[DBtT] Chapter 33
Title: Dreaming Back to This
Rating: R
Genre: AU, sci-fi, suspense
Chapter: Showing the Signs (33/?)
Pairings: YooMin, HoSuJae
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…
Warnings: Graphic torture, character death
Notes: Not really much to say here. Second to last chap, so... prepare for the end. ^__^
Previous: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24 , Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32
Chapter 33: Showing the Signs
The steady stream of energy that had been radiating from Changmin since they'd left the room suddenly starts spiking and pulsing, each wave stronger than the last. Changmin's eyes narrow with each passing moment that nothing happens. Dr. Phillips smirks, and Yoochun swears his heart falls from his chest to the scuffed floor. "They never did tell you, did they?" the doctor asks.
"Tell me what?" Changmin grinds out from between his clenched teeth.
"My power." Changmin stays silent, glaring at the man responsible for… everything. For Jaejoong being hurt. For splitting Jaejoong and Changmin from Yoochun and Junsu and Yunho. "You see, Changmin," the doctor continues, completely conversational and almost nonchalant, "there's a reason I'm the head of this place. A reason I'm so important. It's called negation, Changmin. Mental powers don't work on me. You can throw whatever you want at me and be no closer to getting past."
Changmin's stomach lurches. He briefly considers the fact that - with Junsu and Yoochun - it's three versus one, but the sound of guards rapidly approaching from both halls quickly destroys any idea of physically fighting their way out. His breath sticks in his lungs, and one thought crosses his mind: Now they've got all of us.
Before Changmin can fully give in to the despair, though, Dr. Phillips falls - unconscious - to the floor. Tessa stands behind him, a large chunk of brick smeared with blood in her hands. "Negate that, stupid bastard," she smirks. The boys just stare when she looks up and quirks a mischievous grin at them. "And that, my dears, is why I love arrogant jackasses. They always forget to cover all their bases. Now, are we just gonna stand here and wait for those guards to get here? Or are we gonna scurry our little butts out of here?"
Without waiting for an answer, she spins on a heel and rushes out into the tunnels; Yoochun grins a little then leads them out behind her. They all pile into the car, Changmin in the front seat next to Yoochun driving and Jaejoong laid across the other three's laps in the backseat. Yoochun turns the ignition, guns the accelerator, and squeals away from the Centre.
As they speed through the tunnels, the adrenaline starts to fade from Changmin's body. He slumps in his seat, resting his head against the window, as his eyes slowly drift closed. Before they're even back in the parking garage, he's sound asleep.
They wait for the elevator to raise their car, and Yoochun takes the time to study Changmin - taking in everything Changmin wouldn't let him see during the dreams. Changmin's skin stretches taut over his sharp cheekbones, ghostly pale in contrast to the bruise-like circles under his eyes. Any skin not covered by clothes is dotted with bruises, cuts, burns, and new-pink scars.
Yoochun's hands itch to reach out and touch Changmin, to reassure himself that the boy is real and actually sitting there. If Changmin's reactions to Yoochun in the dreams are any indication, though, the last thing he needs just after falling asleep is Yoochun touching him. So, instead, Yoochun attempts to content himself with just looking.
The elevator reaches the top and locks into place with a bump that shakes the car. Jaejoong moans, blindly reaching one of his hands out. "Min…"
Yunho wraps his arms tighter around Jaejoong's upper body as Junsu takes the outstretched hand. "It's okay, Jae," Yunho murmurs in his ear. "Changminnie's safe. We've got you now."
"Yunho?" Jaejoong mumbles through a half-conscious haze.
A tiny smile curls Yunho's lips. "Yeah, baby. It's me. And Junsu's right here next to me, holding your hand. You're both safe now, so just try to get some rest, okay?"
All the tension drains from Jaejoong's body, and he releases a soft sigh as he relaxes into sleep. Yunho presses a tender kiss to his head, and Junsu matches the gesture on the back of Jaejoong's hand. They trade a loving look before Junsu shifts to rest his head on Yunho's shoulder.
Tessa watches all of them and lets out her own sigh. The sound goes unnoticed.
~*~~*~
When they start to pull into their hotel's small parking lot, Yunho reluctantly wakes Jaejoong. Jaejoong groans as his body protests any movement but smiles when he realizes whose arms he'd slept in, and his eyes flutter open. "Hey," Yunho smiles back at him. "I didn't want to wake you, but we're back at the hotel. Time to get out of the car."
