[fic] brighter days ahead
TITLE brighter days ahead
FANDOM block b
PAIRING ot7, kyung/u-kwon/zico
SUMMARY "one day we'll leave this place," says jiho. the establisment isn't unkind, but there's no getting better here for people like them. yukwon hopes for freedom.
WORDS 4812
RATING pg
FOR bakalildevil @ blockbtime 2013 spring exchange
"How do you feel today?"
Yukwon stays quiet on the examination table. Doctor - because there are no names here, only stations - makes a note in her chart. Outside the window, the sky is a saturated blue, cloudless, perfect running weather for Jiho. Yukwon scratches the bend of his elbow where the skin is warmer, and smiles.
"Good," he says, but he wants to tell her how sleepy he's been lately. He doesn't want the drugs though. "The same," he says and shrugs his left shoulder.
Checkups are routine, once a week, but Yukwon hates them all the same. Doctor clicks her tongue, presses the back of her hand to his forehead, and says, "You're warmer. Don't do anything to overexert yourself." It sounds like a warning.
Yukwon nods along to her words, and she steps out of the room to allow him enough privacy to dress.
The establishment has friendly-enough staff; they willingly talk and feed them. Sometimes they even provide board games and old VHS tapes to watch in the rec room on Saturdays. Yet, there's a distance. They keep the boys like him at arm's length, as though waiting for one of them to snap. It happened once before, but no one likes to talk about it. The Accident is the reason why checkups are weekly, to keep them in line and monitor progress. They don't want another mess to clean up or any more government officials snooping around the area.
Yukwon's been here for so long that he doesn't remember what natural sunlight feels like. They took him when he was six, and he joined the other Lost Boys. That was ten years ago. He thinks maybe he should hate them - the people who kidnapped him - for the loss of a real family and friends, but he can't bring himself to feel anything at all.
The other lost children are his family and friends now.
"How did the checkup go?" Jiho asks. He sits on Kyung's side of the room, splitting earpieces between himself and Kyung. He has his jacket zipped up, but this is understandable because they prefer keeping the temperatures near freezing in the room to prevent Yukwon from burning from the inside-out. "We've been waiting for hours."
Yukwon smiles. "Boring," he says, "like it always is." He sits on his unmade bed and tucks his legs beneath him.
Kyung bobs his head to the music, cocooned in a layer of quilts and no doubt a sweater too. Yukwon never knew why they roomed together, considering the vast differences in their physiology and purposes, but Kyung was good company when they were both awake enough to talk. Kyung had a way of charming the female nurses on their floor into extending their curfews and allowing them special ice cream privileges; Yukwon felt that was a great asset.
While Yukwon was off, being tested in rooms that felt like furnaces to normal people, Kyung was kept inside with books. He sometimes wondered how Kyung felt, alone in the library, while everyone else freely roamed the halls; Kyung never voiced his complaints, but he did talk a mile a minute whenever anyone gave him the chance. He always had something to talk about, could recite novels from memory and work the level-5 math equations in under five minutes. Yukwon liked listening to him - that he could fill his silences, and sometimes, when Yukwon couldn't finish a cookie during lunch, he'd offer it to Kyung in exchange for a fairy tale. Ones about being locked away and later rescued - ones about being free.
"They had me running laps in the gym today," Jiho says, and he sounds proud too. But then, Yukwon thinks, when is Jiho ever not proud. "Beat my record. They gave me this," he waves around the music player, "as a reward."
Kyung's fallen asleep against Jiho's shoulder, lips parted, and Jiho gently tugs the earpieces from both their ears. Yukwon admires the way they act when they're together - how close they are despite being ripped away from society and stuffed into this cramped institution. Kyung and Jiho have been here longer than anyone else, and they rely on each other, almost like brothers.
Jiho tosses the music player over, and his aim curves toward the right so it hits Yukwon's pillow instead of his open palm.
"Missed," Yukwon teases, and the next thing Jiho throws is his shoe. It clips him in the knee and falls to the floor.
*
"Good work today, Yukwon," Assistant Doctor says. He wipes his brow where his damp bangs lay flattened.
Yukwon shrugs out of his suit, hot but not sweating, and steps out of the Furnace. He allows Head Nurse and Assistants to pour water onto his skin, and it sizzles and changes to steam within a span of seconds. It cools his body, albeit minutely. When he's no longer a fire hazard, they give him his clothes and a jug of water to drink and cool his system. "Can't have you burning the place down," Jiho'd said on a tease once, but Yukwon knows that is what everyone fears.
"Thanks," he says to Assistant Doctor because, today, he actually feels good about himself. He will eat lunch with Jaehyo and Taeil, not alone. He pulls his shirt overhead, the world around him turning a blank white for a moment before his head works through the neck-hole. "Can I go now?"
Assistant Doctor rolls his eyes fondly, and Yukwon always preferred him to the other staff. He wipes his brow again with the back of his lab coat's sleeve. "Sure," he says, "but remember to stay cool and keep away from Patient Kyung's books this time."
*
Usually everyone takes lunch before him because of the intensity and care put into his tests. By now, Kyung will be taking tests in the laboratory, and Jiho will be running laps and kicking up dust on the field. The others will be going to their physicals or testing now. Hanhae's in the sick room because of a mishap the day before.
He places his tray on the mostly empty table. The metal of the bench is cool against the back of his knees before it warms to his body heat. Jaehyo grins and Taeil offers a simple nod of his head. Taeil is newer than the rest of them, arriving a year or two after they adopted Jaehyo and Minhyuk; he was small then, tinier than Kyung, but he commanded a certain level of respect that even Jiho admired.
Taeil is Jaehyo's best friend in the same way that Jiho and Kyung are Yukwon's. Jaehyo had once clung to Taeil, but these days it's impossible because of the crackles of concentrated lightning that spark from Jaehyo's fingertips and the dampness of Taeil's skin. Yukwon spies the bandages wrapped around Taeil's wrists.
"They're turning him into the real-life version of The Little Mermaid," Jaehyo says. His voice pitches higher when he's excited, and he speaks faster then too.
The Little Mermaid is one of Jaehyo's favorites, and they watch it in the rec room on the fourth Saturday of every month and Jaehyo's birthday. Yukwon never lasts more than a couple minutes into the film, but Jiho assures him that it has a happy ending. Kyung once told him the true ending though, about sea foam and ascending. Yukwon prefers the ending where she's set free and allowed to be in love.
