Caged (Chapter 3)
Title: Caged (Chapter 3)
Characters/Pairings: Kyuhyun, Sungmin, 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?
~~~~~
Sungmin woke up with the lights at 7am. He groaned as the sudden bright light gave him an instant headache.
He tried to roll himself over to shade his eyes from the light, only to groan again as he put pressure on a bruise from last night. He got himself to lay face down on his bed, and that's where he stayed, sprawled out and still trying to recover.
He was trained for this; he had been hurt before. He mentally cursed himself that he should be able to recover quickly. It were times like these where he had to remind himself that he was still human. He often forgot that little fact.
Kyuhyun, who had slept peacefully, woke up to the sounds of Sungmin groaning. He stirred a little and closed his eyes again before he heard Sungmin let out another tiny groan as he readjusted himself. At this, Kyuhyun rolled over in order to see the other slade. Sungmin was still face down on his bed; however, because of his fitful sleep, his blankets had fallen off; Sungmin looked a mess.
Kyuhyun quickly got out of his bed and walked over to the side of his cage that was the closest to Sungmin's bed. From about four feet away, Kyuhyun could see clearly why Sungmin had been groaning.
Throughout the night, Sungmin's shirt had rolled up. On his back, there were dark bruises and scratch marks that had not faded away yet.
Kyuhyun didn't make a noise as he lifted his own shirt a little to see if he had any lingering marks; there were none. He turned his attention back at Sungmin.
“A-Are you okay?” Kyuhyun whispered out. From the way Sungmin was laying and the look of his injured back, Kyuhyun was afraid any loud noise might only harm him more.
Sungmin simply groaned in response; it was all he really had the energy to do.
“Sungmin?” Kyuhyun tried again. He crouched down a bit so he could feel closer to Sungmin.
He had heard of masters being rough with their slades, but Master Iljun had been kind with him, sweet even. He expected his master to do the same with Sungmin; yet, here he was, bruised, scarred and unable to move properly.
Sungmin didn't respond. He was awake and could hear Kyuhyun clearly, he just didn't want to face him. He had the most training, he was the oldest, how could he show how weak he was/ He tried to turn his head to face Kyuhyun, only to wince and groan again as the cut on his hip rubbed against the sheets.
“What happened?” Kyuhyun asked, concern audible. Sungmin was once again taken aback at the sheer amount of innocence Kyuhyun had managed to maintain.
“What do you think?” Sungmin muttered out. He could now see Kyuhyun crouching down and leaning against the bars of his cage. He watched as Kyuhyun sighed before sitting, crossed-legged, on the floor of his cage, still facing Sungmin.
“D-Does it hurt?” Kyuhyun asked. Looking down to his lap and playing with the skin of his leg, anything to avoid the loss of hope in Sungmin's eyes.
Sungmin grunted.
Kyuhyun nodded. He continued picking at his leg.
It was at this time that Sungmin noticed how shockingly unharmed Kyuhyun seemed to be. Sungmin struggled to heave himself up to a sitting position to face Kyuhyun completely; he hissed, and groaned the entire time.
“Sung-” Kyuhyun began when he looked up at Sungmin's groaning as he attempted to sit up. Sungmin's shirt was raised in the front as well. Kyuhyun saw more bruises, more scratches, and a tiny cut on Sungmin's hip.
“He didn't touch you?” Sungmin interrupted.
“What? He did.”
“But he didn't hurt you?”
“N-no. He didn't.” Kyuhyun said solemnly.
Sungmin just shook his head before he swung his legs over the bed and tried to get up. His first attempt sent him back to a sitting position. His legs were still stiff from last night and his back hurt.
Kyuhyun slowly stood up in his own cage to watch Sungmin more closely.
Sungmin tried again. He managed to stay standing; however, his first step sent him tumbling to the ground where he stayed.
“Sungmin!” Kyuhyun gasped. He could no longer see Sungmin at all, the bed was completely blocking the small, crumpled figure.
“Shut up...” Sungmin mumbled as he tried to unfold his legs from under him.
“Are you okay?”
“Stop asking...”
“B-but...”
“I'll be fine.” Sungmin finally gave him a real answer.