Jaejoong nods but leans up to curl into Junsu's chest. Junsu and Yunho share a small laugh before Yunho slides out of the car, and Junsu shifts Jaejoong to sit in the vacated seat. Pouting a little, Jaejoong rubs the sleep from his eyes. Then he sees Yoochun reaching over to touch Changmin's shoulder. "No! Don't touch him," Jaejoong snaps out, just short of a yell.
Pulling his hand away, Yoochun turns in his seat to look wide-eyed at Jaejoong. "Sorry," Jaejoong apologizes, voice lower and calmer now. "It's just… he doesn't like being touched. Especially not when he's asleep. Just give me a second." He offers Yoochun a small smile then turns his attention to Changmin. Minnie-ah, time to wake up. We're at the hotel now with Yoochun and Yunho and Junsu. Even Tessa's here, Min. We'll get to sleep in real beds tonight!
Changmin stirs, shifting in his seat as Jaejoong's voice filters through. It wasn't a dream? he questions as he slowly climbs into consciousness. We're really safe now? They're here?
Jaejoong smiles, something soft and sad in the expression. We really are safe now, Min. Yoochun's in the seat right next to you. I'm here in the backseat between Yunho and Junsu. And, from what I can tell, none of them will be letting us out of their sight any time soon. So just open your eyes and let them see you now, okay?
Taking a deep breath, Changmin slowly raises his eyelids then turns in his seat to look at Jaejoong. The older boy sends small waves of reassurance at him, and Changmin at least tries to smile for him. "Just like I told you, Minnie. Everyone's right here."
Changmin leans back against the car seat's head-rest as he shifts to look at Yoochun. His boyfriend is simply sitting back in his own seat, watching Changmin's every move with a soft smile. In any other situation, the action may have seemed almost creepy, but Changmin can feel something deep within him warm at the expression on Yoochun's face. "Hi," he greets Yoochun quietly.
Yoochun smiles at him, so full of love and tenderness and gentleness that Changmin wants to just dive into it and never come out again. "Hi," Yoochun replies, refusing to turn his gaze away.
A small cough from the backseat interrupts the moment, and Changmin turns back to acknowledge Yunho and Junsu then finally Tessa. After another short silence, Jaejoong starts shifting in his seat. "Alright, um… can we get out of the car now? I am really looking forward to a long, hot shower and a big, fluffy bed."
They all laugh a little before climbing out of the car. Yunho leads the way into the hotel and back towards the bank of elevators. "We were just sharing a single room with two double beds," he explains as they walk, mostly just to break up the silence, "but we upgraded to one of the two-bedroom suites earlier tonight. Thought it would give us a little more space to spread out."
When they get into the suite, they take a quick tour through the few rooms before Jaejoong heads for the giant bathroom. The door shuts behind him, and Changmin just stares at it, frozen in place. Yunho steps up behind him, intending only to help Changmin get cleaned up also. As soon as he touches the boy's elbow, though, Changmin crumbles; he collapses to the floor, curls into the closest corner with his arms wrapped around himself, and screams.
Before any of the others can even react, Jaejoong runs out of the bathroom and falls to his knees in front of Changmin. He murmurs soft, reassuring words as he sends out waves of calm and comfort. Eventually, the screams taper off to low whimpers. Yunho, Junsu, and Yoochun stand nearby, wanting to be close enough to help but far enough back to give the other two some space. After another minute, Changmin lets out a choked sob. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I just- I don't-"
Yunho kneels down next to him and Jaejoong, resting a hand on Jaejoong's lower back but careful not to touch Changmin again. "It's okay, Min. It's my fault. I should have realized you wouldn't like being surprised like that. No reason for you to be sorry."
Changmin looks up at him, searching for… something that Yunho can't quite place. Reassurance, maybe? Whatever it is, he seems to find it, and he gives Yunho a small nod. Jaejoong just watches the exchange before reaching out for Changmin's hand, making sure to broadcast his intentions to give Changmin the option of pulling away. Changmin doesn't, and Jaejoong grabs his hand then pulls him to his feet. "Would you be more comfortable sitting in the bathroom with me?" he asks quietly, nearly a whisper. "Or are you okay to stay out here?"
Raising his head, Changmin looks up at Jaejoong then looks - almost apologetically - around the room. "Can I… Can I stay with you?"
The others are too far away to hear, but Yunho catches the whole exchange. He tries not to take it personally. Changmin's been traumatized and broken with only Jaejoong for company for just under two months. Even so, something inside of him breaks at the knowledge that Changmin can't even bring himself to be alone with them. Jaejoong catches his eye over Changmin's shoulder and attempts to give him a small smile before turning his attention back to Changmin. "Yeah. Yeah, of course you can, Minnie."
The two disappear behind the bathroom door.