Taeil shakes his head, and it's hard to read his eyes when he wears the bulky sunglasses. The light in the cafeteria hurts his eyes; he needs a filter. "Gills," is what he says, coolly, and goes back to the goop in his tray. "And. I'd be a merman," he grumps before stuffing the unidentifiable goop in his mouth.
Jaehyo shocks his arm in turn, and Yukwon, well, he just laughs.
*
Jiho steals him away sometime that week. Yukwon doesn't really pay attention to the days anymore. His calendar - a gift from Nurse - is useless and sits on his desk, flipped to a picture of a kitten in a tree that reads: hang in there!. He's not sure if it's from this year or not.
They go to the indoor track field, and Jiho twitches because he always has an overabundance of adrenaline bursting through him. He's always moving - tapping his fingers or rocking his legs up and down; only when they've drugged him does he calm. Yukwon prefers this Jiho, in his element and racing circles around him. Never stopping, always in motion.
"How does it feel?" Yukwon asks from the bleachers. It's empty in the later times of the day when the staff takes to tending to the more volatile patients.
Jiho stalls momentarily, but he still goes too fast for Yukwon to comprehend. "I feel more alive here than anywhere else," he admits. There's a faraway look in his eyes, though. "It's easy to forget," he says quieter as though he's speaking to himself now. But the look is gone just as quick as it came, and he smiles up at Yukwon from his place on the track. "Come on and try it out."
Yukwon hops down the bleachers two at a time, heartbeat quickening in his chest as if he were already racing on the track, and meets Jiho on the field. The lot is huge, much bigger than the two of them.
Yukwon cannot possibly keep up with Jiho, no one can, but he feels the burn in his muscles and in his blood and pushes himself harder and faster.
They collapse together in the center of the field. Yukwon lost count of the laps they made around the track. His body feels hot and aching, but he feels better than ever.
"When I can't bear the labs or my room, I come here," he says. He picks at a loose lace of his sneakers. "It helps me think."
Yukwon stares up at the lights hanging overhead. Each of them look like stars from down here. They lapse into silence, and it's so natural for them to enjoy each others' company without the use of words.
"One day we'll leave this place," says Jiho. It surprises Yukwon whose mind has begun to drift. He sits upright using his hands to support his weight; their knees touch. "You and me and Kyung and everyone."
"Where will we go?"
He asks this because it's the first thought that comes to his mind when he entertains such ideas. What will he do? What can he do? Stolen away from the world for so long, no talents or skills to offer; he's nothing but a white hot flame that keeps growing hotter and hotter, to the point of burning. They once let him have a guitar, but he created sparks on the fret and set smoke alarms off.
Jiho glances over at him. Yukwon stares at his lips, watches the words form on his tongue as he speaks, and feels more drawn in than ever before. He's sixteen; he doesn't know what love or attraction feels like outside of the Disney movies and Kyung's stories. Jiho is compelling though, always has been ever since Kyung introduced them that one morning, and Yukwon trusts him - and Kyung - with his life.
"Where will we not go?" Jiho touches his cheek. It's such a simple act, one Jiho's done to Kyung countless times before, but it feels more affectionate right now. It has Yukwon's body heating more, but Jiho doesn't draw away even if his skin must be scalded. "We'll go anywhere we want."
Doctor steps out of Yukwon's room as he and Jiho round the corner. It's the first time Yukwon has ever seen Jiho halt completely, but it's only for a short beat of Yukwon's heart. Jiho darts toward Doctor in the blink of an eye.
"What's going on? What're you doing here?" Jiho demands, and Yukwon skids to a stop right behind him.
Doctor pinches the bridge of her nose. "The patient had a dizzy spell, but it's nothing major," she says dismissing them both, but Yukwon remembers Kyung's increasing complaints of headaches and his need to sleep more and more.
Sometimes it felt like he was near-vegetable, skipping meals in favor of sleeping to regain energy exhausted during the day. Yukwon believes something is wrong, but it's nothing more than a sharp tug in his gut at this point. He thinks of Hanhae, still in the sick room, and hopes that the bad feelings will go away.
"What's wrong with him?"
Doctor flicks her gaze toward him. She furrows her brow. "What have you been doing? You're flushed."
"We ran a few laps -"
"I told you not to overexert yourself," she snaps. The dark look that crosses her features has him clutching the back of Jiho's shirt in his hands. The smell of burnt fabric fills him up, but he doesn't let go. Doctor shakes her head. "Probation," she says, voice low and allowing no arguments. "Both of you."
"Just tell me what the fuck is wrong with him," Jiho says again.
Doctor ignores him. "Back to your room, Patient Jiho," she says. She sidesteps them, and her heels click-clack against the polished tile of the hallway floor.
Jiho turns to face him, mouth curled down distastefully. Yukwon swallows; his throat is dry, so it's an effort to work it down. He stares at their feet, at the uneven laces in Jiho's sneakers and the scuffed tip of his own, and wills his body to calm and cool. Kyung is fine, he tells himself; calm down.
"Hey," Jiho says. Yukwon feels fingers touch the side of his neck, and then Jiho is hugging him. Yukwon wants to shove him away because this is dangerous, especially when he has no control over his body heat at the moment, but Jiho seems to sense his uncertainty and holds him tighter. "Check on him. Keep him company. He gets lonely in there by himself," he whispers, but these are things Yukwon already knows.
Jiho pulls back. He touches his cheek again, eyes searching. Then, he smiles.
Yukwon creates tiny flames with his fingers until Kyung awakens. He looks small - tinier than usual - wrapped in those heavy blankets, hooked to a monitor, pale and thin.
"I feel like I've been hit by one of Jihoon's punches," Kyung says, sitting up slowly. He's too weak to fight the blankets covering his body, but he tries anyway. He resorts to rubbing his temple. "Must've passed out in the library."
Yukwon frowns at him. Kyung smiles at him, sheepish.
"Sleep with me?" he asks. He folds back the covers, and it's invitation enough for Yukwon.
He slips into the space beside Kyung, and together they push the quilts to the foot of the bed. Kyung leans into his side and steals his body heat. Yukwon rests his head atop Kyung's, and he feels how his hair dampens beneath his cheek.
"Are you too hot?"
Kyung hums, arms around Yukwon's middle just the same as the way he sleeps with Jiho, and says, "Thanks Yukwon."
The days pass by slowly after that. They have Yukwon on house-arrest, and they've revoked all his privileges. He hasn't seen a shock of blond hair or a flash of sneakers since the day Kyung passed out.
