This Place is a Mirage ii/ii
After somehow making it back to the village in the darkness by himself, Jongin goes right to the elders hut. He of course being so far out into the forest just missed the meeting.
He knocks on the door three times. "Kyungsoo?" He asks when no one answers. After a moment he hears movement on the other side and the door opens a crack. Kyungsoo stands on the other side peeking through the small opening.
"Jongin where were you?" He hisses through the crack. "I had to come up with an excuse as to why you weren’t at the meeting. It was important."
"I had something to take care of." Jongin says, lying but not really lying.
Kyungsoo scoffs. "Well I hope it was important because you missed what my father had to say." Kyungsoo opens the door and quickly comes out into the night air. He softly closes the door behind him. "My father is sending a scouting crew to find another village for help."
"What? Why would he do that? We don't even know if there are other villages out there." Jongin can feel the sweat dripping down the back of his neck. He now knows that there are other people out there but they are nothing like the ones in this village.
"I know, I know. That's what I said to him but he says that this sickness will kill everyone if we sit around and do nothing."
Jongin runs a hand through his hair. Just this morning he was completely ignorant to an outside world, still had the love of his life, and didn't feel like running away. Everything has changed and it took only one day to change it all. "I just want to rest." Jongin says in defeat. His body is sore, his
head is pounding, and he can't think straight any more. His mind needs to rest.
"You can stay here for the night but my father can't know." Kyungsoo says. “He’s not happy with you.”
Jongin nods, Kyungsoo’s father is never happy with him. "I'll be gone before daybreak anyhow."
Kyungsoo opens the door, peers inside and motions for Jongin to enter. They move quickly to a small bedroom that must be Kyungsoo’s and shut the door quietly. "Get some rest Jongin." Kyungsoo says. Then without another word Kyungsoo leaves the room.
Jongin only manages to sleep for a few hours. As soon as he realizes he won't be able to go back to sleep he is up and sneaking through the hut. He is careful not to make too much noise for he doesn’t know if anyone is awake and he cannot get caught.
Outside the cool early morning air wakes Jongin up the rest of the way. He takes a misty lungful of air and stares up at the dark sky. He knows that sun will be rising soon so he immediately sets off towards the forest where he was supposed to meet Sehun.
He is just about to head into the forest when he hears someone calling his name.
"Jongin!" He turns around to see Tao running at him at full speed. "Jongin!" Tao yells.
"What is it Tao?"
Tao stops a few feet away from Jongin. "Why are you going into the woods so early?" Tao is out of breath from running across the village to catch Jongin in time.
Jongin just shrugs too tired to even attempt to explain it to Tao. "I just have to."
Tao deflates a little. "You expected me to open up to you before but you can't even do that for me?"
Jongin shakes his head. "Tao you can't really expect me to tell you. I tried and I tried with you but you kept pushing me away.”
"Jongin I was wrong. I can't-- I can't go on without you. I want to fix-- no I need to fix us. It's because of me things are like this." Tao is speaking frantically just letting the words flow from his mouth freely.
"I think it's too late for us Tao. I really do, you were right. I could never admit that I felt more for you than just friends and I think that's reason enough for us to end whatever we had." Jongin can feel his shattered heart breaking into pieces all over again. Tears threaten but he won't let himself show weakness. He’s stays strong.
"Really Jongin? This is it? After years we're not even going to try and fix this?" Tao’s voice shows little emotion which is strange.
Jongin shakes his head. "You'll always be my first love Tao."
Tears spill freely from Tao's eyes at this point and Jongin can't keep his tears behind his eyes any longer. This is the first time since his parents died that he had to let someone go. He hates letting go.
"Just promise me one thing." Tao wipes his tears away with the back of his hand. "One thing." He murmurs. Jongin nods. "Don’t let him fool you."
Tao turns and runs away before Jongin can ask what he is talking about. It can't be Sehun can it? Jongin tries to think of anyone else that it could be. Kyungsoo? No, Kyungsoo can't be who Tao was talking about. It has to be Sehun but how does Tao even know about Sehun?
Jongin enters the woods trying to figure it out. Has Tao been following him? Has he seen Sehun?
