Infinite Space
Disclaimer: Not mine, not true.
Writer's Note: Occurs some time after chapter 10.
011: Promises - SungJong, SungKyu
Chapter List: Infinite Space
Chapter 11: In which SungKyu has a conversation with SungJong that just confuses him
SungJong sat on the edge of the bed, idly playing with the controls on the bed - odd, but they said it was because some of the people were bed ridden - while his brother slept.
The doorbell rang, and he grinned, pressing the button to open the door. The new toys always made him smile, because he rarely had any.
SungKyu stepped in, looking around, and SungJong waved at him. "Hi," he said. "What's up?"
SungYeol woke up but didn't move, didn't make any sign that he had, but SungJong knew, and he let him pretend. For now.
"I brought you two a couple of handsets," SungKyu said as the door closed behind him. "Do you know how to use them?"
"No, but we'll figure it out," SungJong said cheerfully. "And we can ask."
SungKyu nodded and set the two handsets down on the table. SungJong almost got up to go look at them, but decided against it, sobering suddenly as he remembered a conversation he and SungYeol had had a couple of days ago. SungKyu looked up at him and tilted his head to the side. "What?" he asked. "You look like you have something on your mind."
"Why do you keep your promises?"
SungKyu blinked a couple of times, then looked around to find a chair and sat down. "Why do you ask?"
"No one who's ever made us any promises has ever kept them - unless it was something like when he promised to take my escape out on hyung," he explained. "Mom promised to not sell us. He promised to let us go, if we worked hard. Some of the men...." He trailed off, looking down, cheeks flushed.
SungKyu nodded slowly. "You didn't think you'd actually get these."
"We don't hope for much," SungJong said. "Because no one ever follows through. Until you guys. So... why do you?"
SungKyu leaned back, eyes distant. "Because I don't want to be known for failing," he said after a long time. "And because my father showed me what it's like to be trusted, to be counted on. He guards DongWoo's father," he added. "Mithra doesn't go anywhere without him, because he trusts him. So when they asked me to guard DongWoo... I saw a chance to be like that, to have that kind of...." He bit his lip, brow furrowed. "That kind of relationship, that kind of trust. They're friends, too," he added. "I've wanted that kind of friendship since I was small. I have it now, and I don't intend to just... lose it, out of neglect or someone else's attack. DongWoo is very careful, the kinds of promises he makes. Especially lately. He's gotten better at it. But if you want people to trust you, you do the same. I do the same. I want him to trust me, to know I can and will keep him as safe as I can. Which means I help him keep his promises. He would have come," he added, "but his father needed to talk to him."
SungJong glanced down, noticing SungYeol's eyes open, pretense forgotten. "So... if he promises something, he does his best to make it happen?" he asked.
"Yes."
SungJong bit the inside of his cheek, fingers twisted together. "So if we... if I say I will do something, I should do it?"
"Yes," SungKyu said. "Be careful what you give your word to. You said you'd work on getting moved to the Dawn. How is that going?"
"Slowly," SungJong admitted. "But pretty steadily, I think. Little by little. I can't say when, but... we're working on it."
SungKyu smiled. "Good. I'll tell DongWoo. He'll be glad to hear it."
"He meant it, when he said he wanted us near. Why?"
SungKyu took a deep breath. "When he rescued you - when he stopped you from running, and then followed you back for SungYeol - he took responsibility for you. I think he would feel better, being able to see how you are and how you're doing, up close. Where he can spend more time getting to know you, instead of merely stopping in for a few minutes and having to ask the medical personnel here. You're the first people he's actually responsible for," he added wryly. "He's nervous."
SungYeol sat up and turned to look at him. "We aren't," he said. "You were."
SungKyu stared at him, startled, and SungJong had to bite his lip to keep from smiling. "I don't think I actually thought of that," he said slowly.
"Can we be like that, too?" SungJong asked.
"Be like what?" SungKyu asked.
"Help keep him safe?" SungYeol asked.
SungKyu smiled. "You'll need some training," he said. "When you get to the Dawn, I'll see that you get it."
SungJong and SungYeol exchanged smiles. Finally. A purpose. A way to pay them back.
