook his head. "Sir, they're going to ask what happened to him, what are you going to say?"

Joshua went silent. He didn't know what he was going to say. He glanced at Dokyeom who was still conscious but didn't have the energy to speak.

He had already taken their suit ties and tied it around Dokyeom's bare stomach and had elevated his upper body. "So what do you want me to do? Leave him to die?"

Joshua gulped, the thought of Dokyeom dying was heartbreaking and he didn't think he would be able to live with himself if that happened.

"I have somewhere we can go." The driver stepped on the accelerator which ignited the engine of the car as it moved swiftly on the road. Joshua kept his hand beneath Dokyeom's head and patted his chest gently.

He just wanted Dokyeom to be okay.

He had already destroyed all the CCTVs in the warehouse but he would have to return to take care of the bodies. Luckily, Joshua had confirmed that the warehouse was indeed abandoned.

The car came to a sudden stop and the driver got out, rushing to the front door of the house they had parked outside of. Joshua kept one hand on the gun Dokyeom had given him, which was still fully loaded.

He wasn't fucking around. If they even tried to trick them, he would shoot them with no hesitation.

After some seconds, the driver returned opening the car door. "Let's go in sir." He said helping Joshua out and then helping carry Dokyeom.

...

"It's a minor wound. He was wearing protective armor but the bullet managed to lightly pass through." The doctor assessed Seokmin's injury while Joshua placed his face in his palms, relief flooding his body.

"We'll just need to remove the bullet, treat the wound, get him on some intravenous fluids and monitor him for a few days." The doctor explained before starting with the procedures.

As he took off Seokmin's suit jacket and shirt, Joshua notices the multiple wounds Dokyeom had. He had never noticed them before.

"He's been shot before... a lot of times it seems." As the doctor informed Joshua, his heart broke into pieces. Dokyeom was a hero, literally. He had saved so many people and he had once again saved Joshua's life.

Joshua didn't know why he deserved to be saved by someone as righteous as Dokyeom. He truly didn't deserve to be alive. He was the one supposed to be on the bed, not Dokyeom.

...

Hours passed and it was getting dark. Joshua was asked to wait outside but he refused to do so. He watched everything happen to Dokyeom. He didn't want the shady doctor to hurt Dokyeom on purpose.

"How much do I owe you?" Joshua asked, crossing his legs. The doctor chuckled as he bandaged Dokyeom who hadn't said a word throughout but the pain was visible on his face and the groans weren't on the quiet side either.

"Nothing, you just make sure he doesn't get shot again, if he does, he'll die Mr. Hong." He informed Joshua whose chest tightened up at the warning from the doctor. He nodded in understanding.

"You can take him tomorrow, let him just get some rest today." The driver proposed an idea and Joshua agreed. He wasn't going to stress Dokyeom by taking him back to the hotel this night.

Joshua got out his phone and dialed Vernon's number. "Yes boss?" Vernon's voice came through. Joshua took a deep breath before putting the phone to his ear.

"Cancel our return flight, extend the trip for three more days." He instructed. "So you want to return on Sunday not Wednesday anymore?" Vernon inquired.

"Yes... and also, I need backup at the Hamlin Warehouse in London, Code 3." He heard Vernon's audible gasp before the boy replied. "Yes sir, sending backup right now."

Joshua ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. "I have a room you two can stay in upstairs." The doctor pointed to the ceiling but Joshua shook his head.

"I don't want to inconvenience you, let Dokyeom stay there, I can stay on the couch." Joshua said and the doctor chuckled. He was an old man whose face was decorated with wrinkles and loose fat.

"I wasn't asking you Mr. Hong, I was telling you... my house, my rules." He folded his arms and smirked which caught Joshua by surprise.

"Oh... okay." He pursed his lips and went quiet, the awkwardness of the situation silencing him.

With the help of the driver, Joshua carried Dokyeom upstairs to the room, placing him in the bed and covering him up with the blanket. The doctor, whose name Joshua had just found out, had changed Dokyeom into more comfortable clothes and had also given Joshua clothes to change into.

Joshua stepped into the bathroom, closing the door and once he got in, the tears he had been holding back started to spill out of his eyes.

Joshua was afraid. Truly afraid. Being in another near death experience was frightening and having someone almost die in his place again was even more frightening.

Joshua was nowhere near as strong as people perceived him to be. He was just as broken as Dokyeom was, if not worse. He had generational trauma which he desperately tried to suppress but failed each time.

He wasn't okay. He wasn't okay at all.

His mind was all over the place, his feelings were all over the place, his heart was all over the place too.

Almost losing Dokyeom had made him realize the truth. He had only ever felt like this about Jeonghan, but even then, his feelings for Jeonghan had never been as strong as this.

His feelings had never been like an unquenchable fire in his chest, like a permanent lump in his throat, like an anchor on his heart waiting to be rolled off.

Joshua was conflicted. He didn't know what to do. This was the problem with letting people get close to him, with letting people into his circle.

He became attached... and right now he wasn't just attached to Dokyeom, Dokyeom had become his other half, his fixation, his to own, to keep and to treasure.

He was in love with Lee Dokyeom.

Joshua wiped his tears away and washed his face, trying to mask his true feelings and emotions. He was a troubled man. He didn't deserve love so he had already made a decision.

He wasn't going to act on his feelings because he didn't deserve Dokyeom. He didn't deserve anyone.

He deserved to die. He deserved to be the one laying on the bed in pain.

Joshua dried his hands and walked out of the bathroom, laying down beside Dokyeom but still leaving a distance between them.

"Joshua." He heard Dokyeom call weakly and he turned on his side, facing him.

"Don't pity me." Seokmin pleaded. He too had realized his feelings for Joshua when he noticed he didn't even care that he was shot. He only cared about Joshua being safe.

But he had also decided not to act on it. How evil would he be to fall in love with someone he was betraying every single day? He didn't deserve love or happiness. Those things just weren't made for him.

"I don't pity you, I just feel guilty." Joshua replied, folding his arms. Seokmin sighed, his breath shaking as he let it out.

"Don't feel guilty either." He added and Joshua's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why?" He questioned, unsure of what Dokyeom even meant.

"I'm not a good person either." He said before closing his eyes and murmuring.

"I'm still holding the gun."

❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

Ⓒ︎𝐎𝐇𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐎𝐇𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐎𝐇
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 - 06/10/2024
𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 - N/A