- sixty seven -

After Abigail finished signing Renjun's pre-made contract, the said boy allowed himself to let go of the tense breath he had been holding.

For some reason, the mere signature managed to loosen every nerve inside his body.

Abigail said nothing else, and rose when Taeyong had gestured towards her and nodded at him.

The rustle of papers and the scuffing of chairs sounded in the room, some people still a little nerve racked, but otherwise they were less tense when Jaehyun accompanied Taeyong in leading Abigail out of the building.

The adrenaline rush seemed to leave everyone immediately after the dark silhouette of the woman was outside of the exit and the door shut heavily behind her.

His eyebrows were tense as his heavy footfalls made echoes on the metal walls, each step seemingly heavier than the last.

Renjun only let his feet lead himself up the metal stairs to his room, making his way into the bathroom.

His breathing deepened, as he tried to keep tears at bay.

His vision being blurred by the stress filled tears, nothing but the simultaneous emotions of guilt and relief clouding his senses as he closed the door, not noticing that all of the others had slowly by surely trailed behind him, making their way to their rooms.

As if all the weigh had finally registered to Renjun's body, he felt his steely strength disappear from his legs and he allowed his body slide against the now closed bathroom door, as his resolve from earlier escaped him as well.

The rough metal of the door he leaned against was cool but rough on his back, adding a sense of solitary to his dark atmosphere for he hadn't turned the lights on.

It was funny, really.

That he had come out with this seemingly cool ability, but feeling nothing but emptiness fill him after it left with nothing to replace it.

Renjun brought his hands to his eyes, his final attempt to keeping the tears away.

But, of course, it was to no avail.

The image of a cowering Jeno and Jaemin. The blood seeping willingly from their skin as if they were born to be in that situation.

Renjun hated it, but he couldn't bring himself to be angry anymore.

The only thing he could feel was the rising self hatred inside of him.

Abigail was inevitable, but he didn't want it to happen. None of it.

Those images of the two boys he loved, they just wouldn't stop appearing in his mind.

He only continued to press his palms into his eyes, the tears flowing freely.

It was if someone turned on a spout and tried to turn it closed, but couldn't so only a little seeped out.

No matter what rationalizing Renjun tried to fool himself into thinking wasn't working, especially since his breathing cut in and out from his emotional breakdown.

Just wanting to let everything out, he screamed.

He screamed at Abigail, at Jaemin and Jeno, at himself.

He wailed the two boys' names, his heart heavy with their names on his tongue, but he continued.

He knew they were alright now, but in this state he couldn't help it.

He let his heartbroken self cry his heart out.

Donghyuck was the first to return to Renjun's room though, the others opting to rest a little longer downstairs, or in Jaemin and Jeno's case, getting a little more attention from Hendery on their previous injuries.

He wasn't too concerned until he heard Renjun's yells from their bathroom, and he immediately raced over to the door.

He quickly tried to open it, finding the door handle not budging a bit.

"Renjun?"

Nothing.

He could hear the heartbroken yells, until he finally was able to open the door, only to be met with darkness and Renjun sitting in front of him at the door frame, eyes closed with tear stains on his cheeks.

Donghyuck immediately held the smaller boy, arms tenderly wrapped around him.

He spoke comforting words to him, and rubbed his back softly as he rocked him against his body.

He closed his own eyes, tears threatening to spill at the sight of the older boy.

He had never seen such a sad emotion from Renjun, but he wanted nothing more in his heart than to help him.

He held him until Renjun had calmed down, and was reduced to mere sniffles, cuddling into Donghyuck's chest.

There was an echoing of heavy clinks from someone running on the metal slates outside their room, and soon Jaemin and Jeno burst through the door, eyes wide and hair disheveled.

They saw Donghyuck holding Renjun, and immediately their stances softened.

They had heard Renjun's screams, but Hendery wouldn't let them leave until he was finished checking over them.

They rushed away from Hendery as soon as he had finished, and immediately went to where Renjun was.

Jeno walked up to the smaller two boys, and slowly detached Renjun from Donghyuck from the door frame to the bathroom.

He brought the older boy onto the big bed, holding him in comfort.

"We're right here," Jaemin whispered as he sat down next to the other two.

"I was so scared," Renjun confessed, fluid tears running down his face as he looked at the younger.

"I was so scared I was going to lose you two," he whispered, before dragging Jaemin closer to him and Jeno.

"You will never lose us," Jeno answered, placing a light kiss to the crown of both Renjun's and Jaemin's head, holding them both close.

"Never."

"What the hell happened to the bathroom?"