Kyuhyun wasn't completely satisfied, but he let it be. He stood, in silence, waiting for Sungmin to move or speak. He was feeling guilty, something he hadn't felt in a long, long time; he never needed to. He still didn't need to, and yet something in his gut was tugging at him. He felt bad that it was Sungmin who got the harsh treatment. He had been wanting to make the older man smile and maybe laugh, to feel again, but this seemed to only set those goals farther away.
Kyuhyun gripped the bars tighter, beginning to feel angry at the outcome of everything.
“Sungmin...?” Kyuhyun tried again. It was a bit gentle; he really just wanted Sungmin to respond to him, to make sure he was still conscious.
“I'm okay.” Sungmin responded. He didn't move, he liked the idea of being hidden from the other slade. He stared at his legs that were stretched out in front of him. Why did it have to be him? He had gone through so much, why did he have to be sold to a master that had a sick desire to torture someone? Why did he have to be purchased by a master who liked to pick favorites with his slades? He continued to stare at his legs; there was a tiny bruise on his left knee; it must have been from when he collapsed the night before.
“C-Can you say my name again? I...um... I didn't really appreciate it the last time...” Sungmin mumbled out. He could feel tears stinging his eyes. It was all rushing to him now, the life he had been dealt, the future he couldn't change. It was suddenly becoming too much. In training he had been able to hold on to a glimmer of hope that he could be sold to a kind master, but now everything had changed.
Kyuhyun grinned slightly; at least Sungmin was responding to him.
“Sungmin.”
Sungmin let the tears fall. He couldn't hold it in anymore.
“Sungmin.”
Sungmin tried to keep himself quite, but hearing his name made him cry even more.
“Sungmin.”
He was biting his tongue to keep from making a noise.
“Sungmin.”
He couldn't hold it in anymore. A sob wracked his body.
“Sungmin?” Kyuhyun was suddenly concerned. Sungmin hadn't been responding, so he had kept repeating his name. But now? Was Sungmin crying? Kyuhyun tried to call to him again.
Sungmin stayed where he was, finally allowing the tears to fall unhindered. He had been in training his entire life. He had been raped repeatedly, beaten, starved, and forced to do unspeakable things at an unspeakable age, yet he had never cried. He never cried because he had known nothing else. During his sessions, he had been fed lies about masters that were nice and kind and gentle to their slades, and he had believed every single one. Although he had never really developed real emotions, he had always held a glimmer of hope that he could be sold to one of those masters. His whole life had been laid out for him to belong to one master. Facing the truth of getting a master like Iljun was too much for him to bare anymore.
“Sungmin? Are you okay?” Kyuhyun tried again. He was leaning against the caged as far as he could in hopes that he could see Sungmin; he could only see the older slade's feet.
Sungmin let out a quiet sob in response, holding his head in his hands.
Kyuhyun sighed, distraught at not being able to reach Sungmin. He wanted to help Sungmin, to comfort him, at least. He had been taken when he was very young, five years old to be exact. But his parents had made a big enough impact on him already that he could still retain some memories. His habit of saying 'thank you' whenever he is given something is proof of that. He could still remember crying after he had scraped his knee, and he could remember how a simple hug from his mother was all he needed to feel better. His parents had loved him very much and had taught him that love. He assumed that was how he was still able to feel, smile, and laugh.
Kyuhyun remembered what one of the guards had said when they were first shown to Master Iljun, that Sungmin had been trained his whole life. Kyuhyun wanted to prove to Sungmin that love did exist. True love, like that of a parent for a child or a child for a favorite stuffed animal. Sungmin has never felt it, and if only Kyuhyun could somehow show him it existed, he might be able to hold on.
Kyuhyun tried to remember what his mother would do to him when he was upset. Hug him. She would always be waiting with her arms open when Kyuhyun was upset. Kyuhyun got excited for a moment before he realized their cages were too far apart for him to hug Sungmin. He thought harder. It was more the comfort of someone familiar holding you that made Kyuhyun feel better than the act of actually getting hugged. He got an idea.
“Sungmin!” Kyuhyun yelled. He was bouncing slightly, excited for his plan.
Sungmin didn't answer. His tears had finally dried up, but he was still stationary, staring at his legs.
