Caged (Chapter 2)
Title: Caged (Chapter 2)
Characters/Pairings: Kyuhyun, Sungmin, eventual KyuMin, Siwon, Han Geng
Rating: R
WARNINGS: Implied sex/rape, disturbing situations
Genre: au, angst, drama
Summary: It is a world full of dirt, abuse, selfishness and greed. It is an even worse world for a slade. A slade is a type of slave that is trained for a different form of manual labor. In today's terms, a prostitute of sorts. However, slades are purchased permanently and for one master only. Each slade has their own form of training, their own past, their own story. When four slades are forced to accept the idea that there is a world outside of their own, do they dare try to escape? Do they even have enough of their old selves left to be able to?
~~~~~
The giant lights that lined the ceiling flickered to life at 7:00am sharp. However, the room's occupants were already awake. Whether it be excitement or their training, which had forced them to wake up at 6:00am everyday, the slades woke up promptly before 7am.
Sungmin, the smaller but more mature slade, woke after a fitful sleep and tried to pack the rest of his new clothes in his bureau. Although it had still been dark when he had started, the rooms having no windows, Sungmin could see well enough. Inside the other drawers he found a few other clothes. Again, he was surprised to find more clothes; a generous master, he thought.
Kyuhyun had woken up to the rustling of Sungmin's blankets when the other slade had gotten up. He, too, put his clothes in his bureau, also questioning his luck at finding more clothes in his own drawers. The younger slade was antsy. He knew what was to come this day, and he was prepared, but nervous.
His best guesses brought him to the conclusion that their master was generous and therefore would be a kind master; however, he had been trained to expect all masters to be vicious and rough the first time they take their new slade. It was a way of putting them in place. The masters all knew all slades were trained to do what they were told, but the first time they are taken is supposed to distinguish the master-slade relationship. Slades were prepared for the worst, but Kyuhyun, still being slightly immature and still holding on to his emotions that failed to leave him, held a glimmer of hope that he could have a nice life with a kind master.
Neither of the slades spoke to each other for fear of when exactly they were to be taken. If their guards walked in and heard them speaking to each other, especially before they were formally taken by their master, there would be consequences. However, neither of the slades could keep from sneaking glances at the other.
While Kyuhyun began looking through his bookshelf to see what he had been given, he chanced a glance at Sungmin who was going through the drawers at his own desk. Sungmin could feel someone watching him. He turned to meet eyes with Kyuhyun, who quickly refocused his attention back to the bookshelf. Sungmin smirked as he turned back to the notebooks and pens he found in his desk.
At 10am, their attention was quickly drawn to the double doors as they heard voices and footsteps getting closer. Their two guards, the same from the night before, walked in talking amongst themselves, not even addressing the slades' presence.
The one who spoke with a slight accent brought a tray of food to Sungmin's door. While the other guard brought an identical tray to Kyuhyun's door. Once at the doors, the guards pulled aside a small slide door built into the cage door. It was just big enough to slide the tray of food through. Sungmin and Kyuhyun jumped to their feet and took their trays.
Kyuhyun muttered a small “thanks,” which caused the other three present to pause and stare at the younger slade. The two guards chuckled to themselves, while Sungmin just continued to stare. However, Kyuhyun didn't notice any of this. He simply took his tray of food, muttered what his manners declared and moved to sit at his desk.
The guards left without another word, and Sungmin made his way to his own desk. As he sat down, he could hear Kyuhyun picking at his own food. Looking at his tray he found two eggs, a few slices of bacon, two halves of toast, orange juice, a water bottle, and two small jars containing butter and jam. Sungmin was once again taken aback by the generosity of his new master. In training, he was lucky if he got butter on the one slice of toast he was given.
Sungmin wasn't nervous for what was to come when his master finally took him. He had been in some form of training since he was born. Whatever his master had planned, he knew he could handle it. He took the fork that he was given and began to pick at his eggs, humming in contentment when he realized everything was delicious and cooked perfectly.
Nothing happened after that. The two slades continued to explore their new living quarters in silence. Each one pausing in their own time to read a bit of a book or write a bit in one of their notebooks.
It was noon when their attention was once again brought to the double doors. Their guards walked in with another set of identical trays. The routine was the same; they came in, not even acknowledging the two slades, slid the trays of food through the slot in the door, chuckling at another one of Kyuhyun's innocent “thanks,” and then left without another word. The two slades now knew this was to be the usual routine. What time their dinner would be served, they didn't know, but they did know it would be brought to them in the same manner.
Only to change the routine, Kyuhyun brought his lunch tray to his bed and picked at it there. Sungmin, on the other hand, brought his tray to his desk as he had done earlier. On his tray he found a plate full of bulgogi and a side bowl of rice, along with another bottle of water. Once again, he hummed at the delicious taste.
