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vallkyr · 2 years ago

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Step Out

When the people you trust most leave you to get caught by the task force hunting you, what else is there to do but finding new allies?

Different account now but the gif has still been made by the lovely @agustdawn

Pairings: Chan x Kwangsun (OC), Chan x Felix, Minho x Jisung, Changbin x Hyunjin, Younghyun x Liam (OC), Siyeon x Jonghyeon, Aaron x Minhyun and other minor pairings

Genres: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, some Romance and bits of Fluff in between

Tags: Dystopia AU, Rebels AU

Chapter Tags: -

Rating: Mature

General Warnings: Violence, Injury, Panic Attacks, Minor Character Death

Chapter Warnings: mention of injury, scars

Word Count: 12,904

Masterpost

< Previous Chapter |

Hey everyone! Step Out is back after two years! To be honest, I had a hard time writing Step Out since the allegations against Woojin started coming up and it didn’t change after the allegations turned out to be fake. I just couldn’t keep the story the way it was so I decided to replace Woojin by an OC. And since I was already changing things I went ahead and made some more changes (like also replacing Jae by an OC), edited everything I had uploaded and so on. I feel way more comfortable writing Step Out now so I hope that the next update won’t take quite as long. Until then, please enjoy the 9th chapter 💕

Chapter 9 - The burden of secrets

Numbers. So many goddamn numbers. A whole damn block of them. As though the mission wasn’t enough already. It’s all so damn overwhelming. Missions require all the concentration and energy Minho can muster and they always leave his brain exhausted, drained and lazy. And now he has to decipher the fucking message in this condition. He’s been fiddling around on his phone and sharpening pencils for ages now. Minho sighs as he peeks over to the sheet of paper on his desk, trying to get himself to get to work.

11111 111111

101 10 010 1110 110 000000 0011 1110 000000 0100 0 000000 0100 0010 00 000000 1110 0011 100 1000 111111

1 0100 0 0 1000 1 101 0011 0100 0 000000 101 0100 000000 101 1101 1000 000000 101 1000 010 001 111111

01 1000 000000 01 0011 0101 0101 000000 1001 1000 101 000000 101 00 010 0011 0 0011 0 1001 000000 101 0100 000000 1001 0100 000000 0100 0 000000 001 0011 1110 1110 0011 0100 0 1110 000000 1110 0100 0100 0 111111

011 1000 0100 011 0101 1000 000000 1110 101 0011 0101 0101 000000 100 0011 1110 0101 0011 0001 1000 000000 0010 1110 111111

1101 0010 1001 000000 0101 0010 111 000000 110 00 0100 001 000000 001 1000 111111

His head hurts just thinking about deciphering all of that. The first message was already a pain in the ass and the prospect of more and more and more messages like this is daunting. Why did he agree to that anyways? Talking is so much easier. Why does this shit have to be so complicated? Minho should probably make a table. So far, he hasn’t had the time for that, and he had hoped to avoid it for safety reasons. But the more he thinks about it, the more he feels like it can’t be avoided. He really underestimated how much work these messages would be. Minho sighs once again while he gets the writing pad from the drawer and places it on the table next to the message. He takes a pencil and a ruler and starts drawing his grid before gradually filling it. Letter by letter, code by code.

After an hour or so the whole thing is finally complete – at least Minho guesses it was an hour. Time runs as fast as a snail when you try to figure out what the letter Q looks like in your secret code. Minho hates that the code has to be this complicated, but it’s safety first and convenience second in this situation. They mustn’t risk the DIT spying into their communication. If anyone was to find the messages, they would surely give them over to that hell hole of an organisation. Just like the government expects of a ‘good citizen’.

Needing a bit of a change for his tortured brain, Minho decides to put everything aside for now and go downstairs into the kitchen. As expected, Spear B, Felix and Jisung have already started preparing dinner. The sweetest smile spreads over Jisung’s face when he spots Minho in the doorway and gestures for him to come over.

“How is it going?” How is it possible for someone to be this beautiful while peeling a carrot? If B and Lux weren’t here, Minho would love to hug Jisung right now. It would be so lovely to be in Jisung’s embrace, feel his warmth and just forget about his code-wrecked brain. But they aren’t alone. The others’ presence feels like a dark shadow looming over Minho.

“It’s exhausting,” Minho admits. “I wish there was an easier way, but meeting Virus regularly would be too dangerous even if he takes turns with Mercury.”

Jisung hums in understanding. “Then you’re here to take a break? I’m sure we’ll find something for you.”

“Yes please. I really need to get my mind off things a little.”

Without hesitation, Felix grabs his cutting board and sets it down in front of Minho. “Have fun.” His voice sounds overly sweet and the wateriness of Felix’s eyes gives Minho a pretty solid idea of what his task is going to be. Minho’s fear is confirmed when he looks down and is met with stinging in his own eyes. Onions. That explains why Felix was so quick to leave and find himself something else to do. Cutting onions definitely isn’t Minho’s favourite task, but at this point every distraction from that damn code is welcome. Even onions.

“Should have known I’d end up with that.” Despite the tears already forming in his eyes, Minho picks up the knife and gets to work. With the four of them all going about their tasks, they’re soon done preparing everything and can get to cooking, which Felix takes upon himself despite Minho’s protests. From then on Minho, Jisung and B are basically… useless. Everything they can do is keep Felix company and occasionally hand him ingredients. Jisung and Spear B soon start chatting with Felix occasionally chipping in when he isn’t too busy. Minho doesn’t have much to contribute except for a few sentences here and there. His mind is running a mile a minute and is completely empty at the same time. There’s so much to do, so much to think about, but Minho can’t seem to focus on anything. So many 0s and 1s are still circling through his brain.

“Dinner should be done soon,” Felix says before turning towards them. “Can one of you set the table?”

“On my way,” Minho says without hesitation. He is already getting plates from the cupboard when Jisung, who has been sitting on the kitchen counter since he finished peeling carrots, scoots over to him.

“Can I give you a hand?” When he sees Jisung like this, Minho almost forgets they had a mission today. Jisung looks calm and cosy in his oversized sweater that Minho is pretty sure is actually his own. He has been stealing more and more clothes from Minho lately, which should be annoying. But Minho finds it weirdly endearing. He could probably get his clothes back if he really wanted to, though he really prefers seeing them on Jisung over having them wait for him in the closet.

“Sure.”

Jisung slides down from the counter, helps Minho gather everything they need and carry it over to the dining room. Minho is about to go back to the kitchen and get glasses for them when Jisung stops him with a hand on his wrist. The little touch has Minho’s body shift down from forcing himself to function into just existing. He can finally let himself feel his tiredness and exhaustion without pushing it away. When Jisung tugs at his arm, Minho lets his heavy body be pulled away from the archway leading to the kitchen, into the privacy of the little dining room. “Are you okay?” Jisung’s pretty eyes are full of worry as he takes a closer look at Minho. “You seem so quiet.”

“Yeah it’s okay. I’m just exhausted and that message is eating my last brain cells.”

Jisung hums like he’s trying to come up with a way to make it better. Minho simply steps closer and lets his head drop onto Jisung’s shoulder. After a moment Jisung slings his arms around Minho and holds him close. Having Jisung hug him lets Minho forget about the code, about the table, about Felix and B in the kitchen, about everything. It feels like Jisung knocked over the glass of his mind and let all the stuff keeping him busy pour out before setting it down again. After a while Jisung starts humming a low tune and lightly swaying them back and forth. Minho can’t help but giggle as he closes his eyes and allows himself to sink deeper into Jisung’s embrace.

“You guys are taking ages. Do you need help with setting the table?” Hearing Spear B’s voice makes Minho tense up. He gives Jisung a quick slap on the butt that has Jisung smile to himself before stepping away from him. When Minho heads back into the kitchen, Jisung follows close behind him and helps him finish setting the table just in time for lunch to be ready.

Minho feels a lot more at ease when they’re eating. The weight of the day feels a little lighter now that he gets to have a break for once. Since Felix did most of the actual cooking, B and Jisung volunteer to do the dishes after dinner. Though hesitant, Minho goes back to decoding after clearing the table for them. He still isn’t enthusiastic about having to work again, but Minho’s brain definitely feels fresher after a bit of distraction and a tad of Jisung. Hopefully working with the code will be easier now that he has a table. He’ll just have to be a bit more careful now so nobody else gets their hands on it.

[-]

“Don’t stop.” Younghyun cracks an eye open to look up at Liam. Thankfully his request works and makes his boyfriend go right back to patting Younghyun’s hair.

“I should have gotten a dog instead.” Despite his words, Liam doesn’t stop or makes a move to get Younghyun’s head off his lap. “A dog would just fall asleep after five minutes and I could watch TV in peace.”

“A dog can’t cook dinner for you.” Noticing Liam directing a critical look at the empty pizza boxes, Younghyun quickly adds. “Not even on a good day.” As much as he loves cooking with Liam, after hearing that Jungkook is injured and having to deliver the news to Bambam Younghyun had been happy to just drop onto the couch and eat. He still feels exhausted, but it doesn’t matter anymore. Younghyun’s home.

“You underestimate my ability to teach a dog tricks.”

“My bad, I forgot your secret career as a dog trainer.” Younghyun fully opens his eyes and grins up at his boyfriend, who shakes his head and focuses on the TV again. “Speaking of dinner, Chan accepted the invitation. Is tomorrow alright?”

“Sure, I can go grocery shopping after work if we still need anything.” It takes a while before the question Younghyun was already expecting follows. “Any idea what we’ll cook?”

The same old problem. It’s been years and yet the struggle of ‘What can we cook?’ never gets any easier. “No, you?”

“Nope.”

“Fuck.” He and Liam start giggling. Younghyun really should have expected this when he invited Chan over. Deciding what they want to have for dinner is already hard enough when it’s just the two of them, but guests always make it even more difficult because they can’t bullshit their way through it and hope the result is edible. “I could ask Chan if he has any preferences.”

Liam gasps in fake surprise. “You’re a genius.”

“Bet a dog wouldn’t have been able to come up with that.” Younghyun chuckles.

“That’s it. Get off my lap.” It’s obvious Liam isn’t serious, but Younghyun sits up nonetheless and shifts to sit next to Liam. As soon as that’s done, he leans closer to kiss Liam’s cheek. Liam seems almost surprised. A little smile fills his face before morphing into a slightly suspicious frown. “What did you do?”

Younghyun rolls his eyes. Obviously, he cannot possible show affection if he didn’t screw up and accidentally wash a red sock with the white laundry. “Nothing. Just trying to thank you for your helping with delivering the news to my unit. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Liam’s gaze softens. “It was still you doing all the work,” he insists. “I just did my part to calm you down for that.”

Younghyun only hums in agreement. They don’t need any more words. Just locking eyes is enough for Younghyun to know Liam understands how important his support was even if he’s playing it down.

It’s Liam who eventually breaks the warm silence between them. “We should go to sleep. If we can’t manage to have a healthy sleeping schedule, you should at least get some rest after missions.”

Sadly he does have a point with that. Younghyun feels utterly exhausted after the mission and the situation surrounding Jungkook. It takes a bit of effort to get up from the couch, but they eventually make their way to the bathroom to get ready for bed. While they brush their teeth Younghyun watches Liam, who is already stripped down to his briefs and one of Younghyun’s shirts, run his hand through his hair, probably deciding that the dye needs to be freshened up in the near future. To anyone else the situation would look so mundane. But seeing Liam in all his half-dressed glory with toothpaste on his lips has Younghyun feel warm and fuzzy inside. The earlier ‘I’ll see you at home.’ is still present in his mind, because nothing describes what Liam is to him like the word home. Being with Liam makes Younghyun feel safe and at peace. No matter what happens, what might shake up their lives, they handle it side by side. Just like they have been doing for the past seven years already.

Younghyun is snapped out of his thoughts when Liam slaps him on the ass. “Did you fall asleep with your eyes wide open? You know you’re supposed to lie down and close your eyes first, right?”

“So that’s what I’ve been doing wrong,” Younghyun mutters while following Liam into their bed. He straddles Liam’s waist and bends down to kiss him while carding his hand through Liam’s chestnut coloured hair. When he pulls back, Liam has the softest smile on his face. They stay like this for a while, looking at each other, Younghyun twirling a strand of Liam’s hair around his finger. If it was an option for them, Younghyun would have asked Liam to marry him then and there. It’s not like either of them needs a ring or certificate whatever – the thought is kind of ridiculous to be honest – but the thought of making it official that they want to spend the rest of their lives together is kind of nice regardless. Though as things stand, they wouldn’t be able to get married no matter if they wanted to or not. At least not here.

“You know that I love you, right?”

“I do.” Liam chuckles. “Love you too, you sap.” Younghyun kisses Liam again and wishes him a good night before sliding out of Liam’s lap and into bed next to him. He falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow knowing that he’s home.

[-]

Jisung stops in the door frame to their room when he sees Minho still bent over the desk. Minho looks fully concentrated and totally exhausted at the same time, which is a shame considering how relaxed he had seemed after dinner. Did the little break change anything at all? How Jisung wishes he could do more for Minho. He already puts his all into supporting Minho, cheering him up and making sure he relaxes after a hard day. But it never feels like enough, especially not when Minho looks this worn out. “What are you up to?”

Minho jumps up like a scared deer and immediately scrambles to cover his notes with his arms and upper body. It’s a strange sight, like he’d defend those notes with his life. “Sungie. I thought you and Spear B were doing the dishes.”

Jisung carefully steps into the room and closes the door after himself. “We’re done?” This is odd. Jisung understands if he scared Minho because Minho was focused and didn’t hear him come in. But this? It’s almost as if he’s trying to hide something from Jisung. What can be so drastic about those papers that Jisung isn’t allowed to catch as much as a glimpse of them? “Is something the matter? You seem weird…”

“No, it’s nothing. It’s just that I made myself a table for deciphering the code.” Minho leans back in his chair, giving up his defence over the stack of paper. Though he turns them around nonetheless. He still refuses to let Jisung see a thing of what he’s written down. “I mean you know the drill. If you end up getting questioned about this-”

“The less I know the better.” Jisung scoffs as he walks over to the bed and lets himself fall down onto it. This is so frustrating. Even though he’s kind of relieved Minho isn’t keeping any actual secrets from him, it sucks that Jisung isn’t allowed to learn the code. He wishes he could help Minho with deciphering or writing messages or do anything else useful aside from assisting Minho in planning.

“Jisung…” Worry sounds through Minho’s voice as he gets up, follows Jisung to the bed and crouches down on the floor in front of him. Just hearing Minho say his name pushes the negative feelings back a bit. No matter how chaotic and awful things around them might get, at the very least they’ll always have each other. Things between them have been going so well. They used to spend basically every free minute together anyways, but they’ve become even closer since they’ve been living here together.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll just read a bit while you work on the messages.”

“You sure?” Minho’s gaze is so gentle that just looking into his eyes releases a swarm of butterflies in Jisung’s stomach. Jisung wonders if he’ll ever fully get used to the way he melts into a puddle around Minho.

“Yeah. Now hurry up and get everything done. The sooner you’re back the sooner can I start cuddling you.”

“True.” Minho is smiling when he rises from the floor again. He stops midway to place a little kiss on Jisung’s lips. “Can’t wait.” Jisung can’t wait either. The thought of burying his face in Minho’s chest and breathing in Minho’s scent while they snuggle as close as they can already feels so wonderful. It will be like heaven to fall asleep in Minho’s arms after the mission. Damnit, Minho really needs to hurry and finish those messages.

“I’m rooting for you!” Jisung calls. The chuckle sends a little tremble through Minho’s shoulders, which is the most endearing thing ever. Jisung takes a moment to look at Minho’s back, basks in the warm feeling that spreads through his chest from being around his boyfriend. It never ceases to amaze Jisung how strong Minho is. Everyone feels exhausted after their missions yet here Minho is, still fulfilling his duties even though he probably wants to just fall into bed and sleep more than anyone. It’s so much work to plan their missions and it must be even more tiring to keep track of everyone and everything during the mission itself. How Minho can stay on top of it all is beyond Jisung’s comprehension.

Deciding to stay true to his words, Jisung gets up from the bed, walks over to the book shelve by the windows and starts looking through everything. Since this is – or rather used to be – the bedroom of Changbin’s parents, most of the books are… not really to Jisung’s liking. There’s stuff about business tactics, handling human resources, and ways to relax at work as well as literary classics that bore Jisung just from looking at them. The depressing choice of books makes Jisung glad he decided keep some books he stole from Changbin’s sister on the nearby side board. Jisung picks one that looks interesting, lies down on the bed again and starts reading.

The book isn’t quite as good as Jisung had hoped –well, it’s only the beginning anyways – but it keeps him busy. After a while, there’s shuffling at the desk, which immediately makes Jisung peeks over the pages of his books. Minho rips a piece from a blank sheet of paper and starts noting down his reply. Even from across the room, Jisung can tell Minho is hurrying. As soon as it’s done, he jumps up, turns around and proudly presents the note to Jisung.

00011 111111

0100 1011 1110 0101 111111

0100 1011 0000 000000 0100 1001 001 100 11 000000 1011 01 000000 0101 1011 010 110 1 000000 0101 1011 1110 0101 111111

1 010 0001 0001 01 0001 000000 111 10 1001 1000 000000 100 001 011 111111

Jisung doesn’t know what it says, the only meaning that matters to him is that Minho comes towards him with big steps. Jisung barely has time to put the book in his hands aside before Minho is already tackling him in a hug. They nestle together, Minho lying on top of Jisung like a blanket. Jisung wraps his arms around Minho and starts rubbing his back in slow, soothing motions. “Are you going to bring that note to your mailbox today?”

“No, it can wait until tomorrow morning. I just have to make it before Virus’ shift,” Minho mumbles into the crook of Jisung’s neck. “I just want to sleep now.”

“You can’t sleep fully clothed though.” Jisung emphasises his point by pulling at the elastic of Minho’s sweatpants before letting it snap against his skin.

“Sure I can.” Minho already sounds half asleep. “Just watch me.”

Seeing no other way to motivate his boyfriend, Jisung pushes Minho off of him, earning himself a frustrated whine. Giggling, Jisung rolls Minho onto his back, gets onto his knees and pulls Minho up by the arms. “Come on.” Minho still pretends to be annoyed by Jisung’s attempts to get him out of bed, making himself deadweight in Jisung’s arms. But the smile on his lips says otherwise.

“You could just undress me here.”

“Tempting,” Jisung admits. “But I can’t brush your teeth here.” Minho groans in annoyance when Jisung finally succeeds in hoisting Minho off the bed and into a standing position. Thinking that this will be enough, Jisung turns to walk away, but is stopped by arms circling his waist. With Minho basically glued to his back, Jisung drags both of them to the bathroom.

[-]

Jungkook’s mind feels fuzzy when he wakes up to a dark room. He can’t even remember going to bed last night. Except this isn’t his bed. Or his bedroom. Where is he? Where else would he be? Is he staying over at someone else’s place? Once Jungkook’s eyes are used to the darkness he takes a look around himself. This is a hospital room. And he’s the patient. He vaguely remembers waking up in the recovery room and that he was transferred, but he must have passed out again right after. What happened?

And what’s that sound? Water? Why would water be running in the middle of the night? Jungkook tries to sit up, but the pain in his leg stops him. He remains propped up on his elbows to take another look around the room. He got a single bed room, so there’s no roommate who could be showering at absurd hours. It could be from next door though? That’s probably it, right? What else would it be? Jungkook lets himself fall back onto the bed and closes his eyes. He’s so damn tired. No matter he much he must have slept already if it became night in the meantime, he doesn’t feel the least bit refreshed.

Suddenly the water stops followed by the sound of the shower door opening and the rustling of a towel. It’s too loud to be from a different room. But who would be here? The walls are probably just thinner than Jungkook would have thought. He should be sleeping instead of worrying his head over weird noises. Jungkook is about to doze off when the bathroom door creaks, making Jungkook snap his eyes open and – for lack of a better memory – try to sit up again. Fucking shit.

“Hey, careful.” Jimin rushes closer to his bed. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes…” Jimin? Why is Jimin here? He was on the ambulance with Jungkook, right? Yes, if nothing else Jungkook definitely remembers Jimin holding his hand in the ambulance. But what is he doing in Jungkook’s room? Jungkook looks up at Jimin, only now noticing the towel hanging over Jimin’s shoulders. His gaze wanders farther up to Jimin’s hair that is dripping water onto his shirt. Jimin showered in his hospital room? “What are you doing here?”

“You don’t remember?” Jimin chuckles while pulling a chair over to the bed and sitting down beside Jungkook. “We talked after you woke up. I asked you if I could shower here and you said it was fine.”

“Uhm.” Jungkook’s mind is completely blank. He can’t remember waking up before or talking to Jimin, but he can’t imagine that Jimin would lie about something like that. Why would he, anyways? “I don’t know. I guess I fell asleep right after.”

“Looks like it. Sorry if I startled you.” A warm smile takes over Jimin’s face. How come he looks so gorgeous without even doing anything? There’s something so gentle and cosy about seeing Jimin freshly out of the shower wearing a plain, white shirt. Immediately, Jungkook’s thoughts start wandering again. He remembers the way Jimin held his hand in the ambulance, how much strength Jimin’s presence was giving him. If he focuses, he can still feel Jimin’s warmth. As much as Jungkook would love to stay right here, look at Jimin and wallow in memories, he really needs to get to the bathroom. Now. But he doesn’t even manage to get out of bed before pain jolts through his leg once again.

“Wait.” Jimin jumps up, fetches a pair of crutches from the end of the bed and hands them to Jungkook. “Do you need any help?” Even now that Jungkook’s injury has been taken care of, Jimin is still worrying about Jungkook. Jungkook would find it sweet if he wasn’t so busy feeling guilty about it.

“I don’t know.” Jungkook is still wobbly when he gets up, but he somehow manages to get himself standing on his intact leg. Despite this, Jimin doesn’t seem totally convinced that he’s fine. He follows every single one of Jungkook’s slow steps as though he fears Jungkook might collapse any second. Jimin even pushes the bathroom door open for Jungkook, which is when Jungkook stops for a moment. “I think I can do the rest by myself.”

“You sure?” Jimin’s voice is smug as he tilts his head to the side and looks at Jungkook in a way that has Jungkook weak in his knees. And that’s even though he can barely see Jimin in the darkness of the hospital room. This is really the wrong moment to be whipped, Jungkook needs every bit of his strength his legs have in stock.

“Yes.” Jungkook definitely is sure. He’s never been surer in his life. A mere second later, Jimin breaks into giggles and goes to sit down in his chair again. Jungkook almost sighs in relief. He doubts his pride would survive Jimin helping him on the toilet. When Jungkook returns Jimin is still sitting in the chair, which almost surprises Jungkook. Part of him thought he might be having hallucinations from the anaesthesia. It’s only now that Jungkook realises Jimin is still in his uniform pants. The jacket that goes with it hangs from the back of the chair Jimin is sitting on.

“Is something wrong?” Jimin asks after Jungkook has apparently looked at him for a bit too long. His voice goes back to sounding worried so quickly it really bothers Jungkook. He doesn’t want to worry Jimin, especially not with something as simple as spacing out for a moment.

“You’ve been here the entire time?”

Jimin briefly looks down on himself before nodding. “Yeah. I didn’t want you to be alone.” He runs his hand through his still damp hair. “Besides I still need to interrogate you and report to the Corporal. That can wait until tomorrow though. You need to rest now.”

“So do you.” Jungkook finally makes his way back to the bed. In an instant, Jimin is back by his side, helps him lift his injured leg onto the mattress and get comfortable again. Jimin pulls his chair even closer, right next to the bed, and takes Jungkook’s hand into his just like he had done in the ambulance. Immediately, Jungkook’s cheeks starts heating up. Hopefully Jimin can’t see him blush in the dark. Gosh, why does Jungkook have to be so nervous because of something so simple? Jimin always makes him feel like some stupid teenager having his very first crush.

“I’m really glad you’re fine, Jungkook-ah.”

“Thank you.” What else could he say to that? Jungkook has no idea how he even manages to keep his voice in check, but he’s grateful for himself. At least that part of talking still works. Jimin holding his hand is still so foreign and it makes Jungkook’s heart race like crazy. How come this is actually happening for the second time in one day? “What did the doctors tell you?” Great. Change the topic when he’s getting emotional. Perfect. Exactly what Jungkook really wants.

“Not much,” Jimin admits. “Just that surgery went well and that you should be back on track in a few weeks. I’m sure they’ll tell you everything in more detail tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” Jungkook still has no idea what to say. Usually conversations with Jimin are so easy, but now there’s this strange tension. It’s not a bad one per se, but one that’s way more emotional than anything they’ve shared before. This is probably just because of the shock, Jungkook tells himself, Jimin must have been worried about losing a member of his unit. Jungkook tries his best to ignore the part of him that just wants to pull Jimin close and kiss him when Jimin absentmindedly rubs his thumb over the back of Jungkook’s hand. The little, maybe meaningless, gesture feels so damn intimate. Jungkook really needs to get a hold of himself, just because Jimin is holding his hand doesn’t mean he wants anything beyond that. But obviously, Jimin isn’t going to let getting a grip be easy.

“We should go to sleep now.” Seeing Jimin’s gentle smile in the dark, alongside his low voice and the words he’s saying make Jungkook’s mind run crazy. Even though he highly doubts Jimin is going to lie down next to him, Jungkook immediately wonders what it would be like. He’d give everything to experience going to bed with Jimin, seeing him in one of Jungkook’s shirts, hugging him from behind and making him smile by whispering ‘Good night.’ into his ear. Fuck, Jungkook should not be having these kinds of thoughts about his Lance Corporal.

“You’re right. Good night, Jimin-ah.” Jungkook kind of expected Jimin to complain about the lack of honorifics the way he usually does. But today he just shakes his head and smiles. What’s with him today? Jungkook isn’t sure whether he should be relieved or sad when Jimin eventually lets go of his hand. Though Jungkook is sure he doesn’t like it when Jimin retreats to his chair, despite expecting it. Even with the way Jimin leans back, it doesn’t seem comfortable in the least. He can’t really lie down, he doesn’t have any kind of blanket and without any kind of armrests, chances are Jimin might just tip over to the side. Jungkook feels kind of bad for making Jimin sleep like that. It doesn’t matter that none of this was Jungkook’s idea, Jimin decided it all on his own. “The bed is big enough, you know? You could lie down with me.” Oh dear lord, did Jungkook really just suggest they share a hospital bed?

The beat of silence that passes afterwards makes Jungkook’s nervousness so much worse. Was that offer too much? Did he make things weird? He went too far, didn’t it? Maybe Jungkook should have just kept quiet. But then again, there’s no harm asking right? It’s the least he can do when Jimin takes care of him like that. “That’s nice,” Jimin eventually replies. “But I think it would be safer if I stayed in the chair. I don’t want to hurt you while we sleep.”

“Ah right…” The answer makes Jungkook feel a little stupid. Of course Jimin wouldn’t lie down in bed with him. He shouldn’t have suggested that.

“It still hasn’t set in that you’re injured, huh?” When Jimin smiles all the negative thoughts come to a halt. Jungkook just really likes Jimin’s eye smile, when his eyes nearly disappear and his full lips curl up.

“Not really,” Jungkook admits. “Everything happened so fast.” One moment Jungkook was still going after I.N, the next Bora is dragging him out of the building. Something that happened in a matter of second will take him weeks to recover. It seems so ridiculous.

“I’m sure you’ll come to terms with everything once you have a bit of time to yourself.”

“Yeah maybe.” Even when Jimin wishes him a good night once again, leans back in his chair and closes his eyes, Jungkook has trouble looking away from him. Despite all the complicated feelings that come with it, Jungkook is really glad Jimin is here. He wouldn’t have wanted to be alone after this mess. Wasn’t that exactly want Jimin was going for? That Jungkook wouldn’t feel like he’s all by himself after everything that has happened? “Thank you for being here, it means a lot,” Jungkook mutters, a smile tugs at Jimin’s lips but he doesn’t say anything. Jungkook doesn’t know for how long he continues looking at Jimin until he finally falls asleep.

[-]

“Good morning you two. I’m Lance Corporal Kang Dongho of battle team unit C.” Despite the cheerful smile and friendly tone, Chan feels kind of intimidated by the man standing in front of them. Lance Corporal Kang is only a little taller than Chan, but with a noticeably broader built. And he’s definitely way more muscular than both Chan and Kwangsun. Aside from his physical appearances, just the words “battle team” leave an uneasy feeling in Chan’s gut. He still hasn’t forgotten the looks they got on their first day. Though at the very least, he can’t remember Lance Corporal Kang being among the people who death glared at them. So Chan has hope that the Lance Corporal wasn’t completely forced to work with them and may have even volunteered to work with them. One is allowed to dream after all. “The Corporals and Sergeant Park decided that it would be good for you to come along when our division marches out. It’s my task to make sure you are prepared for that.”

“We will go on missions with you guys?” Sitting in the office and being asked questions is one thing, but going out and actively fighting Stray Kids is different. Would they have to carry guns like the real DIT members? Would they have to shoot if they came across one of the members? The thought makes Chan’s blood freeze. He can’t do that. He can’t point a gun at them. He can’t go that far.

But he has to. Chan was resolved to do everything it takes, he mustn’t back down now.

“Exactly. Sergeant Park thinks it will be good to have you there since you know the way Stray Kids operate better than anyone else.”

“Okay…”

Kwangsun seems to notice his discomfort if the way he steps closer is anything to go by. Chan turns around to look at him, feeling a bit reassured by the hint of a smile on Kwangsun’s face. No matter what happens, he’s not alone. They’re going to do all of this together.

“What exactly is the plan?” Kwangsun asks after turning back to Lance Corporal Kang. Chan is pretty glad he’s taking over talking; he really doesn’t feel like doing it right now.

“Well first of all we’ll have to figure out your current skill level and which areas still need work in. Then we’ll have to make sure you meet the requirements of the DIT. After all we don’t want to put you at risk when marching out with us.”

“When are we going to start?”

“Right now.” Lance Corporal Kang beams at them. “There are some workout clothes for you on the table over there. We’ll practice every day after lunch break until 4pm. The people of my unit will be in the common room or with unit A so we have this room to ourselves for practice.”

Oh. Chan had hoped for a little more time to stomach the news. The thought of going after the rest of Stay Kids is still so foreign he doesn’t feel ready to start training for it. Contrary to him, Kwangsun doesn’t seem to have much of a problem with the situation. Without any bit of hesitation, he walks over to the table and grabs himself a set from one pile of the aforementioned clothes. They’re supposed to change here? In the practice room? In front of Lance Corporal Kang?

Chan takes a deep breath to steady himself. He may be a bit out of practice by now, but it can’t be that hard. Nobody is paying attention to him anyways, right? Then why is there still this fear bubbling up inside of him? He glances over at Kwangsun and the Lance Corporal, finding them still chatting. Good. At least there’s that. If he hurries they won’t see. Chan grabs the shirt from his pile of clothes, backs himself against the wall, quickly slips out of the shirt and into the new one. As soon as the fabric slides over his skin he starts to feel more at ease again. When he looks up, Kwangsun and Lance Corporal Kang are still talking about some workout. Neither of them seems to have noticed anything. Feeling a bit more relaxed now that the worst part is done, Chan takes the pair of grey sweatpants from the table and changes the rest of the way. He’ll really have to find a different way to do this if they’re going to continue training with Lance Corporal Kang.

[-]

“Good morning!” Jungkook frowns when a cheerful voice rips him out of his sleep. Why is hospital staff at war with sleep? Wouldn’t sleeping in be beneficial for his recovery or something? When Jungkook tries to sit up a bit, his gaze immediately lands on Jimin who’s still sleeping slumped on the chair. He actually stayed here all night? The nurse currently chattering about the beautiful weather today doesn’t seem to have noticed Jimin’s presence yet. Jungkook waits for her to look at him before lifting his finger to his lips and nodding over to the chair. The nurse freezes in her movements and breathes a silent “Oh.” as soon as she spots Jimin. Luckily, Jimin seems to still be sound asleep despite her loud voice. He must be a heavy sleeper. “Should I come back later?” the nurse mouths.

Jungkook nods, smiling when she gives him a thumbs up and leaves his room again. Still feeling incredibly tired, Jungkook lies down and tries to get comfortable again. But of course, he can’t seem to close his eyes when Jimin is right next to him. In his sleep, Jimin slid down on the chair a bit. His legs are spread far apart, his arms are crossed in front of his chest and his head is hanging low. The sunlight streaming in through the stark white curtains is playing with Jimin’s jet black hair. Jungkook is glad Jimin didn’t wake up when the nurse came in, not just because it gives him the opportunity to stare a little bit. (Yes, Jungkook is aware that’s kind of creepy.) Mainly, Jungkook is glad Jimin gets to sleep a bit more. Jimin really stayed here over night just so Jungkook wouldn’t be alone. He must have been so exhausted after the mission. Despite all the difficulties, Jimin chose being there for Jungkook over his well-deserved rest. Knowing that Jimin would do anything for their unit is one thing, experiencing it a totally different one. And having Jimin do it for him specifically has Jungkook’s heart race a little.

No matter how nice it may be to have Jimin care for him like that, Jungkook is worried about him. It’s probably ridiculous. Jimin knows his limits; he doesn’t need anyone to fuss over him. Even before Jimin became their Lance Corporal, Jungkook has always been impressed by his strength, both physical and mental. Jimin may have a handsome face and a rather slim build, especially compared to a lot of guys on the battle team, but that doesn’t mean he can’t kick ass. On top of that, Jimin knows how to lead a team. He has no trouble joking around with everyone but is well aware of when enough is enough and how to keep them on track when needed. It’s not surprising he was picked to become Lance Corporal after Jongdae left. Jimin is amazing as a person and as a leader. He gives so much when he doesn’t have to. And here Jungkook goes again, getting carried away when he allows his thoughts about Jimin to flow.

It’s crazy how tired operations – and thinking about your crush - can make you. Before Jungkook knows it, he’s dozing off again. Whether it’s for ten minutes or two hours, Jungkook doesn’t know, only that he wakes up when Jimin stirs awake on his chair. “Good morning,” Jungkook mumbles while pushing himself up into a sitting position.

Jimin rubs the sleep out of his eyes while sitting up. “Mornin’.” He rolls his shoulders before pushing his arms up to stretch, whining softly while he does so. Oh dear lord, Jimin looks so soft. So huggable. And just like that Jungkook is back to the fantasy of last night: sharing a bed with Jimin, seeing him in one of Jungkook’s shirts with dishevelled hair and a slow tired smile on his face. For fuck’s sake Jungkook has been having these kind of thoughts under control while they’re at work, why are his feelings acting up now? Is it because of everything that happened yesterday? Or is it just because they’re alone? When they do meet outside of work it’s usually with the other members of the unit. Jungkook is totally not used to getting to put his full attention on Jimin without worrying about anyone else getting suspicious.

