𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 || 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐡𝐲𝐮𝐜𝐤/𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧

9

One month later Donghyuck thought that they had made progress. He’d given in and they searched for a reserve, only to find the one they’d heard of wiped out clean. Instead of looking for any remains they took over the place, the shock of some lost luxuries like running water and soft beds lightening the mood. Donghyuck had hoped that would be enough to push them forward, but he was wrong.

“Jeno!” Jaemin's voice screamed that one night, making Donghyuck sit up so fast it gave him whiplash.

At first Donghyuck was annoyed from waking up out of a good dream, groaning in pain and grabbing at his neck. But then the noise finally registered with him. By the time he was up and rushing to the door, he heard it again.

“Jeno!”

Donghyuck ran out of his door and went in the direction of the noise. At the bathroom he saw a flash of white as Jeno rushed in first, only to stop in the doorway.

Donghyuck wasn't tall enough to see over Jeno, but he tried to peek and wished that he didn't. Jaemin had his arms wrapped around Chenle, sobbing and trying to pull him out of the tub. But Chenle's eyes were closed, body limp, lips blue, and soaked to the bone in his clothes. Water was everywhere, sloshing out of the tub with every tug Jaemin gave to pull Chenle out.

“Shit.” Jeno cursed, getting it together and going over to help Jaemin set Chenle down on the tile. “Is he okay? What the hell did he do?”

“Chenle, please wake up.” Jaemin whimpered, body shaking from his wet, cold clothes and the severity of the situation.

If Donghyuck looked back to how Chenle had been acting up until now he’d be able to notice it, he’s sure of it.

Chenle had been quieter, only interacting with them when he was spoken to first. His smile, usually so bright and cute like a chipmunk with stuffed cheeks was gone, replaced by a gaunt frown. Even when Jaemin would catch his eye he would walk out of the room, mumbling some random excuse to get away. Donghyuck was sure now that seeing Mark go had done something to him, broke something inside of him that lead him to be able to do this.

Donghyuck looked down at Chenle's body with burning eyes, wishing that he’d realized sooner.

~Time Skip~

Donghyuck knew that their true happiness was long gone. They were a ticking time bomb, Jeno had said bitterly one night, alcohol on his breath.

He was right.

Renjun left next, not even two weeks after Chenle. No one knew how until they found the empty container of pills in the bathroom. If they hadn’t all they would have known was that Renjun didn’t wake up one morning.

The empty bottle reminded Donghyuck of their earlier days, when Renjun was still addicted to anti-depressants. It was surprising how the person with the brightest and most playful personality was the one with the crippling depression, but Donghyuck wasn’t one to judge. Renjun was one of the first people to experience the terrors of the virus, losing his friends all at the same time. Anyone would be messed up from that.

But Renjun had moved passed it, or at least grew strong enough to deal with the pain of the loss. With Chenle's help he’d stopped taking the pills. Donghyuck could remember the party they threw when Renjun dumped the left over pills into the fire, how even he got up to dance around the fire to celebrate.

Renjun must have started taking pills after Chenle's death, when he found some behind the bathroom mirror.

Once again Donghyuck missed a cry from someone he loved, ignorant to their suffering when they needed help and comfort the most. If only he’d saved Chenle he knew Renjun wouldn’t have gone like this. Despite Renjun being their laughter and hope he often needed encouragement too, even before Mark died. It was always Chenle that brought him back to his feet again, his bright personality and optimistic energy keeping their spirits high.

Donghyuck let out a deep breath, trying to sooth the pain continually growing in his chest.