“Sungmin, please. Please come over to the bars of your cage.” Kyuhyun tried again. He gripped the bars of his own cage tighter, getting frustrated that Sungmin wouldn't listen to him.
And Sungmin didn't. He blinked and continued to stare at his legs.
“Sungmin...please. Please.” Kyuhyun was starting to get desperate.
Sungmin must have been able to sense the desperation in Kyuhyun's tone. He still didn't say anything, but he tucked his legs in and tried to get himself to sit on his bed. It was a bit of a struggle, but Sungmin finally made it to sit on his bed, facing away from Kyuhyun.
“Good! Now slide over to the bars near me. As close as you can!” Kyuhyun said. He had a giant grin plastered on his face. He just hoped his plan would have the effect on Sungmin that he thought it would.
Sungmin just sighed and let his head slump down a bit. He was sore all over and he didn't know what Kyuhyun was getting at.
“Please, Sungmin.” Kyuhyun tried to encourage him.
Once again, Sungmin must have sensed the need in Kyuhyun's voice. He maneuvered himself as close to the bars as he could. His body was facing the foot of his bed, while his left shoulder was leaning against one of the bars closest to the opposite of where Kyuhyun was standing in his own cage. He looked towards Kyuhyun for a second before he quickly looked to his lap after seeing Kyuhyun's reaction.
When Kyuhyun saw Sungmin's face, his jaw dropped. Sungmin's cheeks were flushed and wet from crying. His eyes were red and puffy. But any glimmer that had been in Sungmin's eyes before was no where to be seen. Kyuhyun had known that Sungmin had toughened up really quick during training; however, there had still been life in Sungmin's eyes. Overnight, that life was taken.
“S-Sungmin...I...” Kyuhyun hummed because he didn't know what to say. He figured his plan was still worth a shot; it couldn't make things worse. “Sungmin, reach out as far as you can towards me.”
Sungmin scrunched his eyebrows before peaking at Kyuhyun. The younger slade now had his right arm stretched out as far as he could towards Sungmin. Sungmin was surprised at how close Kyuhyun's hand actually was to his own cage. He looked at Kyuhyun for any explanation for what was going to happen.
“Please...just...” Kyuhyun was trying to get his hand as close to the bars of Sungmin's cage as he possibly could. “Just reach out your arm. I can't do much, but I think I can do this.”
Sungmin continued to stare as Kyuhyun struggled to get his hand closer. He figured it wouldn't hurt to humor the younger slade. He reached his hand through the bars of his cage. At first he let his hand hang a bit, but soon he realized that Kyuhyun was reaching to his hand.
Sungmin held his hand out straight in front of him, pushing his body into the bars of his cage to reach. Eventually, Kyuhyun grabbed hold of Sungmin's hand. He grinned at his success and gripped the older slade's hand tight.
“I remember when I was younger. If I cried, my mother would hug me and it helped. I-I can't hug you, but I can do this.” Kyuhyun said, the grin never leaving his face.
Sungmin just stared at Kyuhyun. It took a moment before he realized that more tears were threatening to spill.
It was such a horribly simple act; however, Sungmin couldn't believe it was happening, and what it was supposed to mean.
Sungmin never let go of Kyuhyun's hand as he let the tears fall on their own again. Kyuhyun was glad he never let go.
Kyuhyun felt a bit of pride in himself that his plan had helped. It was little, he knew, but it was enough, more than enough, for someone who had never been shown love or comfort.
“Y-You remember y-your parents?” Sungmin sniffled out when he had regained some control of his crying and breathing.
Kyuhyun smiled brighter. “Yeah, a little bit.”
Sungmin silently nodded as he wiped away another stray tear with his free hand.
“The guards laughed at me, but I always say 'thank you' because of my parents. They always forced me to say it, and it became sort of a habit.”
“Didn't training destroy it?” Sungmin asked, looking directly in Kyuhyun's eyes. He knew it was probably a bit too straight forward, but he didn't care at the moment. He suddenly felt the need to know everything about the younger slade.
“W-Well they tried, it guess...B-but I... Well, I used to talk to myself a lot in training. They used to yell at me and hit me for it, but I didn't stop. I would speak memories I had out loud and it made me remember them.” Kyuhyun said thoughtfully. He never thought he would so easily admit that he used to talk to himself. It was a bit of a shameful thing, he thought; slades were supposed to be strong, resolute and be able to take anything.
