Reckless #104: The Blue House [Part 1/2]
Title: The Blue house
Other Pairings: baekyeol
Rating: PG-15
Word Count: 12,773
Warnings: swearing
Summary: Kyungsoo had always been told to stay away from the blue house at the end of the road.
Author's Note: okay. So, I wrote this in about two days-- sorry for any and all mistakes, especially if the plot/character development isn’t good. For some reason when I saw that this prompt got dropped the only thing that ran through my mind was a wolf!au, so this is it. But yes, dear prompter I hope you enjoyed this! And thanks so much to the mods for such a great fest~~
There’s a pale, faded blue house that sits at the end of the road. It’s small and old. The paint is chipped and cracked in so many places and the front steps to the front door are rotten. The only new thing about the single floor home is the back porch. Recently renovated, the floorboards were replaced with fresh wood and fresh stains. There were small steps that lead up to it from the ground and there were also new seats settled along the porch. The backyard looks just as bad as the front. Long unkempt grass and weeds decorated the lawn. The yard itself had ended up blending so smoothly with the forest behind it, that one could assume that the house was one with the forest.
Kyungsoo had always been told to stay away from the blue house at the end of the road. He had always been told that it was haunted, that terrible things had taken place there. That the ‘For Sale’ sign would never be taken down because no one would be able to buy this plot of land. But still, Kyungsoo never listened. He and his friends would spend countless hours in the house. He knew the layout like the back of his hand.
Entering through the front door and immediately on the left is the small living room. Straight ahead is a hallway that leads to the back of the house. Along the hallway are two doors which lead to the lone bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen rested in the back corner of the house where there was the back door.
The interior of the home fared no better than the exterior. All the wallpaper and floor boards were old, rotten, falling apart. Still to this day, Kyungsoo was surprised that the building stood.
There was nothing about this house worthy of redemption. So when Kyungsoo walked along the adjacent street and saw a big bold ‘SOLD’ sign, Kyungsoo was surprised beyond belief.
-
“Can you believe that it’s sold?” Chanyeol asked Kyungsoo. The pair were standing behind the counter of the small diner they worked at. Minimum wage for a minimum job. Both had been working there since they were sixteen and both still worked there six years later. They were only supposed to be there for a year or two post-graduation, just to save up money in order to go to post-secondary. But somewhere along the way, they got stuck. Kyungsoo had once brought this up to Chanyeol. And his friend had only said that it felt like he was waiting for something. Kyungsoo too felt that way. But what they were waiting for… it was hard to say.
“I’m just surprised that it’s still standing,” Kyungsoo answered as he cleaned the same spot on the counter in front of him again. The rain outside hit the side of the windows, adding another source of background music other than the mundane 80’s playlist that the owner refused to change. It fits with the theme of the diner, Jinki, the owner, had told him when Kyungsoo had requested to change it. He and Chanyeol both knew the playlist like the back of their hand.
“I wonder who was stupid enough to buy the damn place,” Chanyeol said, he then folded his arms and rested his head on them. He was leaning awkwardly on the counter beside Kyungsoo. His long limbs looked uncomfortable.
Kyungsoo looked over at the clock that rested above the door. The incessant ticking had faded into the background, much like everything else around Kyungsoo.
3:45 it read. Kyungsoo sighed. Both Chanyeol and him were working until 9, when the diner closes. Luckily, Jinki was kind enough to let them both work the same shift. It made it less daunting.
The dinner rush would be approaching soon. Though, to call it a rush would be a lie. Instead of the occasional person who would arrive, the dinner rush had a constant ten to fifteen people who would arrive. All the same faces, almost every day.
“Damn, we need to get out of here,” Kyungsoo said aloud. Chanyeol hummed. “Do you think we should?”
“But we have to wait,” Chanyeol said in a sleepy tone. “We’re still waiting.”
“For what, though?” Kyungsoo asked in a quiet voice. Even though, Kyungsoo knew the kitchen staff were shooting-the-shit in the back, he couldn’t help but feel paranoid about this conversation. Everyone in town knew that if they didn’t leave soon, then Chanyeol and Kyungsoo would fall into the same routine that their own parents did. Working constantly only to stay in the same place.
