Circle 10

[oatmeal_peril]

Circle
Pairing(s): HaeHyuk, HyukMin
Rating: NC-17
Warning(s): Incest, sex, character death, disturbing themes, gender switch (Sungmin), horror, graphic gore, reference to under age sex etc.

Summary: Donghae does everything to protect and care for his twin brother, Hyukjae. No one comes between them. No one.
A life full of lies and deceit and an unconditional love that borders on dangerous; Donghae and Hyukjae are always running away from their dark past, but how long can the twins keep running for?



There had been a refreshing breeze blowing against Donghae as he left the house that evening. He felt good, safe in the knowledge that Hyukjae loved him and only him; he knew that he was definitely doing the right thing. They'd slept together the previous night for the first time in days and Donghae hadn't been repelled by the thought of his brother being with Sungmin; he'd enjoyed seeing his Hyukjae squirm beneath him, writhing and wanton, whining Donghae's name breathlessly with each careless, crazed thrust from his twin. He felt himself flutter just thinking about it, thinking about how Hyukjae would cling helplessly to Donghae after he had climaxed, until Donghae was finished too.
Hyukjae had whispered that he loved Donghae before they fell asleep. He had told Donghae that he was happy.

Donghae had always done the right thing for himself and Hyukjae, he only doubted it because of others, outsiders who couldn't possibly understand.
Killing is a natural instinct, no matter what the law says. When one is presented with danger, their immediate reaction is to run, adrenaline pumps itself around the body faster and we are also given the option to fight. Now he'd fight one last time for Hyukjae's happiness.

The smile faded from Sungmin's face when the café door closed behind Donghae. For a split second, she had thought it was Hyukjae but she knew him too well to confuse him with his twin brother. Donghae was the stockier of the two, his skin was not as pale and nor were his lips, they were less plush and pink than Hyukjae's. But the thing that always told Sungmin who was who was the look in Donghae's eye. It was a look that Hyukjae didn't have. It was dark and unnerving. Dead. It gave Sungmin the impression that Donghae was soulless and it frightened her.

“Hello, Sungmin.” Donghae said.
“Hyukjae's not here.” Sungmin replied quickly, trying her best to sound casual but Donghae smirked and put his head to one side. He could almost smell her fear.
“I'm not here for my brother.” He told her. “Well, not exactly. It was you I came to see.”
Sungmin had been cleaning the tables before Donghae had come in, he saw her eyes flick nervously to the counter. Perhaps she was thinking about calling someone for help or maybe she just felt safer with it between the both of them, like a shield, but she'd have to pass Donghae to get back there. Donghae could sense the tension between them. He wondered if she knew why he was there. Why he was really there.
“Donghae, I don't have time right now,” she said, he saw her delicate fingers twitch nervously. “I've got to close up, I’m meeting-”
“This won't take long.”
Sungmin was about to speak when she heard the lock on the door click. “Donghae! What are you doing?”
“I just want to talk to you about Hyukjae.”
“You don't need to lock the door!”
Donghae smirk darkened, “we don't want any interruptions, do we Sungmin?”
“Listen-”
“No. I came here for you to listen to me.”

Donghae saw Sungmin's eyes flicker to the large glass front of the shop, looking for people outside, witnesses.
“Let's go somewhere a little more private.” He said to her. She shook her head but he took her firmly by the forearm and pulled her through the door behind the counter that lead into a small kitchen.
“Donghae! Stop it!” She cried, “what's wrong with you?!”
“Nothing's wrong with me, Sungmin, I'm not the one that's borderline hysterical. Stop shouting, you'll give me a headache.”

