Chapter Text
It’s been twenty-one years since Baekhyun and Chanyeol lost their first youngest child, their supposed middle child to the hospital fire. No matter how long it has been the ache never disappears, it dampens down to a small pulse but a pulse nonetheless. It’s a constant reminder of what they lost, the missing piece of their family. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were part of the wealthiest people in the country. They have a lot of influence in the world hence their enemies list are just as long. It was how they lost their second child.
—
Baekhyun was giving birth to their baby and just when he was about to hold the newest addition to their family, the hospital shook, explosians rang and fire quickly started to spread. Baekhyun was out of it, at that point he was delirious asking for his baby and no one seems to pay attention to him as the panic was evident in everyone’s action. He could feel Chanyeol’s steady gaze and hear his husband’s soothing voice next to him, assuring him that the doctors are just cleaning the baby before handing him to them and that their security are already on it, that nothing would happen to them.
Baekhyun was still in hysteria knowing that something is wrong when he was handed their child and he quickly put the necklace on their child “Chanyeol, our baby” Baekhyun cried “take our baby Chanyeol, go please” but before Chanyeol could assure him that everything is fine. Baekhyun saw a man specifically one of their guards bash Chanyeol’s head causing his husband to fall to the floor and Baekhyun couldn’t do anything but cry, he remembered the child in his arms and did his best to protect his little one as he begged and pleaded evading the guard but he was quickly held down by the same guard who bashed his husband’s head as he saw another inject what he assumes is a sedative to him.
Baekhyun screamed, pleaded and cried for them to spare his child, an innocent who just came to the world, but it slowly died down as the drugs took effect and the last thing he saw was a strange man carrying his screaming child whose hand reached out for him before the world turned black and Baekhyun knew and hated that it would be the last time he saw his child.
—
“Chanyeol-... no…no…please…” Doyoung shot up from his bed and automatically reached for his gun, the cold from the metal grounding him to reality before burying his head in his hands and sobbing. He reached for his pendant the last piece that connects him to his family, his real family. For as long as he could remember he has been having the same nightmare of someone screaming and fires surrounding them.
It is how Doyoung instinctively knew that the “father” he grew up with and trained him to be a top assassin was not his biological father because despite growing up in the harsh environment of professional assassins, he knows that no father would ever treat their child like that nor allow any child to go through all that pain.
He originally believed the dream to be just that, a dream no matter how much it felt real but something in him knew that those people in his dream loved him. That thought was dismissed by the father he grew up to know as a child’s dream and the man would praise him and take him for ice cream once he repeated that it was just a dream. As a kid in need of a parent’s love and acceptance he did as he was told and got rewarded for it, dismissing it then nothing more than a dream eventually getting to a point where he hated those people in his dream which his father seemed to delight at.
It all came crashing down when his father decided to start on his psychological training when he was a mere sixteen year old boy by revealing where he came from and how his biological family are living well without him. Revealing that the dream was indeed real and how his real parents were the one to orchestrate everything as they have no use for a weakling like him.
It took many months and thousands of lashes and hating his biological family for Doyoung to build his mask so that they would stop with the training and after six months of training or hell, he passed the training and became a full fledged assassin. He quickly rose through the ranks with skills that surpassed his seniors at only sixteen years old. He could disassemble a gun within a minute, cut through metal like its butter and take down a man thrice his size.
It wasn’t until he did a full investigation on his birth family at eighteen that he knew the full truth. His biological parents didn’t stop looking for him. He saw all the missing articles and pieced the puzzle together that he was lied to, his “father” manipulated him and as a consequence he became his father’s worse nightmare.
At mere eighteen years old, he had his father on trial on their guild challenging for his place at the head of the guild and after a long battle, Doyoung won. Years of anger and resentment were unleashed on the man he gree to know as a father before ultimately burying the old man six feet under.
At twenty one, he has successfully turned a small secret guild to a bigger empire with hands everywhere moving pieces accordingly and everyone in the underworld knew not to touch the Byun-Park family as they were under his protection but some lowlifes can’t seem to get that in their heads so here he is, on a solo mission to eradicate pests that kept bothering his family. It didn’t matter to Doyoung that his biological family didn’t know that he is protecting them or that he is even alive at all but that’s alright with him.
“Dobby-ah, you need to stop going on solo missions to protect the byun-parks” he could hear his Kun-ge tired tone, a trusted ge to him who was there by his side from the very start.
There are only three people in his guild that knew why he is protective of the Byun-Park family, most assumed that the family invested in the guild or hired them for protection but they’re wrong and are idiots, in his opinion.
The three people who knew are coincidentally also his trusted older brothers who took care of him when the old man used to hurt or neglect him. They were the three people who protected his side and back when he went against the head of the guild and the same people to comfort him with head pats and soothing words, well as soothing as you can get from men raised by an assassin guild, but nonetheless they are Doyoung’s emergency contacts but also the first to nag him about actually showing his face to his family.
“Kun is right Dobby-ah, you can’t hide from your family forever or stalk them like a creepy stalker” Taeyong said as he attempted to stop the younger boy from packing his things.