Jongin walks to the black stone thinking of all the possible ways that Tao could have found out about Sehun but none of them seem to make any sense.
"Jongin you actually came." Sehun is standing near the rock, a small fire burning brightly in the darkness. "I didn't think you would after last night."
"Because you got the village sick?"
Sehun nods looking guilty. “Sorry,”
"Take me to your home." Jongin says suddenly. He has no idea where the words came from. "I want to see how different it is."
Sehun shakes his head. "I don't think that's a good idea Jongin.”
Jongin clenches his fists at his side. "There's nothing for me in the village anymore. Please take me with you Sehun."
Sehun doesn't answer at first and Jongin is sure that he is going to say no. But then he breaks out into a huge grin. "Tomorrow meet me here at the same time, bring anything that you can't leave behind, it's a long hike to the city and I don’t know if you’re going to be able to come back for a while.”
Jongin feels gratitude swell for Sehun. He walks forward and pulls Sehun into his arms. "Thank you." He says. Even though he just met Sehun he feels as if they have known each other for a very long time.
Sehun stiffens at first but then relaxes in Jongin’s arms. "No problem," Sehun says softly.
"Can I ask you one question though?" Jongin lets go of Sehun and takes a step back.
"Yes."
"Does your city have elders?"
Sehun shakes his head. "We have people in charge but they are nothing like your elders."
Jongin pulls Sehun back into his arms this time squeezing a little. "Thank god for that."
Instead of heading back to the village Jongin stays and talks to Sehun. Jongin finds out that Sehun is camping a few miles away from where they are now which is at least two hours from the village. Sehun also tells stories about the city. About buildings that tower into the sky, about machines that bring people to wherever they want to go, food that you can get from a thing called a market. Jongin is enthralled by all the details Sehun shares with him. The place Sehun describes sounds like a place that can only be completely made up. It's a place where everyone can be whoever they want to be, people don't have to be assigned roles like in the village. Things seem so much better out there than in the tiny village Jongin has grown up in. The more Sehun tells him the more Jongin can't wait to leave his village behind and start a new life, a better life.
"Can I still hunt?"
Sehun nods enthusiastically. "Of course, you get in a car, or on a train and you go out to the forest and hunt whenever you want." Sehun says. “As long as it’s the right season.”
This small thing sells Jongin, hunting is the only thing Jongin is good out and he doesn't have to give it up. He only has to give the people he has grown up with his whole life up. For some reason this doesn’t bother Jongin all that much.
The village horn sounds and Jongin springs to his feet. "I have to go."
Sehun gets to his feet and dusts himself off. "Remember tomorrow morning bring clothes, food, and anything else you want to bring with you. I'll see you then."
"Yes you will." Jongin whispers to Sehun's already retreating form.
Jongin waits another minute before he sprints back to the village as fast as his legs can carry him. He barely has any time to make it back and to the meeting without being caught. Kyungsoo won't be able to cover for him twice.
He arrives back in the village just in time. As he enters the village the elders begin to speak. "This morning a stranger came to the village."
The whole crowd gasps, shocked. Jongin knows it wasn't Sehun this time for sure so he isn’t panicked.
The elder continues speaking. "This stranger spoke of a sickness that killed his whole village off. He asked us for sanctuary and I granted it for him." Kyungsoo’s father's eyes scan the crowd and eventually fall on Jongin. "He is very scared but he warned me of something and now I am to warn you." He pauses for dramatic effect. "There are outsiders evil ones who plan to take some of you away from me. They tell lies of machines that can't possibly be real. If you see anyone strange report to me immediately.”
Sehun automatically pops into Jongin’s head but the way Sehun spoke of the cites was too detailed to be fake which means something else is going on here.
Jongin believes the elders are the ones lying.
"Please make sure that you don't buy into any stranger’s foolishness they are from a rival village and want to take you all as their slaves, nothing more."
Jongin tries his hardest to block the rest of what the elder is saying out. It works for the most part. The elders are full of shit and Jongin is still going with Sehun. He doesn't know why he trusts him more than his own people but he does and he won't question it. Not now, not ever.