“We just have to wait,” Chanyeol said again. “for them...”
Chanyeol had said the last part so quietly that Kyungsoo almost missed it.
“For them?” He asked Chanyeol, but before he could answer the door slammed open. This brought Chanyeol to full attention. The pair looked to the door.
It was Mrs. Park. No relation to Chanyeol. Her first name, or so Kyungsoo heard, was Bom. She had been living in this town ever since his own parents were children. His parents once joked that had always been old and never once a child. Kyungsoo could believe that.
“Mrs. Park,” Kyungsoo said to her as she sauntered over to her seat, her cane making a resonant sound with every step.
Kyungsoo immediately brought over a glass of water for her. “Just the usual for you?”
Mrs. Park took the glass of water from Kyungsoo, before he could place it on the table to took a sip. She placed it on the table and looked at Kyungsoo. She narrowed her eyes at him and then looked over his shoulder to Chanyeol. She pursed her lips before looking back at Kyungsoo.
“Just the usual,” she said to Kyungsoo. He nodded and made his way to the kitchen window, which was behind where Chanyeol was.
“Mrs. Park’s usual,” Kyungsoo called to Minho and Taemin, who were sitting playing a game of cards. They looked up when he called and moved to start on cooking her meal.
When Kyungsoo was back at Chanyeol’s side, his friend leaned into his ear.
“That was weird.”
Kyungsoo nodded and looked over to Mrs. Park, who still had her hard gaze set on them.
“Why is she looking at us like that?” Chanyeol whispered a little more frantically than before.
“I don’t know,” Kyungsoo said back. “Why don’t you go ask her?”
She looked away to drink more from her glass. It was half-full. Kyungsoo moved to refill her cup. She hated having her cup empty.
“You go ask,” Chanyeol whispered as Kyungsoo passed him with a water jug.
Kyungsoo shushed his friend as he walked over to Mrs. Park. She kept her gaze on him as he refilled the cup.
“Is everything okay?” Kyungsoo asked her gently. She clicked her tongue in response. That was the best he was going to get from her. Great.
Chanyeol had watched the interaction and knew that nothing came from it.
“So weird,” Chanyeol said. Kyungsoo hummed in agreement, but he couldn’t help but feel as if there was something more to it.
Kyungsoo sat at the dining room table with his parents. Yes, he still lived with them. It was free and he knew that they wouldn’t kick him out (yet). There wasn’t much being talked about as the TV was on in the background, but after yesterday's events Kyungsoo couldn’t help but wonder.
“Did you guys hear about the blue house?” Kyungsoo said as casually as he could. He had never really been able to get much from his parents when it came to the house.
Both his parents stopped their movements. He father still had his fork halfway to his mouth. He looked over to his wife, who simply looked at Kyungsoo with an austere expression.
“Yes, we’ve heard,” she said. Kyungsoo noticed how his father resumed his eating.
“Do you know who bought it?” Kyungsoo took a bite from his food. He looked back and forth between his parents. Both looked hesitant.
“No,” his father said.
“It doesn’t matter,” his mother said.
“Maybe I should go introduce myself then,” Kyungsoo said. He knew he was testing the waters. But he couldn’t help himself. Years upon years, he had been told to stay away from there and now that someone had finally moved in, all he wanted to do was find out who.
“Don’t--” his mother said quickly. “You are still not allowed to go to that house.”
Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “I’m not a child.”
“Kyungsoo,” his father warned. “We know you’re not a child. But still, don’t go there.”
-
The next day, of course, after work and after he bidded farewell to Chanyeol, Kyungsoo took a detour home. Passing along the street where he could easily see the blue house from the end, he stopped at the top of the road and looked at the house in the distance. It was overcast today, a small chance of rain, so he knew he shouldn't linger longer than necessary. There was a truck parked in front of the house. He could see the light on in the living room. He could also see some faint movement on the other side. It was brief, but then he saw it again. The figures were both going in the same direction.