It was nearing 6pm and neither of the slades had spoken to each other, nor had really done anything. Another small tray had been brought to them, which contained a series of small snacks that they were told they could keep in their room to enjoy whenever they wanted. Both of the slades' eyes had widened at the thought of keeping food for themselves to enjoy later. This had never happened during training. Sungmin, the hardened and least emotional of the two slades, felt a twinge of hope that his harsh training had been unnecessary, that his new master was kind.
It was 6:30pm when both of the guards visited the slades again; however, this time was different, this was not their usual food delivery. Both guards went to Kyuhyun's door and told him to come to the door and stick his hands close to the bars so they could handcuff them; again, it was simply a formality, Kyuhyun wouldn't run; where would he even go?
Kyuhyun edged to the door. He tried to slow his breathing, his excitement and nerves were getting the best of him and he needed to not look like a wreck when he finally saw his master.
His hands were cuffed and he could feel his thin fingers twitching with excitement. The guards opened his door and took a hold of both his arms as they led him towards the double doors.
“When he's finished with him, he wants you.” One guard called back to Sungmin, who had stayed seated on his bed as he watched all the action from his cage.
“...He wants the best for last...” Sungmin thought he heard the one with the accent snigger out. He didn't know if he had actually heard it until he saw the horrified look on Kyuhyun's face when he looked towards the sniggering guard.
The doors shut behind them and Sungmin was once again thrust into silence; a lonely silence. He looked around his cage, and subsequently, into Kyuhyun's empty cage. He had only been kept with another slade for about 24 hours, they had barely spoken to each other, and yet, he already found himself missing the younger slade, or maybe he was simply missing human contact that didn't have to do with sexually pleasing someone else.
To get rid of these strange thoughts and new emotions he'd never felt, Sungmin pulled a random book off the bookshelf and laid on his bed to clear his mind and focus on what 'best for last' meant.
~
Kyuhyun was led up the stairs from his basement/living area to the front lobby. He recognized the black and white tiled floors, but he still didn't risk a look at the rest of the room. He was led up the stairs and to the left. Although he didn't look up, he saw that he was led down a long, carpeted hallway and placed in front of the fifth door on the left.
One of the guards took off his handcuffs and gave them to the man with the accent. This guard then opened the door they were standing in front of.
The guard without an accent pushed Kyuhyun into the room and guided him to a door on the right side of the room. Kyuhyun saw the room had a red carpet and it felt soft under his bare feet. He had been given socks, but no shoes; a small sign to remind him how hard it would be if he tried to escape.
Kyuhyun was pushed through the next door which led to a nice bathroom. It was large but still clean and very neat, very modern. There was a toilet that had a small pile of clean clothes; nicer clothes than Kyuhyun had been given before.
“Get undressed.” The guard without an accent ordered. The guard with the accent could be seen behind him, giving the main room some last minute touch ups.
Kyuhyun quickly did as he was told and handed his plain clothes to the guard.
“Get in the shower. You can use warm water.” The guard ordered again. He took Kyuhyun's clothes and folded them before placing them in the corner of the bathroom.
Kyuhyun got in the shower and stared at the two knobs in front of him. He had never turned a shower on by himself before, and he had never been allowed to use warm water before. He didn't know exactly what to do.
Seeing his confusion and quickly realizing why, the guard in the bathroom with him, turned the knob on the right and warm water began to spray on Kyuhyun.
Kyuhyun flinched a bit at the soothing sensation of warm water on him. It was nice, and he had been told warm water was a luxury he would never use, but he found himself preferring his usual cold showers to this warm, 'luxurious' one.
“Soap is on the shelf beside you. Use shampoo, too.” The guard said as he stood watching, making sure the slade didn't do anything stupid; another formality. “What's wrong?” The guard asked when he saw hesitance in Kyuhyun's actions.
Kyuhyun looked to the guard's chest, not looking him in the eye as his rules demanded. He wanted to tell the guard what he wanted, but he knew he shouldn't speak, especially not to ask for something.
The guard knew all of this of course, and simply chuckled when Kyuhyun refused to answer him. However, he was kinder than most expected. He was a guard for his master's slades, yes, but he had been raised in a kind family, a family that tried to teach love for everyone no matter their status. But this world was no longer made of equality and freedom. He taught himself to hide his true being, his true kindheartedness. Seeing Kyuhyun want to tell him something, and knowing he couldn't, he told the slade he could be trusted.
Kyuhyun looked quickly to the guard's face before resting his eyes on his neck, still avoiding his eyes. The guard had said he could trust him, that he would not report the slade for talking to him or asking for something. Kyuhyun tried his hardest to resist the urge to ask to shower with cold water instead. He didn't know if he could genuinely trust the guard or if this was just a test. He had been trained, yes, and trained well at that, but actually living as a slade in his master's home could be different.
Instead, Kyuhyun turned back to the duty at hand and grabbed the shampoo to begin washing himself.
The guard watched on with a slightly different look in his eyes. Had Kyuhyun actually gathered the courage to look, he would have seen sympathy.
“Okay,” the guard said when Kyuhyun turned to his direction when he finished rinsing all the soap off his body. The guard held out a towel for Kyuhyun to step into and helped the slade dry off before picking up the folded clothes on the toilet.
