[DBtT] Chapter 6
Title: Dreaming Back to This
Rating: currently PG-13ish, will eventually hit the R range
Genre: AU, sci-fi, suspense
Chapter: Building a Plan (6/?)
Pairings: HoSu, eventual YooMin, Jae/??
Summary: Changmin's running from a past he can't forget. Yoochun's running towards a future he can't see. Two people, seemingly on separate paths, collide. What starts in dreams…
Notes: Small confession? I suck at deadlines. Obviously, right? So, I apologize for that, but at least it's in the same week. Or maybe I'm just making excuses. *shrugs* Anywayz, here it is! And yay for the major turning point in this chap! *grins* Also, please see the A.N. at the end; I need a little help with a couple issues in this fic.
Previous: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5
Chapter 6: Building a Plan
"I never thought you would be so selfish."
He doesn't reply, doesn't think he should dignify that kind of statement with a response.
"I'm serious, you know. They're worried about you. I am, too, to be honest, but at least I know what's going on."
"Only when we're asleep. You have no clue about anything when we're awake."
"About anything? Really? Kind of harsh, Changmin."
"You know what I mean."
"I do. But that's not really what we're talking about right now anyway."
"So what do you want me to do? Quit the research so Yunho and Junsu don't have to worry anymore? Just give up halfway through?"
"Tell them. Don't keep them in the dark anymore.
"Oh, yeah, that'll help: help them decide to lock me in my apartment and never let me out of their sight ever again. Yeah, great idea there."
"I don't think you give them enough credit."
"And I don't think you really know them at all. Oh. Wait. You actually don't know them at all! Silly me, must've forgotten."
A pained look crosses the other's face as he sighs. "I don't understand, Changmin. Why are you being like this? If I really bother you so much that you just want me to leave you alone, I will. Just tell me, and I'll walk away right now. Let you move on."
Panic sets in as the other actually starts to turn away; he latches onto a trailing hand. "No. Please. I… I don't know why I react like that sometimes. I don't mean… just- Don't leave me. Please. I couldn't handle all this if you weren't here."
The fear, the pain, the doubt: strong, sure arms wrap around him, and they all fade away. A warm voice whispers in his ear. "I'm sorry, Min. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I won't leave if you don't want me to, promise."
He's shaking, shivering in the other's arms. He doesn't want to cry. Won't. Already is. "I will. I'll talk to them, tell them everything if you want me to. Just don't leave me. Don't ever leave me. Please…"
~*~~*~
Yoochun wakes from the dream and automatically reaches for the bedside table where he'd set a pen and small notebook before going to sleep. He scribbles down a few words then stares at what he wrote. "Changmin…" he murmurs. "His name is Changmin." The knowledge trickles through him, warms him like rich hot cocoa. He has a name.
~*~~*~
Changmin slumps into his apartment, exhausted and worn from the long testing session. He hadn't planned on staying so late. Once the session had gotten underway, though, he'd lost all track of time. He'd worked himself to the point of passing out on the bus ride home.
Setting his bag down by the door and toeing off his shoes, Changmin anticipates the feel of his soft mattress. The sight of Yunho and Junsu curled together and sleeping on his couch stops Changmin from even getting out of the living room, however. As the words from the dream replay in Changmin's head, Junsu stirs and blinks his eyes open. He rubs a hand over his face as he sits up. "Min?"
"Yeah, hyung, it's me."
"God, Changmin… Where in the world have you been? What were you doing that kept you out until-" he glances at his watch, "two in the morning?" Changmin opens his mouth to attempt a reply, but Junsu cuts him off with a shake of his head. "No, never mind. Forget it. I… Just go to bed, Min. We'll talk in the morning. Later morning."
The lack of confrontation and obvious disappointment in Junsu's voice makes Changmin, if possible, feel even worse. After all they've done for him, everything they've given him, Changmin repays them by sneaking around and keeping secrets. He can feel Junsu watching him as he drags himself, shoulders hunched and arms crossed over his front, down the short hall to his bedroom.
Sliding into bed, Changmin curls onto his side and wraps his arms around himself in an attempt to feel even a fraction of the warmth he'd gotten from the embrace in his dream. The effort fails, the way it fails every time. Junsu's unhappiness and the dream-man's absence both rage and scream against his heart. He struggles to stay strong but falls apart as the first tear slips down his cheek. Muffling his sobs so he doesn't wake Yunho and Junsu, Changmin cries himself to sleep.