"Hey Yukwonnie," the youngest boy in the family, Jihoon, says. He's sweet-smiled and happy, cheeks round with childish fat, and in his hand he carries a bag of spoils. "I got this for my birthday," he explains the bag away, shaking it for emphasis.
They sit in the cafeteria together, knee to knee, and Jihoon is growing too fast. They worry about him, the same as they did Minho before the Accident, but so far he has kept below the bars and in control. Jihoon tells him about the gift he received from the staff and upends the baggie on the tabletop. He offers a lollipop to Yukwon.
Yukwon retells stories that Kyung has shared with him, and when he runs out of words he talks about his adventures with Jiho. Often he stretches the truth or forgets how a tale goes, but he goes on with prompting from Jihoon and the excitement he feels when Jihoon asks questions or begs for more.
He's in the midst of The Beauty and the Beast when Minhyuk settles beside them. Minhyuk's been in isolation since the Accident, and the Assistants hang around closer whenever he's in a room. Out of all the patients, Minhyuk is the most volatile; Yukwon considers him a good friend regardless.
"Hi," he says quietly, and Jihoon pushes a chocolate bar in Minhyuk's direction. Minhyuk smiles, but it's slight. Minhyuk has a soft spot for the younger boys. "Is Kyungie okay?"
Yukwon nods. He pushes the lollipop to the side with his tongue, and says, "Doc says he overworked himself, but Jiho thinks they've been pushing him too much."
Minhyuk nods. Jiho and Minhyuk haven't seen eye-to-eye since the Accident, but it's mostly been Jiho giving Minhyuk the cold shoulder when they bump into one another in the halls. Jiho holds grudges and is fiercely protective, especially when it comes to Kyung and - at one point in time - Minho, too.
Jihoon frowns down at the table. He slides a few pieces of chocolate toward Yukwon. "For Kyungie," he says.
*
Yukwon sees Jiho again in the rec room on Saturday.
They're watching The Lion King, and "I Just Can't Wait to be King" plays loudly. Kyung says, "this is my favorite part," to Minhyuk, who lets him curl into him, despite the fact Kyung never makes it past the part where Mufasa dies. He's too sensitive to deaths, or anything remotely sad. On Minhyuk's extreme days, he either laughs or cries; his emotions are always out of whack. Mostly, he stares transfixed at the flashing colors and never blinks. It unnerves Jaehyo who slaps his thighs or shocks him with electricity every now and then to get a reaction.
Jaehyo and Jihoon split a packet of cheese puffs, but Assistant Doctor clears his throat every time Jaehyo touches one to his lips. Taeil had his bandages removed earlier that week; the new gills are striking against his pale skin.
Jiho comes in, scowling, and Yukwon immediately notes that there's something off about him. He appears upset, but his movements are jerkier and slower. They've doped him to keep him calm, Yukwon realizes. He sits beside Yukwon, stock-still, and holds his hand out for Jihoon's snacks. They don't mind the two of them eating them out of house and home; they work the calories off faster than the others do, and they need it to keep their strengths.
Hanhae hasn't joined them today.
*
It all changes when the alarm bells go off.
Kyung sleeps through the sirens blaring and the steady pounding against their room door. It's Jiho, body thrumming so that every part of his body shakes, and Yukwon knows something's wrong. Horribly wrong.
"Hanhae's gone," he says.
Yukwon still remembers the Accident.
Song Minho had been a bright and shining star, but he crumbled under the pressure. He breezed through all the tests, always growing and strengthening, and at first he'd been happy. He'd bragged about it even, and there was not a single person happier than Jiho had been with the news that Minho was going to be a success like him.
No one knows what happened to him, but the morning after he disappeared there were Suits wandering the halls and asking questions. Jiho kept them away from Kyung, and Minhyuk was sent to the isolation room the following day.
Jihoon now wears the shoes Minho left behind. Yukwon wonders how they fit. Maybe they don't fit well, though, because he oftentimes catches Jihoon frowning or upset with himself. Minho had been his best friend, and now no one even mentions the name here.
*
Yukwon finds Jiho in the court, shooting hoops, during the week after Hanhae's disappearance. They've swept the news of the recent runaway under the rug, and even Assistant Doctor brushes off his questions. He looks a bit worse for wear lately, eyes rimmed red and stark purple bruises beneath his eyes. Jiho dribbles the ball - one two three times - then shoots.
"Missed," Yukwon calls out from his place at the doorway. He lingers there before joining Jiho on the court. "How do you feel?"
"On the verge of insanity." He shrugs and tosses Yukwon the ball. "You?"
Yukwon frowns and warms the ball beneath his palms. "They've tightened security. He did a number on the equipment when he left," Yukwon says conversationally. He mentions no names; after all, they don't use names here, just stations or mistakes.
"I overheard them talking to the Suits," Jiho says. "They call us super-beings. We're not even people anymore, Kwon." He scoffs and scuffs his sneakers across the court's glossy floor. It squeaks, and his shoe leaves a streak of black across the surface. "They're just mass-producing weapons, you know."
Yukwon keeps quiet. He twists the ball in-between his hands. He wonders how long it would take to char the ball, set it alight, and reduce it to ashes at their feet. Probably seconds. Jiho runs his hand through his hair, and it's bright like the lightning Jaehyo can shoot from the tips of his fingers.
"I'm scared, Jiho," Yukwon admits.
He watches the bob in Jiho's throat as he swallows. The ball bursts into flames, and Jiho's eyes look wet in the bright light of the court.
*
Kyung, Jihoon, and Jaehyo have tiny lunch dates whenever they can. Yukwon sees them sometimes while he waits in line for his own meal, typically behind Minhyuk and some staff. He doesn't know how the three became friends, but they all seem happy together. They cleared Kyung two days ago after another dizzy spell, and his skin is sallow and sunken in. No one comments, but he sees Kyung checking his reflection in the mirror sometimes, self-conscious as he presses his fingertips to his cheeks and eye-bags.
Jaehyo slips a strip of meat onto Kyung's heap of rice. Kyung smiles at him, as wide as he can, and Jihoon adds a doughnut to the stack. Yukwon works his way to their table with Minhyuk in tow, and the staff smile politely when they pass but do not speak to them. Possibly because Minhyuk is still labeled a possible threat, and they all know it. They're waiting for him to turn on them.
Jihoon waves, gestures full of life, as they approach, and Minhyuk takes his seat on Kyung's left and Yukwon settles beside Jaehyo.