“How are you feeling today?” Jimin mumbles. His voice is still a little rough, but Jimin seems to slowly be coming alive.

“Alright, I guess. But I haven’t tried to move yet so who knows?”

“Good, keep it up.” Jimin wags his finger at Jungkook and chuckles before getting up from his spot and starting to stretch his limbs. It takes all of Jungkook’s self-restraint, but Jungkook manages not to stare at the stretch of skin that is exposed when Jimin’s shirt rides up from the little exercises. “I still have to interview you on the whole incident.” Jimin doesn’t sound happy about having to conduct this interview in the least, but Jungkook guesses there’s no way around it. Since Jimin can’t seem to find anything to write on, he starts a recording on his phone and begins with the interview.

Even after having had more time to process everything, there isn’t much Jungkook can tell Jimin about yesterday’s events. The incident with I.N just happened too fast. Jimin asks him question after question, coaxing more details out of Jungkook than he thought would be possible. But in the end, it still doesn’t feel like much. After they reach the limits of Jungkook’s memory, Jimin thanks him and starts packing up his stuff. “I should probably get going. What time is it?” Truth be told, Jungkook is feeling a little disappointed that their time is over already. Well, it’s probably obvious that he doesn’t want Jimin to leave. It would be too good to be true if Jimin was able to stay with him.

“I have no idea,” Jungkook admits. He hasn’t even considered checking the clock until now. As he found out today, when he’s alone with Jimin time doesn’t matter. But sadly, it matters to Jimin. He checks his phone, groaning as soon as the screen lights up.

“Fuck, I should be at work already.” Jimin quickly puts on his jacket. “Sorry, I wish I could stay longer. Are you going to be okay?” No. Definitely not. Jimin needs to stay here and personally nurse Jungkook back to health.

“Yeah, don’t worry about me.”

Jimin smiles. He finally smiles again. Words can’t express how much Jungkook loves Jimin’s smile. “Great. I’ll make sure to drop by again after work. Behave until then.” Already about to leave, Jimin stops in the doorframe and turns around again. “Oh and Jungkook-ah?”

“Yes?”

“The way I know you you’re going to try and hurry to get back with us. Please don’t do that. I know it’s hard to sit around and wait, but you need time to recover. Promise me you’ll take things slow for now.”

Jungkook swallows around the lump in his throat. There it is again, Jimin’s worry. But combined with the little smile on his face, it doesn’t feel quite as heavy, makes Jungkook’s heart flutter rather than weighing him down. “I promise.”

[-]

“Happy Birthday!!!”

The cheers are followed by the sound of a party horn right before Yeji is yanked forward. Hyunjin laughs as Yeji stumbles over the threshold and right into Yuna’s hug. “Thank you,” Yeji says in between giggles. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Sorry we’re late.” As soon as she’s inside the apartment, Yuna rushes to the couch to hug Jisu and Chaeryoung too.

“Yeah, someone took ages in the bathroom,” Ryujin explains with a pointed look at her sister while closing the door behind herself and Yeji. Ooh, there’s definitely some tension there.

“You’re one to talk. Your hair is easy to fix, Unnie!”

It obviously takes Ryujin a lot of self-control to limit her reaction to an eyeroll before finally hugging Yeji. “Happy Birthday, Jiji-ah. Be grateful you have a brother.”

Yeji just barely stops herself from bursting out laughing. “Brothers aren’t any better, trust me.”

“At least I don’t lose half a rabbit in hair every day,” Hyunjin eventually joins into the conversation. He had planned to go unnoticed for a bit longer, as he usually does. Since the couch is facing away from the kitchen his chances would have been pretty good if he had stayed quiet. But one has to defend themselves against defamation like that. Yeji scoffs at him, but Hyunjin ignores it in favour of bringing two more glasses to the couch table for Ryujin and Yuna before taking a seat on the bar stool by their little kitchen island.

“Anyways-” Jisu claps her hands together, effectively ending the almost fight- “now that everyone is here, we can finally get to the gifts!”

“Right!” Chaeryoung hurries to get the large bag she had set down in front of the hall stand and takes out two pastel-coloured boxes with ribbons wrapped around them. She smiles sweetly while coming back to the couch. “This is for you.” She hands one the boxes to Yeji before approaching Hyunjin, her smile turning a little more subtle. “And a little something for you.”

What? “For me?” Hyunjin asks while looking at the little mint green box now in his hands. It feels almost weird to accept the gift from Chaeryoung. He isn’t particular close with any of the girls, even less so after Yeji’s injury. Hyunjin can hardly endure being in a room with them for longer than a few minutes, which is why he’s been avoiding that as much as possible. Why would Yeji’s friends get a gift for him?

“Yeah. It’s your birthday too after all. I mean it’s really nothing big, but we wanted to give you a present too.” The tips of Chaeryoung’s ears turn pink as she talks.

“Thank you…” The last time Hyunjin got a gift from someone other than Yeji was ages ago. Aunt Minyoung had never really bothered with gifts; she had taken Hyunjin and Yeji out to eat on their birthday and that had been it. So getting gifts from Yeji’s friends – people who barely even know him – it feels strange. In a good way but still… weird.

Hyunjin unties the sky blue ribbon, lifts the lid of the box and is met with baby pink fluffiness. He reaches inside and pulls out the soft little thing, examining it from up close. “A hairband?” Hyunjin tries not to sound too confused, he really does, but he has no idea how Yeji’s friends got the idea of giving him a hairband.

“Yeji said your hair is getting way too long and keeps bothering you. She joked that she’d have to either buy you a hairband or cut your hair in your sleep,” Ryujin seems downright proud at having exposed Yeji’s slander of Hyunjin’s hair.

“We thought we should intervene before things get out of hand,” Yuna adds to it. Yeji and Ryujin are both giggling behind their hands. With the bit of context, Hyunjin can’t help but laugh as well. It also makes him want to hide all scissors in their apartment and start locking his door before going to bed, but that will have to wait. For now, he sets the box down on the table and starts putting the hairband on, though judging by the new increase in giggles he’s not doing a very good job. Luckily Chaeryoung is quick to come closer and fix the hairband for him.

“There you go,” she chimes, smiling when she takes a step back to observe her work. Somehow Chaeryoung can’t seem to look away. Hyunjin must be a sight with a pink hairband on his head.

“Looking good.” Thankfully, her words turn the room’s attention back to Yeji. Having everyone’s eyes on him was getting weird. Hyunjin and Chaeryoung eventually go to join the others. They push the coffee table against the wall and take a seat on the floor since it’s already a tight squeeze on the couch with Yeji, Ryujin, and Jisu there. As soon as Yeji opens her present, she starts laughing. “That’s a lot of chocolate.”

“Not just chocolate,” Yuna points out with an amused sparkling in her eyes. “There’s something else, but you need to find it first.” All of the girls look incredibly amused when Yeji laughs and starts unloading various chocolate bars, small boxes of filled chocolates and the like one by one. Basically, all her favourite chocolate snacks are featured in this present. Soon the already cramped couch is overflowing with little boxes and packages and Hyunjin starts to wonder how all of that was ever fit into the box.

“I think I found it!” Proudly, Yeji presents the small box she discovered at the bottom of the box. Her eyes grow wide when she opens it and peeks inside. “Oh my god,” she whispers while lifting a necklace out of the box and taking a closer look at it. The necklace consists of a rather plain, thin, golden chain with a flat heart shaped pendant dangling from it. “You really got that engraved?”

As the only one not involved in the gift, Hyunjin is absolutely clueless. He leans closer to Chaeryoung, whispering loud enough for only her to hear. “What does it say?”

Chaeryoung moves even closer before whispering into Hyunjin’s ear. “I believe in myself.” That’s such a sweet gift, considering the special place those words hold in Yeji’s heart. ‘I believe in myself’ has been her preferred motivational phrase since forever, but even more so after her injury.

“That’s a nice idea,” he replies as quietly as possible. Chaeryoung beams proudly and thanks Hyunjin. By now, Ryujin is helping Yeji put on the necklace while Yeji is checking her image with the front camera of Jisu’s phone.

“Thank you all so much. I love the necklace,” Yeji says with a bright smile. “And the chocolate of course.”

“You’re welcome,” the girls reply all at once before breaking into laughter at their unintentional synchronization. Hyunjin can’t help but smile at the whole scene. Yeji’s friends are such a cheerful lot and it always catches onto Yeji as well. She’s more carefree, more joyful around them. No matter how much Hyunjin avoids spending time with Yeji’s friends, he will always be grateful for everything they do for her.

“So now that the most important item on the agenda is done, how about we watch a movie?” Ryujin suggests when the laughter quiets down.

“Why do I feel like you already have something specific in mind?” Hyunjin scoots closer to the TV console filled with their CDs, DVDs and so on. It’s mostly old, but nonetheless valued, stuff: movies they already watched as kids, their first CDs and music their parents used to listen too.

“Howl’s moving castle,” Yuna suggests. Her face lights up when Yeji squeals in excitement. It’s Yeji’s favourite movie. Or rather their favourite movie, but Hyunjin doubts he really played a role in that choice. While Hyunjin turns to search for the right DVD, Ryujin switches on the TV. Whitin a second, the light atmosphere sours. Hyunjin grows tense when he looks up at the TV and realises why: the news channel that’s currently on is showing a report about yesterday’s Stray Kids attack. Hearing the words of the news lady makes Hyunjin’s blood freeze solid, even though he already checked the reports. Usually seeing the newscast after their missions isn’t this much of a problem – which is not to say it isn’t difficult – but now, with all of Yeji’s friends here, Hyunjin desperately wants to get away from here as soon as possible. How the hell is he supposed to not expose himself in front of everyone when the newsreader is talking about the injured Private?

“That reminds me.” Yuna’s voice sounds like it’s miles away. “I wanted to ask you how things are going with work. Were you at the attack yesterday?”

“No, sadly not. My unit said I need to really prepare myself first. I don’t want to rush things and end up being a burden to them. I want to make sure I’m actually ready before stepping out with everyone else,” Jisu explains.

“Then where were you during the attack?” Chaeryoung chimes in. Hyunjin can feel himself grow more and more and more nervous every time one of them speaks up. His heartbeat is hammering in his ears. He turns his head directs a pleading look at Yeji, hoping that she will be able to help somehow. But judging by her expression, she doesn’t know how to stop the conversation without being suspicious either. The DIT is an important topic for Yeji’s friends and trying to stop them whenever they talk about it or Stray Kids would soon catch the girl’s attention.

“I stayed in the rooms of the investigation team together with a lot of the other new members. Bang Chan and Park Kwangsun were there too. It was so weird to be around them.” Rather than just weirded out, Jisu sounds outright disgusted though. “I mean I know they were questioned by Lieutenant Yoon and all and officially help us now, but it just feels wrong to trust them. They’ve caused so much damage and harm and yet they were sitting there like regular members of the investigation team.”

The words cut through Hyunjin like knives. It’s so easy to forget what the average citizen thinks of Stray Kids when he’s living his regular life. This is like a hit in the face. If that’s Jisu’s opinion on Nine and Kkul – or rather Bang Chan and Park Kwangsun – what would she think of him who’s still out there going on missions? What would all of them think? Hyunjin takes a look at the girls and feels more and more stings in his heart realising that none of them would let him anywhere near Yeji anymore if they had any idea he’s a member of Stray Kids. When he meets Yeji’s gaze, she seems to know exactly what’s going on in Hyunjin’s head. There’s so much sadness in her eyes. A silent “I’m sorry.” hangs between them, which only makes Hyunjin feel worse. Yeji is the last person who should feel sorry for this situation. She’s the one suffering the most knowing that the most important people in her life are pitted against each other.

“I need to go,” Hyunjin blurts out before his brain can even think about it. “Totally forgot. My boss asked me to come in earlier today and help with stocktaking.”

A frown flickers across Yeji’s face but she’s quick to get it under control again. “Do you really have to go? Can’t someone else do it?”

“I’m afraid not. Sorry, ladies.” It’s hard to endure the pitying looks Ryujin, Yuna, Chaeryoung and Jisu give him. Poor birthday boy can’t even enjoy the party because he has to work. They have no idea. They don’t know anything. Hopefully they never will. “I wish you lots of fun, everyone. Don’t do anything stupid. And leave a piece of cake for me.”

Hyunjin quickly goes to his room and throws his door shut, feeling a bit of relief from just being out of the girls’ view. He releases a shaky breath and tries to collect himself. Hyunjin needs to get out of here as quickly as possible, he can’t bear this any longer. The looks, the talking about Stray Kids, everything. Hyunjin grabs his bag, drapes it over his shoulder, strides towards the door.

“Be careful!” Yeji calls when he’s already halfway through the door.

“Will do!” Bam. Silence. Peace. Loneliness. Now that Hyunjin’s alone in the hallway, he can barely hold back the tears any longer. He tries to stay as quiet as possible while hurrying into the elevator. Only when the doors close does he allow himself to really let go. Hyunjin quickly presses as many buttons as possible before letting himself sink to the ground. More and more sobs shake through his body as he hugs his legs to his chest. He has no idea how Yeji was able to handle this situation. All her friends developed a hatred for Stray Kids, or any sort of resistance really, after what happened to her. Hyunjin can’t even imagine how much pain he would be in if all of his friends hated his sister to death.

[-]

On his way home, Seungmin feels nothing but exhausted. Usually meeting up with I.N is fun, even though they have to be careful not to draw any attention towards them. But after yesterday’s events, I.N was still upset and their meeting became draining. Seungmin had hoped hanging out together would lift his spirits a bit, but it hadn’t done much good. Maybe it had been stupid of Seungmin to think cheering I.N up would be that easy. He shot at somebody else just yesterday. It must have been very traumatic for him. Thankfully, by now news has gotten out that the soldier in question is only mildly injured. Seungmin doesn’t want to know what it would do to I.N if he had caused serious or even lethal harm to someone. He can’t imagine what that would have been like for I.N, knowing he risked or much worse took someone’s life.

Despite the meeting with I.N having been rougher than expected, Seungmin doesn’t feel relieved when he’s standing in front of his home. As much as he loves his family, he doesn’t like being around any of them after missions. Every look, every word riles him up, makes him feel like they’re seeing right through him. It’s ridiculous and Seungmin knows it, but that doesn’t stop this horrible feeling from clawing its way into his chest. He doesn’t bother saying anything when he enters the house. Excellent ears run in the family; everyone knows he’s home. Though rather than a voice, the noise of the TV greets Seungmin. It sounds like a newscast. Damnit. Of course, they’re watching the news. They’re always watching the news. Seungmin walks closer to the living room and peaks through the door, feeling a bit relieved when he realizes the report is about some sports team.

“Where were you?” Seungmin’s mother turns around as soon as she notices him. “You said you were going to be home for dinner.” Right, he did say that. Somehow he had completely forgotten about that while he was with I.N.

“I’m sorry. One of my friends is kind of going through a rough time and needed help.” It’s the closest to the truth Seungmin can be. He hates lying, especially to his family, but saying he helped a friend isn’t actually a lie. In a way he and I.N are friends after all. Though a regular person probably wouldn’t consider someone whose name they don’t know their friend. That doesn’t change anything for Seungmin though. The members mean a lot to him, real names or not.

“During the attack, a member of the DIT was injured. According to the officials, the injury is only minor.”

The words make Seungmin freeze up. He hadn’t noticed when the news had moved on to the recent Stray Kids attack. “Uhm,” he stammers, trying to regain his composure. Damnit, he had managed to avoid seeing news about their missions in the presence of his family for so long. Why did exactly this mission have to break the streak? “Leftovers are in the fridge?” Finally, an idea.

“Yes,” Minseo confirms. “We made sure to leave enough for you.” Her smile is so sweet it hurts Seungmin that it doesn’t feel genuine to him right now. It just stresses him out even more. Thinking that his sister knows what’s going on, where he was or with whom is ridiculous. Minseo has no way of knowing he’s part of Stray Kids and if she did she wouldn’t be sitting here so calmly. But Seungmin can’t help it. When it gets to hiding his identity, he sees the worst everywhere.

“Thanks.” Seungmin turns on his heel and heads into the kitchen. He quickly grabs himself some food for himself and runs upstairs. When he reaches his room, he puts everything down on his desk and lets himself plop down on his chair. Seungmin closes his eyes and gathers himself. He’s alone. He’s safe. Nobody knows he’s DaN. Everything is fine. There’s nothing to worry about.

If only it was really that easy.

[-]

“Damn, I thought I was early,” Yeonjun notes while dropping his bag in front of the lockers. He isn’t entirely wrong. Despite going grocery shopping for lack of a better alternative, Hyunjin ended up coming in a lot earlier than needed. The emptiness of the bar was just too appealing to pass up on. This must be the first time he’s been here before Yeonjun; of course that wouldn’t go unnoticed.

“Ah yeah, my plans for the evening got cancelled so I thought I’d come in a little earlier, clean the counter and all.” Hyunjin is aware of how ridiculous his explanation sounds. Who the hell goes to work when they have free time? As expected, Yeonjun doesn’t seem convinced. Not one bit.

“Sure, because what else would you do when you have some time to spare?” Despite his words, Yeonjun doesn’t push it, instead starting to change into his uniform. Hyunjin turns his head away to give Yeonjun some privacy. Well, as much privacy as one can have while changing in a cramped room with another person in it. “Did you already refill the straws and napkins?”

“Yup.” Hyunjin nods even though Yeonjun probably isn’t looking at him. “Everything done.”

“Great, thanks.” Yeonjun walks over to the mirror, fixes a few strands of his auburn dyed hair before turning towards Hyunjin. “Since we have some time left before costumers come and we have no other job to kill time with, are you going to tell me what you’re running away from?” That much on not pushing it. Of course Yeonjun wouldn’t just let it slide.

“I had a fight with my sister,” Hyunjin lies, despite feeling horrible about telling more lies. The fact that he has gotten so used to this makes it even worse. He just comes up with stuff like this on the spot and is able to keep a straight face like it’s nothing. Admittedly, he isn’t always convincing. That’s only a matter of time though. Hyunjin knows he should be grateful for that ability, but he hates it. “I forgot to do the laundry and things kind of… escalated.” At this point, getting to be honest about things that aren’t related to Stray Kids in any way has become a relief. Something as simple as being allowed to mention Yeji already makes things feel a little easier. More normal. It’s so trivial, but Hyunjin enjoys still getting to speak some truth about himself.

Yeonjun nods despite the fact that he doesn’t really seem to buy it yet again. “And you’re hoping that will solve itself if you go to work?”

“Not exactly, but I needed to get out of our apartment,” Hyunjin explains. At the very least, that part is true. He couldn’t have stayed with the girls a single second longer. “Also, by the time I come home she’s going to be asleep. So we’ll have lots of time to calm down and talk about everything again tomorrow.”

Yeonjun shakes his head at Hyunjin’s reasoning. “If you ask me, you should do that laundry before your sister gets up.”

“Yeah, I’ll try.”

Yeonjun changes the rest of the way in silence. When he’s done, they walk over into the main room. It’s still too early for costumers and since Hyunjin already prepared everything there’s not really anything to do. Thankfully the topic of his alleged fight with Yeji stayed in the locker room. Hyunjin really would not have wanted to try and justify this stupid laundry story any longer. Their chatter now is kind of boring, but Hyunjin definitely prefers that over lies and excuses. For lack of a better way to pass their time, he and Yeonjun start examining the bottles on their work surface, checking which of them are close to empty and will have to be replaced soon. The downside of being busy with the bottles is that their conversation dies down, which leaves Hyunjin way too alone with the negative thoughts and memories of the party.

“Hyunjin-oppa! Finally!” Chaeryoung’s voice has never sounded this troubled, at least Hyunjin has never heard her like this. Of course three missed calls and urgent sounding messages weren’t going to be a good sign, but the panic in her voice seems more extreme than Hyunjin expected.

“What’s going on? What happened?” Every rapid heartbeat made Hyunjin even more nervous. Chaeryoung wouldn’t call him like this if it wasn’t serious. She never calls him. She barely even messages him. And since she apparently insisted on calling him specifically, there was only one possible reason. “Is something wrong with Yeji?”

“Yes she-” Chaeryoung gulped as though it was hard for her to speak. Hyunjin couldn’t take the wait, the moment felt like an eternity. “We’re in the hospital. The Red Cross Hospital. Please come here as soon as you can.” Hospital. Yeji was in hospital. Fuck. Hyunjin couldn’t stop the memories from crashing down on him: following the nurse through the hallways, knocking at the big dark door, walking into the sterile room. The images felt like dozens of bricks pressing down on Hyunjin’s chest. He could barely breathe.

“I’m on my way.” His voice sounded choked up, but Hyunjin couldn’t care less. He needed to see Yeji, see if she was fine. Even if it meant going to a hospital. What could have possibly happened? Part of Hyunjin wished that he had asked more questions, but Chaeryoung hadn’t sounded like she was in the right condition for lengthy explanations. Maybe there wasn’t time either. Fuck, Hyunjin needed to hurry.

The ride was hell to say the least. Hyunjin couldn’t stop himself from being nervous and fidgety. It didn’t help one bit that he had just come home from a mission that was now flickering across the screens in the subway. A weird feeling started spreading through Hyunjin when the news lady started talking about civilians getting hurt. That simply wasn’t possible. There were hardly any people around when they attacked, and the DIT was supposed to keep civilians away, so how would any of them get close enough to get injured? It was probably a lie, propaganda against them. That had to be it.

Getting out of the subway and that damned news report made Hyunjin feel a bit better, but only momentarily. Every step towards his destination made his heart race even faster and chest feel even tighter. Hyunjin hated hospitals. A hospital was the last place he wanted to be at, but there was no way around it. He would have to get his act together. For Yeji.

Hyunjin let himself be led into the waiting room by one of the nurses at the front desk, freezing when he saw Yeji’s friends. The girls looked like they had rolled around on the ground of a construction side. Their hair and clothing were covered in dust. Taking a closer look, Hyunjin noticed their reddened eyes, as though they had been crying. He also spotted several band aids on them and other, smaller cuts that weren’t covered. Ryujin had a bandage around her head. Hyunjin guessed all the adults around the girls were their respective parents. He scanned every face in the room, but Yeji wasn’t here. Oh god.

“Oppa!” Chaeryoung got up and jogged towards him. She talked louder than usual; normally her voice was rather quiet. Hyunjin only now realised it wasn’t just panicked, it was almost like she had headphones on and was trying to talk over music.

“What happened?” Sobbing caught Hyunjin’s attention, making him look up to find Yuna crying into her mother’s shoulder. “Where’s Yeji?”

“Stray Kids, they- they attacked the department of education.” No. No that couldn’t be the reason. They were careful. They were always careful. Yeji and her friends weren’t even inside the building; there’s no way they were hit by the explosion. It just couldn’t be. But the evidence was all around Hyunjin. “We were on our way to run some errands when everything blew up behind us-”

“What about Yeji? Is she okay?” Hyunjin could hear the panic in his own voice by now. He just had to know Yeji was okay already.

“I have no idea,” Chaeryoung admitted. Tears started to flood her eyes once again. She couldn’t seem to look up at Hyunjin any longer. “They’re still operating on her.”

“Costumers.”

“What?” Hyunjin’s head snapped up. Gone are the white walls and blindingly bright lights. The room is dark grey, the light subdued. This isn’t a hospital. Thank god. It takes a while until Hyunjin is able to focus on Yeonjun in front of him. “What did you say?”

Yeonjun doesn’t get to answer since he’s already taking some guy’s order. Still feeling a bit fuzzy, Hyunjin checks his watch. 8.03. They’re actually open by now. He must have zoned out for quite a while. As soon as the costumer is sent off with his drinks, Yeonjun turns towards Hyunjin again. “Had a nice time in dreamland?”

“Not really,” Hyunjin admits. The memory is still heavy like chains around his heart. He really tries his best not to remember that day, but sometimes it all just comes crashing onto him. Tonight is going to be anything but pleasant, Hyunjin already knows that. He never sleeps well on days like this, no matter how tired he is after his shift.

Yeonjun steps closer, speaking in a low voice. “Is this still about your sister?”

“Yeah.” Hyunjin takes a look around, making sure the two only costumers they have are far enough away. “I feel so bad for what happened. I should have just done the laundry and not started a fight about it.” Yes, very convincing. He got overwhelmed by the traumatic experience of fighting over household chores.

“Agreed.” Yeonjun smiles and pats Hyunjin’s back. “Hey, I’m sure if you apologise and do the laundry everything will be fine.”

“I guess you’re right…”

“Of course I am,” Yeonjun sounds almost offended Hyunjin would ever assume anything else. “That’s why you listen to your elders.”

Hyunjin rolls his eyes. “You say it as though you’re some 106 year old wise guy of the town. You’re one year older than me.”

“One year can make a lot of difference.” Yeonjun wags his finger in Hyunjin’s face. “Talk to me again in one year and see how much has changed.” Hyunjin tries to think of a comeback, but before his brain can provide him with anything another group of costumers walks in. Yeonjun winks at Hyunjin before going back to the counter and accepting the first order. Sighing, Hyunjin straightens his back, puts his costumer service smile on and starts helping Yeonjun prepare the drinks.

[-]

They’re really getting training now. Somehow just the thought lets a smile bloom on Kwangsun’s face. After all, none of the higher-ups would have agreed on sending them off to missions if they didn’t trust him and Chan, right? Okay, maybe trust is too strong of a word for that, but it’s definitely a good sign. In their situation every little step forward should be celebrated. Especially steps like this.

Kwangsun has a slight skip in his step as he walks into the kitchen, starting to look for stuff he can use to cook dinner for them. Though since they haven’t been grocery shopping in a while, there’s not really a lot to work with. They only have rice and noodles to be precise. Yup, plain rice would make a great celebration meal. Maybe Kwangsun should go grocery shopping? It’s not that late yet, he could go buy more ingredients to cook some proper meal for them. Kimchi jjigae would be awesome. If he’s already out and about, he should buy more than just the ingredients though. Some snacks wouldn’t hurt either. And they’re short on tissues and apple juice. Is there anything else? Kwangsun feels like he’s forgetting something. Don’t they need more shampoo too? Or is it soap? The answer feels within his reach but Kwangsun can’t quite grasp it.

“Chan-ah?” he calls, already leaving the kitchen. There’s no way both of them forgot, right? Plus, Chan might have wishes of his own, which Kwangsun would be happy to fulfil if Chan just replied. Still starved for a reply, Kwangsun walks down the hallway and opens the door to Chan’s room. “I’m going gro-”

Kwangsun freezes in the door frame, completely still. He forgot to knock, which was a mistake. Chan specifically requested it when they moved in. How did he not remember something that simple? Just having come out of the shower, Chan is still shirtless. That by itself really wouldn’t be a big deal if it wasn’t for the long, faint pink lines raking over Chan’s back. Most of them crisscross over his spine at the height of his ribcage, but some extend to his shoulders as well as lower back.

Chan’s entire back is covered in scars.

It only now dawns upon Kwangsun that he’s never seen Chan without a shirt, not even when in the practice room today. How did Chan even manage to change that quickly? And how come Kwangsun hadn’t realized how much Chan must have hurried to hide this? Or questioned how urgently Chan had insisted that Kwangsun knocks whenever he enters his room?

“What the fucking hell are you doing here?!” The aggression in Chan’s voice is so foreign. He’s never sounded like this, not during missions or while discussing plans or anything. Kwangsun’s heart drops to his knees. Chan is scary right now. His jaw is set and his face pulled into a scowl. His gaze has an intensity that has Kwangsun’s throat go dry. This is bad, this is really bad. Chan stumbles backwards and presses himself against his closet while trying to cover himself with the shirt in his hands. The mixture of anger and horror on Chan’s face makes Kwangsun feel like a monster, as though he murdered Chan’s family right in front of his very eyes.

“I’m sorry, I-” Kwangsun can’t seem to form proper words. He honestly has no idea what he would even say except apologising for barging into Chan’s room like that. Though he feels like an apology won’t cut it.

“Get out!” Chan screams, losing his patience. Kwangsun has never heard Chan yell before. “Get the hell out! Leave me alone!” He comes closer as though he’s planning to personally drag Kwangsun out of the room. Kwangsun nods hastily and rushes outside as quickly as possible. His heart is racing like crazy when the door slams shut behind him. The abstract painting on the wall next to Kwangsun trembles with the force of it.

“And fucking knock next time!”

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whenfatecollides · 4 years ago

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Dreamcatcher ‘R.o.S.E Blue’ 20.07.15 6PM KST

#dreamcatcher #hfdcedit #femaleidolsedit #femadolsedit #jiu #sua #siyeon #yoohyeon #dami #gahyeon #dc*#dc**#gif*#era: scream #mv: rose blue #don't disappear on your friends or they will hunt you 😔#tw gun

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sequencegifs · 3 years ago

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SIYEON GIF ICONS.

( ㅤ this is a semi-private commission — $2 use the code SQC2022 for 15% off! ㅤ )

ㅤin the source link you’ll find 108 gifs icons of dreamcatcher’s siyeon with blonde hair / in piri era. all of the items were made from scratch by me, so check my /rules to see what you can and cannot do with my gifs. if you liked these, give it a reblog because it helps me out a lot. if you want and can support my work, buy me a ko-fi!

#lee siyeon gif icons #siyeon gif icons #siyeon gif hunt #lee siyeon gif hunt #rph #thegifpackreblogs #*made by nami

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panda-writes-kpop · 2 years ago

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Chapter Three (Avengers AU): I’d Take You Into The Night

A/N: Hi guys, girls, and non-binary pearls! I hope you all are doing very well today. 💞

Avengers AU Masterlist | Masterlist

TW: Mentions of guns and violence right off the bat, mentions of previous murders, Y/N radiates massive jerk energy in some parts, Y/N cares for kids, mentions of food, jealous Yooh + Siyeon :), cursing

“Y/N, please put the gun down.”

“No.” You calmly say as you prepare yourself to pull the trigger. “I’m done listening to hypocrites like you!”

“Y/N, if this is about us, then can’t we settle this another way?”

“No, we can’t, DAMI!” You scream as you pull the trigger.

You’re prepared to watch the enemy, that person that you’ve been hunting for months on end, to die right in front of your eyes. Unfortunately, for you, the bullet stops in mid-air.

“I told you not to do this.” Dami calmly walks over and plucks the bullet out of the air. “Why don’t you ever listen to me?”

“Rebellion is in my blood. It’s how I roll.” You mutter as you let the skull mask slip off of your face.

“Would she be proud of you?”

“I don’t if I care anymore, if I’m honest.” Suddenly, images of her flood your brain, and the gun slips out of your hand.

“Y/N-” Dami reaches out for you, but you take a step away from her.

“You don’t know me like that anymore. Don’t act like you do.”

“What if I wanted to?” For once, she softens, and her extended hand feels more like a warm invitation than a forced truce.

You want to take her hand, but the cautiousness in your heart forces you to ask one last question.

“Was all of this a ploy to end up back in my life and my arms?"

“I would’ve preferred a coffee date, to be honest, but I take opportunities when I see them.” Dami admits.

You bite your lip before picking the gun up off of the ground. You place it in her hand, and you close her fingers around it.

“Come find me, someday, when the stars shine bright. Stargazing is still one of your favorite hobbies, right?”

“You know me so well.” Dami smiles, and you grab your mask before approaching the open window.

“It sounds like a date, mi amor.”

Dami calls out for you, but you’ve already left her again.

“Wait-”

You’re tempted to throw the skull mask in the garbage bin, but your nerves convince you to store it in your closet, along with the rest of your vigilante outfit.

The nearing voices of the twins force you to quickly shut the closet and pretend to be busy sorting laundry.

“Y/N~ we have a question for you.” One asks as they casually walk into your room.

“Yes, dear?” You fold a shirt before glancing at one of the twins.

“Who was that lady that you were with last night? Is she your girlfriend?”

“Ah…” You nervously rub your neck before answering. “That was just a friend that I brought home with me.”

“Do friends often kiss each other on the lips?”

“Okay, that’s enough out of you two!” You scold the twins while trying to hide your embarrassment. “Go outside and play. I’ll call you in when it’s time for dinner.”

They quickly run off, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Was it a bad idea to bring a stranger into my home? I mean, Siyeon isn’t a stranger to me, but is it too soon?

You sigh in frustration before continuing to fold laundry.

It’s best if I try to put the matter aside for now. They’re kids, of course they will be curious. I just need to somehow satisfy that curiosity while I’m trying to figure out what my heart wants.

You’re not folding for long as a knock on the door interrupts you.

Who could that be?

“I’m coming; please wait a moment!” You call out as you quickly try to finish folding a pair of pants.

You carefully descend down a flight of stairs before arriving at your front door. You look in a nearby mirror and adjust your slightly messy clothes and hair.

You know… just in case it’s Siyeon.

You open the door, and an eager Yoohyeon smiles back at you.

“Yooh? What are you doing here?”

“You’ve done it, Y/N. You’ve avenged everyone who has wronged you and your friend. Are you happy?” Dami asks as she takes a seat next to you.

“No. It still feels like something is missing… what could I have possibly missed?” You shake your head as your legs hang over the dock.

The waves move calmly a few feet below your legs, and occasionally, a strong wave will cause the water to hit your feet.

“May I offer advice?”

You nod at her.

“It can’t hurt at this point; besides, I know that you’re gonna say whatever you want, no matter whether or not I give you permission.”

“Have you ever taken the time to properly grieve for them?”

You look up at the starry night sky, wishing on a shooting star that the feeling of desperation and loneliness could finally leave your chest.

“What are you getting at, Dami? I don’t have time for your theoretical mind games.”

“You’ve spent every waking moment from the time they died until you ended the life of that last agent avenging their death. Did you ever take the time to reflect? Have you even visited their grave since they died?”

“That’s a bold accusation, coming from you.” You roll your eyes before coming from you.

“Yes, I’ve made mistakes in the past. I’ve changed for the better, and so can you. I know it.”

“Oh, so now you’ve got a savior complex and you’re trying to push your ‘holier-than-thou’ agenda on me. I’m not buying it, Dami. I’m not something for you to fix.” You quickly get up and begin to head back to the beach.

“That’s not what I meant-”

“Oh, really?” You snap and turn to face her. “What did you mean, then? I’d love for you to explain what’s wrong with me.”

“Y/N, you’re not listening to me-”

You throw your hands in the air in frustration.

“Have you considered why that is, or are you too stuck in your own head to notice anyone else?”

“Y/N!” Dami raises her voice at you, and you immediately flinch and take a step back.

Not once while you were dating did she yell at you, or at anyone, for that matter. You look down in shame as Dami rises from the dock.

“Y/N, I… I’ve only wanted the best for you. You know that; I know that. I just hate seeing you throw your life away as you march down a road of hate and poor decision-making. When do you draw the line? Is there even a line for you anymore?”

