A Tale Of The Winged And The Wingless [Super Junior; Oneshot; Kyumin+Qmi]
Title: A Tale Of The Winged And The Wingless
Pairings: broken!kyumin, Qmi
Disclaimer: This is not true. I own no one.
Rating: PG
Genre: Angst
Summary: Sungmin had hurt him more than the people who crippled him. They hurt him physically, pulling at his feathers till a layer of blood covered his naked body. They stripped him of his natural instincts and crushed his bones when they lacked entertainment. Sungmin, however, had hurt him mentally, betraying his trust and being the reason as to why he could no longer fly and be free. Kyuhyun hated Sungmin with a passion, but knew that the memories they created together were the only brush with normality that he had ever experienced.
A/N: This was written about three or four months ago and I never really had the intention to post it, so there may be a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes. Sorry. When I first started writing it, I wanted to be very descriptive and focus on the setting a lot, but then as it progressed it sort of.. changed. Also, I played around with the ages a bit. ANYWAY, I hope you guys enjoy the read!
A Tale Of The Winged And The Wingless
The clock slowed down to a halt and a deafening click sounded through the silent apartment. The rooms were completely engulfed by darkness, and even the few rays of sunlight that entered through tiny slits in broken windows were swallowed by looming shadows. The air was still and nothing moved. Everything had stopped.
Dust coated all available surfaces and lay mounted in dunes of timeless inanimate objects. Intricate patterned furniture was completely obscured to the naked eye by a thin piece of pale yellow cloth. Dark, brooding colours bled into the grey gravel which had been carelessly thrown across the otherwise lively light brown of the warm wooden floor. In the center of the smallest room stood one sole candle. Its flame flickered lethargically as the smoke rose up above it in grey swirls which later dissolved into nothing.
The bedroom was pitiful as the only piece of furniture was a moth-eaten mattress. A creature was lying on the ground beside it, large black wings wrapped protectively around its otherwise fragile body. Its eyes were open, glaring red and black into the grimey wall, almost as if challenging the emptiness into a battle. The creature’s body structure was similar to that of a human being; long legs, strong arms, a face and a shock of black hair. What made it different, though, were the large wings protruding from its back, prohibiting the use of attire to cover its upper body.
Time flew by fast for the winged one. Hours grew to minutes and soon his caretaker was only seconds away. The creature blinked once, twice, three times, and then a key entered the lock on the front door. The creature’s head turned sharply, wings tensing and breath hitching. When the door was pushed open, it extended its wings, and then cried out in pain as it remembered that it couldn’t fly. The winged one wasn’t allowed such a privilege.
“Kyuhyun, you always forget.” A voice whispered softly from the door frame, pain lacing the words and sympathy dripping from the sigh that followed. A young man stepped into the room, closed the door behind him and leaned against it, taking some time to adjust to the darkness of the room.
“Stop it.” Kyuhyun whimpered, eyes closing tight in an attempt to stop the tears from spilling. He took a step back, keeping his distance from the intruder, the one who denied him freedom and happiness. The one who locked him away from the outside world and deprived him of his nature.
“Stop what?” The other man asked innocently, although knowing exactly what Kyuhyun was talking about.
“Stop coming here. Stop trying to make me forgive you for ruining my life. It will never happen. You betrayed my trust, Sungmin. I told you about my wings believing that you would keep the information to yourself. You betrayed our friendship.” Kyuhyun wiped feverishly at his eyes, willing the tears to stop spilling. He hated how pathetically weak he became whenever Sungmin was near him because he hated showing Sungmin that their friendship had actually mattered a lot to him. “Stop pretending like you care.”
Sungmin had hurt him more than the people who crippled him. They hurt him physically, pulling at his feathers till a layer of blood covered his naked body. They stripped him of his natural instincts and crushed his bones when they lacked entertainment. Sungmin, however, had hurt him mentally, betraying his trust and being the reason as to why he could no longer fly and be free. Kyuhyun hated Sungmin with a passion, but knew that the memories they created together were the only brush with normality that he had ever experienced.
Sungmin pouted childishly and widened his eyes more than usual. “But I do care, Kyuhyun! I even brought you a very special present today!”
Kyuhyun looked up at Sungmin then, a questioning look spread across his features. Sungmin was not someone known to show spontaneous affection, so his words intrigued Kyuhyun to the point were he became sceptical. “What?”