“anything else to add Cheol-hyung?” Doyoung asked cause his Cheol-hyung was always the last one to speak, only for him to drive the argument to a win.
“We as your hyungs and ge are concerned for you dobby-ah, don’t think we don’t see your puffy eyes whenever you see your family from a distance. You can deny it all you want but we know you and we know you long to be with them” Cheol shrugged nonchalantly knowing how hard headed his dongsaeng is when it come to this topic.
“I’m not risking them hyung, they believe me to be dead for twenty one years. I can’t protect them if I’m the one making them targets”
“They’re targets either way dobby-ah, you forget how rich and influential your parents are plus there are three trained and top assassins in this room who have been protecting you and will protect your family with you, why carey the burden alone?” Kun added to the argument.
“Okay enough both of you. Doyoung-ah our oh so precious and stubborn dobby bunny. If you ever change your mind just know we are right there with you okay?” Taeyong said in a soft tone, he adjusted his dongsaeng’s gear before patting the younger’s hair.
“Stay safe okay? call us when you need back up. We know you’re one of the best but that doesn’t mean we don’t worry about you too” Doyoung nodded at his hyung’s words, flashing the older a genuine smile before he said his goodbyes to his hyungs and ge and leaving to eliminate the pests near his family.
It was supposed to be an easy mission yet as he walked the empty road he can feel his body slowly give up on him.
Doyoung didn’t expect that he might die this way, if his mentor could see him now he would laugh at his state. Doyoung was bloodied and limping with wounds too big to not need stitches yet he was walking fast as years of torture and training equiped him with a sense of numbness in his body. He can already hear his Taeyong, Cheol, and Kun’s mother hen voices at the back of his mind scolding him for getting caught off guard.
Doyoung knew going alone is a suicide mission and a bit idiotic according to his hyungs and ge but in his defense he usually handled himself well but tonight? his intel was wrong and when you enter a situation you don’t have all the facts to, you entered it with one foot already in the grave.
Don’t get him wrong although he might be bloodied and at death’s door, he won the battle and was the only one to get out of there alive. The pests that were becoming a thorn at his parents’ side were properly eliminated. He smiled at the thought that he was going out of the world by protecting them, the people who he never knew personally and never knew him. From his surveillance of his biological family he can tell that they were good people, genuinely good people from how their smiles beamed whenever they have dinners as a family, at parks or at company or good will functions.
He hissed when one of the wounds started to bleed more but as if his mind was already preparing the seven minute flashback before death. He remembered his encounter with Yuan, his youngest brother who is a sweet five year old boy, a bit too energetic but a happy and kind kid.
—3 years ago—
“Hey mister!” Doyoung heard a kid, specifically his baby brother, call for him so he stopped walking so the little boy could catch up to him. Once the kid caught up to him, he immediately went down to his height and smiled.
“Yes Mr?, how could I be of service?” Doyoung smiled, memorizing the face of his younger brother. It was baffling how he can see traces of himself in his younger brother despite never meeting before today.
“Hi! ‘m Yu! I wanted to give you this!” the kid held out a chocolate bar to him which he took with a hint of confusion. As if sensing his confusion, his younger brother continued “you looked alone and sad mister, and appa always gave me chocolate whenever I’m sad so I gave you one so it could help you cheer up too!” Yuan beamed and showing off a proud smile which made Doyoung tear up and when Yuan noticed it, he frowned, he immediately hugged the older and patted Doyoung’s hair which he probably picked up from his family.
Doyoung tried hard not to sob on his little brother but he couldn’t help it when this is the first hug he ever had in eighteen years and it came from his little brother. He hugged Yuan tighter and kissed the younger’s forehead saying his thanks which got him a toothy smile in return.
“Thank you Yu” Doyoung sniffled before ruffling the younger’s head and continuing “Yu, do Dobby hyung a favor okay?” Yuan nodded “never go up to strangers ever again okay? Unless your hyung or dads know, okay?” Yuan pouted but agreed nonetheless.
“Promise, Yu?”
“Promise, Dobby hyungie”
They pinky swore before Yu hugged him one last time then ran off towards his parents, their parents, and of course Doyoung watched from the shadows as his youngest brother is engulfed by his hyung, appa and dad who looked relieve at having their youngest in their arms again.
It hurts, not being a part of it yet seeing the love coming from them but no matter how much it hurt Doyoung can’t help stare at them, mind drifting at the what ifs, being so close yet so far. When he saw his appa’s body tense, he wiped his tears and walked away, not looking back at the family he left behind.
Baekhyun was relieved at having his youngest near him again since the little boy decided to run ahead of them and they lost sight of the boy. They were locked in a family hug surrounding Yuan when he felt like they were being watched but not in a threatening way but like someone’s heart is breaking and Baekhyun could feel it. He wanted to find the source so he looked up for a moment.
When he raised his head to look in front of them, there he saw a young man’s retreating figure and suddenly the young man was gone and Baekhyun felt like he wanted to cry. Like his heart is ripped into pieces. Somewhere deep down he let his heart hope that teh young man was their Doyoung but he couldn’t acknowledge it out loud nor let his heart hope or else he might break all over again. So no matter how much his whole being screamed at him to look for the young man, he let it go.