Were there two people there? Kyungsoo wondered. He couldn’t tell. But suddenly, a figure appeared and stayed behind the blinds. Kyungsoo felt his heart rate increase and when he saw the curtains shifting, he started to walk away. He tried to make it look as casual as he could, he wasn’t sure if it was convincing. He walked several steps until he decided that maybe it might be safe enough to look again. When he turned his head, he saw a flash of red hair before the curtain swung shut. Kyungsoo felt a wave of familiarity hit him. He stared a little longer at the window. Hoping that his mind would help him remember. But nothing came.
-
Kyungsoo walked through the stretch of forest that surrounded most of the town. He kept close enough to the edge where he wouldn’t be too deep in the forest, nor would he be too close to someone’s property. He was supposed to be meeting up with Chanyeol for their weekly booze night. Both of them had Wednesday’s off, so Tuesday, the only day that they work an earlier shift, was ideal for them to meet up. Even though they saw each other often, these kind of night were important to them. When they were younger, they had always found themselves drawn to the forest. It was quiet, serene. Something the pair used as a get away from their lives. They had found a small patch in the forest, not too far from the blue house, where they met. It was like it had been used for small bonfires or parties.
Kyungsoo stepped over branches and twigs as he continued on his journey. Since it was early summer, he had his sweater tied around his waist and he could feel the sweat start to form on his brows already.
He looked over to his left and saw the blue house getting closer. He was surprised to see a shirtless figure on the back porch. A shirtless figure that was attractive. Extremely attractive. Kyungsoo had stopped in his tracks as he watch the man’s back. From where he stood, Kyungsoo could see the outline of the man’s muscles and tanned skin. Kyungsoo wasn’t sure what the man was doing, but Kyungsoo was sure that the man didn’t belong in that house.
The man turned around and looked directly at Kyungsoo, like he knew that Kyungsoo had been there. Kyungsoo’s eyes widened as he took in his face. He had pouty lips and hair that reached his brows, which he ended up pushing out of his eyes with his hand. This wasn’t the red hair he saw the other day. Kyungsoo's eyes slowly looked over his body. The man was well...formed. He wasn’t overly muscular nor too lanky. He was just right.
A sense of familiarity came back to him again. It was like he knew what it felt like to touch the man’s body.
Kyungsoo looked back up to the man’s face and he could’ve sworn he saw the faintest of smirks. Kyungsoo felt the heat rise to his cheeks.
He gave a small wave and hustled away from the house. The man didn’t say anything as Kyungsoo walked away. But when Kyungsoo turned his head back towards the house, he saw the man had taken steps closer to the edge of his porch, watching Kyungsoo as he walks away.
Kyungsoo had reached the spot where Chanyeol already was, nursing a beer. Kyungsoo approached his friend and took a seat next to him on the portable chairs that Chanyeol always brought. They would always switch between who would bring the beer, this week it was Chanyeol.
Kyungsoo cracked open the can and took a sip. “So, I saw the owner.”
“Really?” Chanyeol said and sat up in his chair. Waiting to hear more.
“There’s not really much to it,” Kyungsoo shrugged. “He’s very attractive. I think he might be our age?”
“How attractive are we talking?” Chanyeol asked taking a sip of his beer.
“Kim Woobin attractive,” Kyungsoo smiled. Both friends had thought the actor was extremely attractive, and they always used him as a scale of attractiveness.
“Shit,” Chanyeol said. “Now I know I need to see him.”
Chanyeol and Kyungsoo had always been similar, they were like two peas in a pod. Though, Chanyeol was a little more outgoing than Kyungsoo, they both complement each other well. Them being friends just made sense. Everything was just so easy. They had their own groove that it was hard for other people to join them. Even when they came out to each other, it made sense. Like they had both known each other’s sexuality before it was ever spoken of.
They loved each other platonically, which was probably why they both did just about everything together. Many people were under the assumption that they were dating and of course that led to bullying and of course their parents both trying to set them up with girls. But no, they were both, to each other, the brother they never had.
Several empty cans of beer later, when the night was on them, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol decided to call it a night. Kyungsoo was following behind Chanyeol, holding onto the chair he had used, when he heard a crack of a branch. He stopped dead in his tracks and Chanyeol followed suit. Though they loved the forest, they still had a small ounce of fear of the things that lurked in the dark-- it would be stupid not to.