Sungmin rolled his eyes, expecting nothing more from Kyuhyun, and left the room. He came back a mere three seconds later, hands wrapped loosely around a leash. He tugged on it a couple of times, a sickening grin plastered on his face. Kyuhyun’s gaze shifted from him to the creature that entered the doorway behind him.
“This,” Sungmin exclaimed excitedly. “Is Zhou Mi, your new friend.”
Zhou Mi was tall, a few inches taller than Kyuhyun, but looked infinitely smaller. He was thin, almost unnaturally so, and seemed to sway slowly from side to side while standing. His wings were severely crippled and his white feathers seemed to bleed into grey. Kyuhyun knew what this meant. Zhou Mi was going to suffer the same fate that he had.
Kyuhyun knew exactly what happened to the winged ones. First, their wings were destroyed. They weren’t removed, just ruined until they became a useless accessory to remind them of what could have been. Then, they were deprived of food, water and sleep for a week to see how this would affect their mentality. If they managed to survive this stage, they were beaten senseless and moved to a secure location, far away from civilisation.
Before Kyuhyun had been captured, his feathers had been silky soft and white, a perfect specimen of natural beauty. They were stunning and he felt oddly proud to be the bearer of such a pair of mesmerizing wings. He was able to fly and feel the breeze in his hair, but most importantly, he was able to be himself. However, when he was crippled, the feathers slowly became stiff and grey, before finally becoming a dull black.
Sungmin swatted at Zhou Mi, accidentally whacking his wing, making the other man yelp in pain. Sungmin’s face twisted in a sick fascination of how a man that possessed more masculinity than him was reduced to something pitiful and hopeless. It made Sungmin feel superior and powerful, something Kyuhyun could see in his eyes.
Sungmin raised his arm with the intention to do it again, but stopped when he heard Kyuhyun growl from behind him. “Leave him alone,” Kyuhyun warned, tone dangerous and eyes full of fire. His body had transformed into a predatory stance; legs bent, body crouched, sharp claws and teeth exposed.
Sungmin lowered his arm instantaneously and took a tentative step away from Zhou Mi. Kyuhyun advanced on him, body movements slow and full of tension, graceful and terrifying. When he had Sungmin pinned against the wall, breathing erratic and heart beat even more so, he smirked and leaned in close to the other man’s ear.
“If I ever see your face again,” He breathed. “I will not hesitate to rip you apart, piece by piece.”
Sungmin was out the door the second Kyuhyun allowed him to move. Kyuhyun glared at the door, a million profanities swimming in his mind. After a long silence, Zhou Mi finally stuttered in broken Korean. “I-I’m sorry.”
Kyuhyun immediately felt the anger drain from his body, but the emptiness was soon filled with a whole new mixture of emotions: sadness, empathy and pain. He felt torn between enveloping Zhou Mi in a big hug and leaving him alone with his pained thoughts and feelings.
He quickly decided to comfort the other man, as he remembered that that was what he had wanted when he had first arrived in this horrible building. Their first night together was spent in a cold room, Kyuhyun’s arms and wings wrapped tightly around a sobbing frame, the eldest whispering reassuring lies and phrases into the other man’s hair.
~*~
If Kyuhyun had been more courageous, he would fight for himself, Zhou Mi, and all the other lost souls that existed in this world. He would fight for his freedom and a chance to be himself. He would never give up, because failure was not an option.
And why exactly was Kyuhyun so caught up in breaking through his chains? Well, because Kyuhyun was unique. He was the only winged one who had been able to hide his wings and have a normal life. He would have grown old and frail, basking in freedom, if it weren’t for his careless mistake to let Sungmin know his little secret. His brief experience with normality meant that his urge to free himself and others was much greater. He knows exactly what he is being denied and he misses it.
He misses it in the same way that a child misses their father when he leaves their mother and his family to go gallivanting through towns and cities reeking of alcohol and stale sweat, hands wandering greasily over women’s bare legs and half empty whisky bottles. He misses it in the same way that a woman misses her husband when he leaves for war. It’s a feeling that provides the unfortunate owner with no closure whatsoever and a lifetime of longing and wondering.
But Kyuhyun is sure of one thing: the people responsible will be punished for this, for the pain they inflict on the winged ones. And Kyuhyun knows, with a morbid satisfaction, that this is as close to freedom and justice as he will ever get.