He hopes that one day their Doyoungie finds their way back to them because even after eighteen years he believed his little one was alive. Call it parental instinct but he can feel it, that his son was alive.
—present time—
He smiles at the memory and he thought that at least if he succumbs to his wound on the road, he knew his family would be safe but he also know his three hyungs would bring him back alive just to kill him again for being stubborn. Doyoung has had his will written and made sure to get his house in order since he took over the guild. He already knows that his Taeyong hyung, Kun ge and Cheol hyung will be taking over the guild and also take care of his family once he was gone.
He knew that the older three are most likely panicking right now seeing his stats in their monitors weaken. Too bad he broke his phone so he couldn’t call to say his goodbyes and hear their scolding for the last time but he knew that they will find him eventually even if they won’t make it to him in time. It was his invention of a chip in him that tracks him and reports health condition to the monitor at the guild which is the reason why they know his body is failing him.
He was distracting himself by categorizing in his head all his sins and what he would leave behind as he walks aimlessly while doing his best to stop the bleeding, when all of a sudden he bumps into someone, he doesn’t have the energy to look up but when he heard the other talk and feel his hands balance him his head snapped up, much to his muscles dismay.
“Hey, woah, Oh my god, you’re bleeding!!!” Doyoung was right the man in front of him is none other than his biological hyung his older brother Junkyu Byun-Park. Doyoung started to sob while his body crashed into the older’s arms, world turning black as he mutters what he assumes would be his last words.
“nice to meet you, hyung. love you tell appas—”
Junkyu was full on panicking when the boy passed out in his arms. He couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity towards the injured boy in his arms but before he could dwell on it he needs to get the boy in his arms to a hospital. Good thing, they were near his house and he knew his dad Chanyeol can do first aid while appa drives to uncle’s hospital close to home. Yuan was also asleep at this time so leaving him alone would be alright.
“Come on, kid. Wake up” Junkyu was shaking the boy awake and sighed in relief when the younger opened his eyes even if he looked out of it. “I’m calling my dad, we will get you somewhere safe” Junkyu felt the younger tense at that which he found odd but his dad picked up the phone so he had to give the older a run down and tell them to hurry up.
On the other line, Baekhyun and Chanyeol were frantic when their oldest called them, panicking about a bloodied boy passing out on him. Chanyeol quickly went to get their first aid while Baekhyun went to get the car and make sure that Yuan was asleep and safe. It took them less than a minute to drive to the location their eldest child sent.
When they arrived they were in shock at seeing how bad the boy’s condition really is, even from a distance they could tell that they needed to get to the hospital fast. It didn’t help that their eldest had tears streaming down his face and frantically trying to keep the boy awake.
“Appa! Dad! Help please” that got them into action and Chanyeol quickly took the boy from his son and carried him to the car quickly starting on first aid. Baekhyun ushered his shaking child into the car and then drove as quickly as he could to the hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital Chanyeol quickly demanded for assistance and instructed everyone on what he did and what to do while they were wheeling the boy into the emergency room. No one dared to disobey nor question because Park Chanyeol is one of the top doctors in the country and this hospital is half his anyway.
Chanyeol’s heart hurt seeing the boy unconscious and he couldn’t shake the familiar feeling of the boy in front of him how he looked similar to the child they lost years ago. The kid’s monitors started to beep rapidly and he instructed the nurses to page Dr. Zhang quickly as this was his cousin’s specialty. It was only then that he noticed something shiny under the boy’s shirt that made him take a major step back before his knees buckled but before he could reach for it to confirm his suspicions his hyung was there to pull him back out of the room.
“Yeol, go to your family and calm down okay? I’ll take care of it” Lay reassured his cousin who looked pale and called for a nurse to usher the younger out. Lay was about to go when Chanyeol reached for his hand squeezing it tightly. “Hyung, save him please, please if I’m right…we can’t lose him…not again” Lay just nodded, confused but he had to do his job so he patted the younger’s hand and went to the room where the kid was lying unconscious and nurses crowding the boy.
When Chanyeol went to the waiting room where Baekhyun and Junkyu were waiting, he quickly hugged them. He couldn’t stop his tears from escaping and all he can think of is the possibility that the boy lying in that hospital bed, bloodied and on the brink of death was their Doyoungie
“Dad” Junkyu broke away from the hug with a look of hurt and confusion in his eyes before asking the question they knew the answer too “it’s him…isn’t it?”
When no one answered Junkyu knew the answer and he started to sob as he was processing that he was previously holding his baby brother in his arms, his injured, close to the brink of death baby brother who he doesn’t even know yet. He felt his parents hug him and he let himself sob at the embrace of his parents.
Chanyeol and Baekhyun didn’t know what to do or say holding their eldest who hasn’t cried since he vowed to protect his younger brother Yuan after what happened to their Doyoung.
If the boy in that room is indeed their Doyoung then that means they have finally found him or he found them which should be good but Baekhyun and Chanyeol were more focused on the fact that their child was beaten and injured so much that they just knew whatever life he was living before is not good nor will there be any guarantee their child will let them in. But hell be damned they will not let their child be separated from them again come hell or high water they would protect their little one.