You stay silent as Dami steps closer to you. The dock creaks loudly with every step that she takes.

“I’m sorry for the way I treated you all of those years ago. I’m sorry that I was selfish, arrogant, and stuck in my old ways. It hurts me to see you walk the same road I took. You’re pushing everyone away because you think that’s what is best for you.”

“I’m not who you think I am, Dami.”

“Then help me learn, Y/N.” Dami takes your hands in hers.

“I took the twins in as my own kids. I’ve spent every moment trying to give them a good home, to raise and show them love and understanding. They ask me questions about their mother, and luckily, I can avoid those questions for now. Soon, I’ll have to tell them the truth, and I don’t know how to deal with that.”

You look into her eyes, and patience and understanding lie in the depths of her soft, brown eyes. There was a time where you loved staring into those eyes.

When did things change so much?

“And the murders?” Dami softly asks.

“It’s all for money. At first, the jobs were asking for some simple tasks: hack into a security system, develop malware, and work undetected in certain environments. The money was decent, but I needed more in order to pay for the lifestyle the twins deserved. It was a bounty, and I… I took it. It was stupid, but god, did it pay good. Once my name got out, I was recommended to a few more employers, and now-”

“You’re a wanted criminal in about five different countries, right?”

“Right.” Tears threaten to fall from your eyes. “I don’t… I don’t know how to fix the mistakes I made.”

“Come to New York and live with me. You won’t have to worry about money, I promise.” Dami pulls one hand away from yours, just so she can wipe the tears from your cheeks.

“That’s too much, I couldn’t-”

“Let me help. Please.” The desperation in Dami’s voice is evident.

“Okay.” You mumble. “Whenever you can, come get us. I want this nightmare to be over.”

“Can I come in?”

“Of course! You’re always welcome in this house.” You smile before moving aside to let her through.

“I brought more flowers, if you don’t mind-”

Yoohyeon offers you the flowers, and you happily take them before closing the door behind her.

“They look fantastic, Yooh Bear. Would you care for some tea?” You ask as you lead her to the kitchen.

“That would be amazing, Y/N.”

As the tea heats up on your kettle on the stove, you take a seat next to Yoohyeon at the kitchen table.

“You still didn’t answer my question. Why are you here?”

“Well, I-” Yoohyeon clears her throat as a slight blush rises on her cheeks. “I was wondering if you’d like to grab some ice cream right now, if you’re not busy.”

“Oh, that sounds great! I’d need to get some food around for the kids, and then we can leave.” You explain as Yoohyeon eagerly nods.

“Great!” She smiles at you with her famous cheesy smile, and you can’t help but smile.

Her happiness is so infectious. I forgot that about her. Maybe I could use this… ‘date’ to catch up with Yoohyeon.

The kettle whistles, and you quickly move to make two cups of tea. You set Yoohyeon’s cup down first before grabbing yours. You set yours down on the table, and you nearly sit down as the doorbell rings again.

Who could that be, at this hour?

“I promise I’m usually not this popular. It’s probably a delivery or something else. If you'll excuse me…” You hastily walk over and answer the door.

Siyeon?

“Y/N! You look as lovely as always.” Siyeon leans forward and pecks your cheek.

“Uh, hey, Siyeon… this isn’t exactly a great time to be her-” You try to explain to Siyeon why she should visit you another time, but you’re interrupted by Yoohyeon.

“I’d recognize that voice anywhere! Siyeon, what are you doing here?” Yoohyeon asks from the dining room.

“Yoohyeon?” Siyeon looks at you in confusion. “How do you two know each other?”

Dear God… Save me now.

“It’s a long story… care for a cup of tea?”

“Why not?” Siyeon shrugs before heading inside of your home.

You awkwardly stare at the tea leaves floating around in your tea cup as Siyeon and Yoohyeon freely speak in the comfort of your home.

“You’re not too busy, are you, Siyeon?”

“I’m about as busy as a runaway superhero can be.” Siyeon jokes.

“That makes two of us.” Yoohyeon laughs before taking a sip of tea. “This tea is really good. Thank you for opening your home to us.”

“It’s no issue at all…” You offer them a fake, bright smile before sinking back into your thoughts.

This is a disaster… what if they figure out who I am? I’d be dead within the hour, if not rotting in a jail cell for the rest of my life!

“Y/N-aaaaaah!” The twins cry out before entering the kitchen.

“I’m hungry!” The boy whines before rubbing his stomach.

“Yeah, me too!” The girl adds.

Yoohyeon and Siyeon both chuckle as you softly sigh.

“Okay, okay…. I’ll fix you something.” You set your tea cup down before standing up and heading over to the stove.

As you quietly begin to fix dinner, the twins decide to chat up your guests.

“You’re really pretty… just like the flowers you brought Y/N!” The girl gawks at Yoohyeon like she’s an animal in a zoo.

“Oh, thanks.” Yoohyeon blushes before glancing at Siyeon.

“Flowers, huh? You’ve gotten better at flirting, I see.” Siyeon teases.

“Flirting…” The boy repeats the word before asking another question. “Is that like when you kissed Y/N?”

“You kissed Y/N?!?!” Yoohyeon exclaims.

“You brought her flowers! Who are you to judge me?” Siyeon asks with a little anger in her voice.

“And she asked Y/N on a date!” The girl happily states. “Just like you did!”

“WHAT?!?!”

After their shared exclamation, Yoohyeon and Siyeon have entered into a silent staring match to the death as the twins triumphantly smile at the chaos that they have created.

“Alright, alright!” You turn around to scold the twins. “That’s enough troublemaking out of the two of you. What I do with my life is no one else’s business, got it?”

“Yes, Y/N.” They both answer before bowing their heads in shame.

If you didn’t have enough problems already, the doorbell rings for the third time today.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” You mutter before walking over to answer the door.

Oh… it’s just Dami.

A calm Dami stands in front of you with a gentle smile on her face.

“Is this a good time?” She softly asks. “I see a few extra cars in the driveway. Do you need a couple of hours?”

She’s so considerate towards me.

You exhale in relief.

“That’d be great. If you could come back around…” You peek at a nearby clock. “Eight or nine, that’d be great.”

“Of course. I’ll see you then.” Dami nods before stepping off of your porch.

You shut the door in front of you before turning back to your guests, the kids, and the food on your stove.

“I think it’s best if I go.” Siyeon says as you enter the kitchen. “I don’t need to cause any more trouble.”

“No, Siyeon, you’re completely fine-”

“It’s alright.” She reaches out and briefly squeezes your hand before letting go. “There’s still a big world for me to save out there.”

Siyeon smiles at you, but the sadness in her eyes triumphs over whatever other emotion her face may read.

“If you insist…” You move so Siyeon can exit your home.

As the door closes, you finally are able to finish the twins’ dinner.

“You two might be pure trouble, but I still love you, okay?” You say as you serve them.

“Love you too!” The girl yells as the boy shoves his dinner into his face.

You laugh as Yoohyeon lets out a small chuckle.

“They’re certainly something, huh?”

“Yeah, but they’re good kids. I couldn’t ask for better, even if I tried.”

“Do you mind if I adjust our plans a bit?”

“Oh,” You, intrigued, turn to Yoohyeon, “what did you have in mind?”

“How about the four of us go out for ice cream?”

You brightly smile.

“That sounds great to me.”

“I had a lot of fun, and I think the kids did too.” You say as Yoohyeon exits your home.

“They probably thought I was a bit boring. Why else would they fall asleep in my car while I was talking? That was one of my more interesting stories too.” Yoohyeon huffs as you chuckle to yourself.

“It’s nothing personal, Yooh. They usually are out an hour or two after dinner. Thanks for helping me bring them inside and upstairs.”

“No big deal. I had to show off my muscles somehow.” Yoohyeon flexes before you both burst out laughing.

“After all of these years, you’re still the same girl I adore.” The words fall out of your mouth before you realize what you’re saying.

“Do you mean that, Y/N? Really and truly?” Yoohyeon softly asks.

“You know I do.”

Yoohyeon blushes before clearing her throat.

“Perhaps this is too forward of me… but I’d like to see you again.”

“I’d like that too.”

You wait for Yoohyeon to make a move, but nothing happens.

“I should go. I’d hate to overstay my welcome or-”

“Wait!” You call out, which successfully gets Yoohyeon’s attention. “Can I have your phone number, just so we can keep in touch?”

“Sure.” You hand her your phone, and she types her phone number into your phone.

Yoohyeon offers you her phone, and you do the same, except with one minor change.

I’ll add a heart next to my name, just as a personal touch!

You exchange phones before saying your goodbyes.

You stare at her number in your phone as she pulls out of your driveway.

I’m looking forward to seeing Yoohyeon again. I think something could be there, even after all of these years.

8:30 p.m. television proves to be as boring as usual, but there’s nothing better to occupy your time with. You could scroll through your phone, but channel surfing seemed like your best option.

I usually find something semi-entertaining, but there’s nothing for me today.

A knock on your front door startles you, and you immediately mute the TV before heading to the door. You open the door to see Dami once again.

“Hey, is it alright if I come in?”

“You know you’re always welcome here. Just make sure to close the door behind you.”

“How have you been doing?” Dami asks while discarding her light jacket. “Please answer me truthfully.”

You take the jacket from her hands and hang it up on a nearby coat rack.

“I’ve been better. Just trying to take the days one at a time.”

“Good. I’m here for you, whenever you need me.”

“I know.” You gesture for her to follow you into the living room. “I’m assuming you’re here about New York?”

“Yeah, but for a different reason. I need… your help.” You sit on the couch, and Dami sits next to you.

“Dami? Asking for help? Am I sure that I’m not sleeping now?” You pinch your skin, but nothing happens.

“Still as humorous as ever, I see.”

“Would you expect anything else from me?”

“You’re right, like always. Are you interested or not?”

“Depends.” You lean back into the comfort of your couch. “What are you offering?”

“The same as I did before. I’m just asking for a bit of help with some tracking and information gathering. I could figure out what I need to… but you’re much faster than I could dream of being.”

“Consider me tuyo, querida. I’ll get the kids ready in the morning. They could use a change of pace. Maybe it’ll stop them from asking so many questions…” You trail off.

“About their mother?”

“About everything.” You admit. “It stresses me out.”

“It’s a good thing I live where information is plentiful.” Dami briefly stares at the ceiling before looking back at you. “You all will like it there, I know.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you enough, Dami, but I might be able to start now.” You shift slightly towards Dami as she raises an eyebrow at you.

“Oh, and what do you mean by that-”

You lean forward and press your lips against Dami’s. She softly kisses you back before placing a hand at your waist.

You melt into the moment, but you’re snapped back into reality by a loud gasp. You pull away from her as you both look away from each other like embarrassed teenagers.

“Y/N really gets all of the girls, huh?” The boy asks as the girl scoffs.

“No, it’s just the pretty ones!”

“All of them so far have been pretty!”

“That’s my point!” She yells as you try to think of something to say.

Now would be a great time for my brain to think of some way out of this mess!

“And who might you be?” Dami gently asks.

“Who are you, trying to take us away from our home?” The boy folds his arms.

“So they did hear that…” You mutter.

“My name’s Dami. I’m an old friend of Y/N’s from college. She’s gonna come to New York to live with me, along with you two, unless you want to stay here all by yourselves…”

“No, I wanna go with Y/N!” The girl cries before running into your arms. “Please don’t leave us behind.”

“I would never leave you two.” You reassure her while turning to the boy. “What about you?”

“It’s still a no from me.”

You look back to Dami, who has an amused smile on her face.

“Well, I heard a story that there’s all sorts of magic and monsters in New York, but you’ll never know until you go there yourself to see them.”

Dami opens her palm before a flash of light appears and then quickly disappears. The boy stares, completely astonished.

“We have to go to New York. There’s no question about it.”

You laugh at his sudden change in opinion.

“If you’re both so sure about this, then we’ll leave in the morning. But right now, the two of you need sleep.”

The girl yawns as the boy rubs his eyes.

You escort the two of them upstairs. They walk to the bedroom, hand in hand, and you smile proudly before heading back down.

“Thank you so much, Dami.”

“Please, don’t mention it. I don’t mind doing things for you…”

“Speaking of us…” You walk towards her as a mischievous smile lights up your face. “How about we finish what we started early?”

“You know I would never say no to that, or to you.”

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moostaronce · 4 years ago

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DREAMCATCHER reaction to being your older/ younger sibling

Request: Could you do a how would dreamcatcher be as your older/younger sibling?

A/N: Here you go, I hope you like it.

Jiu: Minji is a really loving and caring older sister. She looks after you and your brother really well and you both do your best to look out for her and each other in return. The type of older sister that answers your calls no matter where she is (if she’s not shooting) just in case you really need her. Before she debuted and had more time she would take you out on little sibling dates to spend as much time with you as she could. You have a lot of great memories with Minji and you’ll have even more in the future.

Sua: Bora practically raised you until she had to go away to live in the dorms with her members. You got close with the other members, pretty much like additional sisters, because she always brought you over to hang out. True to her nature she picks on you everyday to get a reaction because you give the best ones. You and Yoohyeon find solace in trying but failing to stand up for each other. Mostly because Yoohyeon just runs away and abandons you when Bora starts to get closer.

Siyeon: A healthy mix of loving and teasing. Siyeon adores you and never lets you forget it. She’s also incredibly protective When you go out together she has an arm around you like she’s trying to shield and protect you from the world. One time while you were in high school, you told her about your crush and she smiled and nodded while listening, but then she hunted the kid down and intimidated the crap out of them. It’s all out of love and she definitely knows where your lines are and not to cross them.

Handong: You and Handong have never had a fight. She’s the absolute best friend type of sister. She lets you borrow her clothes and even helps you find what best suits you in her closet. If she goes out to shop, you’re coming with her. She gives the best hugs and even better advice when you need it. When she’s available she’ll contact you just to keep up with what’s going on in your life and to tell you about what goes on in hers.

Yoohyeon: Yoohyeon loves you but she’ll never actually tell you that. Even though she is the older sister it’s a bit hard to tell sometimes because you’re usually the one taking care of her. If she trips, you catch her. If she spills something you clean it up for her. People often think that she’s the younger one, especially since she’s always openly relying on you. You two are known for your roasting battles but they don’t usually get too bad. Usually.

Dami: Yubin is a little different with you than she is your brother. You usually see a side to her that nobody really gets to see but her members after spending so much time with them. She likes to be in your presence because you bring her comfort, even if you’re just sitting on your bed together reading in silence. Or just taking taking a family nap together so you can wake up and spend time together doing whatever you both deem fun at that moment.

Gahyeon: Gahyeon looks up to you a lot as her older sibling. If she needs advice, you’re the first person she calls. If she needs to cry yours is the first shoulder she find herself looking for. You’re her only actual sibling so she leans on you a lot and is always grateful that you give her a lot of love. The members like to tease her and say you spoiled her too much and that’s why she’s so whiny but she doesn’t mind. Gah loves being spoiled by you just as much as you love spoiling her.

#Girl group reactions #Dreamcatcher reactions #Jiu reactions #Minji reactions #Sua reactions #Kim Bora reactions #Siyeon reactions #Lee Siyeon reactions #Handong reactions #Han Dong reactions #Yoohyeon reactions #Kim Yoohyeon reactions #Dami reactions #Lee Yubin reactions #Gahyeon reactions #Lee Gahyeon reactions #MooStarOnce

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vallkyr · 4 years ago

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Step Out

When the people you trust most leave you to get caught by the task force hunting you, what else is there to do but finding new allies?

This wonderful gif has been made by the equally wonderful @agustdawn

Pairings: Chan x Kwangsun (OC), Chan x Felix, Minho x Jisung, Changbin x Hyunjin, Younghyun x Liam (OC), Siyeon x Jonghyeon, Aaron x Minhyun and other minor pairings

Genres: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, some Romance and bits of Fluff in between

Tags: Dystopia AU, Rebels AU

Chapter Tags: making up, emotional hurt, making up, unrequited love (or is it?)

Rating: Mature

General Warnings: Violence, Injury, Panic Attacks, Minor Character Death

Chapter Warnings: blood

Word Count: 9,446

Hey, everyone! I'm sorry the update took so long, I've had some trouble writing Step Out. But! I'm back! I'll try to make chapters shorter again and hopefully opdate more often.

Edit: I made some changes to Step Out since first posting it. For the explanation please check the notes at the beginning of chapter 9

Masterpost

< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >

Chapter 8 – Worry gives a small thing a big shadow

Making composite sketches doesn’t sound like much, but Chan nonetheless feels exhausted when he and Kwangsun sit down in what has become their spot – the little seating corner Younghyun showed them last week. At least they were able to finish Lee Know’s sketch. One down, four more to go. How wonderful, Chan is already looking forward to wrecking his brain for a fitting description of the other members’ faces. Not. Beyond being tiring, making these catches is taking a toll on Chan’s psyche. No matter the circumstances, handing the DIT pictures of the members on a silver platter feels wrong. Dirty.

“Do you think they’ll really be able to find the others with those sketches?” Kwangsun wonders out loud. Chan really doesn’t feel like replying to that. Or like talking at all. He just wants to go home and lock himself up in his room. But at the same time, he doesn’t want to close off from Kwangsun. All this must be difficult for him too. Chan may not be much of a leader right now, but Kwangsun still depends on him and Chan will be damned if he doesn’t live up to that.

“Who knows. If we do our best-”

Blaring alarms cut through their conversation. Panic rises inside of Chan right away. This shit isn’t any easier the second time around; Chan fucking hates the alarms inside the DIT. Kwangsun’s hand quickly finds his and squeezes tightly.

“Focus on me.”

It’s easier said than done. Everything is blinking in yellow and the siren hurts in Chan’s ears. It’s too much. Way too much. All of it. Fuck, why couldn’t it just stop?

“I know this is hard,” Kwangsun says. He tries to keep his voice even despite the loud volume. “But you need to stay calm. Let’s take a deep breath together.”

Chan tries to breathe with Kwangsun, but the air around them feels so stuffy. His chest is too tight. He wants to get out of here. He needs to get out of here.

“Let’s make a plan together, okay?”

Chan only manages a nod. He has to put his entire mind into listening to Kwangsun’s voice to even understand him over everything else bombarding his senses.

“Okay, right now everyone is still rushing to move out,” Kwangsun explains. His voice is so sweet, so calm, so comforting against the sirens. “So we’ll stay here for the time being. Is that alright?” Chan wants to shake his head – he wants to get out of this nightmare as quickly as possible – but he nods. Right now, Kwangsun definitely has the clearer head; Chan needs to trust him. “When everything has calmed a bit, we’ll go to the investigation team’s room. We can sit with Taehyung.”

Chan breathes a low “Yeah” in response. Sitting with Taehyung sounds like heaven right now. Everything would be heaven compared to this loud, blinking hell. He tries his best to continue focusing on Kwangsun, who keeps on rambling and rambling about different stuff they will talk about with Taehyung, anything to distract Chan. Taking another deep breath, Chan closes his eyes and just listens. The sound of Kwangsun’s voice makes it easier to block out the sirens. True to Kwangsun’s codename, his voice is like liquid honey slowly coating Chan’s soul. It’s so sweet and soothing on Chan’s strained senses. When Kwangsun squeezes his hand, Chan opens his eyes again. The blinking is still there, but the sirens have finally stopped.

They get up from the couch in the little seating area and finally make their way to the investigation team’s rooms. It’s a lot quieter there, no running, no rushing. Chan would think the light and sirens hadn’t come through to here if it wasn’t for the tension filling the air. Heads turn and eyes stare at them as soon as they step through the door. When they reach the office of unit C, Taehyung immediately gets up from his desk and crosses the room.

“There you are! I was wondering when you two would come.”

“We had to wait until we were able to get through to here,” Kwangsun explains with a light-hearted smile. Chan is glad Kwangsun is able to come up with an excuse so easily. It saves Chan from admitting his panic attack in front of a bunch of people he doesn’t know.

“Yeah the hallways are a mess when everyone steps out. Anyways, now that you’re here you can finally get to know the rest of our unit.” Taehyung steps behind the person on the desk next to his – closer to the door – and puts his hand on the guy’s shoulder. “This here is Yeosang.” Said person directs a reluctant smile up at Chan and Kwangsun. “He and San-” Taehyung nods towards the person at the opposite desk, who smiles brightly and waves at them- “are the youngest members of our unit.” In a way too loud whisper behind his hand, Taehyung adds “Yeosang is a great help, please convince him to stay after this year.”

“What about me?” San asks with a pout on his face. Taehyung lets go of Yeosang in favour of rounding the two desks and coming closer to San.

“You’re a great help too, Sanie. But you already said you were planning to stay for four years so you don’t need to be persuaded. Yeosang on the other hand…” Taehyung trails off while fixing Yeosang with his gaze.

“I told you I’ll think about it.” Yeosang looks like he can just barely hold back a sigh. Without even knowing the situation, Chan already feels a bit of pity for him. This situation seems like a regular occurrence in unit C.

“I may have been annoying him with this every now and then,” Taehyung confirms Chan’s fear with an only partly regretful smile while going back to his own desk.

“Like once a week.” San seems to find the whole situation rather funny. It’s probably easy for him since he already made up his mind about staying in the DIT for at least four years.

“It feels like more.” Yeosang seems equal parts amused and annoyed by the entire thing. At least he can still laugh about it. Chan can’t help but smile at the interaction. It’s a little hard to believe those three have apparently only been working together for a bit over a year.

“Since Taehyung obviously isn’t going to finish the introduction round,” the guy at the desk in the very back of the office speaks up. “I’m Lance Corporal Park Sungjin. And this-” He gestures towards the person sitting at the desk to his left “is Private Park Roseanne.”

“Nice to meet you.” Private Park has a friendly smile on her face while she greets them. Looking at everyone in this office, Chan feels almost a bit taken aback by how genuinely nice the members of this unit seem despite Chan and Kwangsun having been the enemy just a month ago. Maybe they’re an exception from the rest of the DIT. But then again, Chan thought the same about Taehyung, but clearly, he was wrong. So maybe Chan is just a little too pessimistic after having been around the battle team.

“Nice to meet you,” Chan and Kwangsun echo. With Taehyung sitting again, it becomes rather obvious that Chan and Kwangsun are the only ones standing. It makes them feel a little out of place. As usual.

Almost as though she read Chan’s thoughts, Roseanne speaks up again. “The last few offices in the back are empty, you can get chairs from there.”

It feels a bit weird to just take chairs from one of the unused offices, even though they got permission to do so. Almost everyone is staring at Chan and Kwangsun from their respective desks while they walk back with the desk chairs. Passing the offices feels a little like running the gauntlet. Though it’s still nowhere near as bad as when they entered the battle team’s rooms for the first time.

“Do you have any news about the attack yet?” Kwangsun’s question feels a bit heavy, especially after the playful banter from earlier. But then again, it’s kind of the elephant in the room when sirens were howling and lights were blinking just a few minutes ago.

“Sadly no,” Lance Corporal Park answers. “In a few minutes we’re all going to the conference room to watch the news together and see what’s going on.”

“Do you always work that way?” Chan asks. He doesn’t know what he expected from the investigation team but gathering in front of a TV to watch the news together definitely wasn’t part of it.

“Yeah. Reports from the battle team can be kind of fuzzy. It’s great to have them, but we don’t want to rely on them alone. Another point of view never hurts.” With Taehyung’s explanation it does make a lot more sense. Trying to keep up with everything while staying in the office must be hard. They may have reports and the possibility to investigate the scene afterwards, but nothing can replace first-hand experience.

“It has started.” Everyone turns their heads towards the guy standing in the door frame to their office. Behind him, people get up from their seats and stream towards the meeting room at the end of the middle hallway. Chan feels nervousness fill him again as they too get up and start to follow. He tries his best to stay right in between Kwangsun and Taehyung and readies himself for what he’s about to see.

[-]

Another empty room. Jungkook waits in the doorway while Bora dutifully but needlessly checks every part of the office. Not being able to rely on security cameras is a pain in the ass. Already about to tell Bora that they should move on, Jungkook is interrupted from a noise down the hallway. The rest of their unit is the opposite way. Maybe another unit?

“I think I heard something. I’m going to check.” It’s probably just one of their people anyways. Stray Kids are usually gone so quickly, chances are they aren’t even inside the building anymore. Jungkook keeps his gun ready nevertheless; you never know. Rounding the corner, Jungkook is met with a flash of pink. A mask. Jungkook doesn’t have time to think because he’s noticed right away. I.N immediately lifts his gun and yells something, probably a code, nothing Jungkook can make any sense of.

“Stop!” Jungkook shouts when I.N backs away. He’s about to fire a warning show when he finds himself a lot closer to the floor than he used to be. How? What happened? Why is he on his knees? The bang still echoes in Jungkook’s ears. Did he shoot? He looks up but I.N has already vanished. Where did he go? What’s going on? Jungkook looks down and sees red, not pink. Where is this coming from? Only gradually, he starts to feel the strange warmth in his left leg.

Blood. He’s bleeding?

Suddenly pain hits him. Fuck, what the hell? Jungkook’s thigh feels like it’s on fire. What’s happening? Is that really his blood? Jungkook thinks he hears a voice somewhere, but it doesn’t reach his brain. Before Jungkook can get any meaning out of it, there are hands on his body and he is hoisted up onto his legs. “Can you walk?”

“Yes.” Apparently not. Jungkook almost falls back onto the ground when he tries to take a step. Okay. Whatever happened, Jungkook can be sure that he’s injured. There’s no other explanation for that pain.

“Let’s get you out of here.” Bora puts Jungkook’s arm over her shoulder and shifts his weight onto herself before dragging him along, stumbling towards the entry. Every damn step sends another fire down Jungkook’s thigh. He still can’t seem to keep up with any of this. Where did the injury come from? How come he didn’t realize?

“What happened?” A blur passes over Jungkook’s eyes. He doesn’t realize it’s Jimin’s voice until his right arm is lifted and another person helps drag him out of the building. He lifts his head and is met with Jimin’s face next to him.

“He heard a noise and went to check. I.N shot him in the leg.”

Shot? Damnit, that makes sense.

“Fuck!” Frustration and worry drips from Jimin’s voice. Jungkook can’t help but feel guilty for making Jimin upset like that. He just wanted to check who caused that noise, none of them thought Stray Kids would still be here. When they finally make it outside, they’re immediately approached by members of the safety team.

“Bullet wound in the leg,” Jimin explains. “We have to get him into hospital.”

“This way.” The safety team member – Jungkook doesn’t have the mind to try and remember his name – guides them towards one of the ambulances and helps Jungkook onto the stretcher. Pain shoots through Jungkook when he lifts his leg up. So much more pain than before. He’s really been shot? Jungkook still has trouble keeping up with the events and believing the voices around him, but the pain definitely isn’t like anything he’s felt before. Someone helps him lift it onto the stretcher, Jungkook doesn’t register who it is, just feels another jolt of pain.

“Jungkook-ah, hey.” Jimin leans over him, stays still when the world around Jungkook starts moving. “Can you hear me?” Actually, Jungkook can’t hear anything but Jimin. Focusing on Jimin is the only way to get away from the pain and all the blurriness around him.

“Yeah.”

“Good.” Jungkook thinks he catches the hint of a smile before Jimin turns around, probably towards Bora again. “I’m going with him so you’re in charge now. Tell Hoseok and Wooyoung what happened.”

“Understood.” And off Bora is, not losing any time.

The doors close and paramedics start fussing over Jungkook. More pain shoots through Jungkook when one of the paramedics start working on stopping the bleeding. He still can’t keep up with what they’re doing; he doesn’t care either if they just get this pain to stop already. Jungkook tries to focus on Jimin to get his mind off the injury, but one of the paramedics soon starts asking Jungkook questions about what happened and about his condition. Jungkook takes a deep breath, tries to gather the pieces of his mind again and reply to the questions the best he can. He probably isn’t much of a help right now but it’s not like anyone else can answer for him.

Although Jimin is staying in the background, he’s a steady, comforting presence in the ambulance. When the paramedic is done asking questions and turns towards her colleague, Jungkook turns his head to look at Jimin. Despite the exhaustion on Jimin’s face, his eyes are stable, full of strength, like he’s still holding Jungkook up with just his gaze. Even with everything going on, Jungkook feels a bit more at ease just looking at Jimin. Having Jimin next to him both brings Jungkook closer and pushes him away from reality.

“How are you?” Jungkook asks, which would usually be such a casual question but inside an ambulance, it feels completely different. Putting it like that makes Jungkook feel ridiculous, but he means it. Seeing someone you’re responsible for wounded must be hard, especially since Jimin wasn’t present when everything happened.

Jimin snorts and shakes his head, not like Jungkook can blame him for the reaction. “You’re the one who got shot.”

“I’ve talked enough about that. So? How are you feeling, Lance Corporal Park?”

Sighing, Jimin leans a little closer to Jungkook, probably not wanting the paramedics to hear their conversation. “Horrible,” Jimin admits. “I was so worried when I saw Bora carrying you. It looked really bad.”

“Worried?” Jimin was worried? About him? Somehow the thought feels so surreal to Jungkook. It had never seemed liked Jimin particularly cared about him, at least not beyond the professional amount.

“Yeah.” For a moment Jungkook thinks he’s dreaming, because Jimin suddenly reaches out and takes Jungkook’s hand into his own. They don’t say anything, just look at each other, but it’s enough to make Jungkook’s heart starts to race again. Considering his current state, that’s definitely suboptimal, but he can’t help himself. This is Jimin after all. Jimin is worth every bit of blood loss. Jungkook feels like he should say something, ask Jimin why they’re holding hands or why Jimin is looking at him with a fondness that melts Jungkook’s heart. But before Jungkook’s brain can provide him with the right words the ambulance comes to a halt and the doors swing open. Jimin lets go of Jungkook’s hand when the stretcher is pulled out, but he follows close behind it.

Distantly, Jungkook thinks he should be more concerned about the bullet possibly still stuck in his leg rather than the warmth of Jimin’s hand still present in his palm. But he’s had an eye on Jimin since his first day at the DIT three years ago, so can you really blame him?

[-]

I.N breaks apart as soon as they’re inside the house. He seems to barely remember to set his backpack down before he lets himself fall to the floor and starts to cry. Changbin quickly puts his own backpack aside before crouching down next to I.N “What’s wrong?” Something must have happened. Missions always leave them irritated and exhausted, but crying is unusual, especially like this. The last time someone had cried was when they left without Chan and Kkul.

“I… I-“ I.N sobs, unable to continue speaking. The poor kid can barely get any sounds out. And his entire body is shaking. What the hell happened?

“He had to shoot at somebody,” Mirror whispers just loud enough for Changbin to hear while crouching down next to them. It takes a moment for Changbin to process those words. Even when they’re on a mission, I.N really doesn’t seem like a person who would shoot at anyone. Judging by his reaction, I.N himself cannot belief what he did.

“I.Nie.” Mirror’s voice is quiet and gentle in a way Changbin hadn’t heard before. It feels so foreign to see them like this when Mirror and I.N are usually easy going and joke around together. Very carefully, Mirror comes closer to I.N, tries to catch his attention. “I.Nie, you aimed at the legs, didn’t you?”

“I-” I.N nods. “I aimed beside him but I-” His sobs intensify and he hides his face in his hands, almost like he’s ashamed to be seen. “I only w-wanted to scare him so we- so we could run away. But suddenly there was blood and-” Another sob breaks through his words.

Changbin hates how helpless he is, how little he can do to help I.N. Not having been present when the incident happened, he can’t provide any words of comfort the way Mirror does. All he can do is try his best to be there for I.N. “Do you want a hug?” Changbin feels almost stupid for offering this. It feels so trivial and out of place when I.N is having a breakdown over injuring another human, but if I.N finds any comfort in hugs he should get one.

I.N nods before all but throwing himself into Changbin’s arms. Changbin pulls him close and lets I.N cry into his shoulder. Hoping to get some answers, he looks up at Mirror. Because they had split up, he has no idea what happened to I.N, Mirror and DaN’s group.

“I’m sorry, I should have paid more attention.” Changbin’s eyes widen at Mirror’s words. Out of all the possibilities, Changbin would have never guessed for Mirror to apologise. “You shouldn’t have had to shoot in the first place. It’s my responsibility that we’re not discovered.”

“Please don’t beat yourself up.” Changbin reaches out and takes Mirror’s hand. Mirror seems a bit taken aback by the gesture, but gifts Changbin with a weak smile nonetheless. “Both of you did your best. We’re talking about a really difficult situation.” Mirror looks down but nods hesitantly; his grip around Changbin’s hand tightens a little.

“I.N, how about we practice shooting together?” Changbin offers after a beat of silence. “I know it’s difficult after what happened, but you need to improve your aim to prevent something like this. Until you feel safe shooting again, I’m sure the others will take care of that.”

“Would that be okay?” I.N carefully pulls away and looks between Changbin and Mirror.

“Of course, I.Nie,” Mirror confirms. “I’ll talk to DaN later. We can handle this.”

Still crying a bit, I.N turns to hug Mirror. Changbin uses the quiet moment to look around them. Apparently, the others decided to give them some space and go upstairs already, which Changbin is grateful for. The last thing I.N needs right now is spectators. After a moment, I.N pulls away from Mirror and starts furiously wiping his tears away.

“I have a question,” he mumbles, still sniffing. “How do you want to practice shooting with me?”

“Oh right, I should have mentioned that we have a shooting range here. Over there, actually” Changbin explains, not being able to help the little smile spreading over his face while he points at the door next to them .

“What?” Mirror looks as though Changbin had just confessed that there was a pink unicorn waiting on the other side of the wall. “Why would you have a shooting range down here?”

“To practice shooting.”

They share a blank stare. Next to them I.N bursts into a fit of giggles. Even though Changbin wasn’t trying to make I.N laugh, he’s definitely happy to have managed that. It feels like the sun suddenly peeking out between dark clouds to see I.N in a slightly better mood again.

“You can come here after school, or whenever you’re free. I have nowhere else to be.” Changbin eventually offers. “If you want, I can talk to Lee Know and come with you, DaN, and Mirror from now on. I’m sure we’ll find a way to make it all work.”

I.N nods and wipes the last bit of moisture away from his cheeks. “Thanks, you two.” A smile blooms on his face as he looks at them. Changbin and Mirror say their respective “You’re welcome” before helping I.N to his feet and going to look for the others together.

[-]

The meeting is mind-numbing as always. So many numbers and details that none of them is going to convey to their respective units anyways. That in addition to the same sequence of events Stray Kids always has. Younghyun would be annoyed, but he knows this is a necessity. Though usually Sergeant Park is… calmer. Today he seems more tense than usual. Maybe something did happen?