Sungmin just nodded again, this time keeping eye contact with Kyuhyun. His arm was starting to burn from keeping it out stretched for so long, but he didn't want to let go. It wasn't a lot, it wasn't even from someone he had known or cared about, but it was the first symbol of comfort he had ever received in his 23 years of living. He didn't want it to end.
Kyuhyun could feel his arm burning, too. He could tell Sungmin was struggling to keep his arm straight.
“You can let go. I'll be right here next time, too.” Kyuhyun said, giving Sungmin's hand a light squeeze.
Sungmin nodded again before he reluctantly let go, his arm falling ungracefully to his side. He didn't know why, but it seemed like he lost more than just a hand-hold when he let go.
They stayed like that for a while, Sungmin sitting on his bed and Kyuhyun, eventually, sitting on the floor closest to Sungmin's cage. They sat in a comfortable silence, each taking in what had happened between them.
Slades weren't supposed to have physical relationships. This did mean sexual relationships; however, with this rule being punishable by death, slades were very cautious as to what 'physical' meant. The two slades were not worried that they had broken the rule, though. They were more focused on the sensations they had each received from it.
Kyuhyun had felt happy, for the first time in a while. He couldn't figure out why just holding hands with someone could make him happy. Maybe it was because it was to comfort someone else or maybe it was because he hadn't had any physical contact with someone that he was expected to please. Whatever the reason may be, Kyuhyun wanted to hold Sungmin's hand again.
Sungmin had felt something he had never felt before, comfort and peace. The feelings were so powerful, they had brought him to tears. He didn't realize them at first; however. He had just felt a warmth radiate through him at the time. It wasn't until when they sat in silence that he reflected on what the exact feelings were. Kyuhyun thought to do the only thing he could to comfort him. Did this mean he cared? Sungmin tried to push the thought out of his head immediately. He was determined to never get his hopes up again for fear of having them crushed in his face.
It was 10am when they were taken out of their peaceful, reflective silence. The two guards, Hankyung and Siwon, came with their breakfast.
Kyuhyun got up and moved to the door of his cage to grab his food; however, Sungmin didn't move. He knew he would just fall again, so he didn't even try.
Siwon, who brought his tray to Sungmin's door, paused when he saw that Sungmin wasn't getting up. The images of a broken, unconscious Sungmin came flooding back to him.
The guard looked towards Hankyung, almost for approval, before he completely unlocked Sungmin's door. He walked in with the tray of food and brought it to where Sungmin was sitting on his bed.
“Here.” Siwon said gently as he placed the tray of food near Sungmin's feet. He stood up straight and caught Sungmin's eyes. They were wide and watery and filled with questions. “You...You can trust me. Us.”
Siwon looked straight back at Sungmin, hoping that his seriousness could be seen.
Sungmin just stared.
“You're not in training anymore. This is permanent. We won't hurt you.” Siwon continued. He hoped Kyuhyun could hear him as well.
Sungmin's jaw dropped, but he continued to stare.
“Just trust us.” Siwon ended. He moved out of Sungmin's cage and relocked the door before leaving through the double doors with Hankyung in tow.
“Do you think he is serious?” Kyuhyun asked from his spot on the floor again. He had heard all of what Siwon had said.
Sungmin tried to think back to last night. He remembered collapsing in the room after Iljun left, and he remembered both the guards coming to help him up, but he couldn't remember how he got back to his bed.
He tried to think harder. He remembered being conscious enough to feel water running over him, he could remember how soothing it had felt on his cut and bruises. Had the guards washed him after he passed out? He finally paid attention to the clothes he was wearing. He was sure he didn't remember changing from the nice clothes that had been on the toilet to his current clothes. Had the guards taken care of him and cleaned him up?
“I don't know...” Sungmin trailed off as he tried to focus on his tray of food. He finally noticed two tiny pills next to this water bottle. There was a tiny note underneath them that read in messy handwriting 'to help with any pain. please trust me.' Sungmin picked up the pills to examine them. Should he trust him?
“Maybe...” Sungmin said as he popped the pills into his mouth before gulping down a large sip of water.
“What was that?” Kyuhyun asked.
“Proof of trust?”
to be continued...