~*~~*~
Yunho wakes early as usual, every muscle in his body protesting any kind of movement. He wonders at all the pinches and strains until his memory slowly fills in the blanks of the night before. He and Junsu, Changmin's apartment… Easing his arms from around the peacefully sleeping Junsu, Yunho rolls off the couch to check if Changmin ever got home.
The younger boy sleeps curled on his side, except for his left leg hanging off the edge of the bed. Yunho sits behind him on the bed, smoothes wavy locks away from his face. Sighing, Changmin shifts into the touch. Only after that does Yunho see the dried tear tracks on his face. "What's going on with you, Min? Why won't you tell us, let us help?"
He whispers the questions, barely more than a breath, but Changmin has never been a heavy sleeper. The younger stirs, stretching his legs and rolling onto his back. Yunho simply sits and watches as his eyelids flutter then finally open. "Hyung? What…" Rubbing his eyes with his fists, Changmin attempts to put his thoughts together. "Is Junsu-hyung awake? Do we have to talk now?"
Shaking his head, Yunho runs his fingers through soft hair to relax the boy back into sleep. "No, not yet. It's okay, Min. You can go ahead and rest for a little while longer. We'll talk whenever you wake up, as soon as you're ready. Okay?"
Changmin nods slowly, lazily, snuggling his face into the pillow. "Mm… 'kay. Later…" And with those softly mumbled words, Changmin slips back into sleep. Yunho continues to sit with him, threading fingers through Changmin's hair.
~*~~*~
"I know his name."
Jaejoong's eyes widen as he whips his head around to stare at Yoochun. "What?! How? I mean… who is he? Are you going to meet him? Or… hell, Chun, I'm not even entirely sure what to say here."
Half-smiling, Yoochun glances at Jaejoong then moves back to stare at his coffee. "It was actually thanks to that trick you taught me, keeping pen and paper next to the bed to write down dreams right away. As soon as I woke up last night, I wrote down as much as I could remember. His name just happened to be among what I wrote out. Changmin."
"Changmin, huh? Sounds cute." Jaejoong still isn't entirely convinced these prophetic or message dreams are real. The important thing for him is that Yoochun believes in them, and he cares enough about Yoochun to trust in that. "So, what are you going to do now? Do you have any ideas who or where he is?"
Yoochun shakes his head. "I think… Well, I have an idea. But, maybe, I don't know. That just seems too easy." He sighs, and Jaejoong stares at him in sheer confusion. "I think it might be that boy, the one we've seen going into the building across the street. It would kind of explain our little staring contest or whatever that was the other day, right?"
Jaejoong blinks, takes a drink from his coffee to give himself a moment. Gathering the pieces he's just been given, he attempts to put them all together in some kind of sense. They click together, and he nods. "Okay. That… actually does make sense. But what are you going to do about it?"
"Talk to him. He's been here twice now, so chances are good that it'll become a habit. Next time he comes, I'll just wait outside the building until he's done then just try to start a conversation. Maybe not mention the dreams right away. That could scare him away, right? If he's not having the same dreams?" Yoochun talks through his options, simply getting his thoughts out of his head.
Sometimes being the best friend requires Jaejoong to just listen as Yoochun thinks out loud. He realizes this is one of those moments, so Jaejoong doesn't bother replying. Even so, he believes Yoochun has the best plan available to him in the possibly awkward situation he's found himself involved in.
Yoochun sips at his coffee as he solidifies the plan in his head.
//Chapter 7//
-------------------------
A.N.- So, here's where all you guys, my lovely beautiful amazing readers, get to influence a couple parts of this fic. I need to make a couple decisions that I'm having difficulty with. Number one is the Jaejoong romance issue, pretty self-explanatory.
The second... requires a little more info. I'm thinking of introducing a couple OC's into the storyline. Both would be fellow patients at The Centre and confidants/friends to Changmin while he's there. One would be a female who came with Dr. Phillips from the States as his long-time patient and research-subject. The other would be a Korean male that Changmin could identify with a little more closely. Both would have actual roles in the fic and influence certain events.
So, what do you think?