“Unfortunately, Stray Kids have escaped again,” Sergeant Park announces with a stern voice. So everything went as usual after all? “However, we know that they were still present at the crime scene when we arrived. A member of the battle team – Private Jeon Jungkook, unit A – has been wounded during an encounter with I.N.”

Oh god. Immediately, murmuring and whispering fills the room. Now that Younghyun looks around, he realizes that Jimin isn’t at the meeting. He must be at the hospital with Jungkook then. Hopefully it isn’t a severe injury.

“We have no information on whether I.N has been wounded too.” Sergeant Park’s voice has become louder, rings over the commotion in the room and makes everyone pay attention again. “I would like the investigation team to pay special attention to any signs for that. The report is complete. You may ask questions now.”

“How is Private Jeon doing?” A Lance Corporal of the investigation team yells over the noise that has erupted in the meeting room once again.

“So far, we haven’t received an update from Lance Corporal Park. But the injury does not seem to be life threatening. You’ll be updated on the situation as soon as we know more.”

More murmuring fills the room. Younghyun doubts anyone is still listening to Sergeant Park closing the meeting, saying that aside from the injury there were no special occurrences and so on. As soon as the meeting ends, Younghyun pushes past the others and makes his way out into the hallway. Almost automatically, he leaves their division’s rooms and goes up the fire escape staircase to the small rooftop at the westside of the building. His personal little hide out with the best view in the entire DIT. Younghyun takes a deep breath before pulling out his phone. After he dials and presses the phone against his ear, the usual wait follows while Liam gets up from his desk, goes into the hallway, to the old copy room and he’s there.

“Hey, babe. Are you okay?” It’s so lovely just hearing Liam’s voice, especially after a mission when Younghyun feels numb and tired. Hearing Liam feels like getting wrapped up in a warm blanket.

“Hey,” Younghyun mutters. “Yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“Do you know who was injured yet?”

Younghyun looks out into the distance, over the buildings down the street, none of which are tall enough for anyone there to see him on the rooftop. This place feels so at peace it’s hard to believe this is actually part of the DIT. “He’s from the battle team. One of Bam’s friends.”

“Will he make it?”

“Most likely yeah. But I should still be there for Bambam now.” The realisation hits Younghyun like a punch in the face. “Fuck, I’ll have to tell him one of his best friends is in hospital.” Shit, how is he supposed to do that? Bambam probably doesn’t know what’s up yet. And they don’t have any real information on Jungkook’s condition.

“Okay calm down. You can do it. Just be careful and be there for your unit. Let them know that it’s okay to be shocked and take their time to process everything.”

“Right,” Younghyun mutters. “Maybe I should offer Bambam to drive him to the hospital.”

“Good idea, I’m sure he’d appreciate that.” Liam’s voice is a bit softer now. Younghyun can’t help but smile, already knowing what’s to come. “What about you? Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah. Stressed and exhausted, but okay. I’ll live. Pinkie swear.” Smiling, he lifts his pinkie into the air. In another corner of the city, Liam is doing the same right now, Younghyun knows it.

“Pinkie swear.” The smile on Liam’s face is bright enough to be heard through the phone. Younghyun can see it in his mind as though Liam is right in front of him. It warms Younghyun’s heart just from thinking about it.

“What do you think of pizza for dinner?” Liam asks.

“A lot.” Younghyun hadn’t realized how hungry he was, and the prospect of pizza is great motivation for making it through the rest of the day.

“Great, then I’ll get us pizza when I’m done here. You be your amazing self and go take care of your unit. I’ll see you at home.”

Younghyun closes his eyes, just enjoys those words. Even after all those years, the last sentence still makes Younghyun feel fuzzy and warm. Home. He has a home with Liam. “See you at home.” After the call ends and Younghyun’s phone is back in his pocket, he allows himself another deep breath of fresh air before rushing downstairs and to his unit’s room. Talking to Liam is like getting a fresh battery. He always knows exactly what to say to give Younghyun strength.

[-]

Changbin never thought knocking on Jisung’s door could be this hard. They’ve been friends for years, it’s ridiculous for him to be a nervous wreck just thinking about talking to Jisung. He was so upset after their fight… Hurting Jisung was really the last thing Changbin wanted and it’s horrible that this is hanging over them like a storm cloud now. Since Changbin asked Jisung if he’s happy with Lee Know, Jisung has been avoiding Changbin like the plague. They haven’t talked one bit beyond what was required for the mission. Things cannot stay this way. They need to talk about what happened. Or rather Changbin needs to get his shit together and apologise for overstepping Jisung’s boundaries. After another moment of mental preparation, Changbin finally knocks.

Jisung is half sitting half lying on his bed and watching videos on his phone when Changbin enters. His expression stays frozen when he looks at Changbin over his phone. As happy and adorable as Jisung can be most of the time, he’s kind of scary when he’s angry. It’s also very clear Jisung isn’t planning on giving Changbin more attention than is absolutely necessary. The phone stays right there in his hand and he doesn’t even bother greeting Changbin, but Changbin isn’t going to let that stop him.

“Can we talk?”

“If we have to.”

Changbin just barely holds back a sigh. He really should have expected a reply like that. Jisung can be as cold as ice when he wants to. “Jisung, I’m here to apologise.” Luckily, that seems to do the trick since Jisung finally puts his phone aside and sits up.

“I’m listening.”

Changbin sits down on the bed across from Jisung. The fact that Jisung is actually looking at him now doesn’t make this easier. His expression doesn’t let any bit of emotion show and now that he isn’t holding his phone anymore, he has his arms crossed in front of his chest. “I’m sorry for asking all those stupid questions the other day. I shouldn’t have doubted Lee Know’s feelings for you like that. As your friend I should support you instead of getting caught up in my imagination. If you’re content with your relationship then I’m happy for you.”

“Things are going great between me and Lee Know. I wouldn’t want to change a thing.” Finally, Jisung doesn’t seem quite as hostile anymore. He even smiles a little bit. “Thanks for the apology. Even though it feels like you should apologise to Lee Know rather than me. Hyung, you really need to learn to trust him.”

Trusting him… Changbin doesn’t know if he can really do that. Jisung may be convinced but Changbin isn’t. Something about Lee Know’s behaviour is off. Changbin has to respect Jisung’s decision, that doesn’t mean he has to like it or even consider it good. “That’s difficult. I barely know him…”

“Yeah, Lee Know is a tough nut to crack,” Jisung admits with a smile. “But he’s worth the effort, not just because of me. Plus, if we want to work together as a team you need to trust Lee Know as a leader.”

“I’ll try my best.” Changbin honestly doesn’t know how he’s supposed to do that. Chan has always been their leader. Suddenly taking orders from someone else is… weird. But Jisung is right, he needs to be more open about the new situation. He never gave Lee Know a proper chance to prove himself. Lee Know may be questionable as a boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad leader too.

Jisung smiles and shifts closer towards Changbin. “Pinkie swear?” Seeing the usual bright smile on Jisung’s face already makes all the struggling worthwhile. For Jisung, Changbin can make an effort to trust Lee Know.

Smiling, Changbin accepts the pinkie Jisung offers him. “Pinkie swear.”

[-]

“Welcome back,” Mark greets Younghyun as soon as he enters the room. Everyone is gathered around the table, getting their well-deserved rest after the mission. “Everything as usual?”

“Let me guess,” Bambam joins in. “Stray Kids escaped without a trace, but the investigation team is going to do their best to find anything.” His voice is straight up theatrical as he says the last half of the sentence.

Younghyun wishes he could just agree and joke around with them, but sadly that’s not the case today. “Not quite, no.” Jisu immediately sits up straight, alerted despite not having been there during the mission. Everyone else seems to have noticed the shift in mood too and turns their full attention to Younghyun. It’s probably best not to beat around the bush, just rip the band aid off. “Jungkook has been injured-”

All colour drains from Bambam’s face. “What?” He looks like he wants to say something, like a thousand questions are running through his head, trying to beat each other for the finish line but ending up tripping over themselves right in front of it. Everyone is focused on Bambam now, they all know how close Bambam and Jungkook are.

“We don’t know what exactly happened, but Sergeant Park said the injury isn’t life threatening.” Younghyun tries to clear things up a little. The atmosphere in their room stays tense nonetheless, which was to be expected.

“Can we see him?”

“I don’t know. There hasn’t been any update yet,” Younghyun admits. “But if you want, I can drive you to the hospital.”

“Our shift-” Bambam starts.

“Screw the shift.” Mark’s words seem to be exactly what everyone in the room had been thinking. They all nod along, even their workaholic Jisu. “You’re in no condition to work anyways.”

“Agreed,” Younghyun says. “This must be a shock. You should take your time now.”

Bambam nods. “Did someone go with Kook?”

“Yeah, Jimin is with him.” At least Younghyun can provide a bit of comfort in that regard. Jungkook isn’t alone. He is being cared for and supported.

“Okay…” Bambam still looks lost. And worried. Younghyun probably can’t even begin to imagine what he must feel like right now.

“Do you want us to come to the hospital with you?” Yubin offers. Her talent to stay calm in the most difficult situations has always fascinated Younghyun. Though right now, he’s grateful above everything else.

“I don’t think I can wait there. I’d go crazy.” Bambam leans back in his chair. He seems to get lost in his thoughts as soon as he stops talking.

“Maybe you can call Jimin and ask him to keep you updated?” Jisu’s voice sounds a little weird; her tone isn’t usually this tense. When Younghyun looks over at her, he can’t help but notice how irritated she seems. He really should have paid better attention to her instead of only focusing on Bambam. After all she’s still new to this and hearing about someone being injured must be a shock. It’s one thing to know their job is dangerous, but the reality of it usually doesn’t hit for newbies until something like this happens.

“That’s a great idea, Jisu.” Younghyun’s words make her smile a little, but it’s obvious the situation has taken a toll on her. It would probably be best to talk to her in private later on and make sure she’s doing fine.

Bambam nods absentmindedly before turning towards Mark. “It’s been way too long since we went out for a drink.” Definitely not the best way to handle this. But Bambam is an adult and at least he isn’t drinking alone.

“Sounds great, we can call Yugyeom and the others too if you want.”

“Yeah.” Bambam gives him a weak smile before turning towards the rest of the group. “Thanks everyone.”

[-]

Felix is snuggled up in a blanket on the windowsill of the bay window in his room, eyes looking out into the garden without really seeing anything when a knock rips him out of his thoughts. “Come on in.”

It’s Minho – obviously. “We have to talk.” Fuck, something’s wrong. Having to talk is never a good thing. Felix throws another wistful gaze out of the window before turning his attention back to Minho and gesturing for him to come over. Part of him wishes he would have slipped out of the room before Minho closed the door behind himself. Whatever it’s about, Felix is really not keen on having this conversation if Minho uses that tone paired with the serious look on his face.

“So what’s up with that necklace?” Minho’s voice is stern, and his face has that cold, professional expression as he sits down on the windowsill too. Felix really should have left when he still had the chance. He remains quiet, just looks at the pendant resting on top of his shirt. "Why is it so important?” Minho continues. “You wear it all the time, even during training. I saw the chain peak out from underneath your collar. I’m guessing you wear it during our missions too?" Having the feeling that Minho already knows the answer, Felix quietly looks up at his brother. A single look at Minho confirms Felix’s fear. Sighing, Minho shakes his head. “I keep telling everyone to leave personal stuff at home during missions and you bring this necklace?”

“I have it under my clothes. And even if I lose it, it’s not like I can be identified through it. I didn’t buy it myself, Hyung. It’s fine.” Felix tries his best to sound convincing, but it sounds like a hollow explanation when their safety is at stake. Minho looks beyond annoyed, which is understandable. Wearing that necklace is stupid and Felix knows it, but Felix can’t help it.

“Then who?” Felix knows Minho isn’t going to be happy when he finds out. And he really doesn’t want to elaborate on the circumstances, but Minho will figure out who gave him the necklace anyways.

“Nine.”

Minho sighs as though he expected this but had hoped for a different answer. It was painfully obvious though. Afterall, who but Chris would give Felix a necklace? And whose gifts would Felix cling to like this? It’s not like Felix has a lot of close relationships outside of Stray Kids. "I know what you think," Felix mumbles. "And I know what you want to say, but I won't get rid of it and you can't make me."

"I wasn't going to make you get rid of it." Minho's voice is suddenly heavy with emotion and so gentle. It’s like all the annoyance melted away and left only the core of worry. Sadly, this keeps happening lately. Minho has so much else to do already, Felix hates that he’s another burden to him. "I'm just worried about you. Having a memory of Nine with you all the time, I just don’t think it will do you any good. If you... if you want me to watch over it for you, I will."

“No, I…” Felix only now realises he’s been fumbling with the pendant. “I want to keep it close to myself.” He almost adds ‘It’s comforting’ but stops himself. Even though Minho wouldn’t ask any further question, the meaning of this necklace is between him and Chris. "I’d like to be alone now." Felix is almost taken aback by how drained he sounds. He wishes he could convince himself it was just because of the mission.

Minho nods and gets up from his spot. “You know you can always come to me if you need anything, right?”

“Yeah.” Minho ruffles through Felix’s hair before he heads out. Felix takes a deep breath and turns towards the garden again. As much as he appreciates Minho’s worry, he definitely won’t leave the necklace at home during missions. It’s ridiculous, but Felix feels safe when he’s wearing the necklace. Almost like Chris has his back, just like in the good old times.

[-]

The wait is beyond agonising. Jimin swallows around the lump in his throat and rubs his hands over his tired face. He can’t help all the pictures flooding his mind. The blood, Jungkook practically hanging off of Bora, the way his face twisted in pain. This isn’t the first time Jimin has seen someone get injured and things can get far worse than being shot in the leg in their job. But this feels different. Jungkook is part of his unit. In a way, Jimin is responsible for him and the others. He should have watched over them more closely, told them to be careful even though Stray Kids usually aren’t present anymore when they arrive. Jimin is well aware of how ridiculous it is to think that way. Everyone in his unit knows what they have to do without instruction. And it’s definitely best for him to stay close to Wooyoung until he has a bit more experience. Still, Jimin cannot shake off the feeling of guilt lingering in his stomach.

Jimin takes a deep breath and tries to push all the negative thoughts aside. Jungkook is going to be fine. Everything is going to be alright. Jimin can’t let those negative thoughts get to him if he wants to keep going. And he needs to keep going. Unable to stay still any longer, Jimin gets up from his seat and starts walking through the hallway. He’s still in full amour, which he had totally forgotten about until now. Sighing, he takes off his helmet and gloves and runs his hand through his hair. Jimin feels sweaty and tired after the mission. Actually, disgusting and exhausted are probably the more accurate terms. A shower and some regular clothes would be great now, but he cannot leave. In a way, Jimin feels like he owes Jungkook to stay here and wait. Jungkook shouldn’t be alone when he wakes up and in case any of his family comes here, they shouldn’t be left alone chasing after a doctor to give them any sort of information on what happened.

It’s hard to tell how much time passes, but it feels like days to Jimin. He tries to chat with a few other people passing here and there but the conversations never last long. Sleeping isn’t an option either since he needs to be awake when there’s new information about Jungkook. So he waits. And waits. And waits… It takes ages, but eventually Jimin is approached by a nurse.

“Did you accompany Private Jeon Jungkook?”

Jimin scrambles to his feet immediately. He almost trips over himself in his hurry but fortunately manages to end up stable on his feet. “Yes. Is he okay? Can I see him?”

A light smile forms on the nurse’s face. Damn, Jimin really needs to get a grip. He and Jungkook are colleagues. Nothing more, nothing less. Jimin needs to behave accordingly.

“Everything went well,” she reassures Jimin. The tension that had been building up inside of Jimin until now slowly gives way to relief. “He’s currently in the recovery room and should be back in shape in a few weeks.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Okay, screw getting a grip. Who cares what the nurse thinks as long as Jungkook is alright. “Can you inform me when he’s awake? I’m required to talk to him and find out how exactly he was injured.”

“Of course.”

Jimin thanks the nurse and sits down again as soon as she walks away to continue her shift. Exhaustion had been pulling at Jimin way more than he had realised. Now that he has more peace of mind, he really needs to watch out that it doesn’t lull him to sleep. He needs to at least see Jungkook before he can rest. If Jimin has made it until now, he can stay awake long enough to greet Jungkook after his operation. And ask for the details for the report of course.

“Hyung!” Wooyoung’s voice has never felt like such of a blessing before. Jimin waves tiredly as Wooyoung, Bora, and Hoseok come towards him and take up the seats next to his own. “How is Jungkook?”

“He’s alright. The operation was successful and according to the nurse I just talked to, Jungkook will have recovered in a couple of weeks.”

Jimin can clearly see the moment the realisation hits his unit, because it seems like a ton of weight was lifted off of each of them. The tension leaves their bodies and careful smiles take over their faces.

“Where is he?” Bora asks. “I need to have a serious word with him about the dangers of running off too far all by himself.” After the hell of a day they had, seeing his unit laugh again feels like heaven to Jimin.

“That will have to wait,” Jimin explains. “He’s still in the recovery room.”

“Guess it’s time to go home then.” Wooyoung looks disappointed. All of them are, Jimin knows that. Of course, they had been hoping to see Jungkook and talk to him after everything that’s happened. It’s one thing to know that he’s okay, but seeing it first hand would still feel better.

“You can go home. I’ll give Jungkook your regards,” Jimin offers.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to stay here and wait?” Gosh, Jimin sure wishes he could tell Hoseok that no, of course not, he’s going to be a reasonable person and visit Jungkook tomorrow. But Jimin is not planning on being reasonable with this. “It might take hours until Jungkook is in his room and even then, he’ll be sleeping.”

“Your point?”

“My point-” Hoseok sighs- “is that you need to go home, take a shower and sleep. You look like you went through a grinder.”

“You’re one to talk.” It’s true, all of them look exhausted after today. They always do after missions. Though unlike the countless other times they’ve joked around, Hoseok doesn’t seem to appreciate the joke. “Thank you very much. But I don’t want Jungkook to be alone when he wakes up.”

“If you want one of us can take over,” Bora suggests. Both Hoseok and Wooyoung nod in agreement. As much as Jimin appreciates their offer – and their worry about him – he doesn’t want any of them to take his spot. He’s the Lance Corporal of this unit. It’s his responsibility to watch after everyone and care for their wellbeing. At least that’s what Jimin tells himself, that it’s because of his job and not because of Jungkook in particular.

“That’s very nice of you guys but I can’t accept that. I want to be there for Jungkook.”

“Don’t tell me you feel guilty for what happened?” Sometimes it seems like Hoseok can read his damn mind. Logically speaking, it’s probably the five years of working together, but still.

Wooyoung’s eyes widen when Jimin doesn’t reply. “Jimin-ah, that’s ridiculous,” he joins in. “Jungkook knew what he was doing. It’s not your fault he was injured.”

“I know that, but it doesn’t change anything. No matter what you guys say, I won’t go home until I’ve talked to Jungkook. You’re free to join me if you want.”

Wooyoung wants to protest again but Bora stops him with a hand on his arm. Jimin is glad she realises that he can’t be talked out of staying here because it saves him a lot of talking. “Is there any other way we can help?”

“You can call Bambam. He and a few others called me to ask about Jungkook. I think they all went out together to distract themselves while waiting. Just tell Bambam that the operation went well and Jungkook will be fine, he’ll spread the news.”

“Roger that,” Bora sighs, getting up from her chair and starting to fish for her phone in her handbag while walking down the hallway.

“So dinner?” Jimin turns around to find Wooyoung looking at him. “I’m pretty sure they have a cafeteria or something like that here. I can check if they’re still open.”

The look in Wooyoung’s eyes already tells Jimin he won’t accept a no. He can’t even blame Wooyoung for that since he knows he’d do exactly the same if their positions were reversed.

“Yeah, dinner would be great.”

“On my way,” Wooyoung chimes. He immediately gets up and hurries away. Already halfway down the hallway, he turns around and continues to walk backwards. “And don’t even think of giving me money. It’s on me.”

Jimin laughs but gives Wooyoung a thumbs up nonetheless.

“So.” Hoseok slides over to the seat right next to Jimin. Something already tells Jimin he’s up to no good. “You’re staying here because you don’t want Kook to be alone when he wakes up?”

That tone. What’s up with Hoseok’s tone? He sounds so smug, like there’s some sort of secret involved. Fucking shit.

Jimin sighs. “How about you skip whatever detour you were going to take and just tell me what you’re trying to get at.”

“You like Jungkook.”

Hoseok sounds so convinced, Jimin can’t help but burst out laughing. “What?” How did Hoseok get to that conclusion? Are people not allowed to care for their colleagues anymore? Just because he tries to be there for Jungkook he’s bound to have romantic feelings for him?

“I’ve had my suspicions before,” Hoseok explains with a smile. “But today confirmed it.”

Jimin snorts and shakes his head. He needs to get Hoseok away from this theory somehow. “Because I don’t want him to be alone?”

“Because you’re dead set on staying right by his side and taking care of him. Come on, I’m not dumb.”

“Debatable.” Hoseok rolls his eyes, which makes Jimin grin. “But you’re wrong about this. Jungkook is my colleague and my friend. That’s it.”

Hoseok’s face turns into a playful scowl when he leans closer. “You sure?”

“Absolutely sure.” Despite Jimin’s words, Hoseok doesn’t seem to quite believe him. Though apparently, he realised that he’s not getting anywhere with this, so he switches to a different topic. Soon Bora returns from her phone call and tells them how relieved Bambam and the others were to hear that Jungkook is fine. A bit later Wooyoung returns with food for Jimin and drinks for all of them. With dinner and chattering and all, Jimin loses track of how long they sit together like that. When it eventually gets late, everyone tries to convince Jimin to leave with them. Jimin refuses once again and tries his best to ignore the smug look Hoseok gives him. Who cares what Hoseok thinks anyways? Jimin knows he isn’t staying here because he has a crush on Jungkook. He just wants to be there for a colleague and friend.

[-]

Felix leans against the window. His legs are folded against his chest and he's still staring at the pendant in his hands while tracing it with his fingers. He hasn’t taken the necklace off even once since he got it. Felix wore it during training, during missions, even in the shower. Back when Chris was still with them, whenever Felix would adjust the necklace or take off his shirt, revealing the necklace around his neck, Chris would always have the warmest of smiles on his face. There was always something so soft about the way Chris would wrap his arms around Felix’s waist, pull him closer and kiss him. The necklace has always been their thing, their promise.

"I have something for you." Chris whispered. Until now, Felix had been drawing little circles and curves on Chris’ warm skin with his index finger. Feeling curious, he lifted his head from Chris' chest to look at him.

"A kiss?"

“That too if you want, but it’s not what I meant. Wait and see.” God, Chris is so sweet to get him a present just like that. Felix could feel a smile tugging at the corners of his lips while Chris shifted closer towards his nightstand. Chris was smiling too when he opened the top drawer and took out a small, shallow box. It was dark blue with a golden string around it – the colours of Felix’s mask. That detail might have seemed small, but it felt so personal and considerate it filled Felix with warmth already. He sat up and straddled Chris’ lap before accepting the box. Chris brought his hand up to Felix’s thighs, tracing little patterns on his skin the way Felix had done with him before. Smiling, Felix pulled at the golden cord. More as teasing than actual hesitation, Felix allowed himself a moment of looking at Chris rather than taking off the lid. It was almost unreal how good Chris looked just leaning back against the headrest shirtless and with tousled silver coloured hair.

Chris smiled and scratched the side of his neck. “What?” It was cute how easily he got shy.

“Nothing,” Felix muttered. “Just appreciating how breath-taking my boyfriend is.”

“Ahh no.” Chris immediately covered his face with his hands, but it didn’t hide how red his ears got. No matter how many times it happened, Chris just couldn’t seem to get used to compliments, which was adorable. Felix loved complimenting his boyfriend and seeing the mixture of embarrassment and feeling loved and flattered. He carefully put the box aside and leaned closer.

“Don’t hide, please.” Chris peeked at him through his fingers. “You won’t be able to see my reaction if you keep covering your face.” That seemed to do the trick. After Chris put his hands aside again, Felix placed a kiss on Chris’ cheek, picked up the box again and finally removed the lid.

The first look inside the box made Felix’s heart skip a beat. On top of an elegant looking black padding lay a small golden pendant attached to a delicate golden chain. The pendant consisted of a thin ring with a star stretching over its middle. It was a compass. “Chris…” Felix looked at his boyfriend again, basked in the happy glow in Chris’ eyes. “Chris, it’s beautiful.”

With a bright smile on his face, Chris pushed himself up on his arms and came closer to Felix. “You like it?”

“Like it? I love it!” Felix slung his arms around Chris’ neck and kissed him over and over and over again. They almost tumbled over and fell back onto the bed; Chris just barely caught them before they could lose their balance. Their kisses slowly gave way to soft giggles. “Thank you so much…”

“Do you want me to help you put it on?” Chris’ voice was low and husky, the way it tended to get when they were making love. Judging by the little smirk on his plump lips, Chris knew exactly what he was doing to Felix by talking like that. It was rare for Chris to intentionally try to be sexy. Most of the time, it happened unintentionally and especially when they were training together. He would brush his hair back, groan while they were stretching or look at Felix with an intensity that knocked the breath out of Felix’s lungs and generally be the hottest person on earth without even trying.

“Yes please,” Felix confirmed with a smile. Chris picked up the necklace and leaned closer, which made Felix’s heart race. Yes, Chris definitely knew what kind of effect he had on Felix. There was no other explanation for this.

“Do you want to know why I picked a compass?” Chris murmured while closing the clasp and adjusting the necklace around Felix’s neck. His voice was like molten chocolate, his breath like a warm summer breeze as it fanned across Felix’s skin before Chris kissed Felix’s cheek.

“Why?” It was surprising Felix could even get out a straight word considering how lost he was gazing into Chris’ eyes. Everything about Chris was just so mesmerizing. Felix could never seem to get enough of him.

Chris took a deep breath and met Felix’s gaze. Somehow, Felix got the feeling that whatever Chris was about to say had been very well thought through. Just that idea made Felix’s heart beat even faster. "Because you’re the North Pole and I’m the needle.” Chris whispered. His voice was so filled with emotion Felix almost couldn’t bear it. “I'm always drawn to you. No matter how far apart we are, I will always find the way to you."

It felt like the world came to a stop. Rapid beating filled Felix’s ears as he opened his mouth but couldn’t find any words to say. He tried a few times but eventually resorted to throwing his arms around Chris’ neck and hugging him tightly. Chris held him close as though he was a precious treasure to be protected. It was fascinating how Chris always made Felix feel so warm and loved, like he was the centre of Chris’ world. Considering his earlier words, maybe Felix was.

Tears fill Felix’s eyes, just like back then. But now Chris isn’t there to card a hand through his hair and mutter “I love you.” into his ear. Felix’s arms are empty. His heart aches, but it’s not the lovely pain from back then. Gulping, Felix locks his hand around the pendant and closes his eyes. “I love you too,” Felix whispers into the silence of his room. “I love you so much.”

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moostaronce · 5 years ago

Text

DREAMCATCHER reaction to finding out their gf is running away from an abusive ex

Request: Can you do a dreamcatcher reaction to finding out their gf had a abusive boyfriend and is running away from an abusive ex.

A/N: I did my best to collaborate both of your messages into one request. I hope this is what you were looking for. They are kind of longer than I usually write. They are almost mini scenarios in a reaction so either I’m sorry or you’re welcome. Oh, and thank you for my first Dreamcatcher request :)

Also Trigger Warning booooii

Jiu: In the morning you seem shaken up as you leave DC’s dorm to head to you own place and Minji can see it. Of course she does being as attentive of a girlfriend and leader that she is. When she asks you what you’re upset about it takes a lot of convincing, but you finally show her your the message you got from your ex while the two of you slept. It was strongly worded and particularly threatening to both you and Minji. You had found the courage to leave him 2 years before you ever even met Minji but had to move consistently to prevent him from finding you. But you stopped moving around about a year ago to be with the love of your life, Kim Minji. As she listens she gets more and more concerned for you, herself, and the members. Once she calms you down a little you both head down to the police station to report him and file a restraining order.

Sua: You’ve been antsy for the past week and pretty paranoid to boot. Sua took notice and decided that a week was too long not to say anything about it. Only she didn’t have to ask you too much about it before she got notice from the police that a strange man had been caught trying to break into Dreamcatcher’s dorm with a vandalized picture of her on his person. The man tried to convince the police that he was only looking for his kidnapped girlfriend. This left you with no choice but to come clean to Bora about your ex boyfriend and all of the times he called you names and told you that you didn’t deserve him. You really believed all of that until you met Bora. The two of you were just friends at the time but without even knowing it she gave you the strength to leave him with how strong and confident she was. Naturally when you finished telling her everything she was heartbroken for you and wanted to mess up your ex. She ultimately decided that only one person should get locked up and it wasn’t going to be her.

Siyeon: Siyeon is dedicated and wanted a clear fresh start for you both. She got it out of you really early in your relationship. Siyeon sat you down and looked you in the eye while telling you she wanted to be with you. She also told you she wanted to air all her shortcomings and dirty laundry and wanted you to do the same. After some gentle coaxing and an immense amount of comfort you told her everything. Everything from the physical to the emotional damage he caused you. How afraid you were to close your eyes at night because you feel like when you open them again he’ll be standing over you menacingly with that predatory look on his face. Siyeon was shocked when you said that you had slipped out at night and your friends say he’s been looking for you. All she could do was digest the information and promise you that she isn’t like him. Siyeon holds tightly and makes you a promise to never make you feel small or weak like your ex. A promise to always take care of you and lift your spirits.

Handong: HanDong met you in China before she was supposed to be training in Korea. When she asked you to move with her so you can still see each other you were eager. She always felt like it was for a particular reason other than the obvious. It was eating at her so she asked you during the flight if there was anything you needed to tell her. She is dumbfounded when you tell her what happened to you. All of the emotional distress clearly took a toll on you but you were so good at hiding it. For the rest of the flight she holds your hand and kisses your cheek. She doesn’t really know what to say so she just quietly supports you as well as she can.

Yoohyeon: Yoohyeon was a little confused. The two of you have been together for 2 years but there were places she wasn’t allowed to touch you. Being the affectionate person she is it did bother her a little, but she liked to respect what you were comfortable with. You felt bad every time you recoiled if she got too handsy near your lower back. In the 2 years you have been together she hasn’t actually seen any part of you back except for the upper part above your shoulder blades. The look on her face is one you will never forget. A perfect blend of shock, sadness, worry and pain all at once. It happened again today. Yoohyeon was feeling flirty and without thinking she tickled your lower back affectionately but you jumped and swatted at her. You had been extra mean to her this month and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. As tears poured down her face she fell to the ground and quietly cried at your feet. “Do you not want me anymore?” When you dropped down to hug her you told her everything in a rush. How he used your lower back as an ash tray. How he would kick you in the back no matter where you were, sometimes even down stairs, if you upset him. How this month was the anniversary month of your escape and his vow to “Hunt you down and kill you like the animal you are.” All she could do was listen to you quietly and hug until you both stopped crying. From that day you both promised to work together to overcome your trauma.

Dami: Yoobin was suspicious but she was waiting on you to tell her. You had a lot of little bruises in inconspicuous places when the two of you met which was literally the week that you had run away from him. Clear signs of emotional trauma and also a few scars on your back and stomach that you refused to explain. One day while the other members were out shopping Yoobin decided to drop by your apartment to check on you, since she hadn’t heard anything from you all day. When she came in with the key you had given her she found you in the dark, in your closet having a panic attack. It turned out that you had been watching a movie about a man who turns invisible to haunt his ex and it triggered you immediately. Maintaining a calm demeanor, Yoobin walks you through your breathing exercises until you’ re just crying in her arms. You fall asleep for an impromptu nap like that; on the floor being hugged by your girlfriend. When you wake up she is supportive as you attempt to tell her about your ex boyfriend and how you feel like he might still find you. Yoobin holds you tightly and promises to keep you safe no matter what.

Gahyeon: Ever the baby that she is Gahyeon, she is shocked. She can’t believe someone could be so evil and want to hurt anyone let alone you. You were sweet to her and any body you came into contact with. You didn’t want to tell her ever but you had to when she woke you up from tossing and turning in a nightmare. As you tell her about your ex you visibly see her pout get deeper; involuntary, but cute nevertheless. You kiss it off of her and tell her that you are okay but she cuddles you like no other when you finally lay down to sleep. Knowing that he threatened to follow you until he had you back was scary. Her exercise had payed off but she’s still small. Gahyeon can’t help but want to protect you no matter what you say about it. So she doesn’t bring it up again if you don’t but she never forgets and looks out for you no matter what.

#Dreamcatcher reactions #Jiu #Sua #Siyeon #Handong #Yoohyeon #Dami #Gahyeon #Kim Minji #Kim Bora #Lee Siyeon #Kim Handong #Kim Yoohyeon #Lee Yoobin #Lee Gahyeon #girl group reaction

116 notes · View notes

vallkyr · 4 years ago

Photo

Step Out

When the people you trust most leave you to get caught by the special task force hunting you, what else is there to do but finding new allies?

The gif has been made by my wonderful angel @agustdawn

Pairings: Chan x Kwangsun (OC), Chan x Felix, Minho x Jisung, Changbin x Hyunjin, Younghyun x Liam (OC), Siyeon x Jonghyeon, Aaron x Minhyun and other minor pairings

Genres: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, some Romance and bits of Fluff in between

Tags: Dystopia AU, Rebels AU

Chapter Tags: Making Out, Argument

Rating: Mature

General Warnings: Violence, Injury, Panic Attacks, Minor Character Death

Chapter Warnings: indirect mention of torture

Word Count: 11,771

Somehow I completely forgot to upload the 7th on here, I’m sorry for the wait. Buuut I have good news! Chapter 8 is on the way already. Hopefully I won’t forget to upload it this time xD

Edit: I made some changes to Step Out since first posting it. For the explanation please check the notes at the beginning of chapter 9

Masterpost

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Chapter 7 - Art is worth a thousand words

Waking up without Chris sucks. There is too much empty space, even though this monstrosity of a bed is supposed to be intended for one person. There are no arms wrapped around Felix’s waist either. He isn’t even wearing one of Chris’ shirts as usual but one of his own that fits him way too well for his liking. It’s nowhere near the same. The size, the scent, the comfort – none of it feels even similar. Felix has gotten so used to waking up next to Chris – feeling his warmth, seeing his eyes slowly blink open and a tired smile form on his lips, being able to ruffle his hand through Chris’ curly hair, getting pulled closer and having a kiss placed on his forehead – that he feels empty and cold every single morning without Chris. And it just keeps getting worse. Every bit of motivation to get out of bed is sucked right out of Felix’s body upon waking up. At the same time, Felix knows that not getting up would only make things worse. There would be nothing to distract him from Chris if he stayed in bed and Felix is in desperate need of distraction.