Chapter 4
Characters/Pairings: Kyuhyun, Sungmin, 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?
~~~~~
Sungmin woke up with the lights at 7am. He groaned as the sudden bright light gave him an instant headache.
He tried to roll himself over to shade his eyes from the light, only to groan again as he put pressure on a bruise from last night. He got himself to lay face down on his bed, and that's where he stayed, sprawled out and still trying to recover.
He was trained for this; he had been hurt before. He mentally cursed himself that he should be able to recover quickly. It were times like these where he had to remind himself that he was still human. He often forgot that little fact.
Kyuhyun, who had slept peacefully, woke up to the sounds of Sungmin groaning. He stirred a little and closed his eyes again before he heard Sungmin let out another tiny groan as he readjusted himself. At this, Kyuhyun rolled over in order to see the other slade. Sungmin was still face down on his bed; however, because of his fitful sleep, his blankets had fallen off; Sungmin looked a mess.
Kyuhyun quickly got out of his bed and walked over to the side of his cage that was the closest to Sungmin's bed. From about four feet away, Kyuhyun could see clearly why Sungmin had been groaning.
Throughout the night, Sungmin's shirt had rolled up. On his back, there were dark bruises and scratch marks that had not faded away yet.
Kyuhyun didn't make a noise as he lifted his own shirt a little to see if he had any lingering marks; there were none. He turned his attention back at Sungmin.
“A-Are you okay?” Kyuhyun whispered out. From the way Sungmin was laying and the look of his injured back, Kyuhyun was afraid any loud noise might only harm him more.
Sungmin simply groaned in response; it was all he really had the energy to do.
“Sungmin?” Kyuhyun tried again. He crouched down a bit so he could feel closer to Sungmin.
He had heard of masters being rough with their slades, but Master Iljun had been kind with him, sweet even. He expected his master to do the same with Sungmin; yet, here he was, bruised, scarred and unable to move properly.
Sungmin didn't respond. He was awake and could hear Kyuhyun clearly, he just didn't want to face him. He had the most training, he was the oldest, how could he show how weak he was/ He tried to turn his head to face Kyuhyun, only to wince and groan again as the cut on his hip rubbed against the sheets.
“What happened?” Kyuhyun asked, concern audible. Sungmin was once again taken aback at the sheer amount of innocence Kyuhyun had managed to maintain.
“What do you think?” Sungmin muttered out. He could now see Kyuhyun crouching down and leaning against the bars of his cage. He watched as Kyuhyun sighed before sitting, crossed-legged, on the floor of his cage, still facing Sungmin.
“D-Does it hurt?” Kyuhyun asked. Looking down to his lap and playing with the skin of his leg, anything to avoid the loss of hope in Sungmin's eyes.
Sungmin grunted.
Kyuhyun nodded. He continued picking at his leg.
It was at this time that Sungmin noticed how shockingly unharmed Kyuhyun seemed to be. Sungmin struggled to heave himself up to a sitting position to face Kyuhyun completely; he hissed, and groaned the entire time.
“Sung-” Kyuhyun began when he looked up at Sungmin's groaning as he attempted to sit up. Sungmin's shirt was raised in the front as well. Kyuhyun saw more bruises, more scratches, and a tiny cut on Sungmin's hip.
“He didn't touch you?” Sungmin interrupted.
“What? He did.”
“But he didn't hurt you?”
“N-no. He didn't.” Kyuhyun said solemnly.
Sungmin just shook his head before he swung his legs over the bed and tried to get up. His first attempt sent him back to a sitting position. His legs were still stiff from last night and his back hurt.
Kyuhyun slowly stood up in his own cage to watch Sungmin more closely.
Sungmin tried again. He managed to stay standing; however, his first step sent him tumbling to the ground where he stayed.
“Sungmin!” Kyuhyun gasped. He could no longer see Sungmin at all, the bed was completely blocking the small, crumpled figure.
“Shut up...” Sungmin mumbled as he tried to unfold his legs from under him.
“Are you okay?”
“Stop asking...”
“B-but...”
“I'll be fine.” Sungmin finally gave him a real answer.