They both paused and waited for another sound. But nothing happened.
“It was nothing,” Chanyeol said. Mostly to reassure himself. Kyungsoo hummed as they continued walking. But Kyungsoo couldn't help but feel as if something or someone was watching them leave the forest.
-
It had been a year after they graduated, and both Chanyeol and Kyungsoo had saved enough money to go on a trip. They decided somewhere local, but not too local. They decided to fly over to Seoul and experience the city life. They took in the sights and sounds of the city, both overwhelmed with everything, but still loving it nonetheless.
It was one of their last couple of days in the city that they decided they wanted to get stupid drunk. They had went to dinner and shared a couple bottles of soju and then decided to hit up a club. It was tucked away in the small corner of the city. It was called Pack Central, or something like that. Kyungsoo couldn’t really remember and he didn’t really trust Chanyeol’s memory from that night. But he knew that they had made it inside and drank a lot more. At some point during that night, they were both approached by two attractive males. Chanyeol was approached by someone of Kyungsoo's height with distinct red hair. And Kyungsoo was approached by a man who had pouty lips. Pouty lips that Kyungsoo had spent the rest of the night kissing. Lips that left invisible marks all over his body.
Kyungsoo doesn't remember much from that night, only that when he woke the next morning with multiple hickeys and Chanyeol entering their hotel room looking well-fucked, that they both had drank way too much.
Though neither remembered much, they both swore that they had met their ‘one-that-got-away.’
Kyungsoo woke with a start, the only thing on his mind were pouty lips. Lips like the man from the blue house. He tried to forget it as he got ready for his day. He promised his mother that he would go shopping with her before he started his shift later. He mostly had closing shifts, which he didn’t mind.
Kyungsoo was pushing the cart behind his mother, who was walking ahead to the frozen food section. As much as he hated grocery shopping, he knew his mother liked spending time with him so he sucked it up just for the sake of her.
He was in his own little world, not really paying attention to where he was going. His mother had already exited the aisle and turned into the next one, it was like she was on a mission.
Kyungsoo’s cart then bumped into someone, which brought him out of his own mind.
“Shit, sorry--” Kyungsoo stopped the rest of his speech.
It was the man from the blue house. He had the door open and pressed against his shoulder, his hand holding onto a small container of Ben and Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream.
Seeing the man up close made Kyungsoo realize just how attractive he was. He had secretly hoped that up close the man didn’t look as attractive but damn, was he wrong.
“S-sorry,” Kyungsoo said again. He locked eyes with the man. Even his eyes were attractive.
“It’s fine,” his voice was deep, but not deep like Chanyeol’s. Maybe it was the way he had given Kyungsoo such a short answer, like he was angry or trying to push away interacting with him, that made his voice deep.
Kyungsoo opened his mouth to say something else when he heard his mother's curt voice.
“Kyungsoo,” she said, approaching from behind the man. She looked angry as she got closer and closer. She had sent a glare over to the man in front of Kyungsoo. She directed her next response to the man. “What do you think you’re doing?”
The man sent a glare to his mother, the air was beginning to get tense.
“You said--” his mother was cut off.
“I know what I said,” the man said. He put the ice cream back and let the freezer door shut with a slam as he walked away. Kyungsoo watched him go briefly before looking at her mother. But instead of the anger that she held in her face before, it was replaced with...fear? Concern. He wasn't sure what it was, but the crease in her brow dissipated whatever anger he felt.
“What was that about?” Kyungsoo asked in a softer voice, so as to not to anger her further.
“It’s nothing,” she said. “Just stay away from him.”
“He owns the blue house,” Kyungsoo said, carefully, watching her expression. But nothing was given away. “doesn’t he?”
“Just,” she sighed, “stay away, Kyungsoo.”
Later, when Kyungsoo and his mother were putting things in the trunk of the car, Kyungsoo remembered something.
“Give me a second mom,” Kyungsoo said. He started backing up, while there were still several bags left to put away. “I forgot to buy something.”