"Nice suit," he says, poking at the rubbery material covering Jaehyo's body.
Jaehyo sighs. "It's to keep me from singeing anyone," he says. He touches his hand to his chest. "But you have to have a certain look to pull it off."
"I don't think you have that look," Kyung says, and Jihoon erupts into a fit of giggles beside him. Even Minhyuk cracks a smile.
Yukwon glances around, but Jiho's nowhere to be seen.
*
Taeil can no longer speak.
"So you are becoming the little mermaid," Jaehyo says, touching his gloved hand to Taeil's bandaged throat. Taeil glares at him, or at least Yukwon thinks he's glaring. It's hard to tell because of the glasses, but his lips curl down unfavorably. Jaehyo grins and claps Taeil on the shoulder. "Merman," he amends, and Taeil sticks his tongue out childishly.
"Shut up, Jaehyo," Jiho says, stirring a spoonful of rice around in his plate. He hasn't touched any of his food, and the staff huddled around their table frown at this.
Jaehyo closes his mouth, and Yukwon sees Taeil slump into himself once the conversation is dropped.
A week later, they introduce Taeil to the tank. The experiment is a success, but Yukwon wonders if the price was even worth it.
*
"Kwon," a nudge to his shoulder, "Kwonnie."
Yukwon cracks an eye open, sleepy, and sees Kyung's face. It's nothing more than a shape - he can't read the expression, but he hears the tone of his voice. Sad, desperate - but for what? Kyung crawls into his bed, rests his head on Yukwon's shoulder, and says little more. Yukwon cannot bring himself to ask.
*
Jiho kisses him on a sunny afternoon. They're standing in the middle of the track field, after running a few laps, and Yukwon has finally gotten a handle on controlling the fire burning in him. This is an all new feeling, though; this burn and rush feels different. Boiling in his veins, but not to the point it hurts; it's a pleasant warmth.
He touches his jaw, and Yukwon can feel the beat beat beat of Jiho's heart beneath his fingertips.
He forgets about everything: past, present, and future. He knows only the rush of blood to his head, and the feeling of Jiho's skin warming against his own.
*
Jiho wanders off for a few days after, but he hears by word of mouth (Jaehyo because Jaehyo knows all the gossip around the institution) that the staff is happy with Jiho's progress again.
"They think his rebellion had to do with -" Jaehyo glances around quickly. The staff seem inattentive to their conversations now that things are quiet again, but Yukwon's still on edge at least. Jaehyo seems paranoid too. "Hanhae, you know."
Yukwon nods.
Jaehyo spears a piece of chicken breast with his fork. He lifts it to his lips, but considers it before eating. "They also said Kyung's ready for the next level," he says, and he drops the chicken back to his plate. It falls in the pile of green lettuce. "Yukwon..." but he doesn't say it.
Yukwon already knows. If they continue pushing Kyung, he will steadily get worse. There is no getting better here, and it's taken him ten years to realize that.
*
Yukwon passes by the tank during free time. He sees Taeil's hand pressed to the glass, and Jihoon stands opposite him. Their hands don't touch, but Jihoon doesn't seem to mind. Minhyuk stands with them, hands in his pockets, but he is the one talking. Yukwon makes out his voice, but all he hears of Minhyuk's story is: "And they all lived happily ever after."
*
Jiho comes to their room more now than ever. He stays in Kyung's bed, taunting and teasing and bickering, while Yukwon pitches in every so often. It's fun - the most fun he's had since before the Accident, and with Jiho around the silence is driven into the far corners of their room.
But one night, long after Kyung has slumped into his pillows and Jiho's tucked him beneath his heavy quilts, Jiho slips into his bed. He doesn't speak; he merely kisses Yukwon's bare shoulder and twines their fingers together. Yukwon rests easy that night.
*
Tomorrow Kyung starts the next level of his tests. Doctor encourages lots of rest beforehand, and Assistant Doctor echoes her wishes when he comes to administer Kyung's medicine. Long after they leave, Jiho barges into their room.
"It's time," he says. "Take whatever you need, leave the rest. We're leaving."
The wheels of his suitcase squeak and click too loudly against the hallway tiles; it disrupts the silence of the establishment. No one rushes outside to see what the noise is, and the ceiling lights do not flicker on to give them away. They rely on the guide lights to make it down the many halls, a left here and right there. Jiho is in the front, the line of his back strong and his shoulders set, and Yukwon feels a sense of ease and security with him paving the way. His blood pumps faster, runs hotter, and he can hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He's excited, so he grips the thin of Kyung's wrist in his hand and feels the skin sweat and warm beneath his palm.
They reach the EXIT, lit in red, and pause at the keypad in their way. Jiho falters. End of the line, Yukwon thinks; there's no way to crack the code without alerting the System. Kyung pries his arm out of Yukwon's grasp.
"I think I can," he whispers, and Jiho steps to the left and watches over him. It doesn't take long, but Jiho is buzzing on his feet with the need to flee and Yukwon keeps checking behind them for any staff on patrol. He doesn't doubt Kyung's skills or level of intelligence, but this is too much even for him. They'll never make it out of here, and they'll be sent to the isolation rooms. They'll be turned into shells just like Minhyuk. And -
The lock clicks.
*
Where to next? Anywhere.
a very special thanks to my fabulous support team for helping me get through the past two months. admittedly, i made a huge mistake during the last stretch of the exchange, a.k.a deleted the original fic. at the last possible moment, i finally churned out this tiny monster c': thank you a for letting me play with your prompts; i hope you enjoyed this even just a little ;_;
→ parts of this were inspired by zico's battleroyal lyrics
→ the taeil story in this fic was inspired by a video game i've never played but read the plot summary of (rule of rose)
→ kyung's problem and the fic title came from these lyrics: "the boy wonder saves the planet, but destroys his ever-enlarging brain in the process / goodbye, everybody / have a happy life / it looks like brighter days are ahead for the whole planet" (guy who got a headache and accidentally saves the world, the flaming lips)
→ there were a lot of allusions toward different fairy tales/disney films; this is my inner child and wonder bleeding through
→ what happens to the others, what happens to zikyungkwon, and what happened to hanhae/minho is entirely left up to your own interpretation - if you want to know my thoughts on this, please ask!
→ prompts were "Jiho and Yukwon are two of the many children kept at an establishment for special children (your choice as to how you see this). One day Jiho decides to escape and he's determined to take Yukwon with him" & "Jiho, Yukwon and Kyung decide to run away from home together."