Kyuhyun wasn't completely satisfied, but he let it be. He stood, in silence, waiting for Sungmin to move or speak. He was feeling guilty, something he hadn't felt in a long, long time; he never needed to. He still didn't need to, and yet something in his gut was tugging at him. He felt bad that it was Sungmin who got the harsh treatment. He had been wanting to make the older man smile and maybe laugh, to feel again, but this seemed to only set those goals farther away.
Kyuhyun gripped the bars tighter, beginning to feel angry at the outcome of everything.
“Sungmin...?” Kyuhyun tried again. It was a bit gentle; he really just wanted Sungmin to respond to him, to make sure he was still conscious.
“I'm okay.” Sungmin responded. He didn't move, he liked the idea of being hidden from the other slade. He stared at his legs that were stretched out in front of him. Why did it have to be him? He had gone through so much, why did he have to be sold to a master that had a sick desire to torture someone? Why did he have to be purchased by a master who liked to pick favorites with his slades? He continued to stare at his legs; there was a tiny bruise on his left knee; it must have been from when he collapsed the night before.
“C-Can you say my name again? I...um... I didn't really appreciate it the last time...” Sungmin mumbled out. He could feel tears stinging his eyes. It was all rushing to him now, the life he had been dealt, the future he couldn't change. It was suddenly becoming too much. In training he had been able to hold on to a glimmer of hope that he could be sold to a kind master, but now everything had changed.
Kyuhyun grinned slightly; at least Sungmin was responding to him.
“Sungmin.”
Sungmin let the tears fall. He couldn't hold it in anymore.
“Sungmin.”
Sungmin tried to keep himself quite, but hearing his name made him cry even more.
“Sungmin.”
He was biting his tongue to keep from making a noise.
“Sungmin.”
He couldn't hold it in anymore. A sob wracked his body.
“Sungmin?” Kyuhyun was suddenly concerned. Sungmin hadn't been responding, so he had kept repeating his name. But now? Was Sungmin crying? Kyuhyun tried to call to him again.
Sungmin stayed where he was, finally allowing the tears to fall unhindered. He had been in training his entire life. He had been raped repeatedly, beaten, starved, and forced to do unspeakable things at an unspeakable age, yet he had never cried. He never cried because he had known nothing else. During his sessions, he had been fed lies about masters that were nice and kind and gentle to their slades, and he had believed every single one. Although he had never really developed real emotions, he had always held a glimmer of hope that he could be sold to one of those masters. His whole life had been laid out for him to belong to one master. Facing the truth of getting a master like Iljun was too much for him to bare anymore.
“Sungmin? Are you okay?” Kyuhyun tried again. He was leaning against the caged as far as he could in hopes that he could see Sungmin; he could only see the older slade's feet.
Sungmin let out a quiet sob in response, holding his head in his hands.
Kyuhyun sighed, distraught at not being able to reach Sungmin. He wanted to help Sungmin, to comfort him, at least. He had been taken when he was very young, five years old to be exact. But his parents had made a big enough impact on him already that he could still retain some memories. His habit of saying 'thank you' whenever he is given something is proof of that. He could still remember crying after he had scraped his knee, and he could remember how a simple hug from his mother was all he needed to feel better. His parents had loved him very much and had taught him that love. He assumed that was how he was still able to feel, smile, and laugh.
Kyuhyun remembered what one of the guards had said when they were first shown to Master Iljun, that Sungmin had been trained his whole life. Kyuhyun wanted to prove to Sungmin that love did exist. True love, like that of a parent for a child or a child for a favorite stuffed animal. Sungmin has never felt it, and if only Kyuhyun could somehow show him it existed, he might be able to hold on.
Kyuhyun tried to remember what his mother would do to him when he was upset. Hug him. She would always be waiting with her arms open when Kyuhyun was upset. Kyuhyun got excited for a moment before he realized their cages were too far apart for him to hug Sungmin. He thought harder. It was more the comfort of someone familiar holding you that made Kyuhyun feel better than the act of actually getting hugged. He got an idea.
“Sungmin!” Kyuhyun yelled. He was bouncing slightly, excited for his plan.
Sungmin didn't answer. His tears had finally dried up, but he was still stationary, staring at his legs.
“Sungmin, please. Please come over to the bars of your cage.” Kyuhyun tried again. He gripped the bars of his own cage tighter, getting frustrated that Sungmin wouldn't listen to him.