Before his mother could say anything Kyungsoo jogged back into the store and went straight for the section he needed. Once purchased, he ran back to the car and slipped into the passenger seat.
“What did you forget?” his mother asked him when she pulled out the lot.
“Nothing.”
Kyungsoo had brought the item with him to work and tucked it in the freezer. He made sure to leave a note on it so no one (read: Chanyeol) would eat it. After his shift and after explaining to Chanyeol what he was intending to do, Kyungsoo made the detour, which passed by the blue house.
He wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but when he saw the front light room he walked down the street towards the house. Walking down the street at night, alone, was eerie. Everything felt too quiet and he felt like he was walking to his death. The sparse street lights didn’t help his nerves. Especially not when he was taking his first step onto the rotten stairs. They creaked under his weight. It was so quiet that Kyungsoo was sure the man could hear him from inside.
Kyungsoo raised his hand to knock. His other hand tightening on the bag. The nerves were hitting him harder now and he wasn’t sure. He looked around the street behind, thinking that maybe there was something there. But there was nothing. He turned back to the door and took a deep breath.
He waited two breaths before he knocked. It was several more breaths after that that Kyungsoo heard footsteps. The steps were getting closer and closer and stopped on the other side of the door. There were no sounds on the other side. Kyungsoo was almost wondering if he was hearing things, when he heard a lock flip and the door creak open to reveal the man.
Kyungsoo’s eyes quickly racked over the man before curiosity got the best of him and he tried to look inside the house. The man caught on quickly and rested his body against the door frame to hide the inside. The only thing that Kyungsoo got a brief glimpse of was a small green sofa.
“Yes?” the man asked. The hand that had opened the door, now rested on the door, just above the man’s head. Looking at the man now brought Kyungsoo a sort of calmness he hadn’t felt in a while. It was hard to explain what it was.
“I-um..” Kyungsoo cleared his throat and lifted the bag to the man. “Sorry. About my mom. Earlier.”
Kyungsoo mentally cursed at himself.
The man took the bag and looked at the contents inside. He raised his eyebrows when he saw and then looked towards Kyungsoo. He felt his heart skip at the eye contact.
“She can be quite...rude,” Kyungsoo said scratching the back of his head. “Sometimes. And...um, yeah. Sorry. I saw you holding it in the store...”
“What do you want?”
The way the man phrased that made Kyungsoo realize his mistake.
“N-nothing. I just wanted to apologize?” Kyungsoo himself wasn’t sure what compelled him to go out of his way to buy the ice cream.
“Aren’t you not supposed to be coming here?” the man asked. It was Kyungsoo’s turn to raise his brows.
“You know about that?” Kyungsoo asked in a whisper, like they were trading secrets. When the man nodded Kyungsoo continued. “I’m not a child anymore. They can’t really tell me what to do.”
“Well, then take this as me telling you what to do,” the man said. “Stay off my property and don’t come here again.”
The man went to close the door, but Kyungsoo stopped him with his foot. Both looked surprised by his actions.
“What’s you name?” Kyungsoo heard himself say. What the fuck was wrong with him? “I’m Kyungsoo.”
The man’s eyes narrowed at Kyungsoo before responding.
“Jongin.”
--
“There is seriously something going on,” Kyungsoo said the next day during his shift with Chanyeol. They were standing far off to the side of the counter. The restaurant was quiet again, so they were talking in hushed tones. “Jongin told me I can’t go on his property. And my parents keep telling me to stay away from there and him.”
“You too?” Chanyeol asked. He leaned against the counter, while Kyungsoo stood in front of him. “I brought it up with my parents last night and they told me to stay away as well.”
Kyungsoo sighed, just as the restaurant door opened. There was a familiar mop of red hair that Kyungsoo had seen before at Jongin’s house the other night. Maybe a friend? Boyfriend? No, couldn’t be a boyfriend.
Kyungsoo felt jealousy run through his veins. Why the fuck was he jealous?
The red head confidently approached the counter and sat at one of the bar stools. Both Kyungsoo and Chanyeol looked at each other briefly before Chanyeol sauntered over to the new addition. Chanyeol always handled the counter, while Kyungsoo dealt with the rest. It was a rule between the pair.