Pairings: broken!kyumin, Qmi
Disclaimer: This is not true. I own no one.
Rating: PG
Genre: Angst
Summary: Sungmin had hurt him more than the people who crippled him. They hurt him physically, pulling at his feathers till a layer of blood covered his naked body. They stripped him of his natural instincts and crushed his bones when they lacked entertainment. Sungmin, however, had hurt him mentally, betraying his trust and being the reason as to why he could no longer fly and be free. Kyuhyun hated Sungmin with a passion, but knew that the memories they created together were the only brush with normality that he had ever experienced.
A/N: This was written about three or four months ago and I never really had the intention to post it, so there may be a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes. Sorry. When I first started writing it, I wanted to be very descriptive and focus on the setting a lot, but then as it progressed it sort of.. changed. Also, I played around with the ages a bit. ANYWAY, I hope you guys enjoy the read!
A Tale Of The Winged And The Wingless
The clock slowed down to a halt and a deafening click sounded through the silent apartment. The rooms were completely engulfed by darkness, and even the few rays of sunlight that entered through tiny slits in broken windows were swallowed by looming shadows. The air was still and nothing moved. Everything had stopped.
Dust coated all available surfaces and lay mounted in dunes of timeless inanimate objects. Intricate patterned furniture was completely obscured to the naked eye by a thin piece of pale yellow cloth. Dark, brooding colours bled into the grey gravel which had been carelessly thrown across the otherwise lively light brown of the warm wooden floor. In the center of the smallest room stood one sole candle. Its flame flickered lethargically as the smoke rose up above it in grey swirls which later dissolved into nothing.
The bedroom was pitiful as the only piece of furniture was a moth-eaten mattress. A creature was lying on the ground beside it, large black wings wrapped protectively around its otherwise fragile body. Its eyes were open, glaring red and black into the grimey wall, almost as if challenging the emptiness into a battle. The creature’s body structure was similar to that of a human being; long legs, strong arms, a face and a shock of black hair. What made it different, though, were the large wings protruding from its back, prohibiting the use of attire to cover its upper body.
Time flew by fast for the winged one. Hours grew to minutes and soon his caretaker was only seconds away. The creature blinked once, twice, three times, and then a key entered the lock on the front door. The creature’s head turned sharply, wings tensing and breath hitching. When the door was pushed open, it extended its wings, and then cried out in pain as it remembered that it couldn’t fly. The winged one wasn’t allowed such a privilege.
“Kyuhyun, you always forget.” A voice whispered softly from the door frame, pain lacing the words and sympathy dripping from the sigh that followed. A young man stepped into the room, closed the door behind him and leaned against it, taking some time to adjust to the darkness of the room.
“Stop it.” Kyuhyun whimpered, eyes closing tight in an attempt to stop the tears from spilling. He took a step back, keeping his distance from the intruder, the one who denied him freedom and happiness. The one who locked him away from the outside world and deprived him of his nature.
“Stop what?” The other man asked innocently, although knowing exactly what Kyuhyun was talking about.
“Stop coming here. Stop trying to make me forgive you for ruining my life. It will never happen. You betrayed my trust, Sungmin. I told you about my wings believing that you would keep the information to yourself. You betrayed our friendship.” Kyuhyun wiped feverishly at his eyes, willing the tears to stop spilling. He hated how pathetically weak he became whenever Sungmin was near him because he hated showing Sungmin that their friendship had actually mattered a lot to him. “Stop pretending like you care.”
Sungmin had hurt him more than the people who crippled him. They hurt him physically, pulling at his feathers till a layer of blood covered his naked body. They stripped him of his natural instincts and crushed his bones when they lacked entertainment. Sungmin, however, had hurt him mentally, betraying his trust and being the reason as to why he could no longer fly and be free. Kyuhyun hated Sungmin with a passion, but knew that the memories they created together were the only brush with normality that he had ever experienced.
Sungmin pouted childishly and widened his eyes more than usual. “But I do care, Kyuhyun! I even brought you a very special present today!”
Kyuhyun looked up at Sungmin then, a questioning look spread across his features. Sungmin was not someone known to show spontaneous affection, so his words intrigued Kyuhyun to the point were he became sceptical. “What?”