Donghae didn't let go, he looked into Sungmin's eyes and spoke calmly, “the problem with Hyukjae, is that he doesn't know how to be with a woman.” He let go of Sungmin's arm. She looked confused. Her mouth opened but it was Donghae who continued to speak. “He can't treat women well, he doesn't know how.” He paused and smiled at her, “he doesn't know how to please them.”
Donghae's face was close to hers, his soft hair teased her skin. She shied away, he saw Sungmin's delicate, white throat move as she swallowed. “I'm pretty sure he's never touched one. And even if he had, I'm sure he wouldn't have any idea what to do with it, if you catch my drift. In truth, women frighten him.”
“I-I don't understand.” Sungmin said, her voice barely a whisper, her facial expression new reading somewhere between confusion and terror.
“Our mother died when we were still very young,” Donghae continued, “she was troubled.... She loved us but couldn't care for us. I think Hyukjae thinks that if he becomes close to a woman, that might happen again.”
“It... It wouldn't.” Sungmin stammered.
“Wouldn't it?” Donghae asked, his lips forming a twisted smirk, “how can you be so sure, Sungmin?”
She trembled and took a step back from him after he finally released her from his grip.
“Our mother killed herself... And then our father did the same thing some weeks later. I brought Hyukjae up.” Donghae's eyes glinted and he smiled at Sungmin, “you have a brother, don't you?” He asked.
She nodded hesitantly. Donghae could see her desperately trying to read him but he wasn't like Hyukjae, he wasn't as simple.
“Are you as devoted to him as I am to Hyukjae?”
Sungmin half shrugged, half nodded, her dark hair stuck to her neck with sweat, it was hot inside but Donghae's hands had felt cool on her skin.
“Then you'll understand when I say this: he'll only hurt you. He doesn't understand, he never has understood.”
Sungmin swallowed again, trying to regain her composure, placing one hand on the work surface of the kitchen as if to anchor herself.
“And what about you?” She asked, her voice seemed calm and steady but Donghae knew that she was far from it. “Surely, it can't just be the two of you for the rest of your lives.” Donghae was shaking his head but Sungmin continued. “Donghae, I can take care of Hyukjae. I-”
She had reached for Donghae's hand by his side but he flinched and snatched it away from her. His eyes were hard when they met hers this time, there was no hint of a smile on his face and his voice was harsh.
“You would never understand him. You couldn't give him what he needs.”
Sungmin frowned, she looked irate when she said, “and what does he need, Donghae?” She was annoyed that Donghae couldn't seem to bring himself to say it, he looked troubled, almost as if the idea of whatever it was made him uncomfortable. Sungming's eyebrows narrowed and Donghae blinked and looked away from her, as if trying to dispel a bad thought.
“He needs more than...” Donghae started, “more than...”
“More than what?” Sungmin asked snappily.
“More than someone like you.” Donghae finished. Sungmin blinked, confused.
“Someone like me?”
Donghae shook his head, not looking at her. He knew that Hyukjae hadn't been with her, he knew it was all in his head, it was jealousy. He understood that. But there was something that he couldn't quite shake - the thought of Hyukjae wanting to be with Sungmin and the thought of Sungmin being right. What if she was right? What if she really could give Hyukjae what he needed?
No. Donghae looked at her and she glared back at him. Her hair was in a loose top knot, her make up was minimal but her lips shimmered unnaturally and her blush looked unnatural too. The top buttons on her shirt strained over her bust and her skirt was was short, too short for her to bend over and pick anything up from the floor that she may have dropped and Donghae suspected that she knew this. No. She was conceited and disgusting. A woman like this, she couldn't possibly take care of anyone else but herself. A whore. She was nothing more than a stupid whore. A whore like her could never take care of or understand Hyukjae. Never!

“Someone like me?” She repeated, angrily.
Donghae shook his head again.
“Say it!” Sungmin demanded, “what do you think someone like me is?”
Donghae narrowed his eyes and looked at her, “a slut.” He hissed.
Her mouth opened in shock, her cheeks flushing furious red. “How dare you!” She cried, slapping Donghae clean across the face so his eyes watered but he didn't flinch. “You don't know me, Donghae! You don't know anything about me! How dare you!” She went to slap him again but he caught her wrist and glared at her.
“I may not know you, Sungmin, but I know women like you. Women like you are sluts. You take innocent men and ruin their lives. I may not know anything about you but I know that Hyukjae's never strayed from me before, not until he met you.”
Sungmin's eyes that had previously been clouded with anger cleared. She looked confused. “Strayed?” she whispered.
“What's so good about you anyway?” Donghae continued, unstoppable fury flaring up in his chest, “you can’t give him what he needs!”
“S-strayed from you?!” Sungmin repeated, her face now had changed. She looked horrified. Donghae saw the look of dawning apprehension on her face but he didn't care any more. He didn't come here to care, he didn't come here for Sungmin not to understand. He came here so that she would go away for good.