Once Kyuhyun was redressed, he was led back into the main room and told to sit on the bed to wait for his master. It wasn't until the two guards left the room and shut the door that Kyuhyun finally looked up from the floor.
He saw this room had a golden, almost Victorian theme. There were gold lights hanging on the wall, the carpet was a deep red, while the walls were patterned gold and red. The bed had enough room for at least three people to sleep comfortably. There were two nightstands on either side of the bed, each had a drawer and a lamp on top.
Kyuhyun sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed, silent and waiting. His nerves were coming back and he could feel the muscles in his legs twitching every once in a while. This was it, his master was going to take him and solidify that this is where he will be staying for the rest of his life.
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Kyuhyun looked up at the door, but didn't know what to do. Should he say something? But his fears didn't last long as the door was pushed open slowly. His eyes immediately shot to the ground when he realized the man coming into the room wasn't either of his guards.
“Hello.” The man spoke as he shut the door behind him and turned to Kyuhyun. “My name is Iljun. Remember it.”
The man was sturdy and spoke in a manner that demanded respect; however, there was a noticeable tone of gentleness in his voice. Kyuhyun didn't know what to think of it. The only things that were running through his head were his various training sessions.
“You can look at me.” Iljun said. He placed his hand under Kyuhyun's chin and tilted his head up to face him. He chuckled to himself when Kyuhyun's eyes looked everywhere but his own. “Look at me.” It was more of an order this time, and Kyuhyun could recognize that.
Kyuhyun finally looked into his new master's eyes. His master smiled back at him. He saw that Iljun was old enough to be his father, and from what he had heard when he was first brought to the house, he had a son; a son probably the same age as Kyuhyun. This fact didn't even affect him in the least, he had had older in training.
Iljun smiled at his new slade. His guards had done well. He had asked for two slades, both well trained., but he wanted one he needed to be gentle with and one he could be rough with. Kyuhyun, he could tell, was still immature, was somehow still a child at heart. He felt the need to be gentle with Kyuhyun. That will be Kyuhyun's place to him.
“Move back on the bed.” Iljun ordered. He took off his suit jacket and hung in on the coat rack next to the door. Kyuhyun tried to gracefully shuffle himself back against the headboard of the bed.
~
It wasn't quick and it wasn't rough. Iljun had stayed true to his word and was gentle, almost loving to Kyuhyun. He had whispered empty promises of love and kindness before ordering Kyuhyun to do something. It wasn't hard; it wasn't fast, but it got Iljun's point across. Kyuhyun was now his slade, forever.
~
Iljun quickly left the room, leaving a tired and naked Kyuhyun panting on the bed. Kyuhyun stared at the ceiling as everything that had happened and what it meant sunk in. He was now his master's slade, forever.
The two guards quickly rushed in and put Kyuhyun back into his old clothes from earlier in the day and rushed him out of the room. They took him back down the stairs to the artificially lit basement area where they pushed him into the showering area and tossed him a bar of soap; cold water this time, which Kyuhyun appreciated. He was eventually redressed and relocked into his cage.
He barely had time to realize the two guards had taken Sungmin after locking him in his own cage before he collapsed on his bed, tired and worn out.
~
Sungmin was dragged through the double doors by the two guards; his hands were cuffed, once again. He, like Kyuhyun, kept his eyes on the floor as he was guided up the stairs, to the lobby, up the grand staircase and to the left. He was brought to a different room than Kyuhyun.
This room room was bigger and had a much more modern feel to it. The walls were a comforting tan color, the bed was covered in a white down comforter with white pillows, the floor had a light brown carpet that was soft and squishy under Sungmin's bare feet. There was a large window that stretched from the ceiling of the room all the way to the floor. It looked out to a pretty mountain range that Sungmin didn't even know was there.
Sungmin was guided to a door located on the right of the room. It opened up to a white bathroom, white tiles, white shower curtains, a white sink. Sungmin noticed a pile of nice clothes folded on top of the toilet. Things went nearly the same as with Kyuhyun; the guard with the accent stayed behind to tidy up the main room, while the other guard went into the bathroom with Sungmin and ordered him to strip and get in the shower.
Sungmin handed the guard his clothes without any shame of being seen naked and got in the shower.
“You can use warm water, if you want.” The guard said, slightly more gentler than he had with Kyuhyun. He didn't want this slade to feel uncomfortable as Kyuhyun had.
However, Sungmin, too, stared at the knobs on the wall in the shower. He, too, had never been allowed to turn on a shower for himself before. He reached unsteadily to the knob on the left, but before he could do anything, the guard spoke up to him.
“That's for cold water. The knob on the right is hot water.” The guard said gently.
Sungmin paused in his motion. He brought his hand back a minute before continuing to turn the knob on the left. He had also heard of warm showers being a luxury, but he, like Kyuhyun, didn't know if he would like it; he chose instead to stick with what he was familiar with; something familiar and comforting before he had to go through whatever it is his master had planned.