Felix rubs his eyes while carefully sitting up in his bed. His room is the epitome of a mess. Strangely enough, he hadn’t realized how much he had neglected it while being caught up in his worry about Chris, but suddenly it’s blatantly obvious. There are books, all of which belong to B’s sister, lying around. He’s tried reading them to keep himself busy, but none of them really captured his attention. Far worse are the clothes though. So many clothes. Felix has no idea where they’re even coming from. But then again, he isn’t entirely sure how long they’ve actually been here already. It feels like ages.

Deciding that getting rid of the aforementioned clothes would probably be the easiest part, Felix starts collecting them. First of all, he clears the chair in front of the desk. It’s not like he’s going to magically start using the desk – the same goes for the vanity in the corner of the room, after all who does Felix have to make himself pretty for? – but it’s definitely the most striking pile of worn clothes. Felix feels a bit lost when he suddenly has his arms full of laundry. This will take all day if he runs to the laundry room with every arm full of clothes he gathers. Sighing, Felix walks to the bay window facing towards the garden and drops his laundry onto the spacious windowsill. He can get a laundry basket when everything is gathered in one spot.

One by one, Felix collects more and more pieces of clothing from the floor and for a while it actually gets his mind off things a bit. However, when he picks up the shirt lying in front of his bed, a bit of black fabric peaking out from underneath his bed catches his eye. He abandons the shirt in his hands in favour of pulling at what appears to be a sleeve until he has a thick, black hoodie in his hands.

Felix examines the piece of clothing while dusting it off. That’s not the right size for him; it’s way too big. Oh. Felix gulps. There’s only one possible answer: it’s too big for Felix because it isn’t his. This hoodie is what he wore the day they moved into this house.

“You’re shivering.” Chris frowned lightly while he pulled Felix closer. His arms wrapped around Felix so tightly – as though he could hug the warmth directly in Felix’s body. It felt like Chris might never let go again. In all honesty, Felix wouldn’t mind. Quite the contrary. He wanted Chris to hold on to him forever.

“Because you hoarded the blanket.” Felix was pouting while he moved to lie on top of Chris and placed his head on Chris’ bare chest. “You’re lucky I didn’t freeze to death while we were asleep.”

Chris chuckled. It was a low, pleasant vibration that filled both of their bodies. Together with Chris’ steady heartbeat it sounded like music to Felix. “I’m sorry, Sunshine.” The way Chris’ hand slowly carded through Felix’s hair felt like so calming and pleasant, Felix couldn’t help but wonder if they had somehow gotten their own piece of heaven. Apparently Chris felt similar; he sighed deeply and Felix just knew he had closed his eyes. It was heart-warming to think that Chris felt so at ease because of him. Felix wished they could stay in the moment until the end of time, but he had to speak up.

“Don’t fall asleep again. We have plans today.”

“Don’t remind me,” Chris groaned. “Please, I just want to cuddle you as long as I can.” If Felix had any say in the matter, he’d grant this wish right away. Their day would be spent just lying here cuddling and kissing and just being close, being together. Who the hell needed the outside world anyways? Felix would be perfectly content if the world narrowed down to just this bed, just them, just him and Chris.

“It’s already late though.” Hating every centimetre of distance, Felix carefully lifted himself up and looked at Chris. “I still need to go home before the mission.” Chris whined a little, making Felix chuckle. After another sigh, Chris leaned up and kissed Felix forehead, filling Felix’s chest with warmth.

“Promise me to be careful today.”

“Same goes for you.” Felix allowed himself to close his eyes while Chris carded his hand through Felix’s hair again. Words couldn’t describe how much he loved having Chris touch him like this. There was something so loving and gentle about the way Chris touched him, especially shortly after waking up. Nothing could ever compare to this. Felix tried to ignore the distant knowledge of how much he’d miss that soon. He really didn’t want to think about that already, wanting to enjoy this while still could.

“I love you,” Chris whispered into the small bit of space between them. “I love you so much, Sunshine.” His voice was low and fragile, almost quivering. Felix imprinted them in his mind. Nobody would ever take them away from him.

“I love you too.” The words fell from Felix’s lips without hesitation, but he could feel his eyes starting to burn. If he stayed close to Chris any longer, he’d start crying for sure. Felix pecked Chris’ cheek before reluctantly detaching himself from Chris’ warm body and climbing out of his bed. The shivering set in again when the cold air of Chris’ room hit Felix’s skin. Felix hurried to put on his clothes, but they didn’t seem to change much. The coldness sat deeper than that.

When Chris hugged him from behind, Felix could feel warmth spreading through his entire body. Sometimes Felix thought that there had to be some sort of magic involved in this. Chris gingerly pulled Felix’s collar to the side and kissed his shoulder. “Your clothes are so thin. It’s cold outside.”

“I’ll live. I have a jacket, remember?”

“Still…” Chris grumbled. His voice was still heavy with sleep and deeper than usual, which involuntarily made Felix remember the low moans and hushed whispers of the previous night. “Wait.” Still a bit slow Chris turned around the room. Apparently he found what he had looked for when he bent down to pick up his black hoodie that was discarded on the floor last night and laid it into Felix’s hands.

“But-”

“I won’t accept a no.” Chris chuckled while cupping Felix’s face with his hands. “I just want the best for you, Sunshine.”

It’s just as comforting as it is cruel. Holding something that belongs to Chris feels so surreal, almost out of place in a world that feels like Chris isn’t a part of it anymore. Everything in this luxurious building is so cold and meaningless to Felix and then there’s this simple black hoodie, which seems like a blessing from above. Felix fights with himself but eventually allows himself to bury his face in the fabric and take a deep breath. Even after all this time, the hoodie still faintly carries Chris’ scent.

Felix wants to be close to Chris so much it hurts. Part of him wants to just run away from this godforsaken house, find Chris and be with him again no matter what that’s going to mean. He just barely manages to put the hoodie aside, onto his bed, before the first sob breaks out of him. Fuck, why did they have to be ripped apart like this?

[-]

“Brie?”

“Yes?” Younghyun lowers the volume of the TV and turns his head towards the living room door. Liam hadn’t even bothered to take off his jacket before he dragging himself inside. “How was bowling?”

“Exhausting.” A light smile forms on Liam’s face as soon as their gazes meet. He rounds the couch and lets himself fall onto the cushion next to Younghyun. “We had some very eventful matches.”

“Oh?” Younghyun turns himself towards Liam, TV long since forgotten now that his boyfriend is home. “What happened?”

But Liam shakes his head. “Too tired. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.” The hint of a smile tugs at the corners of Younghyun’s lips while Liam nestles closer into his body and kisses him. All the troubles of the day slowly melt away while they let themselves drown in their kiss. Gradually, their kiss becomes more heated. Their hands start roaming and their tongues playing. They can’t seem to separate even while Liam climbs into Younghyun’s lap. They’re about to get finally rid of Liam’s jacket when a low tinkle cuts through their bubble.

Liam breaks their kiss, sits back on Younghyun’s legs and sends a glare into the direction of the all too familiar sound. “Why is someone from work calling you at this hour?”

“Hell, if I knew.” Younghyun gives Liam’s thigh a light nudge. Getting the hint, despite being reluctant to follow it, Liam slides out of his boyfriend’s lap. Younghyun gets up and jogs into the open kitchen where his ringing cell phone is waiting for him. Liam is following close behind him. A brief glance at his screen tells Younghyun that Jisu is the one intruding their evening. He wishes he could ignore it, but he was the one who said that Jisu can always come to him with questions. He can’t just ignore her as soon as that offer becomes inconvenient to him. Sighing, Younghyun answers the call.

"Younghyun, hey. I'm sorry to call you this late but I have a question regarding the portfolio." Liam's hands settle on Younghyun's hips. Younghyun doesn't get to step away before Liam is already kissing his neck. Brat. Younghyun should have expected this.

"I don't have it with me. Forgot it in my locker." He tries to push Liam away, but his boyfriend isn’t having any of it. Probably because the smile Younghyun has been struggling to keep off his face betrays him. Liam’s long arms wrap around Younghyun's body and pull them flush together. Apparently, Younghyun’s only chance is trying to end the call as soon as possible and hoping Jisu doesn’t hear what Liam is doing.

"Oh uhm, I could-"

"Jisu, I appreciate your effort. I really do. But we should talk about this tomorrow." Liam has the audacity to smile against Younghyun’s skin while letting his hand slide down Younghyun’s abdomen. A little fed up by the situation, Younghyun slaps Liam on the hand, hoping that it will get Liam to be a bit less inappropriate. Of course, it’s useless. Liam just moves his hand to a different spot and keeps scattering kisses over his skin. "You mustn't let work I get to you like this. It’s important to rest."

"But-"

"I know our work is important, but it’s still work. Being this invested won't be good for you on the long run. Do yourself a favour and put the portfolio aside for today." Younghyun carefully slaps Liam's hand once more when it slips underneath his shirt. If only he could actually pretend to be bothered by Liam’s antics he’d be more effective at stopping them. “Trust me, whatever it is can wait until we’re at work. You should go to sleep and get some rest.”

“I guess you’re right. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.”

“Good night.” Younghyun ends the call and slams his phone down on the counter. "You're unbelievable!" He half huffs, half laughs while pushing his boyfriend’s arms away and taking a step forward. The little shenanigan was amusing rather than actually annoying, so Younghyun doesn't protest when Liam hugs him from behind again and rests his chin on Younghyun's shoulder.

"Your new trainee?"

"Yeah, she still needs to learn that our job is a marathon rather than a sprint." Younghyun threads his fingers through Liam’s and holds his hands. “She needs to realize that she can’t go this strong for long.”

"I'm sure you will be able to make it clear to her.” Liam places another kiss on Younghyun’s cheek. “You're great with kids," he adds on an afterthought.

Younghyun snorts at those words. It's true that he felt like he's working with a child when he found out that Jisu was born in 2000, but having Liam put it like that does make it sound a bit ridiculous after all.

"This is different from building a blanket fort with your sister’s kids."

"Maybe a little." Liam nuzzles his face into the crook of Younghyun's neck. This time, Younghyun finally gets to close his eyes and actually enjoy it when Liam starts kissing his neck again. Liam's lips trace the way from just underneath Younghyun’s jaw over to where the hem of Younghyun's shirt rest on his shoulder.

"We've talked about my work enough, haven't we?"

Liam hums into his skin and finally succeeds at sliding his hand into Younghyun’s clothes. Yeah, he has a point. For a change. So Younghyun decides to drop the topic and just enjoy the time with his boyfriend. They don’t have nearly enough opportunities for that anyways.

[-]

Chan rubs his neck while looking around. The museum is a little overwhelming to say the least, unlike anything Chan has ever seen. The ceiling is almost as high as that of the DIT entrance hall. The walls are far from straight and rectangular – different shapes and materials come together to form this building. Together with the elegant interior and all the different paintings and sculptures, the museum is a work of art in itself. Most of the visitors seem like they are trying to follow that example. Not all people around them are in suit and tie, but the majority of them are still dressed in sophisticated clothing. Chan and Kwangsun stand out a bit. Their entire wardrobe having been provided by the DIT, Chan and Kwangsun didn’t have anything to fit into the opening night of an art exhibition. “I feel kind of underdressed…”

“Don’t say that,” Taehyung insists. He’s one to talk. His pants and dress shirt look simple but elegant and honestly kind of expensive. It’s completely different from the strict, black DIT uniform and feels far more natural on him. “You two look amazing in jeans and plain shirts, that’s an art you should be proud of.”

The answer together with Taehyung’s box-shaped smile helps Chan and Kwangsun relax a bit. “Speaking of clothes are we going to get the ones we were arrested in back at some point?” Kwangsun asks.

“Yeah, you’re supposed to get your clothes back. I’ll try to get that on the way.”

“Also there’s something I had with me when I was arrested.” Kwangsun scratches his neck. “It was confiscated for… obvious reasons. You’ll see what I mean. Could you try getting that back for me too?”

Taehyung laughs, which seems to be from irritation rather than amusement, but in the end he nods regardless. “Sure, I’ll see what I can do.”

Chan has no idea what any of this is about, but if Kwangsun doesn’t want to say it Chan isn’t going to meddle. Instead he makes Taehyung promise to take them shopping before inviting them to another event like this, which Taehyung happily agrees to.

After the way too long opening speech by the director of the museum, they are finally free to go around and take a look at all the exhibits. Taehyung didn’t lie: the works are gorgeous, every one of them is like an explosion of colours that leaves Chan in awe. Together the three of them take a languid walk around, chat about different paintings. Taehyung does his best to encourage them to participate in the conversation, make observations and form their own interpretations for the different art works. But with Chan and Kwangsun’s lack of art knowledge, it’s still mainly Taehyung talking, which isn’t a bad thing. Chan actually quite enjoys listening to Taehyung ramble about arrangements and techniques and inspirations of the artist.

“Completely unrelated, but I had an idea today,” Chan eventually speaks up in a low voice. This is far from the best place to talk about official investigations, so Chan wants to make sure they aren’t heard. “I don’t know if that will help in any way, but we could try to search for Changbin’s and Jisung’s family. I can help you with that.”

“That’s a great idea, but let’s not talk about work for now,” Taehyung says with a smile. “We’re here to enjoy ourselves and the art after all. You need to allow yourself to relax and have fun every now and then, Chan-ah.”

“He’s absolutely right,” Kwangsun joins in. “You’re way too focused on the aim. We’ll get there one way or another. You need to live every now and then.”

“See! It’s two against one. You have no choice.”

Both of them start laughing then and Chan can’t help but smile along. In their difficult situation, Chan is thankful he gets to be together with people like Kwangsun and Taehyung. They feel like sparks from a fire bringing a bit of light and warmth into all this mess. Chan feels like he would be lost without them.

[-]

Descending the stairs on his way to get himself a bottle of water from the storage room by the kitchen, Changbin sees movement in the corner of his eye. He glances through the bars of the banister down at the couch, where Jisung and Lee Know have been sitting. There is so much space between them, way more distance than Jisung would usually keep from someone he likes. Changbin figures he must have slid further away from his boyfriend when he saw someone coming down the stairs. The realisation leaves a strange feeling in Changbin’s chest. It’s unbelievable that Jisung manages to make him feel like an intruder in his own house, but Changbin’s worry outweighs his offence.

Jisung is a very affectionate person who likes to openly express his emotions. Usually he’s very clingy with his spouses. He hasn’t been in many relationships so far, but Changbin has seen him with every single one of his partners. This behaviour is definitely new. Changbin highly doubts that Jisung would scoot further away from his boyfriend just because someone was nearby by his own will. He has never minded others’ presence, much to Changbin and Chan’s dismay. Since Jisung obviously isn’t the reason, there can only be one explanation: Lee Know.

The heavy feeling in Changbin’s chest doesn’t go away even when he watches Jisung and Lee Know from his new position in the hallway. They’re talking, but still sitting a noticeable bit apart. Changbin can guarantee that he himself would sit closer to Jisung than Lee Know does right now. Jisung doesn’t seem to mind, or at least he doesn’t look like he’s upset about bringing more distance between himself and his boyfriend.

After a moment of hesitation, Changbin pushes himself away from the wall and approaches the couple on the large couch. “What are you two up to?”

Jisung looks up from the mess of papers on the couch table. “Just going through some stuff for the next mission.”

“Do you need any help?”

“Right now, I can’t think of anything.” Lee Know puts a few papers aside. “But I’ll let you know if we have any questions. Did you see Luxie?” Somehow, Lux seems to be the only person Lee Know is actually interested in, even when his boyfriend is right in next to him. Come to think of it, Changbin can’t remember ever having seen Lee Know show any kind of affection for Jisung.

“No, I think he’s still in the basement, practicing.”

“That kid, I swear…” Lee Know mumbles before getting up from the couch. “Please try to get him to eat dinner. I have some people to meet.”

“When are you going to be back?” Jisung gets up from his spot as well and looks at Lee Know with wide, hoping eyes. It feels weird for Changbin to watch the exchange. He can tell that Jisung is head over heels, has seen it enough times to recognise the sign. Lee Know, on the other hand, is more difficult to read despite their months of working together. Of course, Changbin still doesn’t know him nearly as well as he knows Jisung. But it still bothers Changbin that he can’t seem to interpret Lee Know’s actions at all.

“It’s going to get late, don’t wait for me.”

Changbin feels the sting in his own chest. That’s not the answer Jisung hoped for, which is obvious even if Jisung tries not to let it show. It materializes in nothing but a light slump of his shoulders and the gleam that vanishes from his eyes, but it doesn’t go unnoticed. Not by Changbin at least. Holding back a sigh, Changbin makes his way to the staircase and into the basement. Admittedly, it’s more about giving Jisung and Lee Know some privacy rather than a real need to check up on Lux. Trying to convince him to quit training and eat dinner with them is going to be useless anyways. Now that Chan is gone, Lux only listens to Lee Know.

[-]

The ended up staying at the exhibition way longer than Chan would have expected. Feeling the fresh night air and seeing the stars above them make Chan feel strangely at ease. The last time Chan had a carefree evening like this seems like it was ages ago. Despite his initial doubts, it has been wonderful to be able to forget about all his stress for a while.

“Do you have a favourite artwork?” Taehyung asks while they walk away towards the car park. A strange calmness surrounds them while they make their way through the night. Chan would have never expected to feel this at ease with Taehyung so quickly.

“Do you mean in general or in the exhibition?” Kwangsun joins in.

“Both.” The smile on Taehyung’s face isn’t as loud and bright as it usually is, but more calm. Maybe he’s just tired, but Chan hopes it’s because they’re away from work and Taehyung is able to relax too just like he and Kwangsun asked of Chan.

Regarding the question, Chan has to think for a while. They saw so many wonderful pictures and sculptures and if Chan is completely honest, he doubts he can remember all of them. “In the exhibition… I’m not quite sure.”

“Wait.” Kwangsun reaches into the pocket of his jeans and produces a folded up booklet. He comes closer to Chan, opens the booklet and holds it in front of them so both of them can take a look. Taehyung is giggling as he watches them flick through the pages introducing some of the highlights of the exhibition.

“That one!” Chan exclaims maybe a bit too excitedly. “The cherry blossom tree.”

Smiling softly, Kwangsun closes the booklet and puts it away again. “I liked that one too.”

Taehyung nods in agreement. “It’s one of my favourites too. But I think I like the painting of the night sky we as at the beginning better.”

“In general… This probably sounds dumb, but do you know the small park between the DIT and our apartment?” Chan asks.

Taehyung’s face immediately lights up. “Yeah, I sometimes go for a walk there after work.”

“There’s a statue there, kind of hidden between trees. I really like to go there. I don’t know what it is but it… It speaks to me, you know? If you just take the time to look at it, this statue has a strange energy to it. I think that’s really fascinating.”

“Oh, you mean the statue of Prometheus?” His excitement is so clear in Taehyung’s voice and smile. It’s a relief that Taehyung doesn’t think it’s stupid of Chan to declare a statue in some random park his favourite piece of art. “I know what you mean. The sculptor did a really great job depicting his struggle but also all of his strength.”

“As much as I love to listen to you two talk about a statue,” Kwangsun cuts in. “it’s getting really cold. We should probably go home now.”

Chan snorts. “Didn’t know you were that sensitive to the cold,” he teases while bumping shoulders with Kwangsun.

“I’m not sensitive! It’s practically still winter!” Scoffing, Kwangsun pushes Chan away from himself. Though he doesn’t protest when Chan pulls him into a hug and start rubbing his back and arms to bring some warmth into his body.

“Technically it’s spring already,” Taehyung notes with a giggle. Whether or not early march should still be considered winter remains the topic of conversation until they reach Taehyung’s car. Chan and Kwangsun end up occupying the backseat together. During the ride, the topic shifts back to all the exhibits they saw at the museum. If Chan and Kwangsun are looking into their booklet the entire time Taehyung doesn’t have to know. Though their suppressed giggles every time they hurry to find the work Taehyung is currently talking about probably give them away.

“Do you want to come upstairs with us?” Chan asks when they eventually come to a halt in front of the tall apartment building. “You invited us to the exhibition, so it’s only fair if we invite you for a drink, right?”

“Without alcohol of course,” Kwangsun adds. “Don’t drink and drive.”

“No thanks.” Taehyung says with a smile and a shake of his head. “It’s late and I still want to have a lengthy conversation with our dear Prometheus before I go to sleep.”

“Alright, but we have to invite you out for dinner some time,” Chan insists. “Also I-“ Damn, how should he do this? Noticing his distress, Taehyung reaches out and takes his hand, which helps Chan deliver his message. “I’d like to thank you for making me go outside.” Taehyung squeezes his hand in reassurance and gifts him with a smile. Feeling more relieved now, Chan lets go of Taehyung’s hand and turns towards Kwangsun. “The same goes for you, thanks a lot.”

“You’re welcome.” For some reason, Kwangsun’s smile has a strange softness to it. It’s an expression Chan has only ever seen on him around I.N – usually when he helped the latter with his homework.

“Come on,” Taehyung suddenly whispers. “Hug. Hug. Hug.”

Giggling, Chan and Kwangsun give in to Taehyung’s chants and hug. It feels different from the hugs they shared before. During their past hugs Chan had been emotionally exhausted or even crying. This one… this is already at ease instead of calming them down, affectionate instead of comforting. For the first time when hugging Kwangsun, Chan feels his soul warm up.

[-]

They try talking to Lux, but as expected it’s useless. Since Lux prefers to stay in the basement and hit the punching bag, Jisung and Changbin cook dinner alone, eat alone and put the leftovers for Lux and Lee Know in the fridge before starting to take care of the dishes that had been piling up. Alone. Most of the time they’re chatting and joking about all kinds of stuff. Throughout the evening, Changbin keeps looking for an opportunity to address the matter sitting in the back of his neck, but it never feels right. It isn’t until he and Jisung are almost done loading the dishwasher that Changbin finally manages to speak up.

“Can I ask you something?” Changbin tries his best to sounds as casual as possible and continues to puts yet another plate away. The last thing he wants is for Jisung to be scared off in advance.

“Sure, what is it?”

Jisung is so unsuspecting it almost hurts Changbin to continue. He doesn’t want to pull Jisung down or interfere with his life choices, but as a good friend he can’t help but be concerned about his current situation. “Are you happy with Lee Know?”

Startled by the question, Jisung stops in his tracks and turns his head to look at Changbin. “Where did that come from?”

“I was just wondering…” Changbin tries to downplay the matter, even though he knows Jisung can probably see right through it. After all these years of being friends, they suck at hiding things from each other. It’s been a blessing countless times already; Jisung has always been able to tell when Changbin is upset and needs a little cheering up. “I’ve seen you in relationships, but this seems… different.”

“Of course it’s different!” Jisung laughs while grabbing the next plate. “I’m not 14 anymore and this is not in a normal situation. We’re hiding from the government, what do you expect?” It’s a slight relief that Jisung brushes it off with a snort and a shake of his head rather than getting offended. But Changbin fears Jisung doesn’t quite understand what Changbin is trying to get at.

“That’s not what I mean. Lee Know, he-” Changbin just barely stops himself from blurting out ‘avoids you’. Right now this conversation is working, but it’s fragile. He knows Jisung would shut off if things got too uncomfortable. “I’ve never seen you be affectionate with each other. You were always so open about it with your exes.”

“Who would have thought you’d ever miss my ‘diabetes inducing koala behaviour’?” Jisung bumps Changbin’s shoulders. “To be honest, it’s a little weird for me too. Sometimes I really want to kiss him or hug him or just hold his hand.”

“Then why don’t you do it?” There’s no smile left on Jisung’s face. He doesn’t seem angry or sad. But there is something. Because Changbin has never seen Jisung like this before, he can’t pin down what it is.

“… Lee Know doesn’t like being affectionate while other people are around.”

Changbin had guessed as much. It still doesn’t explain anything. “Is there a reason for that?”

He hopes Jisung will somehow tell him a bit more, even though he feels like he’s already overstepping his boundaries. But then again, Changbin just wants to make sure his friend is safe. It’s obvious how much Lee Know means to Jisung. The last thing Changbin wants is for Jisung to get hurt because Lee Know isn’t as invested as Jisung is.

“Probably.” Jisung scrubs the pot he has turned his attention to more fiercely than necessary, which means he’s getting annoyed. Changbin is approaching thin ice. He really needs to be more careful. “I didn’t ask.”

“Why not?”

“Because it doesn’t matter.” Water splashes up when Jisung throws the sponge down into the pot. Oh no. “He’s my boyfriend, I’m not going to make him uncomfortable just because I’m curious or impatient or whatever.”

“But what about you? You shouldn’t have to hold yourself back all the time.”

Jisung abandons his task and fully turns around towards Changbin. In this moment, Changbin knows he fucked up. He wishes he could go back, phrase things differently or just not say what he said, but it’s too late. “What are you trying to pull? Do you want me to feel bad about my relationship? Do you think there has to be something wrong when someone like Lee Know is interested in me?!”

Shit. This is totally going into the wrong direction. It can only go downhill from here. Changbin needs to be extra careful now. “Jisung, you know that’s not it. You deserve all the best, I’m just worried Lee Know is going to make you unhappy.”

“Well he isn’t! Just because he doesn’t show it in ways that you understand doesn’t mean that Lee Know doesn’t have feelings for me or that I’m not happy. Did you know that he told me his name?!” Judging by the choked up silence that follows, Jisung hadn’t meant to say that, but he stands by his words.

“He- what? But that’s-“

“Against the rules? For our own safety? And yet he did it because he trusts me. Strange considering that he doesn’t even like me, isn’t it?” By now, Jisung has completely forgotten about the dishes. With the way this has gone, the only option Changbin has left is damage control. Not like there’s much of that to do at this point either.

“Jisung, that’s not what I said. I’m just worried you might get hurt.”

“I won’t!” Jisung snaps. “I’m happy with Lee Know! So just stay the fuck out of my relationship!” With that Jisung storms out of the kitchen, throwing the door shut behind himself. Changbin knows better than to try and follow him. When he’s upset, Jisung is best left alone. He needs space now. Sighing, Changbin gets back to cleaning up by himself.

Maybe he really shouldn’t have asked. This conversation left him none the wiser; he still has no clue if Lee Know is serious about Jisung or why he avoids being close to him like the plague. The only thing that changed is that Jisung is upset and will likely not talk to Changbin the next few days. So much on being a good friend.

[-]

Felix lands an aimed kick against the punching bag right when Minho enters the room. Kick after kick after kick. Minho watches him for a while, fascinated that Felix still seems so coordinated considering how long he’s probably been down here. His hopes are low, but Minho asks anyways. “Did you eat dinner?”

For a moment, Felix stops, looks at his brother, then goes back to beating up the punching bag, now with his fists. “I’m not hungry.”

Expecting this kind of response doesn’t make it any less frustrating. Minho sighs while coming a few steps closer, making it harder for Felix to ignore his presence. “How long have you been down here?”

“Don’t know, what time is it?” The unpleasant feeling that he’s not going to like the answer fills Minho, but he doesn’t let that stop him.

“Almost 1 am.”

Felix stops again, this time for good. The way he avoids Minho’s gaze is enough of an answer, but Minho needs to hear him say it. “How long, Felix?”

His familiar deep voice is low and timid when he speaks up. It’s shocking how young he suddenly seems. “About eight hours.”

Fucking shit. It’s even longer than Minho expected. Felix has always had a tendency to burry himself in training when he’s upset, but maybe Minho underestimated just how much the whole situation nags at him and how far he’d go to try and cope. While Felix had seemed down recently, this crash seems a little out of the blue. “What happened?” There must have been something. Felix wouldn’t act like this all of a sudden when the situation has been the same for two weeks.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re just as convincing as when we were kids and you swore you didn’t eat my ice cream while still having it smeared all over your face,” Minho states with a tint of annoyance. He knows and understands Felix situation better than anyone else, he’s told Minho everything so far. Why is he suddenly beating around the bush and trying to bottle everything up? “Now please quit lying and tell me what’s wrong.”

“I found Nine’s hoodie,” Felix eventually whispers. “The one I was wearing when we-” He break off, his eyes shimmering and face twisting with the effort to maintain his composure.

“You’ve been torturing a punching bag the entire day because you found something that belongs to Nine? Felix, that’s insane.”

“What else am I supposed to do?” Felix snaps. “We’re locked in this god damn house. I can’t go out. I can’t sleep. And guess what I do when I’m not busy?” He laughs, but it’s not the least bit amused. The laughter is dry and sarcastic. It’s so rare for Felix to be like this. Actually, Minho doubts he ever saw Felix that way. “I think about how much I miss Nine and the fact that he and Kkul are with the DIT and about all the lovely things that might happen to them inside a corrupt government institution that is dead set to hunting us down!”

Minho unintentionally flinches away when Felix steps closer. The loud words echo in the way too large room before everything falls into suffocating silence. Regret slowly takes over Felix’s face, and he swallows thickly. It hurts to see the realisation hit.

“Sorry, god I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t-”

“You really need to sleep,” Minho says in a low voice, trying his best to remain calm and collected. “And eat. You’re going to destroy yourself at this rate.” He takes a deep breath before continuing on. “I met Virus earlier. We have a place to exchange messages now.” A bit hesitant, he takes Felix’s hand in his, gets the folded notes from his pocket and places them in Felix’s hand. “You should read this, maybe that will help you sleep.”

Felix blinks and looks down at the two little pieces of paper. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yes.”

Minho hadn’t realised how little Felix had smiled recently and how much he missed seeing joy on his brother’s face until Felix’s lips pull into a quiet smile that reaches his eyes. It’s tired, nowhere near as bright as his usual smiles, but enough to fill Minho’s chest with warmth. Felix’s smiles always help Minho remember that there is good in this fucked up world after all.

“Thank you,” Felix mumbles while – still very hesitantly – bringing his arms around Minho and hugging him. Minho can practically feel the tension slowly draining from Felix’s body when Minho pulls him closer. “I don’t think I would be able to do this without you.” When they pull away, Minho can see the tiredness Felix finally allows himself to show. “I’m going to take a shower and go to sleep.”

“Brilliant idea. Let’s go. Now.”

“Wow, thanks for your trust, Hyung.” Felix snorts but complies and follows Minho out of the basement. They go up the stairs, through the first floor and up to the second floor, where their bedrooms are located. For most of the time, they stay quiet. Small talk feels too out of place right now; Felix would most likely be too tired for it now anyways. It isn’t until they reach the door to Changbin’s parent’s bedroom, which Minho and Jisung have claimed for themselves, that Minho speaks up again.

“Promise me you’ll actually try to sleep,” He murmurs with his hand already resting on the door handle. “You need to be well rested. Especially before a mission.”

Felix nods and wishes Minho a good night before disappearing into the bathroom at the end of the hallway. Sighing, Minho pushes down the door handle and sneaks into the bedroom, paying attention to staying as quiet as possible as to not wake Jisung.

[-]

Han Jisung. Born in NHIS Ilsan Hospital, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea on the 14th of September 2000. Birth name unknown. Mother unknown. Father unknown. Registered into Seoul National Orphanage on the 7th of January 2001. Adopted by Han Sangyun & Kim Yeonhee on 13th of January 2001. Registe-

“Younghyun?”

“Huh? What?” Younghyun’s head shoots up from the file. He tries his best not to seem startled but it’s hard when he’s suddenly met with Mark’s face in front of his.

“You didn’t hear a single word of what we said, did you?” Mark shakes his head, pulls a chair up besides Younghyun and sits down. A little confused, Younghyun looks around their room and finds the rest of his unit tidying up after their morning warm-up.

“You’re already done?”

“Yeah, that’s why we asked if we should talk Jisu through everything now.”

“Oh. Yeah, sure.” Younghyun’s brain still isn’t keeping up. It’s too early, and his mind won’t stop spinning around the same thoughts again and again. Slowly, he stars gathering all the papers and closes the file he had been reading.

“What’s up?” Mark asks with the hint of a frown. “You seem weird.”

“I’m fine. I’m just-” Younghyun’s gaze drops to the file on the table in front of him. It’s hard to put into words what he feels. “J.One. He’s so young? I mean he-” Younghyun quickly glances over at the others, making sure they aren’t listening before continuing- “He’s a 00 liner just like Jisu. I mean she just graduated from school some weeks ago.”

“Practically still babies, huh?” Mark muses, but Younghyun can tell he’s taking it seriously. “I know. It’s crazy. From what I’ve heard, Bang Chan is Bambam and Yubin’s age, Park Kwangsun is just a year older. And Bang Chan was the leader, so I doubt any of the others are much older than him.” Mark gives Younghyun a light shove with his shoulder, making both of them laugh. It has been like a running gag since Younghyun’s promotion to Lance Corporal.

“We both know I became Lance Corporal because you wouldn’t be able to lead a unit for shit.”

“True that,” Yubin pipes in with a sweet smile while sitting down with them. Mark scoffs but doesn’t object. Soon Bambam and Jisu join them at the table and they have their planned talk with Jisu.

“School generally prepares you to be in a good shape for starting your service, and the introduction gives you some basics, but of course you can’t specialize your abilities in any of these occasions. That’s what we’re going to work on for now.”

Jisu listens carefully while Yubin talks. Despite not having had the chance to check her diploma yet, Younghyun guesses Jisu must have been a straight-A student. She seems so attentive and diligent.

“During that time, we can also introduce you to your tasks as a member of the safety time. I’m sure you already know the gist, but most things are more extensive than they look from the outside,” Younghyun explains. “You don’t have to join us when we move out just now if you don’t feel ready for that. It’s up to you when you start coming with us.”

“But won’t you need me?” The genuine confusion in Jisu’s face is almost funny. Newbies tend to feel like they need to save the world all by themselves and apparently Jisu is no exception. Mark, Bambam, and a little bit even Yubin were exactly the same.

“Not that urgently,” Bambam reassures her. “As long as you’re not prepared, you’ll be more of a burden than a real help. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.”

“Ah right!” Mark starts laughing. “Bambam was in such a rush back then, tagged along as soon as he got the possibility. He ended up having to sit it out in the van.”

Even though Bambam doesn’t look too amused by the statement, Younghyun fails to hold back a small laugh. “It was a disaster. Good thing Yubin wasn’t there too.”

Smiling, Yubin nods in agreement. “Yup, I was safely hiding between the members of the investigation team. I can’t believe that was already three years ago…”

“Don’t remind me of that,” Bambam groans. “This is my fourth year too.”

“You haven’t decided if you want to stay yet?” Jisu concludes. She seems like she tries to keep a neutral face, but a light furrow still finds its way to her eyebrows. Almost as though she’s confused some people don’t have their future planned out years ahead.

“Not really,” Bambam admits. “I always knew it was either military or university, so I’ve been procrastinating on that decision up until now.”

Mark gently pats Bambam’s shoulder before speaking up. “100% your fault.”

“Yup,” Younghyun is quick to agree.

Even Yubin joins in with an “Absolutely.”