The meeting breaks up and Jongin goes back to his hut, or former hut. He has to tell Tao that he is leaving but he doesn’t know how. How do you tell someone you’ve known your whole life that you are leaving and probably won’t be able to come back, ever. Maybe he shouldn’t say anything. Maybe he should go get his stuff in the middle of the night when Tao is surely sleeping. That way he won’t have to deal with what is sure to be a painful goodbye all the way around.
Jongin paces back and forth trying to come up with a way to make the goodbye go smoothly. The only problem is, Jongin can't think of one. If he tells Tao he's leaving he will want to know why and where Jongin is going. If he doesn’t tell Tao he's leaving then he will cause Tao so much unnecessary pain. He doesn't want to do that.
Jongin feels like ripping all his hair out. He doesn't know what to do. "Jongin." A raspy voice says. Jongin stops pacing and turns slowly to the source of the voice. The head elder, followed closely by Kyungsoo are coming toward him. Both of them do not look very happy.
"What?" Jongin asks keeping his voice as steady and as calm as he can.
"May we have a word with you?" The head elder asks in his most pleasant voice. Jongin nods. "I am giving you an extra warning, the other hunters are smart, they decided to listen to me, but you on the other hand...." He looks to Kyungsoo. "You defy me whenever you get the chance."
Jongin wants to punch the smug look right off the elders face. He holds back if only for the sake of Kyungsoo. "I did not and will not defy you any longer." Jongin says confidently.
The head elder nods. "That's good to hear but lets see if you can follow through with that." He nods once before leaving. Kyungsoo stays behind.
Kyungsoo.
Jongin hasn't even thought of how he is going to say goodbye to his best friend. He racks his brain for something, anything that will make sense but nothing comes to mind. He's just going to have to be vague.
"Jongin, my father is--"
"Unreasonable." Jongin answers for Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo shakes his head. "No, he just wants what's best for the people in this village."
Jongin is in no mood to argue with him about this right now. Any other time and he would. "Kyungsoo I have to tell you something. You have to promise me one thing though."
Kyungsoo looks suspicious. "I can't make any promises Jongin. I need to know first."
Jongin sighs. He knew Kyungsoo was going to say that. "Don't tell your father."
Kyungsoo's brow furrows. "Jongin what are you planning on doing?"
Jongin moves toward Kyungsoo only stopping when he is a few inches away. Kyungsoo's eyes widen a little at the sudden invasion of space. "I'm leaving." Jongin whispers.
Kyungsoo doesn't react at first. He stands there with his eyes wide and unblinking just staring at Jongin.
"I don't think I will be back." Jongin adds.
Kyungsoo blinks, finally. He takes a step away from Jongin and searches his face. "You're leaving the village?" Jongin nods. "It's just so sudden. I don't know what to say to you." Kyungsoo does something completely out of character then. He steps forward and wraps his arms around Jongin pulling him in. "I don't want you to leave but I know I can't talk you out of something once you set your mind to it."
Jongin breathes in the familiar scent of Kyungsoo, the scent that has and always will remind him of
friendship.
"Where are you going to go? Another village?" Kyungsoo asks still holding tightly onto Jongin.
Jongin wiggles out of the embrace before answering. "I thought I would travel, maybe live in another village." Jongin doesn’t like lying to Kyungsoo but he isn't going to talk about Sehun and cities right now. Maybe he'll return and tell Kyungsoo everything one day. Maybe he’ll take others back with him.
"I get it Jongin. I do. This village, it suffocates a person after so long," Kyungsoo looks sad. "I'm not going to tell my father. But be careful out there."
Jongin can't help it. He breaks out into a huge smile and pulls Kyungsoo into his arms. "I knew you wouldn't tell.”
"I have one question," Jongin lets Kyungsoo go and waits. "When are you leaving?
Jongin wants to tell him the truth but for Sehun's protection he thinks better of it. "Tomorrow night." He lies.
Kyungsoo nods.
Just then Jongin spots a head of black hair coming his way. Something must show on his face because Kyungsoo turns around. "I'll talk to you later Jongin." He says upon seeing Tao approaching. Jongin doesn't say anything as Kyungsoo scurries away.
Tao comes closer and closer. "I know what you're planning Jongin."