Poll Dreaming Back to This Options
Rating: currently PG-13ish, will eventually hit the R range
Genre: AU, sci-fi, suspense
Chapter: Building a Plan (6/?)
Pairings: HoSu, eventual YooMin, Jae/??
Summary: Changmin's running from a past he can't forget. Yoochun's running towards a future he can't see. Two people, seemingly on separate paths, collide. What starts in dreams…
Notes: Small confession? I suck at deadlines. Obviously, right? So, I apologize for that, but at least it's in the same week. Or maybe I'm just making excuses. *shrugs* Anywayz, here it is! And yay for the major turning point in this chap! *grins* Also, please see the A.N. at the end; I need a little help with a couple issues in this fic.
Previous: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5
Chapter 6: Building a Plan
"I never thought you would be so selfish."
He doesn't reply, doesn't think he should dignify that kind of statement with a response.
"I'm serious, you know. They're worried about you. I am, too, to be honest, but at least I know what's going on."
"Only when we're asleep. You have no clue about anything when we're awake."
"About anything? Really? Kind of harsh, Changmin."
"You know what I mean."
"I do. But that's not really what we're talking about right now anyway."
"So what do you want me to do? Quit the research so Yunho and Junsu don't have to worry anymore? Just give up halfway through?"
"Tell them. Don't keep them in the dark anymore.
"Oh, yeah, that'll help: help them decide to lock me in my apartment and never let me out of their sight ever again. Yeah, great idea there."
"I don't think you give them enough credit."
"And I don't think you really know them at all. Oh. Wait. You actually don't know them at all! Silly me, must've forgotten."
A pained look crosses the other's face as he sighs. "I don't understand, Changmin. Why are you being like this? If I really bother you so much that you just want me to leave you alone, I will. Just tell me, and I'll walk away right now. Let you move on."
Panic sets in as the other actually starts to turn away; he latches onto a trailing hand. "No. Please. I… I don't know why I react like that sometimes. I don't mean… just- Don't leave me. Please. I couldn't handle all this if you weren't here."
The fear, the pain, the doubt: strong, sure arms wrap around him, and they all fade away. A warm voice whispers in his ear. "I'm sorry, Min. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I won't leave if you don't want me to, promise."
He's shaking, shivering in the other's arms. He doesn't want to cry. Won't. Already is. "I will. I'll talk to them, tell them everything if you want me to. Just don't leave me. Don't ever leave me. Please…"
~*~~*~
Yoochun wakes from the dream and automatically reaches for the bedside table where he'd set a pen and small notebook before going to sleep. He scribbles down a few words then stares at what he wrote. "Changmin…" he murmurs. "His name is Changmin." The knowledge trickles through him, warms him like rich hot cocoa. He has a name.
~*~~*~
Changmin slumps into his apartment, exhausted and worn from the long testing session. He hadn't planned on staying so late. Once the session had gotten underway, though, he'd lost all track of time. He'd worked himself to the point of passing out on the bus ride home.
Setting his bag down by the door and toeing off his shoes, Changmin anticipates the feel of his soft mattress. The sight of Yunho and Junsu curled together and sleeping on his couch stops Changmin from even getting out of the living room, however. As the words from the dream replay in Changmin's head, Junsu stirs and blinks his eyes open. He rubs a hand over his face as he sits up. "Min?"
"Yeah, hyung, it's me."
"God, Changmin… Where in the world have you been? What were you doing that kept you out until-" he glances at his watch, "two in the morning?" Changmin opens his mouth to attempt a reply, but Junsu cuts him off with a shake of his head. "No, never mind. Forget it. I… Just go to bed, Min. We'll talk in the morning. Later morning."
The lack of confrontation and obvious disappointment in Junsu's voice makes Changmin, if possible, feel even worse. After all they've done for him, everything they've given him, Changmin repays them by sneaking around and keeping secrets. He can feel Junsu watching him as he drags himself, shoulders hunched and arms crossed over his front, down the short hall to his bedroom.
Sliding into bed, Changmin curls onto his side and wraps his arms around himself in an attempt to feel even a fraction of the warmth he'd gotten from the embrace in his dream. The effort fails, the way it fails every time. Junsu's unhappiness and the dream-man's absence both rage and scream against his heart. He struggles to stay strong but falls apart as the first tear slips down his cheek. Muffling his sobs so he doesn't wake Yunho and Junsu, Changmin cries himself to sleep.