The red head gave Chanyeol a big smile as Chanyeol handed him a menu. But the red head’s eyes ever left Chanyeol’s face.
“Hi, Chanyeol.”
Kyungsoo was surprised at the way the stranger said his name. It was almost in a dreamy sort of way.
“How--?” Chanyeol said. Kyungsoo could see the colour changing in his friend's face.
“Name tag,” Baekhyun’s smile soften as he looked away and over at Kyungsoo. “Kyungsoo, how are you?”
Kyungsoo opened and closed his mouth briefly. This stranger was so...nice. “I’m okay.”
“That’s good,” he replied and then turned to look at the menu. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol both looked at one another, surprised by the boy. “My name’s Baekhyun.”
“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said, letting the name roll of his tongue. Kyungsoo noticed the change in Baekhyun’s posture. He looked more tense and rigid, like the way Chanyeol spoke had affected him.
Suddenly, the restaurant door slammed open. Kyungsoo didn’t even need to look to know that it was Mrs. Park.
He looked over at her and saw her regard Baekhyun with narrowed eyes. Baekhyun had turned to looked at her, but Kyungsoo wasn’t able to see his face from where he stood. Whatever expression he wore caused Mrs. Park to humpf and move to her seat.
Kyungsoo without much thought walked over to her and handed her water. He heard some chatter from behind him, where Chanyeol and Baekhyun were, but he shut them out as he spoke to Mrs. Park.
“Just your usual today?”
She nodded as she looked over her shoulder towards Chanyeol and Baekhyun, who were still talking quietly. Kyungsoo noticed a change in her eyes. Instead of her hard expression, she wore something softer as she looked at the pair. Like she was longing for something. Something that Baekhyun and Chanyeol had and she didn’t.
She then noticed that Kyungsoo hadn’t moved from his spot. “What are you still doing here, boy? The food won’t make itself.”
Kyungsoo muttered an apology as he walked back behind the counter and called to the back. When he turned back around, he noticed how Baekhyun was giving Chanyeol such a fond look, and from the angle he had, he could see his friends face and his blush.
They were getting along well and very fast too. So then he couldn’t be Jongin’s boyfriend-- Kyungsoo stopped the rest of his thought.
It shouldn’t matter who Jongin was dating or not, it was none of Kyungsoo’s business. But still, deep down, he could feel slight twinge of his heart at the thought of Jongin dating someone.
Noticing that Kyungsoo was standing alone, Baekhyun brought Kyungsoo into their conversation.
“So, you’re new around here?” Kyungsoo tried to ask casually. Baekhyun gave him a smirk.
“My friend actually moved here recently,” Baekhyun explained. “I come and visit every couple of days to make sure he hasn’t died.”
“Jongin?” Kyungsoo asked. Though he already knew that Jongin was his friend.
“Yeah,” Baekhyun still held a small smirk on his face. Kyungsoo looked over at Chanyeol, he looked just as invested as Kyungsoo was. Thankfully, he and his friend understood each other well enough to know where Kyungsoo was trying to go with this. “You met him?”
“Briefly,” Kyungsoo admitted. “He was very…”
“Standoffish, stubborn, rude,” Baekhyun chuckled. “That’s Jongin for you.”
Chanyeol rested his hands on the counter in front of him. “What made him move down to this nowhere town?”
Kyungsoo felt his eyes shift over to Mrs. Park before Baekhyun answered. She was looking out the window. When Kyungsoo shifted his gaze to look out the window, he caught her gaze looking over at them. He quickly looked away and back towards Baekhyun.
“There’s just something he needs to do,” Baekhyun said solemnly.
Before either could ask, the restaurant door opened once again. Baekhyun didn’t even turn around ask he mumbled: “Speak of the devil...”
Jongin was at the doorway now. To say that he look livid when he locked eyes with Baekhyun would be an understatement. He stalked towards Baekhyun but stopped short when he saw Mrs. Park. They shared a look, much like Baekhyun and her did before. But this time Kyungsoo was able to see Jongin’s face. As he was trying to decipher it, he realized that Mrs. Park knew something about Jongin and Baekhyun that Kyungsoo didn’t. Something that must’ve been tied to that blue house, right?