His guard watched on with a sad look in his eyes as Sungmin washed himself under a shower of cold water. He felt he understood Kyuhyun's discomfort from before. He felt a pang in his chest that he hadn't felt in a long time. Like the slades, he had also been trained; however, in a much, much different manner. He was trained as a guard. He was trained to take care of the slades and make sure they stayed alive for their master. He was trained to make sure they didn't escape or try to kill themselves. Although his training showed him horrible treatment of the slades in order to get him to feel no sympathy, he, somehow, kept the teachings of his parents. His parents had been loving and kind and had tried their hardest to keep him from this world, but when they were killed, there was nothing to keep him away from the horrible reality. He tried to hide it, but somewhere deep down, he still felt for these slades, he still saw them as human.
“I'm Siwon...” He muttered out subconsciously. Sungmin, who was in the middle of soaping up his arms, stopped and looked to the guards feet.
Guards weren't supposed to talk to them outside of orders and instructions. Sungmin, once again, didn't know what to do.
Almost as if his training finally came back to him, Siwon quickly muttered out an apology and an order for Sungmin to finish up with his shower.
Although it was something simple and short, Sungmin wouldn't forget it. An apology from a guard was supposed to never happen. Sungmin thought he could sense that this guard, much like Kyuhyun, had kept his emotions despite his training.
Sungmin quickly finished his shower and was helped into the clothes that had awaited him on the toilet.
He was guided to the bed and ordered to sit on it until the master came. He barely had time to look around before his eyes were drawn back to the his feet as the door opened revealing his new master.
“Hello,” Iljun greeted Sungmin the same as he had greeted Kyuhyun. “My name is Iljun. Remember it.” The gentleness that had been in his voice when he spoke to Kyuhyun was long gone.
He walked up to Sungmin and roughly grabbed his chin to force his face to look up. He hummed in approval. He had ordered his guards to get a slade he could be gentle with and a slade he could be rough with. They had done well, this slade would be hard to break. Sungmin almost looked as if he was challenging Iljun to try; this would be fun.
“Lay on the bed.” Iljun ordered as he took of his shirt.
Sungmin took a deep breath to calm his anxiety. He recognized the look on Iljun's face; he was in for a tough life. His only hope was that Iljun would like to change it up, and that he would only be rough on the first night to show his authority. He had no idea that, yes, Iljun did like to change it, but with two different slades; Sungmin would always be the slade he would rough up.
~
It was a long night for Sungmin. He was panting and sweating as he stared out the large window; Iljun thought it would be fun against the window. Sungmin was held up against the window with slightly watery eyes, too tired to stand quite on his own; Iljun had been at it for about an hour now.
When Iljun finally finished, Sungmin collapsed. Iljun didn't even spare him a glance, he simply walked out.
Sungmin had been trained for nearly his entire life, and yet, if it was rough, he always got tired out and would collapse afterward.
Sungmin stayed in his heap on the floor, still panting. The two guards came in, and the one called Siwon went behind him and lifted him up from the armpits. The other guard grabbed his left arm to help him stand and walk; Siwon took his right arm. Sungmin's head slumped forward and he was basically dragged back down to his cage.
Sungmin was too out of it to be able to shower himself, but the guards thought it necessary that he was cleaned. Their master had been rough on him. The guards saw bruises beginning to form, a cut on his hip bone, and sticky substances that covered his body. The guards could still see a human and not just a slade. They both agreed to clean Sungmin themselves.
Siwon had know the other guard nearly his entire life. They had grown up together. They were siblings, but not by blood; his parents had taken the other guard in and raised him as their own. The other guard, Hankyung as Siwon had come to call him, had wandered from a different part of the world. He wandered onto his family's land where his parents found him. As a little kid, no one could understand him because he spoke a different, complex language. He eventually picked up on the language and customs of Siwon and his parents; he only kept an accent from his past. Hankyung was also brought up with the teachings that everyone is still human no matter their status. He, too, felt for these slades; he, too, saw them as humans still.
Together, Hankyung and Siwon, took turns holding Sungmin up while the other cleaned him. Sungmin had completely passed out somewhere between when the water washed over his bruised skin and when Siwon began massaging shampoo into his sweat covered hair. It was a slow and tedious process, but eventually they had Sungmin cleaned, bandaged, and redressed.
Hankyung held the double doors open while Siwon carried Sungmin in and laid him on his bed. It was well past 10pm, so the lights were off; however, light from the open double doors was enough for Siwon to see.
As he covered Sungmin up with the thin blanket he had been given, he whispered another apology. This one was different though. Tucked into it was an apology for all that Sungmin had been dealt, for the life that had brought him to this, for the future that was to be similar to this night. However, Sungmin didn't hear it; he was already asleep, or unconscious, Siwon couldn't tell.
Siwon left, locking Sungmin's cage door behind him before walking away with Hankyung, leaving Sungmin and Kyuhyun to rest after the first day of the rest of their lives.
To be continued...