Panic envelopes Jongin. He swallows dryly. "I'm not planning anything." The words come out so shaky they wouldn't even fool a newborn baby.
"Don't lie to me Jongin. I know you plan on going to some 'city' with some 'Sehun'." Tao sneers.
Jongin stares at Tao not knowing what to say. Panic is consuming him. He doesn't want the elders to find out about Sehun. He doesn't know what would happen if they did. "Tao--"
"Save it Jongin. I can't believe you're scared of me telling someone about this whole fucked up thing. I would never do that to you. You can tell me anything.”
Guilt slices Jongin deep. Guilt is the most familiar feeling in the world to Jongin these days. "Tao I wanted to tell you."
"It doesn't matter. I just want one thing." Tao waits for Jongin to reply.
"One thing? Okay what?"
"When you leave tomorrow with Sehun I want to go with you. I don't want to stay in this village and rot away. I want to see all the things Sehun told you about." Tao speaks quickly as if he had been holding the words in for a long time and can’t hold them back any longer. Tao has been speaking this way a lot lately.
It takes Jongin ten seconds to decide. "Yes. You can come.”
The both of them hurry into the their little hut before speaking anything more to each other. Jongin wonders briefly why Tao isn’t afraid to leave, he heard what the elders said about a “stranger”. But then again Tao has listened to Jongin complain about the elders lying to them for years now. Tao has always seemed to trust Jongin’s judgement more than that of the elders’.
“When are you leaving?” Tao asks as they both move into the bedroom.
“Tomorrow morning before the sun rises,” Jongin answers. “Be ready to leave by then.”
Tao nods.
Jongin turns to him slowly needing to say something. “Tao--”
“Don’t Jongin. What’s done is done,” Tao collapses onto their bed and closes his eyes. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk once we’re gone.”
Jongin leaves it alone instead opting to busy himself packing some of his clothes and personal belongings. Shoving his worn clothes into a dirty rucksack, Jongin also remembers to grab some of the remaining things he has from his parents.
Jongin finishes packing and puts his bag of things into his chest of weapons, hiding it just in case.
Jongin takes a look out the bedroom window. It’s almost sunset now. It won’t be long before morning. Soon Jongin and Tao will be far away from the village they spent their whole lives.
Jongin grabs a blanket from the bed near where Tao is sleeping lightly, and places it on the floor. Jongin lies down on the cold floor and waits for sleep to claim him.
---
Jongin is shaken awake. “Jongin get up, Kyungsoo is here.” Tao whispers.
Jongin sits up and rubs his eyes. “What?”
Tao says nothing more, he doesn’t need to because just then Kyungsoo lets himself into the bedroom.
“Jongin we need to talk,” Kyungsoo looks at Tao. “Alone.”
Tao looks warily down at Jongin before exiting the room.
“What’s wrong?” Jongin asks kyungsoo as he gets up off the ground.
Jongin sits on the edge of his bed. Kyungsoo stays standing just inside the room, not coming any further toward Jongin.
Kyungsoo sighs heavily and closes his eyes. “You can’t leave the village.”
Jongin doesn’t respond right away.
“I know that you really think that’s what’s best Jongin but listen,” Kyungsoo finally moves the rest of the way into the room and sits on the bed next to Jongin. “This village needs you here with us.”
Jongin shakes his head. “I’m sorry Kyungsoo,”
“Jongin just think about it, please, you can’t just leave, not when we need you most. People are dying, wait until this illness is gone at least.” Kyungsoo is pleading now.
Jongin stares into the eyes of his best friend, searching for a reason to stay but he can’t find it.
“I’m sorry Kyungsoo,” Jongin says softly. “I have to leave, the village will be fine without me.”
Kyungsoo nods sadly, giving up easily. Kyungsoo has known Jongin too long, he knows not to argue and waste his breath. Jongin is leaving and that’s not going to change.
“I hope you’re right,” Kyungsoo says getting to his feet. “That this village will be fine without you because I, I’m not so sure it will be.”
Kyungsoo spins on his heel and leaves Jongin with those words.
Jongin stays on the bed staring at the floor in front of him. There are feelings swirling around in his chest, feelings he doesn’t want to deal with. Guilt is the one that bother him the most. He doesn’t want to be responsible for the village starving to death.