FANDOM block b
PAIRING ot7, kyung/u-kwon/zico
SUMMARY "one day we'll leave this place," says jiho. the establisment isn't unkind, but there's no getting better here for people like them. yukwon hopes for freedom.
WORDS 4812
RATING pg
FOR bakalildevil @ blockbtime 2013 spring exchange
"How do you feel today?"
Yukwon stays quiet on the examination table. Doctor - because there are no names here, only stations - makes a note in her chart. Outside the window, the sky is a saturated blue, cloudless, perfect running weather for Jiho. Yukwon scratches the bend of his elbow where the skin is warmer, and smiles.
"Good," he says, but he wants to tell her how sleepy he's been lately. He doesn't want the drugs though. "The same," he says and shrugs his left shoulder.
Checkups are routine, once a week, but Yukwon hates them all the same. Doctor clicks her tongue, presses the back of her hand to his forehead, and says, "You're warmer. Don't do anything to overexert yourself." It sounds like a warning.
Yukwon nods along to her words, and she steps out of the room to allow him enough privacy to dress.
The establishment has friendly-enough staff; they willingly talk and feed them. Sometimes they even provide board games and old VHS tapes to watch in the rec room on Saturdays. Yet, there's a distance. They keep the boys like him at arm's length, as though waiting for one of them to snap. It happened once before, but no one likes to talk about it. The Accident is the reason why checkups are weekly, to keep them in line and monitor progress. They don't want another mess to clean up or any more government officials snooping around the area.
Yukwon's been here for so long that he doesn't remember what natural sunlight feels like. They took him when he was six, and he joined the other Lost Boys. That was ten years ago. He thinks maybe he should hate them - the people who kidnapped him - for the loss of a real family and friends, but he can't bring himself to feel anything at all.
The other lost children are his family and friends now.
"How did the checkup go?" Jiho asks. He sits on Kyung's side of the room, splitting earpieces between himself and Kyung. He has his jacket zipped up, but this is understandable because they prefer keeping the temperatures near freezing in the room to prevent Yukwon from burning from the inside-out. "We've been waiting for hours."
Yukwon smiles. "Boring," he says, "like it always is." He sits on his unmade bed and tucks his legs beneath him.
Kyung bobs his head to the music, cocooned in a layer of quilts and no doubt a sweater too. Yukwon never knew why they roomed together, considering the vast differences in their physiology and purposes, but Kyung was good company when they were both awake enough to talk. Kyung had a way of charming the female nurses on their floor into extending their curfews and allowing them special ice cream privileges; Yukwon felt that was a great asset.
While Yukwon was off, being tested in rooms that felt like furnaces to normal people, Kyung was kept inside with books. He sometimes wondered how Kyung felt, alone in the library, while everyone else freely roamed the halls; Kyung never voiced his complaints, but he did talk a mile a minute whenever anyone gave him the chance. He always had something to talk about, could recite novels from memory and work the level-5 math equations in under five minutes. Yukwon liked listening to him - that he could fill his silences, and sometimes, when Yukwon couldn't finish a cookie during lunch, he'd offer it to Kyung in exchange for a fairy tale. Ones about being locked away and later rescued - ones about being free.
"They had me running laps in the gym today," Jiho says, and he sounds proud too. But then, Yukwon thinks, when is Jiho ever not proud. "Beat my record. They gave me this," he waves around the music player, "as a reward."
Kyung's fallen asleep against Jiho's shoulder, lips parted, and Jiho gently tugs the earpieces from both their ears. Yukwon admires the way they act when they're together - how close they are despite being ripped away from society and stuffed into this cramped institution. Kyung and Jiho have been here longer than anyone else, and they rely on each other, almost like brothers.
Jiho tosses the music player over, and his aim curves toward the right so it hits Yukwon's pillow instead of his open palm.
"Missed," Yukwon teases, and the next thing Jiho throws is his shoe. It clips him in the knee and falls to the floor.
*
"Good work today, Yukwon," Assistant Doctor says. He wipes his brow where his damp bangs lay flattened.
Yukwon shrugs out of his suit, hot but not sweating, and steps out of the Furnace. He allows Head Nurse and Assistants to pour water onto his skin, and it sizzles and changes to steam within a span of seconds. It cools his body, albeit minutely. When he's no longer a fire hazard, they give him his clothes and a jug of water to drink and cool his system. "Can't have you burning the place down," Jiho'd said on a tease once, but Yukwon knows that is what everyone fears.
"Thanks," he says to Assistant Doctor because, today, he actually feels good about himself. He will eat lunch with Jaehyo and Taeil, not alone. He pulls his shirt overhead, the world around him turning a blank white for a moment before his head works through the neck-hole. "Can I go now?"
Assistant Doctor rolls his eyes fondly, and Yukwon always preferred him to the other staff. He wipes his brow again with the back of his lab coat's sleeve. "Sure," he says, "but remember to stay cool and keep away from Patient Kyung's books this time."
*
Usually everyone takes lunch before him because of the intensity and care put into his tests. By now, Kyung will be taking tests in the laboratory, and Jiho will be running laps and kicking up dust on the field. The others will be going to their physicals or testing now. Hanhae's in the sick room because of a mishap the day before.
He places his tray on the mostly empty table. The metal of the bench is cool against the back of his knees before it warms to his body heat. Jaehyo grins and Taeil offers a simple nod of his head. Taeil is newer than the rest of them, arriving a year or two after they adopted Jaehyo and Minhyuk; he was small then, tinier than Kyung, but he commanded a certain level of respect that even Jiho admired.
Taeil is Jaehyo's best friend in the same way that Jiho and Kyung are Yukwon's. Jaehyo had once clung to Taeil, but these days it's impossible because of the crackles of concentrated lightning that spark from Jaehyo's fingertips and the dampness of Taeil's skin. Yukwon spies the bandages wrapped around Taeil's wrists.
"They're turning him into the real-life version of The Little Mermaid," Jaehyo says. His voice pitches higher when he's excited, and he speaks faster then too.
The Little Mermaid is one of Jaehyo's favorites, and they watch it in the rec room on the fourth Saturday of every month and Jaehyo's birthday. Yukwon never lasts more than a couple minutes into the film, but Jiho assures him that it has a happy ending. Kyung once told him the true ending though, about sea foam and ascending. Yukwon prefers the ending where she's set free and allowed to be in love.