Chapter 3
I'm going to SMTown NYC!!!!!!!
Characters/Pairings: Kyuhyun, Sungmin, eventual KyuMin, Siwon, Han Geng
Rating: R
WARNINGS: Implied sex/rape, disturbing situations
Genre: au, angst, drama
Summary: It is a world full of dirt, abuse, selfishness and greed. It is an even worse world for a slade. A slade is a type of slave that is trained for a different form of manual labor. In today's terms, a prostitute of sorts. However, slades are purchased permanently and for one master only. Each slade has their own form of training, their own past, their own story. When four slades are forced to accept the idea that there is a world outside of their own, do they dare try to escape? Do they even have enough of their old selves left to be able to?
~~~~~
The giant lights that lined the ceiling flickered to life at 7:00am sharp. However, the room's occupants were already awake. Whether it be excitement or their training, which had forced them to wake up at 6:00am everyday, the slades woke up promptly before 7am.
Sungmin, the smaller but more mature slade, woke after a fitful sleep and tried to pack the rest of his new clothes in his bureau. Although it had still been dark when he had started, the rooms having no windows, Sungmin could see well enough. Inside the other drawers he found a few other clothes. Again, he was surprised to find more clothes; a generous master, he thought.
Kyuhyun had woken up to the rustling of Sungmin's blankets when the other slade had gotten up. He, too, put his clothes in his bureau, also questioning his luck at finding more clothes in his own drawers. The younger slade was antsy. He knew what was to come this day, and he was prepared, but nervous.
His best guesses brought him to the conclusion that their master was generous and therefore would be a kind master; however, he had been trained to expect all masters to be vicious and rough the first time they take their new slade. It was a way of putting them in place. The masters all knew all slades were trained to do what they were told, but the first time they are taken is supposed to distinguish the master-slade relationship. Slades were prepared for the worst, but Kyuhyun, still being slightly immature and still holding on to his emotions that failed to leave him, held a glimmer of hope that he could have a nice life with a kind master.
Neither of the slades spoke to each other for fear of when exactly they were to be taken. If their guards walked in and heard them speaking to each other, especially before they were formally taken by their master, there would be consequences. However, neither of the slades could keep from sneaking glances at the other.
While Kyuhyun began looking through his bookshelf to see what he had been given, he chanced a glance at Sungmin who was going through the drawers at his own desk. Sungmin could feel someone watching him. He turned to meet eyes with Kyuhyun, who quickly refocused his attention back to the bookshelf. Sungmin smirked as he turned back to the notebooks and pens he found in his desk.
At 10am, their attention was quickly drawn to the double doors as they heard voices and footsteps getting closer. Their two guards, the same from the night before, walked in talking amongst themselves, not even addressing the slades' presence.
The one who spoke with a slight accent brought a tray of food to Sungmin's door. While the other guard brought an identical tray to Kyuhyun's door. Once at the doors, the guards pulled aside a small slide door built into the cage door. It was just big enough to slide the tray of food through. Sungmin and Kyuhyun jumped to their feet and took their trays.
Kyuhyun muttered a small “thanks,” which caused the other three present to pause and stare at the younger slade. The two guards chuckled to themselves, while Sungmin just continued to stare. However, Kyuhyun didn't notice any of this. He simply took his tray of food, muttered what his manners declared and moved to sit at his desk.
The guards left without another word, and Sungmin made his way to his own desk. As he sat down, he could hear Kyuhyun picking at his own food. Looking at his tray he found two eggs, a few slices of bacon, two halves of toast, orange juice, a water bottle, and two small jars containing butter and jam. Sungmin was once again taken aback by the generosity of his new master. In training, he was lucky if he got butter on the one slice of toast he was given.
Sungmin wasn't nervous for what was to come when his master finally took him. He had been in some form of training since he was born. Whatever his master had planned, he knew he could handle it. He took the fork that he was given and began to pick at his eggs, humming in contentment when he realized everything was delicious and cooked perfectly.
Nothing happened after that. The two slades continued to explore their new living quarters in silence. Each one pausing in their own time to read a bit of a book or write a bit in one of their notebooks.
It was noon when their attention was once again brought to the double doors. Their guards walked in with another set of identical trays. The routine was the same; they came in, not even acknowledging the two slades, slid the trays of food through the slot in the door, chuckling at another one of Kyuhyun's innocent “thanks,” and then left without another word. The two slades now knew this was to be the usual routine. What time their dinner would be served, they didn't know, but they did know it would be brought to them in the same manner.
Only to change the routine, Kyuhyun brought his lunch tray to his bed and picked at it there. Sungmin, on the other hand, brought his tray to his desk as he had done earlier. On his tray he found a plate full of bulgogi and a side bowl of rice, along with another bottle of water. Once again, he hummed at the delicious taste.
It was nearing 6pm and neither of the slades had spoken to each other, nor had really done anything. Another small tray had been brought to them, which contained a series of small snacks that they were told they could keep in their room to enjoy whenever they wanted. Both of the slades' eyes had widened at the thought of keeping food for themselves to enjoy later. This had never happened during training. Sungmin, the hardened and least emotional of the two slades, felt a twinge of hope that his harsh training had been unnecessary, that his new master was kind.