Jisu starts laughing as she watches all of them but gives Bambam a sympathetic look when their gazes meet. It will take some time to really form ties, but Younghyun feels like Jisu will fit into their unit just fine.

Sighing, Bambam lifts his water bottle. “Here’s too my wonderful team. Screw you all.”

[-]

Only nine minutes left. Jeongin doubts the teacher is going to start anything new after explaining the solution to this exercise. There is no real point for Jeongin to listen when he already has the correct answer, so he allows his gaze drift out of the window.

The nature outside looks so peaceful. Snow has mostly melted, and plants are gradually waking up and are starting to bloom. In a way, it feels like nature is mocking them. So many things are happening, yet the seasons are changing as normal. Just like the government is trying its best to play happy family and maintain the perfect front. Jeongin knows it’s ridiculous to expect the seasons to adjust to the turmoil in this country, but he can’t help himself. It feels cruel. Like all their actions don’t change anything at all.

Looking into the classroom isn’t much better either. His classmates all seem more or less focused on the lesson. Some of them are taking notes, others are just listening. They all seem to think that their biggest problem is passing the next exam. None of them would understand what Jeongin is thinking. Because they don’t have to worry about missions. At least not yet. In exactly one year a lot of them will probably have finished the introduction for the military and will be preparing for their two or four years in the military. Or maybe even an entire career. Jeongin hates the idea that one of them might be hunting him in the future, even though the situation is unlikely and Jeongin isn’t particularly close with any of them.

Sometimes Jeongin wishes he knew his classmates better, built more friendships, but he knows it’s safer not to. He cannot risk any of them finding out about Stray Kids. It’s already difficult enough to hide everything from his family; Jeongin figures hiding it from friends would be even harder. His parents and brother usually aren’t at home when missions take place. If worst comes to worst, he can still claim he was meeting up friends or studying at school without being questioned for it. Friends would sooner or later start wondering why he’s always so busy. Unless they know what’s up. But there’s no way he could put his potential friends at risk like that. If he ends up being caught his friends will be screwed too.

Jeongin startles when the ringing of the bell breaks through his thoughts. In an instant, everyone starts packing their stuff and leaves their seats. It’s such a rush. Jeongin is a bit slow to follow and leave the classroom. Surrounded by oblivious faces all going their own way, Jeongin is glad that no matter what he’ll always have the other members. They’re probably the only ones who understand this empty and lonely feeling that comes with being among people without actually being with them. He briefly considers texting DaN or Mirror and maybe meeting up with one of them, but soon gives up on the idea. As much as Jeongin would love to see them, every kind of contact outside of their hiding place is a potential risk. He mustn’t get them into trouble over a little emotional low.

[-]

Chan can’t help but flinch away from the loud clattering. It takes a while until he registers what happened: four trays, several bowls and bits of food are scattered across the cafeteria floor. But that mess can’t keep up with the one on Kwangsun’s clothes. All the food that had been on his tray is now spread all over his previously white shirt after the collision.

“Oh. Sorry,” the man who had been carrying three of those trays on the floor says. He can barely hold back a smile. It’s probably the most fake-sounding apology Chan has ever heard. On a second thought: scratch the probably. Judging by the way Kwangsun bites his bottom lips and closes his eyes before putting on an equally fake smile, he feels the same way.

“No problem at all.” His voice is dripping with venom, which is understandable considering how obviously on purpose this ‘accident’ – just how much of an asshole do you have to be to crash into someone with your dirty dishes on purpose? – happened. But still, Chan is not used to this. Kwangsun’s voice usually sounds so sincere. This is like poisoned honey.

“I’ll tell the staff to get rid of the–” the man gives Kwangsun a once over– “dirt.”

Taking a deep breath, Chan wills himself to stay quiet. He has gotten used to hostility in the form of side glances, being ignored and avoided, but this – this is on another level. This is an open provocation and Chan feels a heartbeat away from bursting. He clenches his hands into fists around the edges of his tray as he makes eye contact with Kwangsun across the mess on the ground between them. A light shake of his head Kwangsun’s entire reaction, but it helps keep Chan grounded. Kwangsun is right, they can’t lash out. If they step out of line in any way the DIT might just lock them up again. They need to endure this quietly, or they won’t be able to reach their aim.

The burning in Chan’s chest gets a bit less when the asshole finally walks away without another word. Kwangsun sighs as he looks down his clothes. Differently coloured stains cover them from Kwangsun’s chest down to his thighs. They’re a little less obvious on Kwangsun’s dark blue jeans, but still very much visible. Chan hopes that at the very least the food wasn’t hot enough for burns. “I’ll go to the bathroom and try to get this at least somewhat clean,” Kwangsun mumbles. Despite his calm demeanour in the beginning, Kwangsun does seem pretty pissed now. It’s rare to see him like this. Kwangsun usually doesn’t let things get to him that easily.

Chan nods before crouching down and starting to gather at least the trays and bowls. Several pairs of eyes are on Chan, but he ignores them all. He waits for the staff member to arrive – admittedly, he’s a little surprised the asshole from before actually went and informed someone about the mess he caused – and helps them clean up before picking up his own tray and going to find a free spot. Even more than usual, people are doing their best to block him off. It’s as though the tray incident only encouraged everyone to treat Chan and Kwangsun like shit. The only table that’s still mostly free is the one Corporal Lee is sitting at with a clear distance to the group sitting at the other end.

“Can Kwangsun and I sit with you?”

The way Corporal Lee’s head shoots up tells Chan she didn’t expect to be spoken to. This little realisation ignites another spark of anger inside Chan. He had hoped Private Kim was an exception with his opinion of Corporal Lee. “Sure,” she says with a weak smile. “The outcasts have to stick together, don’t they?”

Frowning, Chan sits down across form her. “I get why Kwangsun and I are treated like this but you? Just because of your father?”

“So you heard about it already. Not only am I only of the very few female Corporals, I’m also among the youngest. There has to be something fishy about that.” Her voice is understandably bitter. Chan knew that Corporal Lee doesn’t have the best reputation, but he didn’t think it would quite as bad. It’s honestly ridiculous that people treat Corporal Lee almost as bad as the enemy just because they somehow got it into their heads that she somehow doesn’t deserve her position. Chan really hopes that at least the people in her team know better than that.

“What about your secretary? Gahyeon, right?”

“She and her partner prefer to spend lunch break outside the DIT.” The tension in Corporal Lee’s shoulders is still present. To someone who is used to hiding, it’s painfully obvious what she means.

“Because they would be treated like this?”

“Not quite as bad but it wouldn’t exactly be useful for their careers.” Her jaw is set; her frustration evident. To be fair, it would be impossible not to get fed up with the way people are treated here if they in some way don’t fit into the perfect image of the DIT. Be it a woman with more power than is pleasant, someone who isn’t straight and cis, or something as minor as having dyed hair apparently.

Silence spreads over them and Chan eventually settles for finally starting to eat his food. He honestly has no idea what to say. It’s not like he knows much about the situation in the military, or like he has any power to change anything about it. Everything that’s left is hoping Gahyeon and her partner are careful and stay safe.

“Sorry about Insuk by the way,” the Corporal speaks up again before the silence can get too suffocating. Chan guesses she means the guy who made a mess of Kwangsun’s clothes and the cafeteria floor. “I wish I could say the usual ‘give him some time’ but quite frankly he’s… just a douchebag. Luckily, you shouldn’t have a lot to do with him anyways.”

“So he’s in a different division?”

A moment of silence passes. Chan has no idea why that is apparently a difficult question, but he’s patient nevertheless. “He isn’t really part of a division,” Corporal Lee eventually explains. “He’s a member of Lieutenant Yoon’s special task force.”

Chan gulps. So that’s why she hesitated. “Taehyung told me about them, apparently they were responsible for… interrogating me.”

Corporal Lee’s gaze drops down to her plate. It’s obvious this isn’t a topic she’s very fond of. “Their responsibility are tasks Lieutenant Yoon cannot give to usual soldiers.” The methods Lieutenant Yoon’s ‘special task force’ uses feel like an open secret nobody is proud of. Except, apparently, the members of said task force themselves.

“You’re telling me that asshole is one of the people who do the dirty work for the Lieutenant?” Chan can’t help but let his disgust shine through. Corporal Lee doesn’t seem to mind though.

“I guess you could put it that way, yes.”

“It fits him,” Chan says bitterly. He means it. The asshole seems like he would have had a blast if he had had anything to do with Chan’s ‘interrogation’. Corporal Lee only nods.

“On a more positive note, Private Kim told me about your idea to try finding Han Jisung’s and Seo Changbin’s family. Thank you very much for your that.”

It feels a little out of place, but Chan is thankful for the change of subject since he doesn’t like remembering the stuff this so-called special task force put him through. For the first time since the beginning of their conversation, he can feel himself finally starting to relax. “That means you’re accepting my suggestion?”

“Yes, unit C and G volunteered to take care of it. I’d also like for you and Park Kwangsun to help us get composite sketches of Stray Kids in the next few days. It’s unclear if it will be of any help if the members have gone into hiding, but we should at least try.”

“Sure, we’ll help any way we can.” At last, she seems to relax a little as well, which puts a little smile on Chan’s face.

“In that case…” The Lance Corporal turns her gaze to the ceiling, contemplates her words. What can possibly be so hard about whatever she’s going to bring up next? “This is going to sound ridiculous and everyone in the DIT would laugh at me if they knew I was asking you this question, but have you heard of the Captain?”

“Why would that be ridiculous?” It’s a little confusing how much of a big deal that simple question seems to have been. “You’re trying to find out more about the resistance and have people who’ve been part of it right in front of you. Where’s the harm in asking?”

“I guess there’s no harm per se.” Corporal Lee pokes around her food without eating anything. “But most higher ups in the DIT have decided that the Captain of the resistance is an old wives’ tale. So far, all our traces were dead ends. Every time we thought we had pinned someone down it turned out that they couldn’t be who we were searching for. And the reports just kept contradicting each other. Some rebels we investigated talked about a rather tall and athletic man. Others said it was a short man of average built with a mullet. And yet others agreed that he was short, fairly muscular and with a different hairstyle. And some reports were overlapping between those traits. After some people started talking about a woman with long black hair the DIT decided that looking for the Captain was just a waste of time, most likely some hoax made up to achieve just that.”

Chan snorts and shakes his head. “Obviously. A shapeshifter is merely weird, but a woman being the leader of the resistance against the government is straight up impossible.” Of fucking course most of the higher ups in the DIT – or likely most of the military – are misogynistic assholes who don’t think a woman would be capable of leading the resistance.

Corporal Lee laughs; a genuine, bright laugh rather than just a polite fake. It’s the first time she’s let her professional front slip and Chan already likes the person peeking through from behind it. “Obviously.” She straightens her back, tries to get back into her usual demeanour, but a little smile remains. “Back to business, do you know anything about the Captain?”

“Well, it’s just like you already said: word about them is kind of vague and confusing. Nobody seems to really know who they are and the reports are kind of contradicting each other. I don’t think I can help you with that.”

Despite her attempts to hide it, the slight drop in the Lance Corporal’s mood still shows. Chan feels a little sorry for not being able to tell her more considering how invested she seems. “So you don’t think we should try looking for the Captain again?”

Chan shrugs and focuses on his food. “I don’t know. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to imagine a single person leading the resistance in its entirety.”

“I guess so…” Lance Corporal Lee sighs before shaking the thought off. “Regardless, thank you very much for your input. You two have been a great help and I can’t thank you enough.” Those words touch Chan more than he’d have expected. It’s weird and feels kind of wrong, but Chan enjoys being appreciated in the DIT for once.

[-]

By now the cafeteria is pretty much empty. Only a few dawdlers are still here and there. Bang Chan and Park Kwangsun are seated near the corner all by themselves. It’s a strange sight since they’ve always been accompanied by a member of the DIT so far. But even like this, they don’t fit it. Despite officially working here now, they aren’t wearing a uniform. Probably because finding them is easier if they don’t drown in the sea of black and silver. On top of their casual clothing, the way they’re sitting there by themselves, far away from the little clusters of people still holding onto the last few minutes of their lunchbreak just makes them seem so out of place. There’s no way to hide that they don’t belong into the DIT.

He isn’t entirely sure why, but Younghyun feels a little bit nervous watching Bang Chan and Park Kwangsun from afar. It feels ridiculous, it’s not like this brings him into any kind of danger. Younghyun takes a deep breath and adjusts the sleeves of his uniform jacket while coming closer. Bang Chan and Park Kwangsun, who had been immersed into conversation, stop as soon as they notice Younghyun. Willing his heartbeat to stay normal, Younghyun gives them a smile. “You two seem a bit lost. Can I help you somehow?”

At first, they both look a bit taken aback, but eventually Bang Chan speaks up. “A corner to sit in would be good? We’re not really needed right now, but we’re required to be on demand. Corporal Lee might need us soon.”

“Sure, that can be arranged. Follow me.” Younghyun adjusts his sleeve again, waits for the pair to stand up, tries his best to ignore the colourful stains on Park Kwangsun’s clothing, and starts walking. Bang Chan and Park Kwangsun follow a few steps behind him.

“I’m sure you know who we are,” Park Kwangsun mumbles while they make their way through the hallway leading away from the cafeteria. “But who are you?”

“My bad, I forgot to introduce myself.” Younghyun turns towards them with a smile. “I’m Lance Corporal Kang Younghyun of the Safety Team, Unit B. Please just speak casually with me.”

“Nice to meet you, Younghyun-Hyung. You can call me Chan.”

“And me Kwangsun.”

“Alright.” If Younghyun is completely honest, he didn’t expect things would go this well, but Chan and Kwangsun seem nice. Even though things still feel a little stiff. “How has your time in the DIT been so far?”

“I’ve been through worse,” Chan says, matter or fact. A little sting pierces through Younghyun’s chest. He knows the members of the battle teams aren’t exactly careful when taking prisoners. And he knows how far Lieutenant Yoon is willing to go for information, or rather his inner circle. Rumours spread quickly inside the DIT; Lieutenant Yoon had put his special task force on Chan.

Something must have happened in Chan’s life, but Younghyun already figured as much. In his experience, very few rebels have had a bright past, or a bright future for that matter. Whatever it was that happened to Chan, he most likely doesn’t want to talk about it. Since Younghyun doesn’t want to pry or make awkward small talk he’s at a loss of what to say. He can’t think of anything that would be appropriate after Chan’s words. So they end up walking the rest of their way in slightly tense silence. That much on things going well.

“Here we go,” Younghyun says when they finally reach a little seating area near the investigation team’s rooms. There is a pearl coloured love seat and two armchairs that go with it. There are two potted plants on either side of said love seat and a small glass table in front of it. On top of the table, there’s a shallow bowl with decorative spheres in different shades of almost-white.

Kwangsun sits down on the love seat, Chan takes the spot next to him, and Younghyun claims one of the armchairs for himself. “Sergeant Park’s office is that way.” Younghyun jabs his thumb at the hallway branching off behind him- “He’s in charge of leading this division, so the Corporals will pass by here every now and then and will know where you are in case you’re needed. Sergeant Park, his secretary Yuqi and maybe some higher-ups might also walk past, but aside from that it should be pretty quiet. Well unless there’s another attack.”

“Thank you, Hyung.” For the first time since they met, Chan actually smiles. Though said smile vanishes as quickly as it came. Younghyun has no idea why that even strikes him so much. Different from Chan, Kwangsun has seemed more open and more light-hearted – Younghyun would almost say happy, but that word seemed inappropriate considering their situation – the entire time.

“No problem.”

“The button of your sleeve is open,” Kwangsun notes politely.

“Oh,” Younghyun lifts his hand and looks down at the open button by his wrist before turning a smile at Kwangsun. “How dare he?” It earns him a bright smile from both Kwangsun and Chan. Feeling a bit reassured, Younghyun uses the moment to come forth with his request. “Chan-ah, I would like to ask you for a favour. It’s okay if you say no though.”

Kwangsun and Chan briefly glance at each other before Chan speaks up. “What is it?”

“Would it be possible for you to meet me outside of work? I’d like to ask you some questions about the other members. I have a newbie in my unit, she wants to do everything perfectly and keeps asking me questions so I’d like to be prepared.”

Chan seems a bit taken aback but eventually nods in agreement. “I think that can be arranged.”

“Great. I’ll get back at you when I know when I’ll be free. For now, I need to get going.” When he gets up, Younghyun feels a lot more relaxed than in the beginning. In retrospect, it’s ridiculous how nervous he had been about this conversation. After all, everything went well.

“Thanks again for the help.”

“Yeah, thank you,” Chan agrees with Kwangsun. “You might not realize, but it means a lot to us.”

“I guess you haven’t been treated very well so far?” Immediately, two nods follow. “I’m afraid most people here still see you as enemies, all you can do is wait until they accept you.”

“We figured as much,” Kwangsun sighs. “Hopefully we won’t have to wait for long.

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.” Younghyun smiles and waves at them while turning to walk down the hallway to the safety team’s rooms. He should probably hurry. Lunch break is over, and his unit is most definitely already waiting for him, above all Jisu.

[-]

It’s so strange to have this note in front of him. Even though Felix can see it with his eyes and feels it in his hand it’s a little hard to grasp that this information found his way to him. Felix bites his lip while tracing the numbers with his fingers for the thousandth time.

11111 111111

11 0011 00 0010 1110 111111

11100 000000 00 1000 000 1000 0101 000000 010 011 011 00 0100 010 1 1101 1000 100 000000 001 1000 111111

1 0 000000 0001 111111

1101 1000 000000 0001 0 0100 01 1110 000000 01 1000 000000 1000 111 1 1101 010 0 1001 1000 100 000000 0101 0010 111 000000 010 0 100 10 111111

101 1000 0101 0101 000000 0101 0010 111 000000 0011 000000 001 0011 1110 1110 000000 1101 0011 001 111111

He has absolutely no idea how to decipher the code, but he doesn’t have to know. Minho had decoded the message and written everything down on a second note before he handed it over to Felix. Knowing that Chris is apparently fine lifts a massive weight off Felix’s chest. Despite knowing what was ahead of him, the worry was threatening crushing Felix from inside. Since they left Chris and Kkul behind, Felix has been feeling like suffocating. This tiny bit of reassurance is like a new breath filling his lungs.

Smiling, Felix reaches inside his shirt, frees the necklace trapped underneath the fabric and watches the little golden pendant dangle from its cord. Lately, he hasn’t been able to look at it, but he hadn’t found it in himself to take it off either. So many memories of Chris – good ones as well as bad ones – cling to the simple piece of jewellery. Felix remembers their first and only fight, how he came home hurt and frustrated and how all those feelings immediately melted away once he spotted the reflection of his necklace in a shop window. It took just a moment before turned on his hells and ran right back to Chris’ apartment. They ran into each other right outside of Chan’s apartment building and both started apologising like their life depended on it.

“Lix, it’s time.” Minho’s voice cuts through Felix’s wandering thoughts like a blade. Even though he hadn’t been doing anything but look at his necklace, Felix feels a little walked in on. He tugs the necklace back into shirt and puts the note aside.

“What?”

“The others are already here. You need to get ready.”

“Oh…” Felix had been so caught up in his thoughts that he had completely forgotten about the mission. Honestly speaking, a mission is the last thing Felix wants to do right now. He’d much rather stay here and continue thinking about Chris. But that just isn’t an option. Missions aren’t something you cancel over a bad mood. Everyone in this team has their part to fulfil.

“You forgot, didn’t you?” Minho sighs and closes the door behind himself before speaking up again in a lower, more hushed voice. “Put the note away before you leave. We don’t want that lying out in the open. Especially not with the translation. It would take DaN all of five minutes to figure out how I changed his code.”

“Right.” Bracing himself, Felix gets up from his bed and walks up to his desk. For some reason, putting the note into the drawer feels like he’s hiding a treasure. The way things are with treasures, you want to make sure to keep them somewhere safe. Ideally, you’d have them with you at all times. The thought makes Felix glance down to where the pendant of his necklace is resting against his skin underneath his shirt. He cannot take the treasure he got from Minho the other day with him, but he definitely won’t leave the treasure he got from Chris behind.

11 notes · View notes

vallkyr · 5 years ago

Photo

Step Out

When the people you trust most leave you to get caught by the task force hunting you, what else is there to do but finding new allies?

I love @agustdawn and her amazing gif, thank you for coming to my ted talk.

Pairings: Chan x Kwangsun (OC), Chan x Felix, Minho x Jisung, Changbin x Hyunjin, Younghyun x Liam (OC), Siyeon x Jonghyeon, Aaron x Minhyun and other minor pairings

Genres: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, some Romance and bits of Fluff in between

Tags: Dystopia AU, Rebels AU

Chapter Tags: a bit of domestic fluff

Rating: Mature

General Warnings: Violence, Injury, Panic Attacks, Minor Character Death

Chapter Warnings: -

Word Count: 5,244

Edit: I made some changes to Step Out since first posting it. For the explanation please check the notes at the beginning of chapter 9

Masterpost

< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >

Chapter 6 - Still a kid

All eyes are on Chan and Kwangsun as they walk around the tables of the cafeteria. But whenever they look at someone, that person adverts their gaze. Some people deliberately try to take up more space, stretch their arms or sit with spread legs or put the jacket of their black uniform on the bench next to them. To put it simply: everyone is doing their best to block Chan and Kwangsun off.

Kwangsun tries to ask some people if the space next to them is free, but he and Chan get dismissed every time. Over and over. Everybody is still waiting for someone else. Eventually, Chan and Kwangsun find a free table in a corner of the cafeteria, where not a single soul is sitting. Kwangsun sighs while putting his tray down.

"They still hate us," he mumbles.

“I can’t really blame them.” Chan sits down across from Kwangsun. “We haven’t done much to prove ourselves yet. To most of them, we’re still the enemy.”

“Do you think that will ever change?” Kwangsun’s voice is quiet, and he looks unusually heartbroken with his shoulders slumped while he dully sticks the chopsticks into his food. It hurts Chan to see him like that. Usually, Kwangsun is the sunnier one between the two of them.

“Hey.” Chan abandons his own chopsticks in favour of placing his hand on top of Kwangsun’s hand. “They just need time. Everyone needs time. Of course, we are never going to be friends with the entire DIT, but things will get better.” Instead of a reply, Kwangsun just lifts his gaze to look Chan in the eyes. “Besides, I doubt they have the energy to keep this blockade up for longer than a week.”

That does eventually get a smile out of Kwangsun. Mission accomplished. Feeling a bit more at ease now that Kwangsun seems to be doing better, Chan starts eating his food. The cafeteria of the DIT is far from brilliant, but the food is good. Chan thinks he could get used to this.

[-]

The smell of coffee leads Felix towards the kitchen. His brain is still fogged by sleep, but at least he’s awake enough to realise, after hearing a noise sounding a lot like kissing followed by a breathy giggle, that he should make his presence known before entering. He coughs, then waits a handful of seconds before approaching the doorframe. When Felix comes into the kitchen, Minho is sitting on the kitchen counter and gives Felix a somewhat awkward smile. A couple of steps away from Minho J.One is leaning against the same counter with his arms loosely crossed in front of his chest, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

"Morning," Felix mumbles, trying not to let show how awkward he feels for obviously having interrupted something. "Did you already have breakfast?"

"We didn't get to that yet, no." J answers without any negative feelings resounding in his voice. It’s a relieve that Jisung apparently avoids pda, it spares Minho the trouble of doing that. Felix can’t help but wonder if Minho had told him to avoid being affectionate around others. Knowing J.One, he would most definitely be okay with others seeing him hold Minho's hand, hug or kiss him. But whenever someone approaches them, he retreats. Minho must have told him something, hopefully something good. Felix knows his brother is practiced at lying; he just hopes Minho has it under control, considering what is at risk.

“Do you know if B is already awake?” Minho asks while sliding off the kitchen counter. He takes a look around the kitchen before opening some cabinet doors, obviously looking for something.

“No idea, I didn’t see him.”

“I’m going to check.” J.One smiles at Minho before making his way out of the kitchen. Felix waits until he hears J’s steps on the stairs before getting closer to Minho.

“What did you tell him about pda?”

“Nothing, just that I don’t want it.”

Felix snorts. As if things would be that simple. It’s so obvious Minho is new to this. “That’s it? ‘I don’t want to be seen being affectionate with you?’ No explanation?”

“I didn’t say it like that!” Minho hisses, setting the frying pan in his hand onto the kitchen counter. “I told him that it has nothing to do with him, but that I don’t want to showcase our relationship for everyone to see.”

A frown takes over Felix’s face while he scans Minho’s tense posture. “He’s going to start wondering, you know? It might take a while, but someday he is going to ask himself why he has to hold back and what could possibly be so bad about others seeing you together. You’ll better be prepared then.”

“I know.”

Felix laughs again. Would it really kill Minho to just admit he needs help or advice for something? “You say that as if you have any experience with actual relationships.”

Minho turns a glare at his brother, who is failing to hold back a smug grin. “Ungrateful brat.”

“The ungrateful brat is saving your clueless ass, you dick,” Felix retorts, his grin getting even wider.

“This is what I get for raising you on my back?!” Minho shakes his head in disbelieve, making Felix laugh.

“Fine, I’ll shut up.” Finally getting his grin under control, Felix places his hand on Minho’s shoulder and looks him in the eyes. He needs Minho to know this is not a joke. “Just be careful. Don’t let your comfort zone make J doubt your feelings for him. That’s important.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let that happen,” Minho reassures him with a weak smile.

[-]

“Hey you two.” Chan freezes when Taehyung suddenly puts his tray down on the table and sits down next to Kwangsun.

“Hi,” They greet back in not quite perfect unison.

“Nice hair colour, black suits you very well.” When Taehyung smiles, it feels like the sun coming out after weeks of rain. Chan doubts that anyone but Taehyung has given them a genuine, bright smile since they were brought here.

“Thank you. My hair needed some rest after I dyed it silver so many times.” It’s a lie. But if Taehyung can tell he doesn’t comment on it. Instead, he just continues talking.

“I’ve tried quite a few hair colours myself when I was younger. Blue looked gorgeous on me. But now… the DIT doesn’t appreciate that kind of creativity.” Taehyung looks lost in his thoughts for a moment, like he’s grieving for all the hair colours he could have tried by now if he wasn’t a member of the military. “Anyways,” his lips form a smile again. “if I can’t enjoy the colours of the world on myself the least I can do is appreciate it elsewhere. I was planning to go to the museum of modern art this weekend. They’ll open an exhibition about an artist I like. Do you two want to tag along?”

“Uhm-“

“Yeah, why not.”

A little irritated by the sudden agreement, Chan turns to look at Kwangsun, who gives him a warm smile as if saying ‘It will be good for you.’ Maybe that’s right, even though Chan isn’t particularly thrilled by the idea of going out. Since they were imprisoned Chan has only ever been to the DIT and their apartment. And the handful of streets in between. Perhaps he really should step out of his comfort zone for once. It can’t hurt right? Besides, the DIT can’t say much against it if they even have a DIT member accompanying them.

“Sure,” Chan agrees reluctantly. “I’ll text you in the evening so you can send me all the detail.”

“Great! Thanks, guys! The museum should be within your allowed area, but I’ll check just in case and notify special task force A if needed. So don’t you worry about your ankle tags.”

For the rest of the meal, Taehyung continues to talk about art. He tells Chan and Kwangsun about some of his favourite artists and their works. It seems that he’s quite invested in the topic; he’s already been to quite a few different museums and exhibitions that he is happy to ramble on and on about.

“Wait, let me do that!” Taehyung intervenes when Kwangsun makes a move to clear his part of the table. “After all, you had to listen to listen to me your entire break.” He laughs while starting to gather their empty dishes. When Taehyung reaches out to grab Chan’s plate, Chan’s gaze drops to Taehyung’s hands.

“Your button is open.” Chan says, looking at the middle one of three silver buttons on the sleeve of Taehyung’s uniform.

“Oh. How dare he?” Taehyung winks while picking up their trays and carrying them away.

[-]

So many new faces. No matter how often he witnesses the arrival of the trainees, Younghyun never gets used to it. All these young people just getting started with their life, a lot of them no doubt planning to only stay their two or four years. But Younghyun knows how many of them end up staying. He’s seen it countless times. He himself hadn’t expected to still be here after seven years.

“…Division 318.122.017, called ‘Orphan’…”

The name of his division catches Younghyun’s attention. He listens to the names being read, watches the young people stand up, come to the front, and leave the ceremony hall with their respective Lance Corporals.

“Now to the safety team…”

Almost there. Hopefully they will all get along with the people sorted into their team. Especially the new private for their unit. The last one had been a nuisance to say the least.

“Unit B.” Younghyun takes a step forward to present himself as the Lance Corporal in charge. “Choi Jisu.” A girl with long, dark brown hair emerges from the crowd and approaches the small podium in front of which Younghyun and the other Lance Corporals are lined up.

“I’m Lance Corporal Kang Younghyun, nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too.” She bows and gives Younghyun a bright smile and follows him outside into the hallway.

“I’m guessing you’ve already seen all the rooms you need to know during the tour, right?”

“Yes. I don’t think I managed to memorize everything though…”

“That’s okay,” Younghyun assures the girl walking next to him. “You’ve seen the most important stuff. It’s a bit much at first, but you’ll get used to it. Welcome to our team.”

“Thank you very much, Lance Corporal Kang.”

He almost winces at the formality. Younghyun knows she’s just trying to be polite, but he really can’t stand being addressed with his rank. “You can call me by my first name. We’re going to work together every day. All that formality would just be in the way.”

“Okay then, Younghyun-Oppa.” Jisu says it tentatively, as if she fears she might not be allowed to address her supervisor like this despite the offer.

“It’s fine, really. Everyone in our unit calls each other by their first name. Is that okay with you too?”

“Of course.”

“Alright then,” Younghyun stops in front of the pale wooden door, which has a small metal plaque reading ‘UNIT B’ on it, and gives Jisu a reassuring smile. “Time to introduce you to the rest of the unit. They can be a little chaotic, and real idiots at times, but they’re nice people, I promise.” He opens the door and walks into the room reserved for their unit. It isn’t exactly big, but it’s enough to do some training exercises in peace. The corner opposite from the door is occupied by a small table with some folding-chairs around it. Mark, Bambam and Yubin are currently busy with a game of cards and Bambam is loudly complaining about being cheated on while Mark laughs his ass off and Yubin is obviously regretting her life choices.

Well, at least Jisu is getting a realistic first impression.

“Everyone,” three pairs of eyes lift up to look at them. A light smile hushes over Younghyun’s face at the apparent curiosity of his colleagues. “this is our new teammate.”

“I’m Private Choi Jisu. Nice to meet you.” Again, Jisu bows and gifts the others with a warm smile.

“Oh, a newbie!” Bambam smiles brightly. The entire unit puts their cards down and comes to greet their new member. The introduction is a bit chaotic, but Jisu doesn’t seem to mind. They’re all a little mess of introductions, questions, smiles and laughs. Younghyun is starting to think that Jisu is going to fit into their team just fine.

[-]

Chan takes a deep breath of the crisp air while silently walking alongside Kwangsun. Inside the DIT, he always feels like suffocating. The air out here is cold in the warmth of his throat, which is strangely comforting. It makes him feel more alive. Their ‘work days’ still create this numbness inside Chan. He wonders if he’ll ever get fully used to what they’re doing. Maybe it will feel more normal with time, when the DIT eventually, hopefully, loosens the chains around their necks. Their apartment was the first big step, even if it’s in a DIT safehouse. This is the second one: today is their first day walking home from the DIT Headquarters. Probably because the authorities had gotten sick of ordering drivers for them, but Chan enjoys this freedom nonetheless.

“Feels good to get some fresh air for once, doesn’t it?” Kwangsun is smiling when Chan turns to look at him.

“Yeah, I almost forgot what it’s like.” Chan allows himself another deep breath. “Now I’m going to look forward to the end of our shift even more.” The chuckle he gets in response is only faint. Kwangsun knows Chan isn’t really joking. If anyone understands that, it’s Kwangsun.

Silence falls over them again, which Chan appreciates a lot. He doesn’t like having private conversations in public. It’s probably an occupational disease. Lux is the only one who had been able to ease him out of that a little, but without him it’s impossible to forget that they might be overheard by god knows who. Caught up in his thoughts, Chan doesn’t realise when the way home leads them to a park. Without noticing it, his steps slow down when he recognizes where they are.

“I love it here,” Lux sighed. A warm smile was covering his face, his eyes were glowing, his cheeks were reddened and his hair was dishevelled from their snow fight. To cut a long story short: he looked absolutely breath-taking.

“I’m glad.” Chan linked arms with Lux and stuffed their freezing hand back into his pocket. Gloves would have been great, but they hadn’t exactly planned to have a snowball fight and didn’t bring any. Together, they followed a small trail through the snow that lead them away from the main path and to a small niche surrounded by trees. In the middle of it was a statue of a person sitting on a tall pedestal. The man portrayed in the statue was naked save for a large piece of fabric winding around his lower half. He had his hands bound behind his back by a chain that is attached to the pedestal – a position that seemed rather uncomfortable. Matching with that, his face looked pained. Next to him was a large bird, Chan suspected it to be an eagle, that was stretching towards his body as if leaning in to bite him.

Lux was shivering while he eyed the statue. Without giving it a second thought Chan took off his scarf and draped it over Lux’s shoulders. A little startled, Lux turned towards him with wide eyes. “You don’t have to…”

“But I want to.” Chan smiled while gently tugging at the ends of his scarf, pulling Lux into a kiss. He could feel Lux smiling against his lips while they kissed. Chan pulls away in favour of properly wrapping the scarf around Lux’s throat.

Smiling brightly, Lux hooked his arms around Chan’s neck. “We can’t risk you getting cold either, can we?” He whispered before kissing Chan again.

“Are you okay?”

Chan startles when he hears Kwangsun’s voice behind him. Having been so lost in his memories, he only now realizes that he had wandered off to the niche between the trees.

“Yeah I’m okay.” Shit, find an explanation. “I guess it’s this statue. It has always drawn me in.” By the way Kwangsun raises his brown, Chan can tell that he doesn’t buy it. So he ignores the tightness in his chest, scratches the excuse, and allows himself to tell Kwangsun the truth. “The last time I came here was with Lux,” Chan murmured. It was followed by a crushing silence.

His little trip with Lux feels like it was ages ago. It’s still kind of cold, but warm enough for the snow to have melted; patches of green replacing the white blanket from last time. Coughing, Chan adjusts the scarf around his neck. Soon he won’t need it anymore.

“Thank you for last night.”

Kwangsun remains quiet for a moment. “No problem. It’s no big deal.”

“It is for me,” Chan explains. “This situation is really difficult, especially at night when I have lots of time to miss Lux.” For quite a while Kwangsun just looks at him in silence. Chan can’t quite place it, but the look on Kwangsun’s face is gentle. Maybe even understanding.