Taeil shakes his head, and it's hard to read his eyes when he wears the bulky sunglasses. The light in the cafeteria hurts his eyes; he needs a filter. "Gills," is what he says, coolly, and goes back to the goop in his tray. "And. I'd be a merman," he grumps before stuffing the unidentifiable goop in his mouth.
Jaehyo shocks his arm in turn, and Yukwon, well, he just laughs.
*
Jiho steals him away sometime that week. Yukwon doesn't really pay attention to the days anymore. His calendar - a gift from Nurse - is useless and sits on his desk, flipped to a picture of a kitten in a tree that reads: hang in there!. He's not sure if it's from this year or not.
They go to the indoor track field, and Jiho twitches because he always has an overabundance of adrenaline bursting through him. He's always moving - tapping his fingers or rocking his legs up and down; only when they've drugged him does he calm. Yukwon prefers this Jiho, in his element and racing circles around him. Never stopping, always in motion.
"How does it feel?" Yukwon asks from the bleachers. It's empty in the later times of the day when the staff takes to tending to the more volatile patients.
Jiho stalls momentarily, but he still goes too fast for Yukwon to comprehend. "I feel more alive here than anywhere else," he admits. There's a faraway look in his eyes, though. "It's easy to forget," he says quieter as though he's speaking to himself now. But the look is gone just as quick as it came, and he smiles up at Yukwon from his place on the track. "Come on and try it out."
Yukwon hops down the bleachers two at a time, heartbeat quickening in his chest as if he were already racing on the track, and meets Jiho on the field. The lot is huge, much bigger than the two of them.
Yukwon cannot possibly keep up with Jiho, no one can, but he feels the burn in his muscles and in his blood and pushes himself harder and faster.
They collapse together in the center of the field. Yukwon lost count of the laps they made around the track. His body feels hot and aching, but he feels better than ever.
"When I can't bear the labs or my room, I come here," he says. He picks at a loose lace of his sneakers. "It helps me think."
Yukwon stares up at the lights hanging overhead. Each of them look like stars from down here. They lapse into silence, and it's so natural for them to enjoy each others' company without the use of words.
"One day we'll leave this place," says Jiho. It surprises Yukwon whose mind has begun to drift. He sits upright using his hands to support his weight; their knees touch. "You and me and Kyung and everyone."
"Where will we go?"
He asks this because it's the first thought that comes to his mind when he entertains such ideas. What will he do? What can he do? Stolen away from the world for so long, no talents or skills to offer; he's nothing but a white hot flame that keeps growing hotter and hotter, to the point of burning. They once let him have a guitar, but he created sparks on the fret and set smoke alarms off.
Jiho glances over at him. Yukwon stares at his lips, watches the words form on his tongue as he speaks, and feels more drawn in than ever before. He's sixteen; he doesn't know what love or attraction feels like outside of the Disney movies and Kyung's stories. Jiho is compelling though, always has been ever since Kyung introduced them that one morning, and Yukwon trusts him - and Kyung - with his life.
"Where will we not go?" Jiho touches his cheek. It's such a simple act, one Jiho's done to Kyung countless times before, but it feels more affectionate right now. It has Yukwon's body heating more, but Jiho doesn't draw away even if his skin must be scalded. "We'll go anywhere we want."
Doctor steps out of Yukwon's room as he and Jiho round the corner. It's the first time Yukwon has ever seen Jiho halt completely, but it's only for a short beat of Yukwon's heart. Jiho darts toward Doctor in the blink of an eye.
"What's going on? What're you doing here?" Jiho demands, and Yukwon skids to a stop right behind him.
Doctor pinches the bridge of her nose. "The patient had a dizzy spell, but it's nothing major," she says dismissing them both, but Yukwon remembers Kyung's increasing complaints of headaches and his need to sleep more and more.
Sometimes it felt like he was near-vegetable, skipping meals in favor of sleeping to regain energy exhausted during the day. Yukwon believes something is wrong, but it's nothing more than a sharp tug in his gut at this point. He thinks of Hanhae, still in the sick room, and hopes that the bad feelings will go away.
"What's wrong with him?"
Doctor flicks her gaze toward him. She furrows her brow. "What have you been doing? You're flushed."
"We ran a few laps -"
"I told you not to overexert yourself," she snaps. The dark look that crosses her features has him clutching the back of Jiho's shirt in his hands. The smell of burnt fabric fills him up, but he doesn't let go. Doctor shakes her head. "Probation," she says, voice low and allowing no arguments. "Both of you."
"Just tell me what the fuck is wrong with him," Jiho says again.
Doctor ignores him. "Back to your room, Patient Jiho," she says. She sidesteps them, and her heels click-clack against the polished tile of the hallway floor.
Jiho turns to face him, mouth curled down distastefully. Yukwon swallows; his throat is dry, so it's an effort to work it down. He stares at their feet, at the uneven laces in Jiho's sneakers and the scuffed tip of his own, and wills his body to calm and cool. Kyung is fine, he tells himself; calm down.
"Hey," Jiho says. Yukwon feels fingers touch the side of his neck, and then Jiho is hugging him. Yukwon wants to shove him away because this is dangerous, especially when he has no control over his body heat at the moment, but Jiho seems to sense his uncertainty and holds him tighter. "Check on him. Keep him company. He gets lonely in there by himself," he whispers, but these are things Yukwon already knows.
Jiho pulls back. He touches his cheek again, eyes searching. Then, he smiles.
Yukwon creates tiny flames with his fingers until Kyung awakens. He looks small - tinier than usual - wrapped in those heavy blankets, hooked to a monitor, pale and thin.
"I feel like I've been hit by one of Jihoon's punches," Kyung says, sitting up slowly. He's too weak to fight the blankets covering his body, but he tries anyway. He resorts to rubbing his temple. "Must've passed out in the library."
Yukwon frowns at him. Kyung smiles at him, sheepish.
"Sleep with me?" he asks. He folds back the covers, and it's invitation enough for Yukwon.
He slips into the space beside Kyung, and together they push the quilts to the foot of the bed. Kyung leans into his side and steals his body heat. Yukwon rests his head atop Kyung's, and he feels how his hair dampens beneath his cheek.
"Are you too hot?"
Kyung hums, arms around Yukwon's middle just the same as the way he sleeps with Jiho, and says, "Thanks Yukwon."
The days pass by slowly after that. They have Yukwon on house-arrest, and they've revoked all his privileges. He hasn't seen a shock of blond hair or a flash of sneakers since the day Kyung passed out.