~*~~*~
Yunho wakes early as usual, every muscle in his body protesting any kind of movement. He wonders at all the pinches and strains until his memory slowly fills in the blanks of the night before. He and Junsu, Changmin's apartment… Easing his arms from around the peacefully sleeping Junsu, Yunho rolls off the couch to check if Changmin ever got home.
The younger boy sleeps curled on his side, except for his left leg hanging off the edge of the bed. Yunho sits behind him on the bed, smoothes wavy locks away from his face. Sighing, Changmin shifts into the touch. Only after that does Yunho see the dried tear tracks on his face. "What's going on with you, Min? Why won't you tell us, let us help?"
He whispers the questions, barely more than a breath, but Changmin has never been a heavy sleeper. The younger stirs, stretching his legs and rolling onto his back. Yunho simply sits and watches as his eyelids flutter then finally open. "Hyung? What…" Rubbing his eyes with his fists, Changmin attempts to put his thoughts together. "Is Junsu-hyung awake? Do we have to talk now?"
Shaking his head, Yunho runs his fingers through soft hair to relax the boy back into sleep. "No, not yet. It's okay, Min. You can go ahead and rest for a little while longer. We'll talk whenever you wake up, as soon as you're ready. Okay?"
Changmin nods slowly, lazily, snuggling his face into the pillow. "Mm… 'kay. Later…" And with those softly mumbled words, Changmin slips back into sleep. Yunho continues to sit with him, threading fingers through Changmin's hair.
~*~~*~
"I know his name."
Jaejoong's eyes widen as he whips his head around to stare at Yoochun. "What?! How? I mean… who is he? Are you going to meet him? Or… hell, Chun, I'm not even entirely sure what to say here."
Half-smiling, Yoochun glances at Jaejoong then moves back to stare at his coffee. "It was actually thanks to that trick you taught me, keeping pen and paper next to the bed to write down dreams right away. As soon as I woke up last night, I wrote down as much as I could remember. His name just happened to be among what I wrote out. Changmin."
"Changmin, huh? Sounds cute." Jaejoong still isn't entirely convinced these prophetic or message dreams are real. The important thing for him is that Yoochun believes in them, and he cares enough about Yoochun to trust in that. "So, what are you going to do now? Do you have any ideas who or where he is?"
Yoochun shakes his head. "I think… Well, I have an idea. But, maybe, I don't know. That just seems too easy." He sighs, and Jaejoong stares at him in sheer confusion. "I think it might be that boy, the one we've seen going into the building across the street. It would kind of explain our little staring contest or whatever that was the other day, right?"
Jaejoong blinks, takes a drink from his coffee to give himself a moment. Gathering the pieces he's just been given, he attempts to put them all together in some kind of sense. They click together, and he nods. "Okay. That… actually does make sense. But what are you going to do about it?"
"Talk to him. He's been here twice now, so chances are good that it'll become a habit. Next time he comes, I'll just wait outside the building until he's done then just try to start a conversation. Maybe not mention the dreams right away. That could scare him away, right? If he's not having the same dreams?" Yoochun talks through his options, simply getting his thoughts out of his head.
Sometimes being the best friend requires Jaejoong to just listen as Yoochun thinks out loud. He realizes this is one of those moments, so Jaejoong doesn't bother replying. Even so, he believes Yoochun has the best plan available to him in the possibly awkward situation he's found himself involved in.
Yoochun sips at his coffee as he solidifies the plan in his head.
//Chapter 7//
-------------------------
A.N.- So, here's where all you guys, my lovely beautiful amazing readers, get to influence a couple parts of this fic. I need to make a couple decisions that I'm having difficulty with. Number one is the Jaejoong romance issue, pretty self-explanatory.
The second... requires a little more info. I'm thinking of introducing a couple OC's into the storyline. Both would be fellow patients at The Centre and confidants/friends to Changmin while he's there. One would be a female who came with Dr. Phillips from the States as his long-time patient and research-subject. The other would be a Korean male that Changmin could identify with a little more closely. Both would have actual roles in the fic and influence certain events.
So, what do you think?
Poll Dreaming Back to This Options