//Chapter 34//
Rating: R
Genre: AU, sci-fi, suspense
Chapter: Showing the Signs (33/?)
Pairings: YooMin, HoSuJae
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…
Warnings: Graphic torture, character death
Notes: Not really much to say here. Second to last chap, so... prepare for the end. ^__^
Previous: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24 , Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32
Chapter 33: Showing the Signs
The steady stream of energy that had been radiating from Changmin since they'd left the room suddenly starts spiking and pulsing, each wave stronger than the last. Changmin's eyes narrow with each passing moment that nothing happens. Dr. Phillips smirks, and Yoochun swears his heart falls from his chest to the scuffed floor. "They never did tell you, did they?" the doctor asks.
"Tell me what?" Changmin grinds out from between his clenched teeth.
"My power." Changmin stays silent, glaring at the man responsible for… everything. For Jaejoong being hurt. For splitting Jaejoong and Changmin from Yoochun and Junsu and Yunho. "You see, Changmin," the doctor continues, completely conversational and almost nonchalant, "there's a reason I'm the head of this place. A reason I'm so important. It's called negation, Changmin. Mental powers don't work on me. You can throw whatever you want at me and be no closer to getting past."
Changmin's stomach lurches. He briefly considers the fact that - with Junsu and Yoochun - it's three versus one, but the sound of guards rapidly approaching from both halls quickly destroys any idea of physically fighting their way out. His breath sticks in his lungs, and one thought crosses his mind: Now they've got all of us.
Before Changmin can fully give in to the despair, though, Dr. Phillips falls - unconscious - to the floor. Tessa stands behind him, a large chunk of brick smeared with blood in her hands. "Negate that, stupid bastard," she smirks. The boys just stare when she looks up and quirks a mischievous grin at them. "And that, my dears, is why I love arrogant jackasses. They always forget to cover all their bases. Now, are we just gonna stand here and wait for those guards to get here? Or are we gonna scurry our little butts out of here?"
Without waiting for an answer, she spins on a heel and rushes out into the tunnels; Yoochun grins a little then leads them out behind her. They all pile into the car, Changmin in the front seat next to Yoochun driving and Jaejoong laid across the other three's laps in the backseat. Yoochun turns the ignition, guns the accelerator, and squeals away from the Centre.
As they speed through the tunnels, the adrenaline starts to fade from Changmin's body. He slumps in his seat, resting his head against the window, as his eyes slowly drift closed. Before they're even back in the parking garage, he's sound asleep.
They wait for the elevator to raise their car, and Yoochun takes the time to study Changmin - taking in everything Changmin wouldn't let him see during the dreams. Changmin's skin stretches taut over his sharp cheekbones, ghostly pale in contrast to the bruise-like circles under his eyes. Any skin not covered by clothes is dotted with bruises, cuts, burns, and new-pink scars.
Yoochun's hands itch to reach out and touch Changmin, to reassure himself that the boy is real and actually sitting there. If Changmin's reactions to Yoochun in the dreams are any indication, though, the last thing he needs just after falling asleep is Yoochun touching him. So, instead, Yoochun attempts to content himself with just looking.
The elevator reaches the top and locks into place with a bump that shakes the car. Jaejoong moans, blindly reaching one of his hands out. "Min…"
Yunho wraps his arms tighter around Jaejoong's upper body as Junsu takes the outstretched hand. "It's okay, Jae," Yunho murmurs in his ear. "Changminnie's safe. We've got you now."
"Yunho?" Jaejoong mumbles through a half-conscious haze.
A tiny smile curls Yunho's lips. "Yeah, baby. It's me. And Junsu's right here next to me, holding your hand. You're both safe now, so just try to get some rest, okay?"
All the tension drains from Jaejoong's body, and he releases a soft sigh as he relaxes into sleep. Yunho presses a tender kiss to his head, and Junsu matches the gesture on the back of Jaejoong's hand. They trade a loving look before Junsu shifts to rest his head on Yunho's shoulder.
Tessa watches all of them and lets out her own sigh. The sound goes unnoticed.
~*~~*~
When they start to pull into their hotel's small parking lot, Yunho reluctantly wakes Jaejoong. Jaejoong groans as his body protests any movement but smiles when he realizes whose arms he'd slept in, and his eyes flutter open. "Hey," Yunho smiles back at him. "I didn't want to wake you, but we're back at the hotel. Time to get out of the car."