"Hey Yukwonnie," the youngest boy in the family, Jihoon, says. He's sweet-smiled and happy, cheeks round with childish fat, and in his hand he carries a bag of spoils. "I got this for my birthday," he explains the bag away, shaking it for emphasis.
They sit in the cafeteria together, knee to knee, and Jihoon is growing too fast. They worry about him, the same as they did Minho before the Accident, but so far he has kept below the bars and in control. Jihoon tells him about the gift he received from the staff and upends the baggie on the tabletop. He offers a lollipop to Yukwon.
Yukwon retells stories that Kyung has shared with him, and when he runs out of words he talks about his adventures with Jiho. Often he stretches the truth or forgets how a tale goes, but he goes on with prompting from Jihoon and the excitement he feels when Jihoon asks questions or begs for more.
He's in the midst of The Beauty and the Beast when Minhyuk settles beside them. Minhyuk's been in isolation since the Accident, and the Assistants hang around closer whenever he's in a room. Out of all the patients, Minhyuk is the most volatile; Yukwon considers him a good friend regardless.
"Hi," he says quietly, and Jihoon pushes a chocolate bar in Minhyuk's direction. Minhyuk smiles, but it's slight. Minhyuk has a soft spot for the younger boys. "Is Kyungie okay?"
Yukwon nods. He pushes the lollipop to the side with his tongue, and says, "Doc says he overworked himself, but Jiho thinks they've been pushing him too much."
Minhyuk nods. Jiho and Minhyuk haven't seen eye-to-eye since the Accident, but it's mostly been Jiho giving Minhyuk the cold shoulder when they bump into one another in the halls. Jiho holds grudges and is fiercely protective, especially when it comes to Kyung and - at one point in time - Minho, too.
Jihoon frowns down at the table. He slides a few pieces of chocolate toward Yukwon. "For Kyungie," he says.
*
Yukwon sees Jiho again in the rec room on Saturday.
They're watching The Lion King, and "I Just Can't Wait to be King" plays loudly. Kyung says, "this is my favorite part," to Minhyuk, who lets him curl into him, despite the fact Kyung never makes it past the part where Mufasa dies. He's too sensitive to deaths, or anything remotely sad. On Minhyuk's extreme days, he either laughs or cries; his emotions are always out of whack. Mostly, he stares transfixed at the flashing colors and never blinks. It unnerves Jaehyo who slaps his thighs or shocks him with electricity every now and then to get a reaction.
Jaehyo and Jihoon split a packet of cheese puffs, but Assistant Doctor clears his throat every time Jaehyo touches one to his lips. Taeil had his bandages removed earlier that week; the new gills are striking against his pale skin.
Jiho comes in, scowling, and Yukwon immediately notes that there's something off about him. He appears upset, but his movements are jerkier and slower. They've doped him to keep him calm, Yukwon realizes. He sits beside Yukwon, stock-still, and holds his hand out for Jihoon's snacks. They don't mind the two of them eating them out of house and home; they work the calories off faster than the others do, and they need it to keep their strengths.
Hanhae hasn't joined them today.
*
It all changes when the alarm bells go off.
Kyung sleeps through the sirens blaring and the steady pounding against their room door. It's Jiho, body thrumming so that every part of his body shakes, and Yukwon knows something's wrong. Horribly wrong.
"Hanhae's gone," he says.
Yukwon still remembers the Accident.
Song Minho had been a bright and shining star, but he crumbled under the pressure. He breezed through all the tests, always growing and strengthening, and at first he'd been happy. He'd bragged about it even, and there was not a single person happier than Jiho had been with the news that Minho was going to be a success like him.
No one knows what happened to him, but the morning after he disappeared there were Suits wandering the halls and asking questions. Jiho kept them away from Kyung, and Minhyuk was sent to the isolation room the following day.
Jihoon now wears the shoes Minho left behind. Yukwon wonders how they fit. Maybe they don't fit well, though, because he oftentimes catches Jihoon frowning or upset with himself. Minho had been his best friend, and now no one even mentions the name here.
*
Yukwon finds Jiho in the court, shooting hoops, during the week after Hanhae's disappearance. They've swept the news of the recent runaway under the rug, and even Assistant Doctor brushes off his questions. He looks a bit worse for wear lately, eyes rimmed red and stark purple bruises beneath his eyes. Jiho dribbles the ball - one two three times - then shoots.
"Missed," Yukwon calls out from his place at the doorway. He lingers there before joining Jiho on the court. "How do you feel?"
"On the verge of insanity." He shrugs and tosses Yukwon the ball. "You?"
Yukwon frowns and warms the ball beneath his palms. "They've tightened security. He did a number on the equipment when he left," Yukwon says conversationally. He mentions no names; after all, they don't use names here, just stations or mistakes.
"I overheard them talking to the Suits," Jiho says. "They call us super-beings. We're not even people anymore, Kwon." He scoffs and scuffs his sneakers across the court's glossy floor. It squeaks, and his shoe leaves a streak of black across the surface. "They're just mass-producing weapons, you know."
Yukwon keeps quiet. He twists the ball in-between his hands. He wonders how long it would take to char the ball, set it alight, and reduce it to ashes at their feet. Probably seconds. Jiho runs his hand through his hair, and it's bright like the lightning Jaehyo can shoot from the tips of his fingers.
"I'm scared, Jiho," Yukwon admits.
He watches the bob in Jiho's throat as he swallows. The ball bursts into flames, and Jiho's eyes look wet in the bright light of the court.
*
Kyung, Jihoon, and Jaehyo have tiny lunch dates whenever they can. Yukwon sees them sometimes while he waits in line for his own meal, typically behind Minhyuk and some staff. He doesn't know how the three became friends, but they all seem happy together. They cleared Kyung two days ago after another dizzy spell, and his skin is sallow and sunken in. No one comments, but he sees Kyung checking his reflection in the mirror sometimes, self-conscious as he presses his fingertips to his cheeks and eye-bags.
Jaehyo slips a strip of meat onto Kyung's heap of rice. Kyung smiles at him, as wide as he can, and Jihoon adds a doughnut to the stack. Yukwon works his way to their table with Minhyuk in tow, and the staff smile politely when they pass but do not speak to them. Possibly because Minhyuk is still labeled a possible threat, and they all know it. They're waiting for him to turn on them.
Jihoon waves, gestures full of life, as they approach, and Minhyuk takes his seat on Kyung's left and Yukwon settles beside Jaehyo.