“Jongin,” Tao says softly coming into the room. “Jongin,”
Tao sits down next to Jongin and pulls Jongin into his arms. The warmth radiating off of Tao is so soothing Jongin might never leave his embrace.
They sit like that, Tao holding Jongin in his arms, murmuring soft reassurances into Jongin’s ear for a little more than an hour. Jongin is hesitant to leave the safety Of tao’s arms but they have to get prepared. There is only a few more hours left until they need to leave.
---
Jongin shakes Tao awake. Tao easily comes to with a look of confidence already on his face. Jongin grabs his bag out of his chest and leaves the room and the hut. He says goodbye before he takes a step out of the hut and leaves it behind forever.
Outside Jongin goes around to the back of the house, after making sure no one was watching him of course, and goes straight to the small garden near the treeline.
Jongin doesn’t have much food to take from the garden but there should be enough to feed himself and Tao until they make it out of the forest. Though Sehun didn’t say how long it would take before they were in the city.
Jongin waits by the garden for Tao after he finishes picking vegetables from the garden.
Tao doesn’t take long, he’s outside standing near Jongin within five minutes.
They stand there in silence staring into the forest. Side by side.
“Are we really going to do this?” Tao asks softly. He taps his foot against the dirt and fidgets around a bit. “I mean are we really going to leave?”
Jongin nods. “You don’t have to come with me, you can stay here.”
Tao shakes his head. “No way. Without you here there isn’t a point. I’m going with you, we do this together like we have done everything else.”
Somethings wells in Jongin’s chest at Tao’s words. Love. No matter how bad things were between them yesterday, Jong will always love Tao.
“Tao,” Jongin whispers. “I love you.”
Tao says nothing.
Shaking off the stinging feeling from Tao’s silence. Jongin takes a step forward. “Let’s go.”
Jongin takes one last look over his shoulder before saying goodbye to the only home he has ever known. He’s ready for something new.
---
Tao and Jongin meet Sehun at the rock a little bit over two hours later. The sun has still yet to rise but with their lanterns, Tao and Jongin can see pretty good in the darkness.
“Where is he?” Tao asks impatiently.
Jongin sits down with his back against the blackened stone. “It’s been five minutes, he’ll be here soon.”
Tao chooses to pace back and forth in front of jongin as the two of them wait for Sehun to arrive. Jongin isn’t as worried as Tao seems to be since they did leave a little early. Jongin thinks Sehun will mostly likely arrive just as the sun begins its slow crawl over the horizon.
“Where is he?” Tao asks again.
Jongin doesn’t answer this time.
A few minutes pass by in which Tao continues to pace. Jongin just closes his eyes and tries not to get annoyed but it’s hard.
“Stop doing that or you’ll scare him away,” Jongin says without opening his eyes.
Tao finally stops pacing and decides to sit down next to Jongin.
“Why is this rock all black like this?”
Jongin cracks open and eye to see Tao staring at the stone curiously.
A shuffling sound come from just to the left of them sending them both on high alert.
“What was that?” Tao whispers.
Jongin shushes him and narrows his gaze toward where the sound had come from. He thinks it’s probably just Sehun but he can’t be too sure. It could be an animal, or it could be someone from the village.
A figure steps into the light cast by the lanterns.
Jongin breathes a deep sigh of relief. “Sehun,”
Sehun nods his head in greeting then turns a glare on Tao. “Why is he here?”
“He’s coming with us,” Jongin says firmly enough so that Sehun won’t argue.
By some miracle it works. Sehun just rolls his eyes at Tao. The glare Tao gives Sehun could scare a whole mass of people but it doesn’t even seem to phase Sehun.
“Let’s get out of here before one of those stuffy old guys catches us,” Sehun says. “My campsite is a few hours from here and it’s a rough hike.”
Jongin nods. Tao glares.
They start walking.
---
The hike isn’t as rough for Jongin as it is for Tao who seems to fall over every three minutes.
“I hate this,” Tao complains.
“Just shut up and walk, we’re almost there now.” Sehun says.
Jongin is annoyed, not by the hike, not by Tao falling all the time but by Tao and Sehun bickering and arguing. they haven’t stopped since they met and it’s driving Jongin insane.