And Sungmin didn't. He blinked and continued to stare at his legs.
“Sungmin...please. Please.” Kyuhyun was starting to get desperate.
Sungmin must have been able to sense the desperation in Kyuhyun's tone. He still didn't say anything, but he tucked his legs in and tried to get himself to sit on his bed. It was a bit of a struggle, but Sungmin finally made it to sit on his bed, facing away from Kyuhyun.
“Good! Now slide over to the bars near me. As close as you can!” Kyuhyun said. He had a giant grin plastered on his face. He just hoped his plan would have the effect on Sungmin that he thought it would.
Sungmin just sighed and let his head slump down a bit. He was sore all over and he didn't know what Kyuhyun was getting at.
“Please, Sungmin.” Kyuhyun tried to encourage him.
Once again, Sungmin must have sensed the need in Kyuhyun's voice. He maneuvered himself as close to the bars as he could. His body was facing the foot of his bed, while his left shoulder was leaning against one of the bars closest to the opposite of where Kyuhyun was standing in his own cage. He looked towards Kyuhyun for a second before he quickly looked to his lap after seeing Kyuhyun's reaction.
When Kyuhyun saw Sungmin's face, his jaw dropped. Sungmin's cheeks were flushed and wet from crying. His eyes were red and puffy. But any glimmer that had been in Sungmin's eyes before was no where to be seen. Kyuhyun had known that Sungmin had toughened up really quick during training; however, there had still been life in Sungmin's eyes. Overnight, that life was taken.
“S-Sungmin...I...” Kyuhyun hummed because he didn't know what to say. He figured his plan was still worth a shot; it couldn't make things worse. “Sungmin, reach out as far as you can towards me.”
Sungmin scrunched his eyebrows before peaking at Kyuhyun. The younger slade now had his right arm stretched out as far as he could towards Sungmin. Sungmin was surprised at how close Kyuhyun's hand actually was to his own cage. He looked at Kyuhyun for any explanation for what was going to happen.
“Please...just...” Kyuhyun was trying to get his hand as close to the bars of Sungmin's cage as he possibly could. “Just reach out your arm. I can't do much, but I think I can do this.”
Sungmin continued to stare as Kyuhyun struggled to get his hand closer. He figured it wouldn't hurt to humor the younger slade. He reached his hand through the bars of his cage. At first he let his hand hang a bit, but soon he realized that Kyuhyun was reaching to his hand.
Sungmin held his hand out straight in front of him, pushing his body into the bars of his cage to reach. Eventually, Kyuhyun grabbed hold of Sungmin's hand. He grinned at his success and gripped the older slade's hand tight.
“I remember when I was younger. If I cried, my mother would hug me and it helped. I-I can't hug you, but I can do this.” Kyuhyun said, the grin never leaving his face.
Sungmin just stared at Kyuhyun. It took a moment before he realized that more tears were threatening to spill.
It was such a horribly simple act; however, Sungmin couldn't believe it was happening, and what it was supposed to mean.
Sungmin never let go of Kyuhyun's hand as he let the tears fall on their own again. Kyuhyun was glad he never let go.
Kyuhyun felt a bit of pride in himself that his plan had helped. It was little, he knew, but it was enough, more than enough, for someone who had never been shown love or comfort.
“Y-You remember y-your parents?” Sungmin sniffled out when he had regained some control of his crying and breathing.
Kyuhyun smiled brighter. “Yeah, a little bit.”
Sungmin silently nodded as he wiped away another stray tear with his free hand.
“The guards laughed at me, but I always say 'thank you' because of my parents. They always forced me to say it, and it became sort of a habit.”
“Didn't training destroy it?” Sungmin asked, looking directly in Kyuhyun's eyes. He knew it was probably a bit too straight forward, but he didn't care at the moment. He suddenly felt the need to know everything about the younger slade.
“W-Well they tried, it guess...B-but I... Well, I used to talk to myself a lot in training. They used to yell at me and hit me for it, but I didn't stop. I would speak memories I had out loud and it made me remember them.” Kyuhyun said thoughtfully. He never thought he would so easily admit that he used to talk to himself. It was a bit of a shameful thing, he thought; slades were supposed to be strong, resolute and be able to take anything.