Jongin shook his head and made the rest of the way to Baekhyun, who sat there watching the interaction.
“Baekhyun,” Jongin said with a serious tone, almost like he was scolding the other.
“I know,” Baekhyun said quietly before turning his head to briefly look at Chanyeol then back at Jongin. “Sorry.”
Jongin looked at the confused pair, who stood watching all this happen. Jongin momentarily locked eyes with Kyungsoo, which caused his heart to leap again.
“Time to go,” Jongin said as he turned back around so suddenly. Baekhyun turned back to face the pair. He looked so sad, Kyungsoo thought.
“Guess no dinner,” he said quietly. Baekhyun lifted his gaze to Chanyeol. “I’ll see you around?” Chanyeol nodded his head, a little unsure.
“Sure?”
“Baekhyun,” Jongin said from where he was at the door. Kyungsoo could help but run his eyes over Jongin’s body again. He didn’t think he would ever get tired of doing that.
Baekhyun leaped off his seat and sauntered towards the door. Just as they left a ding sounded, signaling that Mrs. Parks’s food was ready.
Kyungsoo gathered the necessary items and brought it over to her.
“Best be careful boy,” she said quietly to Kyungsoo. “You and your friend.”
--
The weekend and Monday had passed by in a blur. Kyungsoo finds himself wandering through the forest like he usually does Tuesday night. Tonight was different though, as Chanyeol and him had both decided that they should talk about the recent events in more detail then they’ve been able too. Both Chanyeol and Kyungsoo have realized that both their parents have been making them do more things than they normally would, so they haven’t really had time to do things together, like they normally do.
Kyungsoo had just reached their spot and noticed that Chanyeol wasn’t there.
He pulled out his phone and gave his friend a call.
“Hey,” Kyungsoo said when Chanyeol answered.
“Yo man, I can’t make it.”
“What, why?”
“My parents are hounding me right now. I’m surprised you managed to get away.”
“I barely did,” Kyungsoo said. “I’ll wait around a bit more, see if you can try and get away.”
“For sure. I’ll text you if I can’t”
The pair hung up and Kyungsoo found the nearest log to sit on while he waited.
There wasn’t much for him to do while he waited except to think. But Kyungsoo didn’t want to think cause if he started to think than he would start thinking about Jongin--
There was a crack of a branch that pulled him from his thoughts. Kyungsoo stood from where he sat cautiously.
There was another crack.
And a rumble, like a rumble coming from an animal.
What the fuck, Kyungsoo thought to himself.
He heard another crack. This time it was closer and to his left. He felt his heart start to pound, making it harder for him to hear any external sounds.
He took cautious steps away from the most recent crack. He managed several steps when he heard the rumble again.
But this time the rumble turned into a growl.
“Fuck,” Kyungsoo whispered mostly to himself.
There were two ways that Kyungsoo could try to save himself. First he could look for the closest tree and climb it and hope to all the gods that whatever it was couldn’t climb. Or he could run like hell.
Statistically speaking, Kyungsoo wasn’t known to be the best climber in the town nor was he the best runner. But that being said, he decided upon the latter of the two options.
So, without second thought, Kyungsoo turned and ran. He ran fast and hard. He could hear the animal behind him chasing him, but Kyungsoo kept making abrupt turns and using the trees to help throw the animal off.
Kyungsoo, who was making good time, decided to check behind him to see what kind of animal it was. What he saw was a wolf. But not a wolf. It was larger than the ones he had read about as a child. This was much larger than that.
As he turned back around to continue forward, he missed the tree branch that was right under him. As he went to lift up his foot, he tripped and fell forward.
He felt a stinging sensation on his left hand and knee.
“Fuck,” Kyungsoo said as he frantically got up. He knew he could risk turning around or waiting. He had to get out of the forest. “Oh, fuck.”
In the distance he could see a clearing, which led to the blue house. He wasn’t sure how far the wolf was behind him and frankly, Kyungsoo didn’t care.
He could still hear the growling, which gave him the motivation to run harder, even while being injured.