Chapter 12
Writer's Note: Occurs some time after chapter 10.
011: Promises - SungJong, SungKyu
Chapter List: Infinite Space
Chapter 11: In which SungKyu has a conversation with SungJong that just confuses him
SungJong sat on the edge of the bed, idly playing with the controls on the bed - odd, but they said it was because some of the people were bed ridden - while his brother slept.
The doorbell rang, and he grinned, pressing the button to open the door. The new toys always made him smile, because he rarely had any.
SungKyu stepped in, looking around, and SungJong waved at him. "Hi," he said. "What's up?"
SungYeol woke up but didn't move, didn't make any sign that he had, but SungJong knew, and he let him pretend. For now.
"I brought you two a couple of handsets," SungKyu said as the door closed behind him. "Do you know how to use them?"
"No, but we'll figure it out," SungJong said cheerfully. "And we can ask."
SungKyu nodded and set the two handsets down on the table. SungJong almost got up to go look at them, but decided against it, sobering suddenly as he remembered a conversation he and SungYeol had had a couple of days ago. SungKyu looked up at him and tilted his head to the side. "What?" he asked. "You look like you have something on your mind."
"Why do you keep your promises?"
SungKyu blinked a couple of times, then looked around to find a chair and sat down. "Why do you ask?"
"No one who's ever made us any promises has ever kept them - unless it was something like when he promised to take my escape out on hyung," he explained. "Mom promised to not sell us. He promised to let us go, if we worked hard. Some of the men...." He trailed off, looking down, cheeks flushed.
SungKyu nodded slowly. "You didn't think you'd actually get these."
"We don't hope for much," SungJong said. "Because no one ever follows through. Until you guys. So... why do you?"
SungKyu leaned back, eyes distant. "Because I don't want to be known for failing," he said after a long time. "And because my father showed me what it's like to be trusted, to be counted on. He guards DongWoo's father," he added. "Mithra doesn't go anywhere without him, because he trusts him. So when they asked me to guard DongWoo... I saw a chance to be like that, to have that kind of...." He bit his lip, brow furrowed. "That kind of relationship, that kind of trust. They're friends, too," he added. "I've wanted that kind of friendship since I was small. I have it now, and I don't intend to just... lose it, out of neglect or someone else's attack. DongWoo is very careful, the kinds of promises he makes. Especially lately. He's gotten better at it. But if you want people to trust you, you do the same. I do the same. I want him to trust me, to know I can and will keep him as safe as I can. Which means I help him keep his promises. He would have come," he added, "but his father needed to talk to him."
SungJong glanced down, noticing SungYeol's eyes open, pretense forgotten. "So... if he promises something, he does his best to make it happen?" he asked.
"Yes."
SungJong bit the inside of his cheek, fingers twisted together. "So if we... if I say I will do something, I should do it?"
"Yes," SungKyu said. "Be careful what you give your word to. You said you'd work on getting moved to the Dawn. How is that going?"
"Slowly," SungJong admitted. "But pretty steadily, I think. Little by little. I can't say when, but... we're working on it."
SungKyu smiled. "Good. I'll tell DongWoo. He'll be glad to hear it."
"He meant it, when he said he wanted us near. Why?"
SungKyu took a deep breath. "When he rescued you - when he stopped you from running, and then followed you back for SungYeol - he took responsibility for you. I think he would feel better, being able to see how you are and how you're doing, up close. Where he can spend more time getting to know you, instead of merely stopping in for a few minutes and having to ask the medical personnel here. You're the first people he's actually responsible for," he added wryly. "He's nervous."
SungYeol sat up and turned to look at him. "We aren't," he said. "You were."
SungKyu stared at him, startled, and SungJong had to bite his lip to keep from smiling. "I don't think I actually thought of that," he said slowly.
"Can we be like that, too?" SungJong asked.
"Be like what?" SungKyu asked.
"Help keep him safe?" SungYeol asked.
SungKyu smiled. "You'll need some training," he said. "When you get to the Dawn, I'll see that you get it."
SungJong and SungYeol exchanged smiles. Finally. A purpose. A way to pay them back.
Chapter 12