“You shut up and walk, you blond haired weirdo,” Tao mumbles getting off his knees and back to his feet to continue walking.
Sehun stops walking and turns around, face slightly red. “What did you just call me?”
Tao stands a little taller. “I called you a blond. Haired. Weirdo.” Tao says punctuating the insult for more effect.
Sehun scoffs. “You’re one to call me the weirdo.”
Sehun turns back around and they continue walking and driving Jongin insane.
---
An hour later Jongin sees color through the trees.
“We’re here finally.” Sehun says breaking into a sprint.
Jongin and Tao break out into huge grins and close the distance between themselves and the strange colors where Sehun had run off to.
“What’s that thing?” Tao asks gesturing to the brightly colored thing they had seen.
To Jongin it looks like something unnatural, it’s a funny shape and colored bright blue, and pink.
Sehun rolls his eyes at Tao. “It’s my tent,”
Tao opens his mouth but Jongin cuts him off before any noise comes out. “Are you here alone?”
Sehun nods. “My friend left this morning. I told him I wanted to spend a few more hours up here alone,” Sehun laughs. “He thought I was insane because he hated it out here and I like it.”
Jongin nods. “Is he like you?”
Sehun looks puzzled. “From the city? Yes.”
“Blah blah blah,” Tao says snidely. “When do we go to the city?”
Sehun doesn’t answer.
“Hello anyone there?” Tao is becoming evermore annoying.
“After I pack up.” Sehun answers curtly as he throws something harshly into the ground.
Tao makes a strange noise but finally shuts up for which Jongin couldn’t be more grateful.
Sehun starts packing his things and Jongin watches him closely. Especially when Sehun starts taking his ‘tent’ down.
A few minutes later the tent lays flat on the ground and Sehun begins to roll it up. Jongin watches in fascination.
About ten minutes later, Sehun is completely packed up and ready to go.
“Wake you’re irritating friend up and let’s get out of here.” Sehun says gesturing with his head to Tao, whom is sprawled out in the dirt sleeping heavily.
Jongin shakes Tao awake and before long the three of them are trekking into territory Jongin has never been in before.
Jongin couldn’t be more ready.
---
The suns starts to set when they reach a small creek. Tao squeals in excitement, throws his bag on the shore, and wades into the water with all his clothes on.
“What are you doing?” Sehun runs after Tao doing the same thing, throwing his bag on the shore, and wading in with all his clothes on.
Jongin catches up to them but doesn’t get into the water with them. Instead Jongin kneels down with his hands cupped to get a drink of water.
Sehun and Tao splash each other laughing hysterically. They shove each other around and play together like they’re best friends, like they hadn’t been arguing like they hated each other only an hour before.
Jongin watches Tao smile, watches how his face lights up. It’s been so long since he has seen Tao smile like that. It makes Jongin happy to know that Tao is liking it out here, away from the village, so far. But then there is something else Jongin feels as he watches Sehun and Tao in the water together. Jealousy.
---
A few hours later and they exit the forest onto a strange place. There is a large sign with a map of trails on it but what’s stranger is the thing that sits near the sign.
“What the hell is that?” Tao asks.
“My car,” Sehun replies easily. “That is how we will get to the city.”
“What? How?” Tao asks.
If Sehun hadn’t explained this to Jongin he would be just as confused as Tao.
“We get inside and Sehun drives,” Jongin answers Tao. He looks to Sehun to see if that’s right.
Sehun nods. “Yeah, lets get in and get to the city.”
Tao shoves Jongin out of the way and climbs into the front seat next to Sehun.
Jongin feels climbs into the back seat not bothering to yell at Tao, who has been acting different ever since they left the village. It’s almost as if Jongin didn’t really know Tao.
Jongin lets it go.
“How does it work?” Tao asks from the passenger seat as soon as Sehun is inside the car.
Sehun doesn’t answer instead showing Tao how it works.
Jongin watches front he back as Sehun takes a silver object from his pocket and puts it into a hole near the thing called the steering wheel. Then Sehun turns the object and the care comes to life roaring softly.
“Whoa,” Tao says in awe. “This is cool.”