It was 6:30pm when both of the guards visited the slades again; however, this time was different, this was not their usual food delivery. Both guards went to Kyuhyun's door and told him to come to the door and stick his hands close to the bars so they could handcuff them; again, it was simply a formality, Kyuhyun wouldn't run; where would he even go?
Kyuhyun edged to the door. He tried to slow his breathing, his excitement and nerves were getting the best of him and he needed to not look like a wreck when he finally saw his master.
His hands were cuffed and he could feel his thin fingers twitching with excitement. The guards opened his door and took a hold of both his arms as they led him towards the double doors.
“When he's finished with him, he wants you.” One guard called back to Sungmin, who had stayed seated on his bed as he watched all the action from his cage.
“...He wants the best for last...” Sungmin thought he heard the one with the accent snigger out. He didn't know if he had actually heard it until he saw the horrified look on Kyuhyun's face when he looked towards the sniggering guard.
The doors shut behind them and Sungmin was once again thrust into silence; a lonely silence. He looked around his cage, and subsequently, into Kyuhyun's empty cage. He had only been kept with another slade for about 24 hours, they had barely spoken to each other, and yet, he already found himself missing the younger slade, or maybe he was simply missing human contact that didn't have to do with sexually pleasing someone else.
To get rid of these strange thoughts and new emotions he'd never felt, Sungmin pulled a random book off the bookshelf and laid on his bed to clear his mind and focus on what 'best for last' meant.
~
Kyuhyun was led up the stairs from his basement/living area to the front lobby. He recognized the black and white tiled floors, but he still didn't risk a look at the rest of the room. He was led up the stairs and to the left. Although he didn't look up, he saw that he was led down a long, carpeted hallway and placed in front of the fifth door on the left.
One of the guards took off his handcuffs and gave them to the man with the accent. This guard then opened the door they were standing in front of.
The guard without an accent pushed Kyuhyun into the room and guided him to a door on the right side of the room. Kyuhyun saw the room had a red carpet and it felt soft under his bare feet. He had been given socks, but no shoes; a small sign to remind him how hard it would be if he tried to escape.
Kyuhyun was pushed through the next door which led to a nice bathroom. It was large but still clean and very neat, very modern. There was a toilet that had a small pile of clean clothes; nicer clothes than Kyuhyun had been given before.
“Get undressed.” The guard without an accent ordered. The guard with the accent could be seen behind him, giving the main room some last minute touch ups.
Kyuhyun quickly did as he was told and handed his plain clothes to the guard.
“Get in the shower. You can use warm water.” The guard ordered again. He took Kyuhyun's clothes and folded them before placing them in the corner of the bathroom.
Kyuhyun got in the shower and stared at the two knobs in front of him. He had never turned a shower on by himself before, and he had never been allowed to use warm water before. He didn't know exactly what to do.
Seeing his confusion and quickly realizing why, the guard in the bathroom with him, turned the knob on the right and warm water began to spray on Kyuhyun.
Kyuhyun flinched a bit at the soothing sensation of warm water on him. It was nice, and he had been told warm water was a luxury he would never use, but he found himself preferring his usual cold showers to this warm, 'luxurious' one.
“Soap is on the shelf beside you. Use shampoo, too.” The guard said as he stood watching, making sure the slade didn't do anything stupid; another formality. “What's wrong?” The guard asked when he saw hesitance in Kyuhyun's actions.
Kyuhyun looked to the guard's chest, not looking him in the eye as his rules demanded. He wanted to tell the guard what he wanted, but he knew he shouldn't speak, especially not to ask for something.
The guard knew all of this of course, and simply chuckled when Kyuhyun refused to answer him. However, he was kinder than most expected. He was a guard for his master's slades, yes, but he had been raised in a kind family, a family that tried to teach love for everyone no matter their status. But this world was no longer made of equality and freedom. He taught himself to hide his true being, his true kindheartedness. Seeing Kyuhyun want to tell him something, and knowing he couldn't, he told the slade he could be trusted.
Kyuhyun looked quickly to the guard's face before resting his eyes on his neck, still avoiding his eyes. The guard had said he could trust him, that he would not report the slade for talking to him or asking for something. Kyuhyun tried his hardest to resist the urge to ask to shower with cold water instead. He didn't know if he could genuinely trust the guard or if this was just a test. He had been trained, yes, and trained well at that, but actually living as a slade in his master's home could be different.
Instead, Kyuhyun turned back to the duty at hand and grabbed the shampoo to begin washing himself.
The guard watched on with a slightly different look in his eyes. Had Kyuhyun actually gathered the courage to look, he would have seen sympathy.
“Okay,” the guard said when Kyuhyun turned to his direction when he finished rinsing all the soap off his body. The guard held out a towel for Kyuhyun to step into and helped the slade dry off before picking up the folded clothes on the toilet.