Sungmin rolled his eyes, expecting nothing more from Kyuhyun, and left the room. He came back a mere three seconds later, hands wrapped loosely around a leash. He tugged on it a couple of times, a sickening grin plastered on his face. Kyuhyun’s gaze shifted from him to the creature that entered the doorway behind him.
“This,” Sungmin exclaimed excitedly. “Is Zhou Mi, your new friend.”
Zhou Mi was tall, a few inches taller than Kyuhyun, but looked infinitely smaller. He was thin, almost unnaturally so, and seemed to sway slowly from side to side while standing. His wings were severely crippled and his white feathers seemed to bleed into grey. Kyuhyun knew what this meant. Zhou Mi was going to suffer the same fate that he had.
Kyuhyun knew exactly what happened to the winged ones. First, their wings were destroyed. They weren’t removed, just ruined until they became a useless accessory to remind them of what could have been. Then, they were deprived of food, water and sleep for a week to see how this would affect their mentality. If they managed to survive this stage, they were beaten senseless and moved to a secure location, far away from civilisation.
Before Kyuhyun had been captured, his feathers had been silky soft and white, a perfect specimen of natural beauty. They were stunning and he felt oddly proud to be the bearer of such a pair of mesmerizing wings. He was able to fly and feel the breeze in his hair, but most importantly, he was able to be himself. However, when he was crippled, the feathers slowly became stiff and grey, before finally becoming a dull black.
Sungmin swatted at Zhou Mi, accidentally whacking his wing, making the other man yelp in pain. Sungmin’s face twisted in a sick fascination of how a man that possessed more masculinity than him was reduced to something pitiful and hopeless. It made Sungmin feel superior and powerful, something Kyuhyun could see in his eyes.
Sungmin raised his arm with the intention to do it again, but stopped when he heard Kyuhyun growl from behind him. “Leave him alone,” Kyuhyun warned, tone dangerous and eyes full of fire. His body had transformed into a predatory stance; legs bent, body crouched, sharp claws and teeth exposed.
Sungmin lowered his arm instantaneously and took a tentative step away from Zhou Mi. Kyuhyun advanced on him, body movements slow and full of tension, graceful and terrifying. When he had Sungmin pinned against the wall, breathing erratic and heart beat even more so, he smirked and leaned in close to the other man’s ear.
“If I ever see your face again,” He breathed. “I will not hesitate to rip you apart, piece by piece.”
Sungmin was out the door the second Kyuhyun allowed him to move. Kyuhyun glared at the door, a million profanities swimming in his mind. After a long silence, Zhou Mi finally stuttered in broken Korean. “I-I’m sorry.”
Kyuhyun immediately felt the anger drain from his body, but the emptiness was soon filled with a whole new mixture of emotions: sadness, empathy and pain. He felt torn between enveloping Zhou Mi in a big hug and leaving him alone with his pained thoughts and feelings.
He quickly decided to comfort the other man, as he remembered that that was what he had wanted when he had first arrived in this horrible building. Their first night together was spent in a cold room, Kyuhyun’s arms and wings wrapped tightly around a sobbing frame, the eldest whispering reassuring lies and phrases into the other man’s hair.
~*~
If Kyuhyun had been more courageous, he would fight for himself, Zhou Mi, and all the other lost souls that existed in this world. He would fight for his freedom and a chance to be himself. He would never give up, because failure was not an option.
And why exactly was Kyuhyun so caught up in breaking through his chains? Well, because Kyuhyun was unique. He was the only winged one who had been able to hide his wings and have a normal life. He would have grown old and frail, basking in freedom, if it weren’t for his careless mistake to let Sungmin know his little secret. His brief experience with normality meant that his urge to free himself and others was much greater. He knows exactly what he is being denied and he misses it.
He misses it in the same way that a child misses their father when he leaves their mother and his family to go gallivanting through towns and cities reeking of alcohol and stale sweat, hands wandering greasily over women’s bare legs and half empty whisky bottles. He misses it in the same way that a woman misses her husband when he leaves for war. It’s a feeling that provides the unfortunate owner with no closure whatsoever and a lifetime of longing and wondering.
But Kyuhyun is sure of one thing: the people responsible will be punished for this, for the pain they inflict on the winged ones. And Kyuhyun knows, with a morbid satisfaction, that this is as close to freedom and justice as he will ever get.