Jaejoong nods but leans up to curl into Junsu's chest. Junsu and Yunho share a small laugh before Yunho slides out of the car, and Junsu shifts Jaejoong to sit in the vacated seat. Pouting a little, Jaejoong rubs the sleep from his eyes. Then he sees Yoochun reaching over to touch Changmin's shoulder. "No! Don't touch him," Jaejoong snaps out, just short of a yell.
Pulling his hand away, Yoochun turns in his seat to look wide-eyed at Jaejoong. "Sorry," Jaejoong apologizes, voice lower and calmer now. "It's just… he doesn't like being touched. Especially not when he's asleep. Just give me a second." He offers Yoochun a small smile then turns his attention to Changmin. Minnie-ah, time to wake up. We're at the hotel now with Yoochun and Yunho and Junsu. Even Tessa's here, Min. We'll get to sleep in real beds tonight!
Changmin stirs, shifting in his seat as Jaejoong's voice filters through. It wasn't a dream? he questions as he slowly climbs into consciousness. We're really safe now? They're here?
Jaejoong smiles, something soft and sad in the expression. We really are safe now, Min. Yoochun's in the seat right next to you. I'm here in the backseat between Yunho and Junsu. And, from what I can tell, none of them will be letting us out of their sight any time soon. So just open your eyes and let them see you now, okay?
Taking a deep breath, Changmin slowly raises his eyelids then turns in his seat to look at Jaejoong. The older boy sends small waves of reassurance at him, and Changmin at least tries to smile for him. "Just like I told you, Minnie. Everyone's right here."
Changmin leans back against the car seat's head-rest as he shifts to look at Yoochun. His boyfriend is simply sitting back in his own seat, watching Changmin's every move with a soft smile. In any other situation, the action may have seemed almost creepy, but Changmin can feel something deep within him warm at the expression on Yoochun's face. "Hi," he greets Yoochun quietly.
Yoochun smiles at him, so full of love and tenderness and gentleness that Changmin wants to just dive into it and never come out again. "Hi," Yoochun replies, refusing to turn his gaze away.
A small cough from the backseat interrupts the moment, and Changmin turns back to acknowledge Yunho and Junsu then finally Tessa. After another short silence, Jaejoong starts shifting in his seat. "Alright, um… can we get out of the car now? I am really looking forward to a long, hot shower and a big, fluffy bed."
They all laugh a little before climbing out of the car. Yunho leads the way into the hotel and back towards the bank of elevators. "We were just sharing a single room with two double beds," he explains as they walk, mostly just to break up the silence, "but we upgraded to one of the two-bedroom suites earlier tonight. Thought it would give us a little more space to spread out."
When they get into the suite, they take a quick tour through the few rooms before Jaejoong heads for the giant bathroom. The door shuts behind him, and Changmin just stares at it, frozen in place. Yunho steps up behind him, intending only to help Changmin get cleaned up also. As soon as he touches the boy's elbow, though, Changmin crumbles; he collapses to the floor, curls into the closest corner with his arms wrapped around himself, and screams.
Before any of the others can even react, Jaejoong runs out of the bathroom and falls to his knees in front of Changmin. He murmurs soft, reassuring words as he sends out waves of calm and comfort. Eventually, the screams taper off to low whimpers. Yunho, Junsu, and Yoochun stand nearby, wanting to be close enough to help but far enough back to give the other two some space. After another minute, Changmin lets out a choked sob. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I just- I don't-"
Yunho kneels down next to him and Jaejoong, resting a hand on Jaejoong's lower back but careful not to touch Changmin again. "It's okay, Min. It's my fault. I should have realized you wouldn't like being surprised like that. No reason for you to be sorry."
Changmin looks up at him, searching for… something that Yunho can't quite place. Reassurance, maybe? Whatever it is, he seems to find it, and he gives Yunho a small nod. Jaejoong just watches the exchange before reaching out for Changmin's hand, making sure to broadcast his intentions to give Changmin the option of pulling away. Changmin doesn't, and Jaejoong grabs his hand then pulls him to his feet. "Would you be more comfortable sitting in the bathroom with me?" he asks quietly, nearly a whisper. "Or are you okay to stay out here?"
Raising his head, Changmin looks up at Jaejoong then looks - almost apologetically - around the room. "Can I… Can I stay with you?"
The others are too far away to hear, but Yunho catches the whole exchange. He tries not to take it personally. Changmin's been traumatized and broken with only Jaejoong for company for just under two months. Even so, something inside of him breaks at the knowledge that Changmin can't even bring himself to be alone with them. Jaejoong catches his eye over Changmin's shoulder and attempts to give him a small smile before turning his attention back to Changmin. "Yeah. Yeah, of course you can, Minnie."
The two disappear behind the bathroom door.
//Chapter 34//