He reached the clearing, but he didn’t stop running. And still he didn’t turn back. He heart was thundering, just as his feet were when they reached the back porch.
He slammed into the back door and frantically banged on the door.
“Jongin!” Kyungsoo shouted. “Jongin!”
The back door opened and whether it be from Kyungsoo’s pressure or Jongin’s lack of strength on the door, Kyungsoo fell forward onto jongin’s kitchen floor, hurting his already injured knee, again.
“What the…”
“A wolf,” Kyungsoo said, cutting Jongin off, as he scrambled backwards further into the house. His breathing was erratic. “There was, is, a wolf.”
Jongin turned to face outside, he took several steps outside.
“Wait,” Kyungsoo said. “Don’t--”
Kyungsoo stopped himself when he saw something change in Jongin’s demeanor. Though, he saw the males back, Kyungsoo could see through his shirt how his back muscles tensed. His fists were clenched into tight fists and his legs were braced. Kyungsoo could’ve swore he felt a power radiate from Jongin’s very core.
After what felt like a lifetime, Jongin turned back inside his house and slammed the door shut, which causes Kyungsoo to jump and bring him out of his adrenaline rush. What replaced it was shock and fear.
He felt his body start to shake uncontrollably.
“Holy fuck,” Kyungsoo said. He put his head in his hands, once he managed to rest his back against the counter. “Holy...fuck.”
He couldn’t stop the shaking and he felt like he was going to cry. He didn’t like the thought of having a panic attack on Jongin’s kitchen floor, so he tried to take shaky breaths.
What he didn’t expect was for Jongin to kneel in front of him and place a gentle hand on his good knee.
“You’re safe now.”
And just like that, Kyungsoo felt it. He felt safe, like nothing could ever hurt him. Kyungsoo removed his head from his hands and looked up at Jongin.
“You’re safe,” Jongin said again. Kyungsoo was still shaking though. He breathing was slowly starting to regulate. Jongin reached out and took Kyungsoo’s hands in his. “You’re okay.”
Keeping Kyungsoo’s hand in one of his own, Jongin reach forward with the other and brought Kyungsoo into an embrace. Jongin rested his head on top of Kyungsoo’s.
Kyungsoo wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that for, but even as Kyungsoo started to calm down enough to stop shaking, Jongin still held him close. It was nice.
“We should probably get you cleaned up,” Jongin said quietly as he pulled away. Kyungsoo nodded and moved to get up but Jongin surprised him and lifted him into his arms. He brought him across the hall and into the bathroom and rested him on the toilet seat which was already closed.
“I could’ve walked,” Kyungsoo said. Jongin ignored him as he ducked under the sink and shuffled around to find his first aid kit. When he brought it out, Jongin kneeled in front of Kyungsoo.
“I’m going to lift your jean leg up,” Jongin said. He slowly and as carefully as he could brought the jeans leg past Kyungsoo’s injured knee. It definitely didn’t look as bad as it felt. The was a couple cuts on his knee, but nothing a couple days couldn’t fix.
Jongin carefully got some antiseptic out and hovered it over the cut.
“This might sting.”
Kyungsoo braced himself for the sting but was surprised by how subtle the pain was.
“That wasn’t so bad,” Kyungsoo said. Jongin hummed as he continued to clean the area. Once he placed a bandage on his knee and brought the jean leg down again did Jongin move on to Kyungsoo’s hand. It was a little bit worse that his knee, since there wasn’t any protection.
“Try to stay out of the woods,” Jongin said after Kyungsoo hissed at the contact of antiseptic. “It’s dangerous.”
“Everything is dangerous nowadays,” Kyungsoo watched as Jongin continued his handy work. “Can I--” Kyungsoo paused for a moment wondering if he really should ask Jongin. “Can I ask you something?”
When Jongin didn’t say no, Kyungsoo continued.
“Why did you move here?” Kyungsoo said, keeping a careful eye on Jongin’s expression. “And why this house of all houses?”
Jongin didn’t answer right away, Kyungsoo wasn’t even sure if Jongin was going to answer.
“I just needed to come here,” Jongin as he threw away the trash that was created. “That’s all you need to know.”
Part 2