Kwangsun brings his arm around Chan’s shoulder and pulls Chan against his chest. Chan didn’t expect to be hugged, but it’s a pleasant surprise. Sighing, he buries his face in Kwangsun’s shoulder and wraps his arms around Kwangsun’s waist.

“You’re not alone with this,” Kwangsun murmurs. “I’m here for you.”

[-]

Looks like the vegetables are slowly getting toasty. Younghyun stirs everything again before checking on the rice. The food isn’t going to take much longer. And he’s still alone. Hopefully not for much longer. Liam did text him that work was going to take a bit longer than usual, but Younghyun is slowly getting impatient. Normally they cook together, it’s unusual for Liam to come back this late. All those thoughts fly out the window at the sound of keys from the direction of the front door. Finally.

“I’m home!” Joy starts to bubble in Younghyun’s chest when the familiar voice sound through the apartment.

“Welcome home.”

Younghyun hears a stretched out sigh followed by slow, lazy steps before arms wrap around him from behind. “Hey, baby.” A smile spreads over Younghyun’s face when Liam kisses his cheek and snuggles against his back.

“That hungry?”

“I’m starving,” Liam groans into the crook of Younghyun’s neck. “This looks pretty good already, is it going to be done soon?”

“Very soon,” Younghyun reassures him. “You can set the table.”

“You’re the best.” With another kiss on the cheek, Liam detaches himself from Younghyun’s back, washes his hands in the sink and starts carrying out his duty.

“What took so long at the office?”

“Ugh, things went so slow today,” Liam complains. “Since the news have gotten out that two Stray Kids members are cooperating, everybody is too busy gossiping to get their stuff done in time.” When Liam is finished setting the table, he leans against the kitchen counter and watches as Younghyun seasons their food. “I’m going to need lots of affection to recover from that.”

“That was not even an hour of overtime.”

“Forty-seven minutes of my precious time wasted on papers that prevented me from cooking with my poor boyfriend.”

“Fine,” Younghyun laughs while putting the spatula aside and turning to face Liam. “I think a bit of affection can be arranged.” As if Younghyun could ever say no to that. Bold hands immediately wrap around his hips, pulling him away from the stove. “Are you trying to get our food burned?” He grins when Liam finally kisses him.

“Burned veggies sound awesome,” Liam mumbles against his lips with a smile before kissing him again. They gradually move further away from the stove. Younghyun lets it happen for a while but only until they reach the edge of the kitchen. He stands firm when Liam tries to guide him further away, smiles into the kiss when Liam hums in silent complaint.

“The rice should be done now.”

“Food!” Younghyun takes a moment to appreciate Liam’s genuine happiness. Sometimes he wonders what he could have possibly done in his past lives to deserve having the cutest boyfriend in the world. Smiling, he pecks Liam’s lips one more time before taking Liam’s hand and pulling him along. Once back in front of the stove, Younghyun gets a hold of Liam’s other hand as well and wraps his boyfriend’s arms around himself. Liam is smiling. Younghyun knows he is without looking. The way Liam nestles against his back is a very clear indicator for that.

[-]

“I would have been more than capable of carrying that bag on my own,” Yeji chides while walking into their apartment. “There are like three shirts and a pair of yoga pants in there.”

“Which is exactly why it’s no problem for me to carry it,” Hyunjin counters with a broad smile before dropping the bag onto the floor. “Welcome back.”

“You must have missed me a lot.” She picks up a stray pair of jeans from the arm rest of their couch. “I’m gone for a couple of days and you litter our apartment with your stuff.”

Hyunjin just barely catches the jeans before they can hit him in the face; it’s a close call.

“Hey, you know how busy I was!”

“Oh come on!” Giggling, Yeji hurls another piece of clothing at her brother. This time, Hyunjin fails to catch it, getting hit square in the chest. “You had plenty of time, you were just lazy.”

“Okay! Fine!” Hyunjin starts picking up the clothes from the floor. “Just stop throwing things at me.”

With a victorious smile on her face Yeji sits down on their couch and watches her brother tidy up the living room. Hyunjin starts off by picking up all the clothes he had left lying around. Even he has to admit that it’s surprising how much of a mess he was able to create in such a short time. After collecting the laundry, Hyunjin takes care of used dishes and empty wrappers. Yeji may have her back to him, but with stuff like this Hyunjin swears she has another pair of eyes in the back of her head, so Hyunjin doesn’t even try to slack off and steal glances at the romance drama Yeji is currently watching. It takes a while until their apartment looks presentable and Hyunjin gets to sink onto the couch next to Yeji without getting scolded for it.

“I should have cleaned right away,” he sighs.

“Exactly. But this is good enough for now.”

“For now?” Hyunjin raises his head to give Yeji an incredulous look. “What more do you want?”

“Yes, tomorrow you’ll vacuum the entire apartment. There are crumps everywhere.” Yeji smiles when her brother holds back a groan. Though her expression soon falters. “Hyunjin, I wanted to talk to you about… You know…”

Hyunjin pushes himself up to sit up straight, biting his lip while trying to find the right words. “You’re worried about Jisu.”

“Yeah… But she’s a part of the Safety Team that means she won’t be… directly involved, right?” The little hopeful glint in Yeji’s eyes cuts through Hyunjin like a knife, because he knows that none of this hope is left when Yeji thinks of his role in this mess. Hyunjin can’t stay out of any of it; he’s right in the middle of things.

Swallowing his emotions down, Hyunjin focuses on their conversation again. “Right, the Safety Team basically just secures the area and makes sure civilians stay far enough away from the crime scene. They’re not supposed to go after anyone.”

“Okay…”

“Don’t worry, Jiji. I’ll do everything I can to make sure nothing happens to Jisu. If she does her job as intended, she shouldn’t even see any of us.”

“Thank you.” Yeji’s eyes are teary while she leans into Hyunjin’s side. If only Hyunjin could do more for her. Yeji has never been a fan of her friends’ plan, tried to stop it best she could. But at the same time, she couldn’t act too suspicious about why she didn’t want them to join the DIT and ended up failing. She’s been a nervous wreck since Jisu started training to become a member of the DIT and Hyunjin feels even guiltier than usual. None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for that stupid bomb.

“Nothing will happen to her, I promise.” Hyunjin wishes he could convince himself. At least they don’t use bombs anymore.

[-]

Liam lets himself drop onto the couch next to Younghyun with a content sigh. He looks so soft now, after the shower, in more comfortable clothing. If Younghyun is completely honest, he likes his boyfriend best this way – in comfortable sweatpants and an oversized shirt that looks suspiciously similar to the one Younghyun bought for himself not even half a year ago. That’s a little plus – even though Younghyun would never admit that. Liam steals too many of his clothes as it is; the last thing he needs is encouragement. Younghyun is ripped out of his thoughts when Liam leans his head against Younghyun’s shoulder.

“Your hair is wet!” He leans away and pushes Liam in the opposite direction. A frown takes over Liam’s face before he starts shaking his head, splashing Younghyun with the access shower water in the process. “Idiot,” Younghyun giggles and slaps Liam’s arm.

Liam only grins while leaning closer. “Is my hair dry enough for you now?” Humming, Younghyun runs his hand through Liam’s hair, brushes it away from Liam’s forehead. Still wet. But definitely better. Liam is already looking at him when Younghyun’s gaze drops from his boyfriend’s hair down to his face. Younghyun nods faintly before leaning in and kissing Liam. A very faint smile tugs at the corner of Liam’s lips; his hands come up to Younghyun’s shoulders. They pull each other closer until Liam is nestled into Younghyun’s side with his legs lying across Younghyun’s lap.

“You look amazing in my shirt,” Younghyun mutters into Liam’s ear after pulling back from the kiss. Damnit, now he did encourage him. Seeming satisfied from having gotten that information, Liam kisses his cheek before leaning into his head against the side of Younghyun’s head.

“Knew you’d like it.”

“I’d like it better if I got to keep my clothes for once.”

“Denied,” Liam declares. “You should have read the small print before moving in with me.” Younghyun can’t help but smile while Liam slowly runs his hand over Younghyun’s chest.

“Got it, I’ll be more careful next time I move together with anyone.”

“If you move in with someone who isn’t me, the small print will be the least of your problems.”

“Are you trying to threaten to me?” Younghyun sits up; Liam’s legs fall off his lap in the process.

“Just because you’re stronger doesn’t mean you should underestimate me.” Liam moves closer until their faces are right in front of each other. His eyes have a mischievous glint to them and his lips pull into a grin. Slowly, so it doesn’t catch Liam’s attention in the corner of his eye, Younghyun is bringing his hands closer to Liam’s body until he’s in attack range. His hands dart up to Liam’s belly and start tickling. Liam immediately tries to cover himself and draws his legs in but it’s useless.

“Brian!” Liam screams in between painful fits of laughter. “St- Stop!” His body falls back into the couch. Younghyun uses the chance to climb on top of his boyfriend, laughing as Liam helplessly flails underneath him. Every time Liam tries to cover himself he leaves another spot vulnerable for Younghyun’s quick fingers. “SOS! I surrender!”

Younghyun retreats his hands and props himself up on the couch. Liam looks completely exhausted, his eyes have fallen shut, his body has practically collapsed into itself and deep breaths heave his chest. “I hate you,” Liam rasps out, lazily opening his eyes and gazing up at Younghyun. “From the bottom of my heart.”

“I love you too,” Younghyun purrs while leaning down to his boyfriend, “from the bottom of my heart.” He sighs dramatically and places a soft kiss on Liam’s lips before getting up and sitting back on the couch. Liam takes a few deep breathes before lifting himself up and starting to clean his glasses, which had gotten a bit smudgy during their little scramble.

“Oh, you brought a file again?” Liam asks when he has his glasses back on and catches a glimpse of the folder on the couch table. He’s never been too happy about Younghyun bringing work home, but there’s no helping it.

“Yeah, since we captured two former members we have a lot of new information about Stray Kids now.”

“Did you look through everything yet?”

“Yeah, I had a bit time before the ceremony for the newbies.” Younghyun picks up the portfolio and hands it over to Liam, who starts skimming over the pages. For a while everything is silent. Younghyun places his hand on Liam’s thigh and slowly rubs it back and forth, caressing over Liam’s leg until he feels Liam tensing up. At first, he doesn’t think much of it, but Liam doesn’t seem to relax. Younghyun’s hand stills while he scans over Liam’s concerned frown. “Is everything okay?”

“That can’t be right…” Liam looks at him over the papers before reading out loud. “Han Jisung. Born on the 14th of September 2000. I mean-” The look in Liam’s eyes speaks a thousand words. “Look at him.” Liam turns over the portfolio and shows Younghyun the profile of J.One with the large, not exactly up to date, passport photo. Han Jisung had been considered missing for well over three years before he showed up as a member of Stray Kids. “He’s still just a kid. Barely even legal.”

“Yeah,” Younghyun sighs. “And I have to persecute this kid…”

Liam’s face falls a bit more before he hastily puts the portfolio aside and cups Younghyun’s face with his hands. “Baby, look at me.” His eyes are soft and gentle when Younghyun looks into them. Liam’s thumbs stroke over Younghyun’s cheeks and it feels like he’s caressing all the weight away from his heart with his loving touches. “You aren’t doing anything wrong,” he whispers. “You’re a good person doing an amazing job. Whatever negative thoughts you might have about this, they’re lies.”

Younghyun gulps but nods hesitantly, smiling in appreciation. “Thank you.” He leans into Liam’s touch and closes his eyes. Loosing track can be so easy. In situations like that, Younghyun is all the more thankful to have Liam by his side to remind him why he does his job and to keep his eyes on the goal. Liam is absolutely amazing. And somehow, he always knows exactly what to say and do to make Younghyun feel better again.

A soft pair of lips presses against his own. Younghyun is feeling more and more at ease the longer Liam kisses him. He wraps his arms around Liam’s waist and lets himself drown in the warmth. Slowly, the world is starting to feel like a better place.

10 notes · View notes

vallkyr · 5 years ago

Photo

Step Out

When the people you trust most leave you to get caught by the task force hunting you, what else is there to do but finding new allies?

Did you know that @agustdawn is a wonderful person who makes awesome gifs? Like the one above? I won’t let you forget that.

Pairings: Chan x Kwangsun (OC), Chan x Felix, Minho x Jisung, Changbin x Hyunjin, Younghyun x Liam (OC), Siyeon x Jonghyeon, Aaron x Minhyun and other minor pairings

Genres: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, some Romance and bits of Fluff in between

Tags: Dystopia AU, Rebels AU

Chapter Tags: -

Rating: Mature

General Warnings: Violence, Injury, Panic Attacks, Minor Character Death

Chapter Warnings: -

Word Count: 8,285

Edit: I made some changes to Step Out since first posting it. For the explanation please check the notes at the beginning of chapter 9

Masterpost

< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >

Chapter 4 - Sirens

“Oh, you’re already in bed?” A light frown arises on Minho’s face when spotting Jisung curled up on their bed. He closes the door behind him and takes a few careful steps closer. Jisung nods while plugging the charger into his phone and placing it on the nightstand next to him.

“I was feeling kind of exhausted after today. The mission and… You know…” His shoulders feel heavy with guilt just thinking about it. He knows it’s ridiculous, but he can’t help it. They did what they had to, all of them agreed on that. But leaving Chan there… Nope. He mustn’t think about it. Jisung closes his eyes and shakes his head, trying to get rid of all the negative thoughts, before starting to make grabby hands into Minho’s direction. “Come here.”

Minho allows himself a faint smile while approaching their bed and taking Jisung’s hands into his. In a matter of seconds Jisung pulls him into bed, covers him with the duvet, cuddles into his side. Warmth spreads through Jisung’s chest when Minho puts an arm around him and pulls him closer. Silence fills the bit of space between them while they look into each other’s eyes. Slowly but steadily, a smile forms on Jisung’s face too. “Do you have any idea how much better I fell when I’m with you? It’s as though everything bad disappears from this world…”

“You’re such a sap,” Minho complains, making Jisung laugh with the faked disgust on his face. Despite it, Minho comes closer to peck Jisung’s lips. “But I know what you mean.” For a moment they just gaze into each other’s eyes again, smiles wide and hands finding back to each other. Minho leans in and kisses Jisung again; stars slow and gentle, but soon takes things further. Before they know it, Minho is leaning above Jisung and is leaving kisses down Jisung’s throat.

“What are you doing?” Jisung giggles when he feels fingertips ghosting up the sides of his body. His eyes flutter shut while more and more kisses are placed on his skin. Fuck, the simplest things Minho does already make his head spin.

“Taking your mind of all the unpleasant events of today,” Minho mumbles into the crook of Jisung’s neck before continuing with his procedure.

“I don’t know about tha-” Jisung stops in his tracks when Minho suddenly raises up unto his knees and pulls his shirt over his head. Oh. That’s convincing. Shit, Minho always knows exactly how to push Jisung’s buttons. Contently grinning, Minho bunches the shirt up and throws it off to the side.

“Just wait and see.”

[-]

“Hello, you two,” the young man in front of them says. His face doesn’t exactly look thrilled, not like Chan expected that. “I am Private Kim, unit C, Safety Team,” he patters. “Since you are going to work with us, the Lieutenant wants you to be familiar with our division’s rooms.”

“What about the rest of the headquarter?”

“No,” he shuts Kwangsun down immediately. “The Lieutenant just wants you to know the place you’re going to be working at and the way in and out of the building. I’m not allowed to show you anything beyond that.”

Chan and Kwangsun nod silently and follow Private Kim when he turns on his heel and heads down the hallway. They walk through some doors and more hallways. Chan already fears the Private might be ignoring them so successfully that he already forgot about them until they stop at the end of a hallway, in front of a set of big, wooden double doors reading “BATTLE TEAM” in all capital letters.

“These are the rooms of the Battle Team,” Private Kim explains. It’s kind of obvious, but Chan appreciates that the Private making an effort to talk for once. The silence was getting kind of uncomfortable. “The Battle Team is responsible for taking out Stray Kids; they are one of two teams moving out during an attack.”

And gone is the appreciation. A lump forms in Chan’s throat while he listens to those words. ‘Taking out Stray Kids’ keeps circling and circling in his head like a cruel carousel. The people behind that door were willing to accept killing him, along with the other members, in order to stop them. The rooms starts to spin as well.

“Are you okay?” Kwangsun mutters in a low voice, just loud enough for Chan to hear. His hand comes to rest on Chan’s shoulder. Somehow it makes helps ease Chan’s mind and steady him a little. As if the weight of Kwangsun’s hand is enough to bring him back to the ground.

“I’m good. Don’t worry about me.”

The Private gives them a critical look but lets their little conversation slide and approaches the door. When they enter the spacious room behind said door, there is talking and buzzing everywhere. But the moment people notice Chan and Kwangsun behind their supervisor things change. Everybody goes quiet and more and more heads turn towards them. Everybody is staring them down, piercing them with their gazes. It feels like they’re getting lead inside a snake pit.

Chan’s heartbeat skyrockets. His hands get sweaty. The dizziness hits him again. He has a hard time keeping his breath normal. He wonders if his state is obvious to the people trying to kill him with their eyes. If they know they’re about to succeed. Chan might have fled the room if it wasn’t for Kwangsun’s hand resting on his back, which silently reminds him to stay strong for their goal. He tries to take a deep breath. And another. His nails dig into the heels of his hands as he urges himself to calm down.

“You’ve brought guests?” A member of the Battle Team suddenly speaks up. He gets up from his seat and gives them a warry smile as he strides towards them. “Maybe we should go outside,” he suggests after a look around the room full of people ready to jump at Chan’s and Kwangsun’s throats.

[-]

“What are your names?” Much to Chan’s relief, they left the lion’s den in favour of retreating to a sort of common room with a kitchenette located a bit away from the Battle Team’s room. The man who had led them out is, for some reason, now preparing coffee for all of them.

“My name is Bang Chan. You probably know me as Nine.” The man hums and nods while giving him a quick glance.

“And I’m Park Kwangsun. Or Kkul.”

“Corporal Kim Minseok. I’m in charge of the Battle Team.” The man sighs while turning towards them. “I’d say it’s nice to meet you but that doesn’t quite hit it.” He sets the cups down on the table in front of Chan, Kwangsun and Private Kim – who has once again resigned himself to silence – and sits down opposite from them. “Though I have to apologise for my team. They are so focused on fighting Stray Kids that collaborating with you two doesn’t sit well with them just yet. Even though you’re going to help us catch the rest of the group.”

“That’s understandable, it’s still awkward for us as well…” Chan’s hands snake around the cup. There’s something comforting about the warmth that seeps through his skin. Despite the new room with a pleasant lack of people staring daggers at them, Chan still feels the need to spring to his feet and run.

“I think we will all need time to adjust.” Kwangsun smiles at Chan before taking a sip from his coffee.

“You have a point,” the Corporal agrees. “Please be patient with my team. They may be doubtful, but they are good people. If you give them time, they will eventually warm up to you. Some faster than others.”

“I sure hope so…”

[-]

Jisung wakes up to sunrays tickling his skin. His eyes slowly blink open; it takes him a moment to look around the room and realize it’s already bright outside. Next to him, Minho is still sleeping soundly. Very carefully, Jisung turns around to glimpse at his phone. Not even half past eight. Fuck yeah.

With a bright smile on his face Jisung lies back down and snuggles into Minho’s side. It’s a relief how calm and relaxed Minho is when he sleeps. He tries not to let it show but this whole situation is asking a lot of him. Minho is always tense, always stressed, always on edge. It must be exhausting to suddenly be the leader. Even though he was prepared for the responsibility…

More and more time passes in the silence of their room. Jisung doubts any of the others are awake anyways. As far as he knows, none of them is an early bird. Which means lots of wonderfully free time for Jisung to admire his sleeping boyfriend. His gaze wanders over Minho’s gorgeous tousled hair that reaches into his eyes, his strong eyebrows… Jisung leans forward to plant a kiss on Minho’s forehead. From up close, Minho is even more captivating. The prominent cheek bones, his beautiful full lips…

Jisung still remembers the first time they kissed like it happened yesterday. After all the longing, all the hidden glances, all the fleeting touches. How it had all finally led up to that moment… Jisung’s heart beats faster when thinking about the way Minho had looked him in the eyes, this warm glow full of so many emotions all at once. Minho had looked so unusually shy while gently taking Jisung’s hands into his own. They had leaned in so slowly, so carefully, as if expecting the other to suddenly change his mind. When their lips had finally met, time had seemed to stop. Their first kiss had been hesitant and insecure but so sweet.

Not being able to resists after wallowing in those memories, Jisung places a soft kiss on Minho’s still lips. Minho stirs underneath him, his nose scrunching up as he groans low in his throat. Giggling silently, Jisung rubs his nose against Minho’s, bunny-kissing him awake. “Good morning, my love.”

“Mornin’,” Minho grumbles, still mostly asleep. “What time is it?”

“Not even nine yet.” Jisung’s voice declines to a whisper again.

“Perfect.” A smile tugs at the corners Minho’s lips while he carefully opens his eyes to look at Jisung, making Jisung’s heart flutter.

“Mhm. Lots of time to cuddle.” Grinning contently, Minho rolls over, wraps his arm around Jisung and hooks a leg around Jisung’s body and pulls him closer. With a happy sigh, Jisung snuggles into Minho’s chest and closes his eyes again.

[-]

“These are the rooms of the Investigation Team.” Private Kim seems a bit more relaxed now, after their little coffee break with the boss of the Battle Team. Maybe not being all alone with Chan and Kwangsun helped. Or maybe he just accepted his fate. Either way, the young man is a little less stiff, still formal but not as stuck-up anymore. “This team is in charge of taking apart the crime scenes, trying to find clues to Stray Kids’ identities, their intentions, next target and so on.”

With the Investigation Team, the air is different. Lots of talking too but everything seems more formal, more organized. Instead of a common room, like in the Battle Team’s facilities, Chan and Kwangsun find themselves in a long hallway. Beyond glass walls lies office after office. All look the same. All are designed to harbour five people. Two pairs of spacious desks are pushed together, facing each other, and one desk at the far side of the room, oriented towards the middle of the hallway. The back of the room is always filled up with cabinets. Near the door, most rooms are occupied, though Chan can spot an empty desk here and there. Further down the hallway, they find a few completely empty offices, restrooms and a conference room. At the very end of the hallway there is a separate office, the only one not framed by glass walls. On the door, there is a metal plate with “Corporal Lee” engraved into it.

“This is the Corporals Office,” the Lance corporal explains. “A little warning: Don’t take her words at face value.”

Don’t take her words at face value? A frown appears on Chan’s face. He is about to speak up when he feels Kwangsun’s hand on his arm, silently holding him back. Maybe Kwangsun is right, he shouldn’t pick a fight who seems so opposed to as much as showing them around. But this guy and the way he talks about the Lance Corporal pisses him off on principle.

“Why?” Kwangsun sounds confused, but calm. Much calmer than Chan could have been. “She’s in charge of this division, one would think she knows what she’s talking about.”

For the first time since they met him, Private Kim does something like laughing. “She’s one of the few female Lance Corporals. One of the youngest overall. And her father just so happens the Lieutenant of the Supreme Guard. Take that however you want.” While Chan and Kwangsun are still trying to come to terms with this statement, the Private knocks at the door then opens it without waiting for a reaction. Right next to the door is a desk, behind it a young woman with wavy, brown hair. Dark brown doe eyes fix them with a frown when they step in.

“Come in,” the woman nags. “But the Corporal is currently in a meeting with Sergeant Park.” Chan takes a look around the spacious office. There is another, slightly bigger desk directly opposite from the door. The seat is indeed empty. In the far corner of the room there was a little sitting area, a cream-colored leather sofa together a light grey coffee table. The rest of the room is mostly filled with cabinets, just like the other offices. Though this office is made of proper walls, providing more privacy than glass panes plastered with opaque plastic film.

“When is she going to be back?” No sooner than Private Kim says this does the door swing open behind them.

“Right now.” When they turn around, the blond woman from two days ago in the investigation room is standing in the door frame. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get to introduce myself the last time. I’m Corporal Lee Siyeon. I see, the Lieutenant has taken my suggestion into consideration and is letting you have a tour around our facilities?”

“That was your idea?” Kwangsun wonders out loud.

“Yes, if you two are going to work with us, we can’t order a supervision for you at all times. You need to know your way around here.”

“Yeah, that would be quite complicated,” Chan agrees. The Corporal gives them a discrete smile before closing the door behind her and seating herself at her desk. She seems a little more relaxed without Lieutenant Yoon around, but she maintains an air of professionalism that doesn’t match Private Kim’s stance on her in the least. As expected, Private Kim is full of shit.

“What have you seen so far?”

“A lot of hallways…” Chan admits. “Private Kim wanted to show us the rooms of the Battle Team but they…”

“They don’t agree with our guests and your idea to let them walk our department as they please,” the Private explains. His voice is cold, sharp. Chan thought he was used to that, but this is different. For a moment, silence falls over the room and a strange sort of tension fills the air. Corporal Lee’s voice has an edge to it when she speaks up once again.

“The Battle Team, as everyone in the DIT is to obey the Lieutenant’s commands. Have you talked to Sergeant Park? He needs to-”

“No.” Private Kim shows no sign wanting to add any sort of explanation. He just stares at Corporal Lee who remains remarkably calm considering that she was just cut off and disrespected by someone way below her in rank.

“Then I will do that,” the Corporal declares, already rising from her seat again.

“That’s really not necessary,” Chan tries to intervene. Corporal Lee and Private Kim both glare at him. With all the eyes staring at him now, he can’t help but feel reminded of the situation with the Battle Team. At least now, it isn’t entirely his fault, the situation had been tense even before he spoke up. “I’m sure the Battle Team just needs some more time. It’s a difficult situation after all.”

Silence. The Private rolls his eyes. The Corporal sighs. “If it makes you feel better,” she speaks in a still even voice, despite the strained air. “I will talk to Corporal Kim first. I’m sure he will take the necessary steps.”

“Thank you, I don’t want him to get into trouble.”

Corporal Lee nods towards Chan before directing her attention at Private Kim again. “Show them around the remaining division. You can illustrate what the rooms of the battle team look like without seeing them, can’t you?”

“Certainly, Corporal Lee.” The Private’s voice sounds sickeningly sweet when he replies. Afterwards he turns around and exits the room without another word, leaving Chan and Kwangsun and quickly say their goodbye and rush after him. Chan wonders if Corporal Lee has to deal with this kind of attitude on a daily basis.

[-]

After being shown around the neat rooms of the Investigation Team, Chan and Kwangsun follow Private Kim down the main hallway and around the corner towards another set of double doors. Chan would have thought that they walked in a circle and were going to give the Battle Team another chance to test whether looks can actually kill, if it wasn’t for the words “SAFETY TEAM” on the door.

“This is the Safety Team.” The Private explains, enlightening as always. “We are responsible for keeping the DIT and everyone at and around the crime scene safe. Oh. And apparently we are also the ones babysitting the prisoners.” He pushes the doors open and leads them into a gathering room, which looks a lot like that of the battle team, maybe a bit smaller.

“Welcome to our staging area.” A lot of people turn around. Some glare. But it’s nothing like their experience with the Battle Team. “Here, we meet for roll calls, when Corporal Kim gives us instructions or for various practices.” Chan looks around the room and the people staring at them when the Private interrupts him with a growled “You can get to know everyone in your own time. Let’s go.”

A bit disappointed, Chan and Kwangsun follow Private Kim through one of the many doors at the side into a small room. There are sport mats leaned against one wall, and a little table surrounded by foldable chairs. But otherwise the room is empty.

“What is-” Chan gets cut off when sirens started blaring.

“Fuck!” Private Kim curses. Yellow blinking fills the room. “You two have to get out of here!” He yells while grabbing Chan and Kwangsun by the arms and dragging them towards the door. “Hurry, come on!”

“What’s going on?” Kwangsun tries to ask over the siren while running after the Private who is suddenly rushing ahead of them, through one of the large doors. More and more people start running out of the room.

“They’re attacking again!” The main hallway is a mess. People rush into different directions. Noise. Blaring. Blinking. Chaos.

The Private apparently spots a familiar face because he grabs them by the arms again and pulls them through the stream of people towards a tall man more or less pressed against the wall.

“Investigation Team?”

“Yes.”

“Take them home.”

Chan and Kwangsun are pushed in front of the man and gone is Private Kim. The man’s eyes are wide, but he nods towards the retreating figure before mumbling “Follow me,” giving them a little smile and turning around. Together, they push through the crowd around them. Chan feels like suffocating in this mess. Too many bodies, too much of a rush, too much noise, too much everything. Fuck, why won’t this siren stop? He almost loses track of their new supervisor if it wasn’t for Kwangsun getting a firm hold of Chan’s hand and dragging him along, pulling him out of the herd.

Deep breaths fill Chan’s chest when they finally turn into a smaller, empty hallway. They run towards the massive door at the end. The man who’s leading them pushes it open in a hurry and holds it open for them before putting his whole body weight into shutting the heavy door. Silence spreads. Nothing but their slightly laboured breaths and the almost inaudible blaring of sirens. When Chan looks around, he finds them on a spacious sort of balcony overlooking a huge, light flooded lobby with glass ceiling.

“My name is Taehyung, by the way,” their guide mumbles after a moment. “Private Kim, Unit A, Investigation Team.” He stands up straight and gives them a genuine smile. “I’m sorry things were so rushed, but during an attack the Battle and Safety Team have to hurry to the crime scene. That doesn’t leave much space for taking care of anything or anyone else.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Kwangsun smiles as well. “I’m just glad we’re out of that yellow hell.”

“Agreed. I thought the DIT would be a bit more… orderly.” After standing up straight, Chan finally has the chance to get a proper look at Private Kim – thankfully a nicer Private Kim this time. He’s a good bit taller than Chan is, has tan skin, slightly messy, dark brown hair and a handsome, friendly-looking face. It’s a nice change after looking at Private Kim’s stone face for half the day.

“Usually we are,” Private Kim argues while holding Chan’s gaze with a smile. “But attacks are always an exception. Anyways, we have to get the two of you back into your apartment. Please follow me.” He starts walking again, along the balcony, towards the stairs leading down into what seems to be the entrance hall of the headquarters. So far Chan and Kwangsun hadn’t seen this part of the DIT, always being brought to the interrogation room via a staircase leading up from the underground car park. Private Kim quickly inform one of the Ladies at the front desk of their departure before heading out of the enormous building through the front entrance rather than what felt like some secret passage.

[-]

The ride is filled with some small talk and lots of silence. It’s awkward but at least Taehyung, who insisted to be called by his first name, doesn’t seem to hate them. Contrary to the entire Battle Team. Except for its Corporal maybe. And Corporal Lee. That makes three people in the entire DIT. Kwangsun guesses it’s not that bad considering that everyone in the division was set on hunting them until only a few days ago.

“Do you want me to stay?” Taehyung is standing in the door frame, watching as Chan and Kwangsun take off their shoes. The corners of his mouth twitch upwards the slightest bit when Kwangsun looks at him.

“No, it’s okay. You’re going to have a lot to do.”

“Sadly you’re right…” Taehyung looks around the entrance area for a moment before apparently spotting what he was searching for. He steps up to the little cabinet near the door with the telephone on it, grabs a pen and piece of paper from the small notepad and starts scribbling something down. “There, now you have my number. If anything is the matter, don’t hesitate to call me, whatever it is. Goodbye, you two.”

Neither Chan nor Kwangsun gets the chance to react before Taehyung waves at them and is already out of the door. Chan stands frozen for a moment before starting to run, peeling off his coat on the way into the living room. Kwangsun follows after hanging both of their coats, finding Chan in front of the TV, staring at the news.

“They’re robbing another bank.” Chan mutters, more to himself than to Kwangsun.

“Are they for real?” Kwangsun sits down next to Chan. The TV is blaring the sound of sirens, the same sirens that had been filling their ears just some minutes ago. Armoured DIT vans are cramped behind the hastily affixed caution tape.

“I’m sorry you have to see this.” Kwangsun wishes he could do anything to help Chan. Surely, Lux would be able to provide Chan some comfort. But Kwangsun is determined to do the same.

“Chan-ah, do you…” Chan doesn’t react in the least, just stares ahead as though hypnotized by the TV. His body is tense, bent forward, elbows digging into his thighs, jaw set, brows furrowed.

Kwangsun sighs quietly. It’s no use talking to him in this state. “I’m going to get us something to drink.” Since the kitchen is open, Kwangsun can hear all the noise and the hurried voice of the reporter explaining what his going on. He tries to ignore it, though it gets harder the louder the ruckus gets. Kwangsun takes a deep breath while searching the kitchen cabinets for glasses. This new kitchen is still way too big and confusing to him.

Eventually, he finds the right shelf, takes two glass and fills them with water. Kwangsun doesn’t notice the silence in their apartment until he comes back into the living room and finds the TV already switched off. Chan is slumped back into the couch, his gaze fixed to the floor.

“What happened?” Kwangsun sets the glasses down on the table and crouches down on the floor next to Chan. It takes a moment until Chan looks at them.

“They escaped.”

8 notes · View notes

vallkyr · 5 years ago

Photo

Step Out

When the people you trust most leave you to get caught by the special task force hunting you, what else is there to do but finding new allies?

The gif is by my lovely Flower Queen @agustdawn

Pairings: Chan x Kwangsun (OC), Chan x Felix, Minho x Jisung, Changbin x Hyunjin, Younghyun x Liam (OC), Siyeon x Jonghyeon, Aaron x Minhyun and other minor pairings

Genres: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, some Romance and bits of Fluff in between

Tags: Dystopia AU, Rebels AU

Chapter Tags: -

Rating: Mature

General Warnings: Violence, Injury, Panic Attacks, Minor Character Death

Chapter Warnings: -

Word Count: 3,022

Masterlist

< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >

Chapter 2 - Who am I?

Chan sighs as the cuffs are taken off again. They are still trapped in the sterile white clothing, way too big button-up shirt and rather tight-fitting white pants, but that he can bear. At least he isn’t alone anymore. He looks over at Kwangsun who smiles and thanks the security guard for unlocking his handcuffs.

“Feels good to have them off, huh?” Chan only nods, his hand coming up to massage his sore wrist. But the moment doesn’t seem to agree with his bruised upper body. It only tweaks a little, but the discomfort must have shown. The expression on Kwangsun’s face seems a little concerned as he looks Chan over. “Your face isn’t the only part that got a beating, is it?”

“No.” Kwangsun tenses up a little, looking away and straightening in his seat. It immediately makes Chan feel guilty for his harsh tone. “Sorry, I-” Before he can continue, the door to the investigation room flies open. Today, for the first time, the investigator steps into a room with a smile. It feels wrong.