“Yes.” Donghae said, sounding calm but inside he was buzzing. He had thought about this, about making her go away, and it was almost making him excited to know that it was happening. It was a new thing, to feel so excited, like a child on Christmas morning. Before, it had all happened so quickly and from anger, from a churning anger in the pit of his stomach but now he could feel it, a burst of excitement taking him over in waves.
“It's always been just Hyukjae and me. He loves me, Sungmin. Not you.” He watched her expression swimming somewhere between horrified and terrified. He smirked.
“Are you saying..?” She stammered, “that you... You and Hyuk..?”

“Whatever you could give him,” Donghae said silkily, moving closer to her, “would never match what he gets from me.” He saw the rate that her chest rose and fell rapidly quicken and he knew her heart was doing the same. “Is Hyukjae less perfect now you know what he does? What he is?”
She was shaking her head as if by doing this, she’d make everything Donghae was saying cease to be and cease to be true. “You... You’re sick,” she said quietly, ”you think by making up something as disgusting as this-”
“Making it up?! Is that what you think I’m doing?!” Donghae snapped, “the things we do together are things you couldn’t even imagine, Sungmin. And Hyuk loves it.”
“No!” Sungmin cried. “You’re crazy! This is crazy!”
Donghae glared at her, strode around the counter that separated him from Sungmin and grabbed her wrist, roughly pulling her towards him. She staggered and tried to steady herself by placing a hand on Donghae’s chest, he hated how her touch felt so delicate. Donghae could see tears in her eyes.
“You think I’m lying?!” He hissed, “we were fourteen when we first had sex,” he told her, his face close to hers. She was trembling, her skin was clammy, she looked frightened. “And he’s never wanted it from anyone else but me.”
“You need to leave.” She said, her voice scarcely a whisper.
“Why?” Donghae asked, he was smiling again and Sungmin recognised that look in his eyes. “We’re only talking, aren’t we?”
“Please, Donghae! I want you to go!” She said, her voice wavering.
Donghae wet his lips before continuing, “it’s not about what you want. You need to realise, Sungmin, that not everything is about you.” Their bodies were touching, she was trembling and breathing heavily but Donghae was cold, as usual. He glared stonily at her.
“Hyukjae and I have always loved each other. Do you really think that someone like you would be able to stop us?”
“Stop saying that.” Sungmin said through gritted teeth.
Donghae laughed, “someone like you.” He repeated slowly, watching the fear in Sungmin’s eyes give way to fury. Her cheeks were burning and her eyebrows narrowed again.
“Think what you will of me,” she snapped, “but I’m glad I never slept with Hyukjae now I know that he’s just as much as a freak as you are!”
Donghae’s eyes flashed and he wrenched Sungmin’s wrist up with so much force that he felt it crack, reminding him irresistibly of Chanyeol. She cried out in pain, tears trickled down her face.
“Donghae, please!”
“We’re not freaks.” He hissed. “No one understands - that’s why you’re no good for my Hyukjae. You’d only end up hurting him and I can’t let you do that.”
Donghae let Sungmin go and she staggered backwards, twisting her ankle awkwardly as her back connecting hard with the wall. She whimpered in pain. Donghae stood over her. “Donghae... Please...”
Donghae swallowed, his jaw twitched. “Freaks.” He repeated, “that’s what they all think. That’s why I have to do this, Sungmin. People want to interfere with us. They want to take Hyukjae away from me. I can’t let that happen.”
Sungmin struggled to get back to her feet but couldn’t. “I won’t say anything,” she said desperately, “I won’t bother Hyukjae again-”
Donghae grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back. “What makes you think that I can trust you, Sungmin?”
“D-Donghae...”
“I have to do what’s right for my brother. He needs me to protect him; I need to protect him from you.”
Sungmin’s mascara had ran, she looked less pretty now but somehow, that made her look more appealing to Donghae. He had hated how fragile she felt before, as she had laid her hand on him but now, the power over her gave him a thrill. A sick thrill but a thrill nonetheless. He let her go so she fell to the floor again, he could see her underwear. He swallowed. Sungmin saw him looking but didn’t make any move to cover herself. She shifted a little.
“You don’t have to do that.” She told him, trying to steady her voice. She used her good hand to reach up and lay it gently on Donghae’s crotch. “I... I’ll do whatever you want,” she said seductively.
He kicked her away in disgust. “You’re filth!” He spat. “It’s people like you! You’re the reason I have to protect him!”
She’d whimpered and cowered when he kicked her but she had just enough time to look up and see him stride to the other side of the kitchen where the food was prepared. She saw a flash of silver and she knew that he had grabbed a knife.
“I’ve silenced people before and I’ll do it again. I’ll do it as many times as necessary,” he growled.
“No! Please, Donghae!” She wailed, trying again to get to her feet, clinging onto the counter to put her weight on. “We can forget you even came here today! You don’t need to do anything like that.”
Donghae was shaking his head, “you have a brother, you must understand how far you must go to protect him.”
“Donghae, please-”
“So you can understand that no one should come between two siblings. That bond’s sacred.”
Sungmin shook her head, her hair stuck to her face and she slid miserably down the wall once again, “please...” she repeated, her voice feeble, “please Donghae.”