Sungmin just nodded again, this time keeping eye contact with Kyuhyun. His arm was starting to burn from keeping it out stretched for so long, but he didn't want to let go. It wasn't a lot, it wasn't even from someone he had known or cared about, but it was the first symbol of comfort he had ever received in his 23 years of living. He didn't want it to end.
Kyuhyun could feel his arm burning, too. He could tell Sungmin was struggling to keep his arm straight.
“You can let go. I'll be right here next time, too.” Kyuhyun said, giving Sungmin's hand a light squeeze.
Sungmin nodded again before he reluctantly let go, his arm falling ungracefully to his side. He didn't know why, but it seemed like he lost more than just a hand-hold when he let go.
They stayed like that for a while, Sungmin sitting on his bed and Kyuhyun, eventually, sitting on the floor closest to Sungmin's cage. They sat in a comfortable silence, each taking in what had happened between them.
Slades weren't supposed to have physical relationships. This did mean sexual relationships; however, with this rule being punishable by death, slades were very cautious as to what 'physical' meant. The two slades were not worried that they had broken the rule, though. They were more focused on the sensations they had each received from it.
Kyuhyun had felt happy, for the first time in a while. He couldn't figure out why just holding hands with someone could make him happy. Maybe it was because it was to comfort someone else or maybe it was because he hadn't had any physical contact with someone that he was expected to please. Whatever the reason may be, Kyuhyun wanted to hold Sungmin's hand again.
Sungmin had felt something he had never felt before, comfort and peace. The feelings were so powerful, they had brought him to tears. He didn't realize them at first; however. He had just felt a warmth radiate through him at the time. It wasn't until when they sat in silence that he reflected on what the exact feelings were. Kyuhyun thought to do the only thing he could to comfort him. Did this mean he cared? Sungmin tried to push the thought out of his head immediately. He was determined to never get his hopes up again for fear of having them crushed in his face.
It was 10am when they were taken out of their peaceful, reflective silence. The two guards, Hankyung and Siwon, came with their breakfast.
Kyuhyun got up and moved to the door of his cage to grab his food; however, Sungmin didn't move. He knew he would just fall again, so he didn't even try.
Siwon, who brought his tray to Sungmin's door, paused when he saw that Sungmin wasn't getting up. The images of a broken, unconscious Sungmin came flooding back to him.
The guard looked towards Hankyung, almost for approval, before he completely unlocked Sungmin's door. He walked in with the tray of food and brought it to where Sungmin was sitting on his bed.
“Here.” Siwon said gently as he placed the tray of food near Sungmin's feet. He stood up straight and caught Sungmin's eyes. They were wide and watery and filled with questions. “You...You can trust me. Us.”
Siwon looked straight back at Sungmin, hoping that his seriousness could be seen.
Sungmin just stared.
“You're not in training anymore. This is permanent. We won't hurt you.” Siwon continued. He hoped Kyuhyun could hear him as well.
Sungmin's jaw dropped, but he continued to stare.
“Just trust us.” Siwon ended. He moved out of Sungmin's cage and relocked the door before leaving through the double doors with Hankyung in tow.
“Do you think he is serious?” Kyuhyun asked from his spot on the floor again. He had heard all of what Siwon had said.
Sungmin tried to think back to last night. He remembered collapsing in the room after Iljun left, and he remembered both the guards coming to help him up, but he couldn't remember how he got back to his bed.
He tried to think harder. He remembered being conscious enough to feel water running over him, he could remember how soothing it had felt on his cut and bruises. Had the guards washed him after he passed out? He finally paid attention to the clothes he was wearing. He was sure he didn't remember changing from the nice clothes that had been on the toilet to his current clothes. Had the guards taken care of him and cleaned him up?
“I don't know...” Sungmin trailed off as he tried to focus on his tray of food. He finally noticed two tiny pills next to this water bottle. There was a tiny note underneath them that read in messy handwriting 'to help with any pain. please trust me.' Sungmin picked up the pills to examine them. Should he trust him?
“Maybe...” Sungmin said as he popped the pills into his mouth before gulping down a large sip of water.
“What was that?” Kyuhyun asked.
“Proof of trust?”
to be continued...
Chapter 4