Running out of time
Title: Running out of time
Characters: Daesung, Seunghyun
Rating: PG
Word count: 542
Disclaimer: This is pure fiction
Summary: Daesung already had the car moving way above the speed limit, crossing between the lanes to pass the red rear lights of other vehicles.
The stars in the sky faded to be replaced by artificial lights, the city growing bigger as the asphalt trail lead them closer. They were running out of time.
"Faster, Dae, we can still make it!"
"Shit Seunghyun, this heap doesn't go any faster and you know it."
Daesung already had the car moving way above the speed limit, crossing between the lanes to pass the red rear lights of other vehicles. The hour was late, almost early morning, but the highway was not empty, never was in the towering presence of the distant skyscrapers.
"Take the next exit, we can shortcut from there."
"I know, I know."
Daesungs pressed his lips together with concentration when he turned sharp to get in the right lane, causing the driver in the car behind them to step on the brakes. The sound of the signal horn was not the first one they'd heard that night and none of them flinched.
The shortcut proved to be a failure as they had to pass a construction area they had both forgotten about. The road had been narrowed, filled with signs and obstructions meant to be passed with caution. Seunghyun growled, sinking further into the passenger seat, a hand to his forehead.
"Why the hell did we have to go out of town this weekend. We knew he was getting worse and still we had to..."
Seunghyun was interrupted when both of their phones suddenly buzzed simultaneously. Daesung turned briefly to look at the man sitting beside him. For a second their eyes met, an exchange of fear and knowledge intertwined taking place. Before Seunghyun had managed to open the phone, fingers fumbling, hurrying and hesitating at the same time, it started ringing.
"It's Youngbae."
The signals filled the car with a choking thickness, three four five times and counting. None of them knew what to do, Daesung still driving as fast as the road and the traffic allowed. The phone went quiet but immediately started ringing again.
"Well, fuck, fuck!" Daesung hissed out the last word, his hands going white from his steel grip on the wheel.
Seunghyun flipped the phone open.
"Yeah, I'm listening."
Youngbaes faint and calm words drifted over to Daesung and the tone of his voice made him ease his foot on the gas pedal. There wasn't anything to hurry to anymore. He let the car come to a halt at the roadside. The man sitting next to him said nothing and when Youngbae also became silent on the other side he turned to look at Daesung, lowered the phone from his ear and closed it.
"He's gone."
Daesung looked at Seunghyuns shaking hands. Jiyong was gone and they hadn't been there to send him off.
The lights of passing cars created moving patterns on the dashboard, repeating themselves over and over. The sun had slowly begun to illuminate the sky in front of them but the night was still dark and the city lights were yellow and soft, caressing their tired faces.
The sound of Seunghyuns silent sobs filled the space between them. Jiyong was gone and they were sitting in a car ten minutes from the hospital and the city was bustling with life in it's supposedly most quiet hour.