It happened in a flurry. The excitement was reaching a violent crescendo in Donghae’s chest and all he could think about was the end result, the happiness that Hyukjae and himself would gain from this. This was the right thing to do, the only thing he to do.
He lunged, knife gripped tightly in his hand, aiming for her chest but suddenly, he felt something sharp, a stabbing in his crotch. She’d moved so quickly that she’d brought her leg up, her kitten heel tearing at the soft skin between his legs.
He cried out and dropped the knife and crumpled to the floor in pain. Sungmin dragged herself to her feet. “You’re crazy! Hyukjae would be better off without you!”
He’d never had anyone fight back before ; in all the years that he’d defended his brother, protected him from people that were trying to hurt him, he had never had anyone try to fight back. In school, he’d always been stronger than the bullies who picked on Hyukjae and Heechul and Chanyeol had never really seen what was coming. Sungmin was braver than he expected but that didn’t mean that she was going to get away unscathed.
He was still on the floor, writhing in pain and Sungmin was just reaching over him for the knife, he brought both of his knees up so that he winded her. He got to his knees, the pain burning but he had to finish this. He didn’t look behind, he knew she was immobilised, at least for a minute or so.
She tried kicking him again but she missed, he heard her scrabble to him, her arms wrapping around his waist, her fingers clawed desperately at his skin and she was panting and gasping.
“Donghae! No!”
His fingers wrapped around the knife’s handle and he struggled to his feet. Sungmin fell back onto the floor, unable to support her own weight any more, her ankle seemed to be twisted, if not broken. When Donghae whirled around, she was still lying on her back, tears trickling down her face as she sobbed. Her shirt had ripped a little, he could see her bra, see her soft skin, her chest heaving with laboured breath. He wondered whether Hyukjae had looked at her like this, seen maybe more of her. Hyukjae had reassured him so many times that nothing had happened and even Sungmin had said that they hadn’t slept together but that didn’t stop Donghae from thinking about it, for having doubts deep down.
This was going to be too easy.

He straddled Sungmin so she was unable to escape. She looked defeated. He hated everything about her, how she was so weak and wouldn’t fight, like his mother and how she had tried to steal Hyukjae from him.
“You’re the last.” Donghae told her, “I always tried to warn Hyukjae about people like you, that they would never understand us but he didn’t listen. But this is the last time I let him make the same mistake.”
“People like me..?” Sungmin panted. She looked tired but tried her best to look Donghae in the eye.
Donghae smirked. “Meddlesome. Maybe it’s something that runs in the family, Sungmin.”
“W-what?”
With that, the feeling of excitement exploding in Donghae’s chest so his whole body was on fire, he swung the arm with the knife down so that it penetrated Sungmin’s skin. She screamed as the blade cut through the muscle of her shoulder and drove through her flesh. Her screams of pain only made Donghae push the knife with more force, he wet his lips with excitement , he could feel his pupils dilating and his heart thudding against his chest.
He felt her body shudder beneath him, her face had contorted with pain but thus far, there was no blood. Donghae knew that. He knew this wouldn’t kill her. He just wanted her to suffer, just a little.