“Just wait,” Sehun says grinning at Tao.
Then Sehun moves his hand towards something just below the thing with a bunch of buttons on it, the radio, and pushes it forward.
The car starts moving backwards. Jongin grabs onto Tao’s seat to steady himself as Sehun slowly backs the car up.
Sehun does a few things that Jongin doesn’t catch and then the car is driving forward leaving the gravel clearing.
---
The city is different from what Jongin had pictured. It’s bigger, the buildings loom into the sky all glass and steel, there are cars and people everywhere. People like Sehun witch strange clothes and strange hair colors.
The car is completely quiet as they drive through taking everything in.
Soon enough both Jongin and Tao are pummeling Sehun with questions. Sehun does the best he can to answer them and have them make sense.
Soon enough though, Sehun is pulling into a think he called a parking lot, where the cars stay while not in use, and turning the car off.
“This is my apartment building. You guys will be staying here with me and my roommate.” Sehun takes the key out of the spot he put it into earlier and gets out of the car.
Tao hurries out too. Jongin on the other hand feels overwhelmed by everything. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, he thinks as he reaches for the handle to get out of the car.
As soon as Jongin is out of the car he is pummeled with noise from every direction. He covers his ears and walks around the car to where Sehun and Tao are standing chatting about something.
“It’s loud.” Jongin says, well yells.
“You’ll get used to it,” Sehun says back to Jongin with a grin. “I should have warned you.”
Tao is smiling again, at Sehun, and again Jongin feels a pang of jealousy in his chest. He doesn’t want Tao to smile like that at anyone else but himself.
“Lets go inside,” Sehun pulls Jongin towards the building.
They enter and take the stairs up to the third floor.
“It might be a mess,” Sehun says sheepishly before shoving the key into the lock and pushing the door open.
Sehun is wrong. The place is immaculate, as if someone just cleaned it knowing they were going to be there soon.
“Oh,” Sehun says stepping inside his home. “Luhan must’ve cleaned.”
“Luhan?” Tao asks stepping in right behind Sehun.
Jongin enters the apartment and shuts the door behind himself. It’s bigger than he thought it was going to be. Jogin takes in the room they are standing in slowly. He’s not sure what he is looking at but he wants to remember every detail to ask Sehun about.
“Luhan is my friend and roommate,” Sehun sets his keys down onto a table. “He should actually be home right now.”
“LUHAN!” Sehun yells making Jongin jumps backwards and slamming his head against the door.
Sehun doesn’t even turn to see if Jongin is okay.
Jongin’s feeling of regret grows.
“Don’t yell,” Replies a soft voice. “I’m right here--”
Luhan’s eyes widen and he stares right at Jongin.
Jongin stares back in the same amount of awe for the short boy in front of him has pink hair.
“I had a dream about you,” Luhan says not moving an inch from where he is standing. Luhan is still staring at Jongin, he hasn’t even noticed tao yet.
“Sehun,” Luhan says warily. “Who is that?” He raises his hand and points right at Jongin.
Sehun apparently thinks he’s pointing at both Jongin and tao though.
“This,” Sehun throws his arm around tao’s shoulders. “Is my new friend Tao, and that by the door is Jongin.”
“Jongin,” Luhan says.
A tingle runs up Jongin’s arms.
“Yes, Jongin and Tao,” Sehun pulls Tao further into his home. Jongin trails behind not taking his eyes of Luhan. “Actually Luhan I have something to tell you about these two.” Sehun has a devilish grin which makes Jongin’s skin crawl.
---
After Sehun tells Luhan everything he knows about the village and how he met Jongin and Tao, Luhan sits there quietly.
Then after a few minutes of silence he starts laughing. Hysterically.
“Is he sane?” Tao whispers to Sehun.
Sehun nods.
Luhan stops laughing and finally is able to speak after a few minutes. “Is this a joke Sehun?”
Sehun shakes his head. “I have pictures to prove it.” Sehun slide something rectangular out of his pocket and crossed the room to Luhan. Luhan stares at the rectangular object as Sehun does something with it.
Jongin watches Luhan’s face change from carefree to serious in a matter of seconds.
“Sehun you have to tell someone about this.”