Once Kyuhyun was redressed, he was led back into the main room and told to sit on the bed to wait for his master. It wasn't until the two guards left the room and shut the door that Kyuhyun finally looked up from the floor.
He saw this room had a golden, almost Victorian theme. There were gold lights hanging on the wall, the carpet was a deep red, while the walls were patterned gold and red. The bed had enough room for at least three people to sleep comfortably. There were two nightstands on either side of the bed, each had a drawer and a lamp on top.
Kyuhyun sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed, silent and waiting. His nerves were coming back and he could feel the muscles in his legs twitching every once in a while. This was it, his master was going to take him and solidify that this is where he will be staying for the rest of his life.
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Kyuhyun looked up at the door, but didn't know what to do. Should he say something? But his fears didn't last long as the door was pushed open slowly. His eyes immediately shot to the ground when he realized the man coming into the room wasn't either of his guards.
“Hello.” The man spoke as he shut the door behind him and turned to Kyuhyun. “My name is Iljun. Remember it.”
The man was sturdy and spoke in a manner that demanded respect; however, there was a noticeable tone of gentleness in his voice. Kyuhyun didn't know what to think of it. The only things that were running through his head were his various training sessions.
“You can look at me.” Iljun said. He placed his hand under Kyuhyun's chin and tilted his head up to face him. He chuckled to himself when Kyuhyun's eyes looked everywhere but his own. “Look at me.” It was more of an order this time, and Kyuhyun could recognize that.
Kyuhyun finally looked into his new master's eyes. His master smiled back at him. He saw that Iljun was old enough to be his father, and from what he had heard when he was first brought to the house, he had a son; a son probably the same age as Kyuhyun. This fact didn't even affect him in the least, he had had older in training.
Iljun smiled at his new slade. His guards had done well. He had asked for two slades, both well trained., but he wanted one he needed to be gentle with and one he could be rough with. Kyuhyun, he could tell, was still immature, was somehow still a child at heart. He felt the need to be gentle with Kyuhyun. That will be Kyuhyun's place to him.
“Move back on the bed.” Iljun ordered. He took off his suit jacket and hung in on the coat rack next to the door. Kyuhyun tried to gracefully shuffle himself back against the headboard of the bed.
~
It wasn't quick and it wasn't rough. Iljun had stayed true to his word and was gentle, almost loving to Kyuhyun. He had whispered empty promises of love and kindness before ordering Kyuhyun to do something. It wasn't hard; it wasn't fast, but it got Iljun's point across. Kyuhyun was now his slade, forever.
~
Iljun quickly left the room, leaving a tired and naked Kyuhyun panting on the bed. Kyuhyun stared at the ceiling as everything that had happened and what it meant sunk in. He was now his master's slade, forever.
The two guards quickly rushed in and put Kyuhyun back into his old clothes from earlier in the day and rushed him out of the room. They took him back down the stairs to the artificially lit basement area where they pushed him into the showering area and tossed him a bar of soap; cold water this time, which Kyuhyun appreciated. He was eventually redressed and relocked into his cage.
He barely had time to realize the two guards had taken Sungmin after locking him in his own cage before he collapsed on his bed, tired and worn out.
~
Sungmin was dragged through the double doors by the two guards; his hands were cuffed, once again. He, like Kyuhyun, kept his eyes on the floor as he was guided up the stairs, to the lobby, up the grand staircase and to the left. He was brought to a different room than Kyuhyun.
This room room was bigger and had a much more modern feel to it. The walls were a comforting tan color, the bed was covered in a white down comforter with white pillows, the floor had a light brown carpet that was soft and squishy under Sungmin's bare feet. There was a large window that stretched from the ceiling of the room all the way to the floor. It looked out to a pretty mountain range that Sungmin didn't even know was there.
Sungmin was guided to a door located on the right of the room. It opened up to a white bathroom, white tiles, white shower curtains, a white sink. Sungmin noticed a pile of nice clothes folded on top of the toilet. Things went nearly the same as with Kyuhyun; the guard with the accent stayed behind to tidy up the main room, while the other guard went into the bathroom with Sungmin and ordered him to strip and get in the shower.
Sungmin handed the guard his clothes without any shame of being seen naked and got in the shower.
“You can use warm water, if you want.” The guard said, slightly more gentler than he had with Kyuhyun. He didn't want this slade to feel uncomfortable as Kyuhyun had.
However, Sungmin, too, stared at the knobs on the wall in the shower. He, too, had never been allowed to turn on a shower for himself before. He reached unsteadily to the knob on the left, but before he could do anything, the guard spoke up to him.
“That's for cold water. The knob on the right is hot water.” The guard said gently.
Sungmin paused in his motion. He brought his hand back a minute before continuing to turn the knob on the left. He had also heard of warm showers being a luxury, but he, like Kyuhyun, didn't know if he would like it; he chose instead to stick with what he was familiar with; something familiar and comforting before he had to go through whatever it is his master had planned.