Suddenly, there was a sound from the main shop, from the doors rattled and someone called Sungmin’s name. Donghae’s eyes flashed and he glared down at her. “Who is that?” He hissed.
“My friend.” She breathed, her voice choked with pain.
“You better hope they go away quickly!” Donghae put his hand over Sungmin’s mouth to make sure she didn’t shout out to whoever it was outside. They called her name again, it was a woman’s voice.
“I told you I was meeting someone.” Sungmin’s voice was unnaturally high, her lips were trembling.
“She’ll go away soon,” Donghae muttered more to himself than Sungmin. The woman rattled the door and called Sungmin’s name a couple more times and then there was silence. Donghae could feel Sungmin’s breath on his palm. Her eyes were hazy and rolled back in her head. She didn’t open them again. She’d passed out from the pain. When Donghae got up, he could feel his legs trembling. Even when he had drowned Heechul and it had been in a public place, it was almost like they had been alone under the water and with Chanyeol, it had been just the two of them. It had never been like this before. He’d never been caught and he wasn’t about to be, not because of Sungmin.
He could just make out someone outside but he couldn’t see them well enough without stepping out behind the counter. If he saw her, she’d see him.
He didn’t have time to play games, he had to finish Sungmin off as quickly as possible.

He faced her once more. He could remove the knife from her and let her bleed out but it would take too long. He needed this to be over. He hadn’t noticed that he was panting too, it was hot in the kitchen, his hair was sticking to his neck and forehead just like his shirt stuck to his back.
He needed another knife, something bigger, something to get the job done quicker. Maybe he could find something to hit her over the head with or better. Sungmin was moving on the floor behind him, she groaned in pain. Donghae looked frantically around the kitchen, there were baking trays, dirty dishes stacked by a dishwasher but nothing that he could use. He hadn’t planned this, he hadn’t thought this through. Every minute he wasted letting Sungmin live, he was letting Hyukjae down.

There was a searing pain in Donghae’s right leg, in his calf. Donghae yelled in pain, instinctively reaching down. Sungmin was sitting up, clutching at her shoulder, somehow she’d managed to pull the knife out of her and drive it into Donghae’s leg. He screamed again and staggered backwards a little, having to kneel.
“You stupid bitch!” He shouted at her, “you fucking stupid bitch!” His hands were slicked with blood as he clutched uselessly at his leg.
She wasn’t looking at him, her face was very pale, she seemed woozy when she got to her feet this time. She used the counters to help her walk to the door of the kitchen to go out into the main coffee shop.
“No!” Donghae panted, reaching after Sungmin. He couldn’t stop himself from crying out when he put weight on his leg but he had to finish this. He grit his teeth, and went to Sungmin, pulling her back into the kitchen with one hand, the other he used to try and wrench the knife from his leg but he couldn’t, the pain was too great, he found himself screaming again and there were tears in his eyes. Sungmin was struggling but she was weak, her small fists were balled as she tried to hit Donghae but she didn’t have the strength.
“Your brother was just the same,” Donghae panted, “he didn’t know when to give up.”
“What do you know about my brother?” Sungmin snapped, still flailing.
Donghae didn’t say anything. He’d said too much already. He was wasting his breath.
“What do you mean was?!” Sungmin shrieked, “what do you know about Jongwoon?!”
“You’ll be seeing him soon,” Donghae said, sounding almost gentle. Sungmin screamed again, Donghae wasn’t sure what she was saying but he needed her to stop, in case that woman was still outside, in case anyone was still outside and he couldn’t have anyone hear them.

It was then that Sungmin tried to kick Donghae again getting his bad leg so that he overbalanced and let go of her. There was a crack. Sungmin had hit her head on the counter.
She didn’t get up this time. She lay limp on the floor, her eyes closed, her once white shirt was now blood soaked. There was blood everywhere and Donghae’s vision was becoming blurry. He couldn’t tell whether there was a pool of blood by Sungmin’s head or whether it was just his eyes playing tricks on him. He should have checked her, to make sure he had truly put an end to her but he felt strange, still trying to pull the knife from his leg. He couldn’t remember whether you were supposed to leave it in or not. His blood was so warm but he suddenly felt cold. He shivered. He had to get back to Hyukjae.
His leg dragged a little behind him. He couldn’t work out if he was walking slowly or whether everything was in slow motion. Back through the coffee shop, it wasn’t as light outside now. The woman had gone though. Donghae had trouble unlocking the door and letting himself out, almost as if he couldn’t use his hands properly. Once outside, he shivered even more despite the beautiful summer evening warmth. The evening sun shimmered but was little consolation. He tried his best to walk, he had to get home, to Hyukjae. He didn’t know where he was when he fell or how long it took between him hitting the pavement and someone shaking him awake, asking him if he could hear them. It was dark now. Street lamps were on and Donghae could see flashing lights.
If he’d known what dying felt like before, he would never have killed anyone.