"Nice suit," he says, poking at the rubbery material covering Jaehyo's body.
Jaehyo sighs. "It's to keep me from singeing anyone," he says. He touches his hand to his chest. "But you have to have a certain look to pull it off."
"I don't think you have that look," Kyung says, and Jihoon erupts into a fit of giggles beside him. Even Minhyuk cracks a smile.
Yukwon glances around, but Jiho's nowhere to be seen.
*
Taeil can no longer speak.
"So you are becoming the little mermaid," Jaehyo says, touching his gloved hand to Taeil's bandaged throat. Taeil glares at him, or at least Yukwon thinks he's glaring. It's hard to tell because of the glasses, but his lips curl down unfavorably. Jaehyo grins and claps Taeil on the shoulder. "Merman," he amends, and Taeil sticks his tongue out childishly.
"Shut up, Jaehyo," Jiho says, stirring a spoonful of rice around in his plate. He hasn't touched any of his food, and the staff huddled around their table frown at this.
Jaehyo closes his mouth, and Yukwon sees Taeil slump into himself once the conversation is dropped.
A week later, they introduce Taeil to the tank. The experiment is a success, but Yukwon wonders if the price was even worth it.
*
"Kwon," a nudge to his shoulder, "Kwonnie."
Yukwon cracks an eye open, sleepy, and sees Kyung's face. It's nothing more than a shape - he can't read the expression, but he hears the tone of his voice. Sad, desperate - but for what? Kyung crawls into his bed, rests his head on Yukwon's shoulder, and says little more. Yukwon cannot bring himself to ask.
*
Jiho kisses him on a sunny afternoon. They're standing in the middle of the track field, after running a few laps, and Yukwon has finally gotten a handle on controlling the fire burning in him. This is an all new feeling, though; this burn and rush feels different. Boiling in his veins, but not to the point it hurts; it's a pleasant warmth.
He touches his jaw, and Yukwon can feel the beat beat beat of Jiho's heart beneath his fingertips.
He forgets about everything: past, present, and future. He knows only the rush of blood to his head, and the feeling of Jiho's skin warming against his own.
*
Jiho wanders off for a few days after, but he hears by word of mouth (Jaehyo because Jaehyo knows all the gossip around the institution) that the staff is happy with Jiho's progress again.
"They think his rebellion had to do with -" Jaehyo glances around quickly. The staff seem inattentive to their conversations now that things are quiet again, but Yukwon's still on edge at least. Jaehyo seems paranoid too. "Hanhae, you know."
Yukwon nods.
Jaehyo spears a piece of chicken breast with his fork. He lifts it to his lips, but considers it before eating. "They also said Kyung's ready for the next level," he says, and he drops the chicken back to his plate. It falls in the pile of green lettuce. "Yukwon..." but he doesn't say it.
Yukwon already knows. If they continue pushing Kyung, he will steadily get worse. There is no getting better here, and it's taken him ten years to realize that.
*
Yukwon passes by the tank during free time. He sees Taeil's hand pressed to the glass, and Jihoon stands opposite him. Their hands don't touch, but Jihoon doesn't seem to mind. Minhyuk stands with them, hands in his pockets, but he is the one talking. Yukwon makes out his voice, but all he hears of Minhyuk's story is: "And they all lived happily ever after."
*
Jiho comes to their room more now than ever. He stays in Kyung's bed, taunting and teasing and bickering, while Yukwon pitches in every so often. It's fun - the most fun he's had since before the Accident, and with Jiho around the silence is driven into the far corners of their room.
But one night, long after Kyung has slumped into his pillows and Jiho's tucked him beneath his heavy quilts, Jiho slips into his bed. He doesn't speak; he merely kisses Yukwon's bare shoulder and twines their fingers together. Yukwon rests easy that night.
*
Tomorrow Kyung starts the next level of his tests. Doctor encourages lots of rest beforehand, and Assistant Doctor echoes her wishes when he comes to administer Kyung's medicine. Long after they leave, Jiho barges into their room.
"It's time," he says. "Take whatever you need, leave the rest. We're leaving."
The wheels of his suitcase squeak and click too loudly against the hallway tiles; it disrupts the silence of the establishment. No one rushes outside to see what the noise is, and the ceiling lights do not flicker on to give them away. They rely on the guide lights to make it down the many halls, a left here and right there. Jiho is in the front, the line of his back strong and his shoulders set, and Yukwon feels a sense of ease and security with him paving the way. His blood pumps faster, runs hotter, and he can hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He's excited, so he grips the thin of Kyung's wrist in his hand and feels the skin sweat and warm beneath his palm.
They reach the EXIT, lit in red, and pause at the keypad in their way. Jiho falters. End of the line, Yukwon thinks; there's no way to crack the code without alerting the System. Kyung pries his arm out of Yukwon's grasp.
"I think I can," he whispers, and Jiho steps to the left and watches over him. It doesn't take long, but Jiho is buzzing on his feet with the need to flee and Yukwon keeps checking behind them for any staff on patrol. He doesn't doubt Kyung's skills or level of intelligence, but this is too much even for him. They'll never make it out of here, and they'll be sent to the isolation rooms. They'll be turned into shells just like Minhyuk. And -
The lock clicks.
*
Where to next? Anywhere.
a very special thanks to my fabulous support team for helping me get through the past two months. admittedly, i made a huge mistake during the last stretch of the exchange, a.k.a deleted the original fic. at the last possible moment, i finally churned out this tiny monster c': thank you a for letting me play with your prompts; i hope you enjoyed this even just a little ;_;
→ parts of this were inspired by zico's battleroyal lyrics
→ the taeil story in this fic was inspired by a video game i've never played but read the plot summary of (rule of rose)
→ kyung's problem and the fic title came from these lyrics: "the boy wonder saves the planet, but destroys his ever-enlarging brain in the process / goodbye, everybody / have a happy life / it looks like brighter days are ahead for the whole planet" (guy who got a headache and accidentally saves the world, the flaming lips)
→ there were a lot of allusions toward different fairy tales/disney films; this is my inner child and wonder bleeding through
→ what happens to the others, what happens to zikyungkwon, and what happened to hanhae/minho is entirely left up to your own interpretation - if you want to know my thoughts on this, please ask!
→ prompts were "Jiho and Yukwon are two of the many children kept at an establishment for special children (your choice as to how you see this). One day Jiho decides to escape and he's determined to take Yukwon with him" & "Jiho, Yukwon and Kyung decide to run away from home together."