His guard watched on with a sad look in his eyes as Sungmin washed himself under a shower of cold water. He felt he understood Kyuhyun's discomfort from before. He felt a pang in his chest that he hadn't felt in a long time. Like the slades, he had also been trained; however, in a much, much different manner. He was trained as a guard. He was trained to take care of the slades and make sure they stayed alive for their master. He was trained to make sure they didn't escape or try to kill themselves. Although his training showed him horrible treatment of the slades in order to get him to feel no sympathy, he, somehow, kept the teachings of his parents. His parents had been loving and kind and had tried their hardest to keep him from this world, but when they were killed, there was nothing to keep him away from the horrible reality. He tried to hide it, but somewhere deep down, he still felt for these slades, he still saw them as human.
“I'm Siwon...” He muttered out subconsciously. Sungmin, who was in the middle of soaping up his arms, stopped and looked to the guards feet.
Guards weren't supposed to talk to them outside of orders and instructions. Sungmin, once again, didn't know what to do.
Almost as if his training finally came back to him, Siwon quickly muttered out an apology and an order for Sungmin to finish up with his shower.
Although it was something simple and short, Sungmin wouldn't forget it. An apology from a guard was supposed to never happen. Sungmin thought he could sense that this guard, much like Kyuhyun, had kept his emotions despite his training.
Sungmin quickly finished his shower and was helped into the clothes that had awaited him on the toilet.
He was guided to the bed and ordered to sit on it until the master came. He barely had time to look around before his eyes were drawn back to the his feet as the door opened revealing his new master.
“Hello,” Iljun greeted Sungmin the same as he had greeted Kyuhyun. “My name is Iljun. Remember it.” The gentleness that had been in his voice when he spoke to Kyuhyun was long gone.
He walked up to Sungmin and roughly grabbed his chin to force his face to look up. He hummed in approval. He had ordered his guards to get a slade he could be gentle with and a slade he could be rough with. They had done well, this slade would be hard to break. Sungmin almost looked as if he was challenging Iljun to try; this would be fun.
“Lay on the bed.” Iljun ordered as he took of his shirt.
Sungmin took a deep breath to calm his anxiety. He recognized the look on Iljun's face; he was in for a tough life. His only hope was that Iljun would like to change it up, and that he would only be rough on the first night to show his authority. He had no idea that, yes, Iljun did like to change it, but with two different slades; Sungmin would always be the slade he would rough up.
~
It was a long night for Sungmin. He was panting and sweating as he stared out the large window; Iljun thought it would be fun against the window. Sungmin was held up against the window with slightly watery eyes, too tired to stand quite on his own; Iljun had been at it for about an hour now.
When Iljun finally finished, Sungmin collapsed. Iljun didn't even spare him a glance, he simply walked out.
Sungmin had been trained for nearly his entire life, and yet, if it was rough, he always got tired out and would collapse afterward.
Sungmin stayed in his heap on the floor, still panting. The two guards came in, and the one called Siwon went behind him and lifted him up from the armpits. The other guard grabbed his left arm to help him stand and walk; Siwon took his right arm. Sungmin's head slumped forward and he was basically dragged back down to his cage.
Sungmin was too out of it to be able to shower himself, but the guards thought it necessary that he was cleaned. Their master had been rough on him. The guards saw bruises beginning to form, a cut on his hip bone, and sticky substances that covered his body. The guards could still see a human and not just a slade. They both agreed to clean Sungmin themselves.
Siwon had know the other guard nearly his entire life. They had grown up together. They were siblings, but not by blood; his parents had taken the other guard in and raised him as their own. The other guard, Hankyung as Siwon had come to call him, had wandered from a different part of the world. He wandered onto his family's land where his parents found him. As a little kid, no one could understand him because he spoke a different, complex language. He eventually picked up on the language and customs of Siwon and his parents; he only kept an accent from his past. Hankyung was also brought up with the teachings that everyone is still human no matter their status. He, too, felt for these slades; he, too, saw them as humans still.
Together, Hankyung and Siwon, took turns holding Sungmin up while the other cleaned him. Sungmin had completely passed out somewhere between when the water washed over his bruised skin and when Siwon began massaging shampoo into his sweat covered hair. It was a slow and tedious process, but eventually they had Sungmin cleaned, bandaged, and redressed.
Hankyung held the double doors open while Siwon carried Sungmin in and laid him on his bed. It was well past 10pm, so the lights were off; however, light from the open double doors was enough for Siwon to see.
As he covered Sungmin up with the thin blanket he had been given, he whispered another apology. This one was different though. Tucked into it was an apology for all that Sungmin had been dealt, for the life that had brought him to this, for the future that was to be similar to this night. However, Sungmin didn't hear it; he was already asleep, or unconscious, Siwon couldn't tell.
Siwon left, locking Sungmin's cage door behind him before walking away with Hankyung, leaving Sungmin and Kyuhyun to rest after the first day of the rest of their lives.
To be continued...
Chapter 3
I'm going to SMTown NYC!!!!!!!