Sehun shakes his head. “No we can’t do that. They really don’t know anything else exists outside their village. It could traumatize them.”
Luhan shakes his head. “We have to tell.”
“Let’s give them time to adjust then we’ll take them with us to help explain, no one is going to believe us.” Sehun says.
Luhan seems to think this is okay because he lets it go. “Fine,”
“Oh yeah Jongin needs the guest room. Is it clean?” Sehun asks.
Luhan sighs. “Yeah but what about him,” he points to Tao.
“Tao is going to stay in my room,” Sehun replies.
Luhan scoffs and comes toward Jongin. “I’ll show you around since those two lovebirds want to be alone,”
At first Jongin hasn’t a clue what Luhan is talking about, that is until he looks at the two of them.
Tao is cling onto Sehun and smiling brightly as Sehun speaks to him showing him around.
Jongin wants to punch something suddenly.
Luhan sees something change on Jongin’s face because he is suddenly grabbing Jongin’s hand and making Jongin lock eyes with him.
“I’ll give you a tour,” Luhan says softly.
Jongin’s eyes trail down from Luhan’s eyes to Luhan’s lips. Jongin doesn’t know if it’s just because he’s angry and jealous right now but he suddenly get the urge to kiss Luhan.
And that’s what he does.
Luhan gasps into Jongin’s mouth but he doesn’t push him away. No, instead Luhan kisses Jongin back like they’re lovers who haven’t seen each other in years. Luhan’s hands slowly travel from his sides to Jongin’s hair, pulling lightly at the dark brown strands.
Jongin groans into Luhan’s mouth and pulls the smaller man closer to his body, but it’s not close enough.
“What the fuck Jongin!” Tao screeches.
Someone pulls Jongin away from Luhan.
“What the hell are you doing?” Tao asks harshly.
Sehun is smirking as he watches the strange scenario play out before him. It enrages Jongin.
Luhan has taken a step back from Jongin and is touching his lips with a soft smile. “Wow,” Jongin hears him breathe out.
“Jongin you can’t do that to someone you just met!” Tao is hysterical.
Jongin ignores Tao as he continues to tell Jongin what he can and cannot do. Jongin just stares at Luhan, the most beautiful person he has ever seen with his own two eyes.
Eventually Sehun drags Tao away leaving just Luhan and Jongin standing in the ‘living room’.
“I know why you did that.” Luhan say breaking the silence first. “but I’m glad you did.”
Luhan smiles and Jongin feels shaky. He has never felt this way before, not even with Tao.
“Come on,” Luhan grabs Jongin’s hand. “Lets finish the tour.”
Six Months Later~
“Jongin hurry up!” Luhan yells. “Sehun and tao are already waiting in the car, they packed it up and everything too!”
Jongin shoves his boots onto his feet and quickly laces them up. “I’m almost ready.”
“Do you not want to go back to where you grew up?” Luhan is standing in the doorway to his bedroom staring softly at Jongin.
Jongin stops lacing his boot and locks eyes with Luhan. “I’m nervous,” Jongin says shakily. “It’s been so long.”
Luhan comes the rest of the way into his own bedroom and sits down on his bed next to Jongin. “I’ll be with you the whole time, don’t worry.”
Jongin feels a little reassured by Luhan’s words but he’s still nervous. The village is going to be angry, they might even chase the four of them out when they enter but Jongin wants to show all of them the real world. He wants them to know that the village isn’t the world, it’s a tiny part, and they can’t stay hidden there away from society forever.
Jongin finishes tying up his boots.
“Ready?” Luhan asks.
“Ready,” Jongin answers confidently.
Luhan kisses Jongin quick on the lips before getting to his feet and pulling Jongin up with him.
“Let’s go,” Luhan leads Jongin out of the room and out of the apartment.
Jongin isn’t sure what he’s going to find in the village, mostly anger, but he hopes that people will be open minded and trust him, he hopes they will want to leave and experience something new.
It’s a big world out there, even bigger than Jongin could ever imagine.
fin.
A/N: If you read this whole things, THANK YOU.
A/N: This turned out pretty close to what I had imaged just more messy.
A/N: /shurgs/ at least I had a lot of fun writing it.