“I am awfully glad to hear both of you are accepting our offer. Welcome to the Division of Internal Terrorism. You may call me Lieutenant Yoon. It might be obvious, but I will state it again, you will work together with the special task force Nr. 318.122.017 and aid them in catching the terrorist group called ‘Stray Kids’.”

“We are aware,” Chan confirms.

“Good. Then let’s begin.”

[-]

Kwangsun looks at the pictures spread in front of them. He has already put aside the picture showing him after explaining his golden mask with a bright red K all over it. Since they know why he was called Kkul, there wasn’t really a lot to say about his mask. He had to tell them about his position in the group: plosives expert and paramedic. Chan didn’t have too much explaining. After all, his mask is mostly black, with a white nine around his left eye which curls to form a smile at the end. It’s pretty self-explanatory, just like his position as leader.

Chan picks up another picture. A lean figure almost drowning in the black hoodie. His mask is bright red, has a straight white line down the middle and two large white half circles around the eyes.

“This is J.One.” Chan’s voice is cold and factual. “His real name is Han Jisung, as I already told you. He used to be one of my closest friends and my right hand.”

“One of your closest friends?”

Chan goes tense, sets his jaw. “Before he betrayed me. I think Lee Know got him on his side with… convincing arguments.” Lieutenant Yoon raises his brow. “In bed.”

“What?” The Lieutenant looks scandalised like Victorian man who saw an ankle.

“Yes, we were the gays against the government, got a problem with that?”

Kwangsun chuckles as Chan stares the shocked Lieutenant down. “What Chan is trying to say is that we found each other because we are all attracted to men in some way. Chan, Lee Know- “

“I am not interested in details!” Lieutenant Yoon shouts. His face clearly reflects his disgust. “So all of you are homosexual?”

“Gay, bi or pan. If you’re going to be offended by our orientation, at least do it right.” Chan leans back with his arms crossed, his expression still stern. This is the Chan Kwangsun has always liked and admired, the one who keeps fighting no matter what. Even now that he’s backed against the wall, his fighting spirit is still there. Still, his temper could get in the way here.

“The point is,” Kwangsun intervenes before the situation can escalate any further, “that Lee Know and J.One spend at least one night together. We know that much.”

“Did they say that?”

“The hickeys and intense eye contact spoke for themselves,” Chan deadpans. He still isn’t done rubbing their orientation right into that homophobe’s face.

Lieutenant Yoon sighs deeply. “Let’s please move on to another member.”

“Gladly.” Chan agrees through gritted teeth before taking another picture into his hand. It shows a rather short but broadly build person. His mask is separated by a white horizontal line, the bottom part is grey. The top half is black and split by a vertical white line down the middle. “Spear B. His real name is Seo Changbin. My other best friend and our weapons expert. I guess Jisung and Lux must have convinced him to join Lee Know.”

The Lieutenant nods. “What makes you so sure it wasn’t Lee Know himself?”

“Changbin never really trusted Lee Know, thought Lee Know was hiding something because of how secretive he always was. I guess I should have listened to him…”

When Chan goes quiet Kwangsun reaches out to hold his hand, squeezing it in reassurance before continuing himself. “Lee Know might have been suspicious, but J.One and Lux weren’t. They both seemed like really… honest. And nice. When looking at them, one wouldn’t think they even know what the word evil means. It’s easy to trust them.”

“That’s why Lee Know got close to Jisung,” Chan murmurs, his eyes widening in realisation. “It isn’t like Lee Know to pull a move like that just to convince Jisung. He didn’t just want to win over someone close to me, if it was about that it could have just as well been Changbin. But Jisung inspires confidence just as much as he gives it.”

“You think he switched sides just because Lee Know got him laid?” Kwangsun asks.

“No, but he’s a hopeless romantic. If he believes that Lee Know loves him, he’d do pretty much everything for him and pull the others right along due to his nature…” Chan gulps heavily. Anger twisting his face. “It was all planned. He was the perfect victim for Lee Know’s games and I didn’t realise…”

“Chan-”

“No!” Chan flinches away from Kwangsun’s touch, stands up. “He was…” Chan runs a hand through his hair and squeezes his eyes shut.

Kwangsun turns to towards the Lieutenant, talking in a low voice. “Please give us some time.” Lieutenant Yoon looks up at Chan, who is nervously walking through the room, before nodding. As soon as the Lieutenant is out of the room Kwangsun gets up and walks up to Chan, stopping for a moment when he sees Chan’s tear-filled eyes.

“I should have realised Lee Know was only playing with him. I-” Kwangsun steps closer to Chan and brings his hands up to Chan’s arms. Tears start rolling over Chan’s cheeks as soon as he looks up at Kwangsun.

“Chan-ah, it’s not your fault. How were you supposed to know Lee Know would manipulate him like that?”

“I should have realised Jisung wouldn’t just jump into bed with Lee Know. And especially that he wouldn’t get swayed by a simple fuck. He didn’t turn his back on me out of conviction, he did it for Lee Know. My best friend had his feelings played with and used against him and I let it happen.” Being lost of words, Kwangsun wraps his arms around Chan and hugs him. He feels Chan sink into his arms, become small. “It was my role to watch after everyone. But-”

“You shouldn’t be so harsh on yourself. Lee Know- “

“There are no excuses!” Chan pulls away a little to look up at Kwangsun. “I should have protected Jisung, but I failed.”

[-]

Jisung gazes at the money, his expression is blank as he picks up a bundle and looks through the banknotes. After a moment he drops it onto the pile again. He feels so fucking numb, still unable to believe what has been happening the past few days. How did it ever come to this? Jisung still doesn’t know how he went through with this, all of them in fact. Especially Lux though. The thought still pierces through Jisung’s heart, weighs him down. They really left Chan and Kwangsun behind. It will get easier with time, Jisung tells himself, has been doing so since they made the plan. It’s yet to become true.

Jisung only snaps out of his daze when he feels hands on his upper arms. “What are you doing, Honey?” Jisung looks behind him but quickly breaks eye contact with Minho again.

“I don’t know.”

Minho slides his hands down Jisung’s arms to wrap them around Jisung’s body and leans closer to kiss his shoulder. “You’re thinking too much.”

“We left Nine and Kkul to be caught by the DIT, of course I’m thinking!” Jisung swirls around, only stopping when Minho’s fingers curl around his wrists to hold him in place. He has no idea how Minho can stay so calm, keep everyone and everything in check after what they’ve done. Jisung feels half dead because of their plan and Minho won’t bat an eye. But that’s not it. He knows it isn’t. Minho isn’t as cold as he can seem. Right now it’s just hard to remember.

“Do you regret it?” Minho’s voice is calm and stern, the emotions in his eyes like an unbreakable code.

“No,” Jisung shakes his head. Despite everything, all the pain and guilt that comes with it, he’s still sure of that. “No, it was the right thing to do.”

“Exactly.” Minho lets go of his wrists and slides his arms around Jisung to hug him. Jisung lets his head rest on Minho’s shoulder and snuggles closer. “It’s too late to change anything about it anyways. There’s no use breaking your pretty head over something you can’t change.”

Jisung sighs and leans back a little to look at Minho. “How about you make me stop worrying then?” A smile hushes over Jisung’s face when Minho wiggles his eyebrows and both of Minho’s hands drop down to grab his ass.

“You came to the right person for that.”

[-]

“Of course, we can continue tomorrow,” Lieutenant Yoon assures Kwangsun. Kwangsun stepped out to talk to him in the hallway while Chan stayed in the interrogation room. By now he has calmed a bit, though it had taken quite some time until he had stopped crying. Kwangsun had felt so helpless and weak, unable to do anything but give Chan a shoulder to cry on. “There is just one thing,” the Lieutenant gives him a patronising smile. “We can’t let you two free just like that.”

Of course. It would be too good to be true if the DIT trusted them to stay put. “I didn’t think you would. What are the conditions?”

“There is a free apartment in one of our safe houses. It’s suited for two people and fully equipped, so it shouldn’t be a problem that we will not let you into your former homes. And you will have to wear an electronic tag.”

“Fair enough,” Kwangsun almost laughs but stops himself. “To be honest, I thought you would go for 24/7 supervision. Electronic tags are a relief.”

Lieutenant Yoon seems amused. “Does this mean we have an agreement?”

“It’s not like we have much of a choice.” Well, they could stay inside the DIT all the time, but it feels suffocating after just a few days already. And they really need some peace and quiet again. “So yes, we have a deal.”

[-]

Despite the relief, electronic tags aren’t exactly pleasant. Especially Chan seems anything but comfortable with getting that thing attached to his ankle. But since their only alternative is staying inside the DIT headquarters the entire time, it’s an inconvenience they must endure before they’re loaded into the back of a car.

It’s already dark outside when they leave the underground car park. Kwangsun supposes it shouldn’t come as a surprise in February, but he had still hoped for a little glimpse of sunlight after all this time locked inside. The apartment they’re getting moved into isn’t that far away. After just a handful of minutes the car stops in front of a tall building with glass front. They aren’t given much time to take in their new neighbourhood or breath in the fresh, stinging cold air, but are ushered out of the car, past the doorman in the entrance hall and into the elevator. Once inside, the guard presses the button for the 35th floor. The ride passes in complete silence. “This is your new apartment.” Is the only thing the guard says when unlocking the door and stepping aside to let them in.

Kwangsun is the first to enter, Chan trails close behind him. From the entrance they can look into the open living room. On their right, there is a hallway that must lead to the bedrooms, The apartment is spacious, large glass fronts letting in the city’s lights, wide rooms adorned with light, modern looking furniture. Kwangsun certainly expected something far less luxurious from a DIT safe house. While Kwangsun walks around, taking in the entirety of their new apartment, Chan steps closer to the large window. From here they have a nice view, the city stretching underneath them like a gigantic maze.

“I’m going to leave now,” the guard announces. “There are a few sets of clothes in different sizes your closets and some food in the fridge. It should be enough for a couple of days. You will be picked up at half past seven tomorrow so be ready then.”

“Thank you.”

“If you try to flee we will know and we will find you. So spare us all the trouble.” With those final words, the guard walks out of the door and closes it with a loud thud, leaving them to their own devices.

[-]

They spent at least an hour walking around and looking at everything their new apartment has to offer, taking in every single detail. It’s mesmerizing to be honest. Both of them had grown up in rather modest conditions, nothing like the rather large apartment with open kitchen, expensive furnishing and magnificent view.

“Which bedroom do you want?” Kwangsun asks after they’ve sat down on the couch.

Chan thinks for a moment. “The one at the end of the hallway, I like the arrangement of furniture there better. And I prefer blue over green.”

“Perfect, I wanted the other one anyways. It has a bigger part of the glass front.” When Chan looks at him, Kwangsun is smiling. A moment of silence passes before Kwangsun speaks up again. “Our new apartment is really beautiful, isn’t it? I really like the kitchen and living room.”

“Yeah… I guess the bedrooms are pretty cool.”

Kwangsun snorts with laughter. “What, don’t tell me you miss the abandoned, run-down buildings we used to hide in?”

“No…” For a second Chan hesitates. “But I miss the atmosphere. All of us sitting together by our little campfire, discussing the latest mission… I always enjoyed that, how we laughed together and cared for each other. Everything here seems so cold. But in hindsight, maybe our relationship as a group wasn’t all that good after all…”

In the silence of the room Kwangsun shifts a little, turns towards Chan, props his elbow up on the back of the couch and leans his head against his knuckles. “The others really meant a lot to you, didn’t they?” His voice is lower than before, it sounds almost cautious.

Chan’s chest tightens a little with the shift of atmosphere. “They still do. All of you.” The words make it hard to look at Kwangsun, so Chan stares ahead at the way too big TV instead. His face feels a little warm from the confession.

“Even Lee Know and Lux?”

He gulps. It’s a question Chan should have expected. “I think so… Yeah… I’m scared of what the DIT might do to them. I guess that’s another reason why I want us involved in this… I want them captive not dead. I hate their guts but some part of me still wants to protect them. After everything they did to me, to us. To Jisung.”

Kwangsun sighs, before lowering his hand onto Chan’s thigh. Chan’s throat feels tight. “There’s nothing you could have done about Lee Know and Jisung.”

“I just let it happen, Hyung. I was watching the entire time and I didn’t-” Tears roll down Chan’s face and he immediately finds himself getting wrapped up in Kwangsun’s arms and his head being leaned against Kwangsun’s shoulder. “I remember how it all started, how Lee Know would always look at Jisung during our meetings. Jisung always smiled and blushed whenever he noticed until he started staring back at Lee Know.”

“You couldn’t have known, Lee Know convinced me as well. He really did make it look like he was falling for Jisung.”

“I should have made a rule against relationships,” Chan mumbles out of nowhere. “I considered it.”

Silence fills the room. Chan can feel Kwangsun tensing up a little but if Kwangsun wants to say something he holds it back. So Chan continues. “When our group grew past Changbin, Jisung and I, I wanted to make sure that romantic relationships don’t get in the way. Love makes people irrational and that could have endangered our missions. But then Lux showed up.”

Kwangsun’s hold around Chan tightens a bit. “I liked Lux from the moment we met. Love at first sight if you want to call it that way. That’s the only reason I never introduced that rule. Because I hoped to get closer to Lux…”

“Don’t tell me that’s why you feel so guilty about what happened? Because you didn’t prohibit relationships between members?”

“If I had introduced the rule, none of this would have happened. Lee Know’s plan would have failed, he couldn’t have played with Jisung’s feelings and Lux couldn’t have played with mine.”

“Chan-ah, that’s-”

“If it wasn’t for my stupid crush on Lux we would still be with Stray Kids. I put my own interest over the group and look what happened.” Chan sobs and presses closer to Kwangsun’s body. “Everything we worked for, the people we cared for, we lost it all because of my selfishness. I don’t deserve to call myself a leader.”

6 notes · View notes

vallkyr · 5 years ago

Photo

Step Out

When the people you trust most leave you to get caught by the task force hunting you, what else is there to do but finding new allies?

The gif was made by the amazing @agustdawn (thank you again, I can’t say it enough)

Pairings: Chan x Kwangsun (OC), Chan x Felix, Minho x Jisung, Changbin x Hyunjin, Younghyun x Liam (OC), Siyeon x Jonghyeon, Aaron x Minhyun and other minor pairings

Genres: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, some Romance and bits of Fluff in between

Tags: Dystopia AU, Rebels AU

Chapter Tags: Chan, Sweetie, I’m so sorry

Rating: Mature

General Warnings: Violence, Injury, Panic Attacks, Minor Character Death

Chapter Warnings: Implied Torture

Word Count: 4,382

Masterpost

Next Chapter >

So I’ve been posting Step Out on ao3 for a while already and decided to start posting Step Out here as well, I hope you’ll like it!

Edit: I made some changes to Step Out since first posting it. For the explanation please check the notes at the beginning of chapter 9

Chapter 1 - Where am I?

"What is your name?" The investigator demands to know. His voice is stern, face serious, eyes dead, not a trace of friendliness to be found. Not that it's really surprising. A fist lands in Chan’s face, his head being thrown to the side by the impact. “What is your name?” The investigator pronounces every single word on its own, towering over him as he leans down. Chan struggles against the confines around his wrist, wanting to fight back but only earning himself another blow to the face. “Tell me your name!”

"Nine," he all but spits out. Chan can feel blood dripping from his lip, but he doesn’t care. He’s been through way worse.

The investigator’s eyes narrow, he scowls before taking a deep, strained breath. "Listen, kid," he threatens "if I ask for your name - or anything else - I want to know your real name. Not this bullshit you made up."

“Listen, asshole,” Chan mimics, grinning at the suppressed anger of the investigator. Nothing like pissing off some old boot licker. “I’m not going to tell you anything.”

Another blow strikes him to the side, throwing him into the restrictions as his chair almost topples over. The investigator stands upright, his dark eyes looking down in distaste while he speaks to his men. “Blindfold, gag and bring him to the baths.”

[-]

Chan gasps before a harsh breath rips through his body. He feels like he’s suffocating, he knows he isn’t, but his body refuses to believe him. He is heaved upright again, his face still wet and the blindfold still in place. Another harsh breath fills his lungs, his chest moving rapidly, aching with the afford.

“What is your name?”

The same old question, he has enough of this. His entire body is aching, the bruises in his face, the pain in his stomach where guards decided to take matters into their own hands before bringing him to the baths. It wasn’t exactly pleasant, being held in place by several arms and never knowing when the next blow would come. He takes another painful breath, tears filling his eyes as he forces himself to comply. "Bang Chan," he mumbles, struggling to get the words out.

The blindfold is yanked away from his face. The bright light hurts in his eyes. "I can't hear you!" It’s the same investigator with narrow, dark eyes and rough voice.

"Bang Chan!" Chan repeats, looking up at the investigator through his wet bangs before lowering his gaze again.

"What was your position in Stray Kids?"

"Leader." He mutters, his body goes limb, falling forward into the restraints holding him back when he gives up resisting once and for all. "I was their leader."

[-]

"Your name," The investigator asks. "Your real name." He warns.

"Park Kwangsun. My name in Stray Kids was Kkul." Kwangsun looks straight at the investigator but doesn’t dare to smile just yet. The investigator seems pleased with the ease of it, just as Kwangsun hoped.

"How did that name come about?"

"Apparently I have a nice singing voice," now Kwangsun does smile. Just a little. "The others said it sounds the way honey tastes."

The investigator raises a brow, not seeming quite convinced by the story. "And that's why you named yourself Kkul?"

"Yes, Sir." The investigator looks at him for a long moment before continuing the interrogation.

"What were you in charge of?" Oh, so now they’re getting to the interesting questions.

"Plosives, I was the one building and placing the bombs."

[-]

"So tell me, Bang Chan, what did the other members do? Clearly, everyone must have had their discipline."

Everything inside his sore body revolts against speaking, even though he knows he should give in. Maybe it’s for the better that his mouth seems to have a mind of its own. "Kkul-"

"No. I already told you, I want real names." The investigator stares down at him. Chan really does not want to speak up again. Despite the feeling that it will earn him another punch in the face, Chan’s mouth betrays him again.

"I don't know his real name."

Silence. Fury fills the investigator’s eyes as he leans forward, almost as though he’s preparing to leap across the table and strangle Chan. "Now is not the time to mess around. I want to know the member’s fucking names!”

Chan flinches when the investigator pushes himself up on the table, towering over him. His body stays tens, every muscle cramped up. "I swear I don’t know most of them! It was for safety!” He calls out, only relaxing in the slightest when the investigator sits down again. “In case one of us gets caught. You can't reveal a name you don't know, so I never asked anyone for their name and they never asked for mine."

If looks could kill, Chan would be a dead man now.

[-]

"What are the names of the other members of Stray Kids?"

"I'm afraid I do not know." Kwangsun explains with a sigh, leaning forward and propping himself up on the table on both forearms as though the cuffs on his wrists don’t exist. "We weren't allowed to know each other’s names. That was one of the two rules we had."

"Two rules?" Whatever happened to asking about the others’ names? The Lieutenant sure is easy to distract. "And the other rule?"

Kwangsun gazes into the air as thought looking into the distance. "Nine or none." He says it like a prayer that doesn't belong to him. One whose meaning he forgot.

[-]

"I only know two names.” Without paying attention to it, Chan rubs his wrists, smoothing his hand over the sore skin. Speaking is still difficult with his aching ribs, but at the same time the only slowly healing wounds argue him on. He hasn’t been beaten in a few days – since the baths – he isn’t about to challenge this lucky streak. “We started this as three. But the others came after the rule…" He looks up at the investigator who growls in displeasure. Chan’s hands still and fall down onto his lap.

"Then tell me," The investigator demands, "the others. What did they do? And which names do you know?"

Chan swallows thickly. "J.One. His name is Jisung, Han Jisung. He was my right hand. And Seo Changbin, you know him as Spear B. The one in charge of weapons."

"You three founded Stray Kids?"

"Yes." Chan fidgets with his hands again. "We were young, dumb. We thought we could make a change for the better and didn't notice how it got out of hand…"

"Back to the other members. What did the others do?"

Chan tries to sort his thoughts. He should probably start with the most important ones. "Kkul, he was our plosives expert. He's the one who came with me. Lee Know, he has connections everywhere and always got us information to aid our missions."

"Do you know any of these contacts?"

"No," Chan admits timidly "Lee Know never gave away more than he needed to."

[-]

"You should know that Lee Know has a special talent," Kwangsun explains with a sad smile. "He can speak without talking. He goes on and on but doesn't give you any information. We never found out much about him. Except that he owns three cats." A faint smile hushes over the investigator's face. "That's kind of Lee Know's concept - he knows everything but doesn't let you know anything more than needed."

"Interesting, very interesting."

"Ah- there is something I do know after all.” Kwangsun lifts himself up from his leaned back position in his chair. “But I'm sure we would have never found out if Lee Know had been alone."

The investigator leans across the table, closer to Kwangsun. "If he had been alone? In which sense?"

"He has a little brother. We don't even know if they are brothers by blood or not, but they sure behaved like brothers."

"And this brother... he was part of your group as well? What is his name?"

"Lux. I think Nine will be able to tell you a lot more about him than I can."

[-]

"Are you really trying to tell me that you don't know his name?" The investigator raises his brow. Chan shrinks a little. He really does not want to talk about Lux, his heart hurts only thinking about him. God, he really hopes Lux is fine. They can’t have been apart for that long yet, but Chan misses him like crazy already.

"No."

"Despite you two... being in a relationship?"

"... We used a lot of pet names..."

The investigator rolls his eyes while leaning back in his chair. "Is it right that Lux and Lee Know are brothers?"

"Half-brothers," Chan clarifies. "Luxie told me that they share the same father but have different mothers."

"Why wasn’t Luxie with you if you two were so close? Why didn’t he try to save you from being caught?"

Chan lowers his head. "I... I don’t know. I-” Chan stutters, his body tenses up at the memory, but the investigator doesn’t seem to care. “It all happened so fast.”

“What happened when we took you captive?”

Chan stays silent for a long while before he can get himself to talk. “Kkul and I went into the room first. To check if the coast is clear. We were pretty far into the room and where about to call the others in when the smoke grenade started. We tried to run but…” He looks into the distance, his throat closing up. “By the time we reached the door they had already closed it to protect themselves.”

“To protect themselves? And you are sure about that?”

Chan’s eyes go wide before his face twists in anger. “What do you think you’re talking about? You don’t even know them! They’d never betray me!”

“Oh?” The investigator snorts. “Then how much do you really know about them?”

“I know enough!”

“No, I don’t think you do.” The investigator says before getting up and leaving the room without even looking at Chan again.

[-]

“What was going on when we took you captive, why were you and Nine alone?”

Kwangsun picks at his nails. “Probably because we were supposed to be alone.”

“What do you mean by that?” The investigator leans forward. For the first time Kwangsun takes a moment to answer.

“We’ve been having some differences lately.” The investigator stays silent, waits for Kwangsun do continue. So he does. “Nine was worried that things were getting out of control, because more and more people were getting hurt during our attacks…” Kwangsun hesitates again, he takes a sip of his water, but the investigator’s silent stare argues him on. “When I reassured Nine that I was placing the bombs carefully, he suspected Lee Know had something to do with the increasing casualties, because Lee Know had been meddling in his business a lot. It lead to quite a fight. Nine ended up apologizing, saying that he had been angry and hadn’t meant what he said.”

“But that wasn’t enough for Lee Know?”

“I don’t think so.” Kwangsun’s face becomes stern. “Apparently Lee Know is rather quick to hold grudges.”

“What about you, were you just dragged into this because Lee Know wanted to get revenge?”

“I don’t think this was just about revenge. He wanted to get rid of Nine, of both of us. Lee Know always had ambitions to lead our team, but he might have done it in a less… cruel way if it wasn’t for the fight. Nine made the mistake to anger him and I… was the one who might have proven Nine right. If Lee Know really did manipulate our bombs, I was the most likely to realise.”

[-]

“Good morning.” The investigator strides into the room with quick and sure steps. He seems to be in an unusually good mood while he places a steaming cup right in front of Kwangsun.

“Good morning.” Kwangsun chirps, inhaling the comforting scent of coffee before taking a long sip from his mug.

"Why do you think Lux stayed with Stray Kids?"

“Oh, we’re getting right to the point today?”

“Yes. Now tell me why Lux didn’t side with his lover.” So that’s why he received coffee rather than stale water today. The investigator found something to latch onto an wants more information.

"The way I know him he's a very loyal person," Kwangsun explains. "But he was loyal to Lee Know first. He joined our group together with him."

The investigator hums and leans back in his chair, at last seeming to relax a little. However, his mood seems to get better and better. Clearly, the puzzle pieces he prepared are falling into place. "What you are saying is that he depends on his brother?"

"Oh yeah definitely." Kwangsun has to laugh a little. "In the beginning I even thought that he was just getting closer to Nine because of Lee Know."

"What do you mean?" The investigator leans forward, Kwangsun's words obviously having piqued his interest.

"Like I said yesterday, Lee Know has always been interested in power. But I guess Nine knew how to keep him down, even if unintentionally. When Lux and Nine started getting closer, I warned him."

"You warned him?" The investigator raises his brow. “What about?”

"Not to let Lux manipulate him for Lee Know's sake."

[-]

"Is it true that you were warned about Lux?" The air of superiority surrounding the investigator has Chan dreading what is going to follow from the moment he steps into the room. It can’t be good if the investigator is acting all high and mighty about this.

"Yeah," Chan whispers.

"I told you before to speak up!"

"Yes!" He shouts, looking up at the inspector. "Kkul warned me, but I trusted Lux nonetheless.”

Hearing that seems to give the investigator some sick sense of satisfaction. “That was a mistake.”

“You don’t know that. You-”

“I know,” The investigator breaks Chan off, “that Lee Know wished to take over Stray Kids. I know that you and Kkul could have escaped without problems if your group hadn’t closed the door in your faces. I know that Luxie is somebody who would do everything for the people he’s loyal to, in this case either you or Lee Know, and I know which side he chose. Or did you see him being taken captive with you?” He leans back in his chair, looking straight up amused at this point. “I know that you’re not dumb, do you really think that he would choose his half-brother over you if you meant anything to him?”

Chan is basically gnawing off his bottom lip. He knows the facts, but voicing what the investigator obviously wants him to admit hurts. A tear rolls down his cheek when his teeth eventually release his lip. “I thought he loved me as much as I loved him…"

"And yet he left you hanging when you needed him the most." Chan wants to beat the gloating tone out of him, but he knows he needs to stay down. Acting up now might just get him killed.

"He did." More tears flood Chan's eyes, rolling down his face, dropping from his chin. "I'm sorry I- I need a moment. Can we... Can we continue this later?"

Of course, the investigator is having way too much fun seeing Chan suffer to stop now. "Do you think Lux has been operating in Lee Know’s name all this time?"

"I don't know."

"Did he manipulate you?"

"I don't know."

"Did he get rid of you on purpose?"

"I don't know!" Chan screams before releasing a single sob. "Please leave…" He mumbles while drawing up his legs and curling into himself. "I need time to think." Finally, the investigator stops. Chan bites his lip, waits for the investigator to get up and leave. As soon as the investigator is through the door, Chan breaks down sobbing.

[-]

"The attack took place at 3.07 pm. In addition to the changed time, no explosions took place during this attack. Employees and customers of the bank were put to sleep using a still unknown gas. Although no official statement has been released so far, many see this change in behaviour as a proof that two members have in fact left the terrorist group called 'Stray Kids' after the attack on the department of education. Following the most recent attack more than 20 people, including a highly pregnant women, have been brought into hospital. Their state is still unknown."

Chan blankly stares ahead while listening to the news lady's report about his group. Or rather what used to proudly call his group. They are going their own path now. Without him. Without Kkul. And apparently that path includes robbing banks.

"New footage has just reached us," the newscaster explains, looking at a paper that is being handed to her. "Surveillance cameras seem to have recorded Stray Kids’ flight from the scene." When the video starts playing Chan snaps out of his half-daze. He watches carefully as masked figures move across the screen. Seven of them. One of them turns around, directly towards the camera. Golden circle on the forehead, rays of sunshine framing the eyes, stars over his cheeks. Only seven now rather than nine like it used to be. The picture freezes right as he lifts his hand, presenting his middle finger with a clear "9" written onto it. So this is what the DIT wanted him to see.

"We believe it's a message for you." Chan swirls around in his seat, staring at the investigator behind him. "The tattoo. Especially in combination with its location." He switches off the TV before sitting down on the table with Chan. "If our information is correct this was Lux."

"Yes."

"We have more footage of the attack," the investigator states. "It seems as though this is the new leader of Stray Kids." He lays down a picture in front of Chan. Three stark red rings on the forehead, three on each cheek.

"Lee Know." Chan’s voice is low as he almost spits the words out.

"Exactly… You said earlier today that you do not know whether Lux manipulated you to benefit Lee Know’s purpose. Is this enough of an answer for you?"

Chan looks at the picture of Lee Know before taking the stack of pictures he is offered. They all show Lee Know giving commands. Except for the last one. It's a close-up of Lux, the one in which he presents his middle finger to the camera.

"He's calling you a traitor."

Chan's breath becomes heavier, his knuckles turn white while clutching at the pictures. "Not just that, he's saying that they don't need you anymore. You've been thrown away like a piece of trash by the person you trusted the most." Chan looks up at the investigator, anger visible in his eyes. “We have an offer to make you, Bang Chan."

"What kind of offer?"

"A way to get back at Lee Know. And Lux. A way to make them pay for everything they did to you. For all the lies and all the pain."

"What do you want me to do?" Chan asks, putting down the pictures.

"Join our team and help us stop Stray Kids. This will be very positive for you when your trial eventually takes place. And Lux and Lee Know can rot in prison.”

Chan bites down on his lip. It’s tempting to jump right at the offer, but he mustn’t agree too quickly. "What about Kkul?"

"We made him the same offer."

Thank god. "Then I want to talk to him."

"We can't-"

"I'm not going to leave him behind.” Chan looks the investigator straight into the eyes, holding back the impulse to avert his gaze in favour of getting his point across. “If I join, I want him to join as well. Let me talk to him."

For the first time since Chan has known him, the investigator smiles. It’s a frightful sight. "I'll see what I can do."

[-]

It takes some hours for the investigator to return. Chan feels like he’s going crazy. He must talk to Kkul. They’ve been apart for far too long, it’s time for them to walk this new path together.

Chan doesn’t budge when the investigator steps in. He doesn’t turn around, just like the investigator doesn’t come closer.

"Because of the investigation we cannot have you do talk on your own, you might-"

"Then listen!” He brings his fist to the table and gets up from his seat. “Cover us in microphones, install cameras all over the room, I don't care!" Chan takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself before looking the investigator dead into the eyes. "Just let me talk to Kkul."

"We'll take you up on the microphones and cameras offer. As long as we can watch and listen to everything, you and Kkul can talk."

"Thank you." Chan gives the investigator a faint smile, finally relaxing. "Thank you very much."

[-]

Chan’s hands are sweaty while the guards lead through the hallways. He has mostly lost his sense of time while being captured, but it has been far too long since he’s last seen Kkul. Even if there are going to be cameras and microphones all over the place and he’s likely going to feel like they’re doing some weird reality show, Chan is looking forward to see Kkul again.

After passing through various hallways, Chan and the guards accompanying him finally stop in front of a light, wooden door. The room behind it is windowless and empty. Chan has no idea what else he expected, but he had hoped for at the very least a couch or some chairs for him and Kkul to sit on while they talk. Oh well, he’ll take what he can get.

“Hands.” The guard rolls his eyes when Chan turns around and looks at him in confusion. “Hands!” he repeats while dangling the key in his hand about. Chan quickly lifts his hands towards him and lets him unlock the cuffs. His wrists look just as bad as they feel, sore from all the time he spent in those cuffs. “Wait here.” By the time Chan looks up the guard has already closed the door behind himself. The lock clicks, then utter silence. Chan shakes out his sore wrists and stretches while looking around. The room looks like it was invented to drive people crazy. No furniture, no windows, only dark grey tiles, white walls and that one single door.

Chan perks up the moment he hears footsteps in the hallway again. Soon the door is unlocked and a different guard enters the room along with a tall man with messy, dark brown hair, thick, white, baggy clothing making his lanky frame look broader than it really is.

"Kkul!" The moment their eyes meet Kkul’s tired face lights up. Chan can barely hold himself back until Kkul’s handcuffs are taken off as well and the guard leaves the room to run over and jump into the Kkul’s arms. "Thank god, it's so good to see you again." Chan is faintly aware that the only reason they are even allowed to touch is because they’ve been searched for any weapons over and over again since their arrival. As if that wasn’t enough, they had been forced into new, pristine white clothing without pockets before they were allowed into the same room. But it doesn’t matter. He can finally be with Kkul again. It takes quite some time until they gather enough strength to let go of each other. Looking at Kkul, it is obvious he come through their captivity way better than Chan did. Admittedly, he looks exhausted, but he’s always had the air of a weary office worker. It’s one of the things that made him so perfect at being part of a rebel group: safe for his height, Kkul doesn’t stand out much. He looks uneventful.

“Sorry, but you look horrible.”

Chan’s ears heat up while he starts laughing. He can’t even remember the last time he laughed. “Yeah, that’s what happens when you don’t cooperate.” Kkul must be right. Chan hasn’t seen a mirror since his arrival, but all the investigation sessions can’t have not left a mark.

Kkul sighs in a parental ‘disappointed but not surprised’ sort of way. “You just had to be stubborn, huh?”

“You know me, Kkul. As long as there’s hope, I keep fighting.”

"Kwangsun." Suddenly, he pulls Chan close and hugs him tighter than ever before. “My name is Kwangsun.”

"Kwangsun, huh?" Chan whispers while he finally allows himself to relax. Even if it’s just for a moment, he desperately needs the feeling of being at ease that comes with letting Kwangsun hold him. "I always knew you'd have a beautiful name like that. I’m Chan."

"Chan… Did they make you the same offer? Is that why you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah.” And over it is. Chan steps back, wanting to see Kwangsun while they talk. “I want us to make this decision together. I would like to join them but if you- if you don't want that I- I won't. I will not do anything without you."

"You want to join them? Why? What happened to fighting as long as there’s hope?"

For a moment they just stare at each other. But as he tries to find the right words Chan starts to cry, slowly at first but it soon becomes more. Kwangsun immediately pulls Chan back against his chest again. "Kwangsun, you were right all along. Lux- Lux, he… he only used me. He just got close to me to give Lee Know more influence on me and then betrayed me the moment I became inconvenient. He never loved me." For a moment everything is silent except for Chan's quiet sobbing. They just stand there, holding each other closer as if they’re the only thing tying each other to this world. It takes a while until Kwangsun speaks up again.

"Then let's get these bastards what they deserve." Chan pulls back, looking at Kwangsun with confusion written over his face. "Let's join the DIT and stop them."

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