One-shot: Just one more step
Just one more step
2Min | PG | 5016 words
Come on baby, you can make it; it’s just one more step. Come see this beautiful world with me baby, because I’m not going alone, not going without you.
Finally I come back with something. >w< After many attempts of writing something and horribly failing, I finally bring this inspired by my sister’s attempt of giving me ideas 8D Anyways, hope you guys like it, I may be a bit rusty. :x
The torturing sound of the clock ticking away echoed throughout the deserted living space. It reflected nicely with the atmosphere, rooms disheveled with furniture turned in angles that most would not be placed as. Mirrors were hung so that the mirror itself faced the wall, picture frames were in shards as well as the glass, and various fabrics covered everything from the windows to a single crack in the wall.
It seemed as though the only color that existed was brown. If there were any other colors, then it would seem that it was being overtaken by dullness.
There was a slight rustle in one of the rooms, it being the bedroom since a beaten up mattress was placed in there. Under one of the many thin blankets appeared a boy, hair sticking out in odd angles, and bags under his eyes.
He picked himself up, dusting off invisible particles and meandered his way towards what was suppose to be a living room, but was actually a large empty room with toppled furniture. To his left he found the computer lying on a wooden table, screen idled, a ball bouncing off the computer’s walls. Past the table was the entrance towards the kitchen.
On the kitchen table were papers of all kinds: bills, application forms, and homework. All haven’t been touched since they were first set there. Dust was forming on them, but he didn’t bother blowing it off, there really wasn’t a point in the first place.
He caught his name on one of the papers scrawled out with his once tiny right hand, trying so hard to write it neatly so that it could impress his teacher. His second grade homework he guessed. Taemin, he mouthed.
Taemin observed the kitchen and made his way towards one of the cabinets. Empty. He opened another one. Empty. High and low, he opened all of the cabinets and drawers and was met with kitchen appliances and other dishware.
No food unfortunately.
He supposed it was his fault though, considering he ate the last of the ramen he had been storing up from the nice lady next door. Taemin heavily sighed, whispering under his breath about hoping the lady would come visit again, and casually sat down in front of his computer.
His computer was his everything. It was his only connection with the outside world, the world in which he didn’t want to be in, ever.
After waiting for the computer to wake, it flashed to a web site in which was Taemin’s school. Taemin grabbed paper that was placed conveniently next to him, and began some exercises when the doorbell rang.
He stared at the wooden door for a few seconds, suddenly getting the idea about opening a gate to the dangerous outside world in which he never wants to meet again; that when he opened that door, his life would be cut…just like his mother.
The bell became a hindrance so Taemin eventually got up, walking nonchalantly towards the door. Before grabbing the knob, he adjusted his hair so it was at least a little decent, and opened the door.
His prayers were answered for the nice lady next door was standing before him. “Ah, Eunjin-sshi…”
“Taemin-ah! You look better than usual, getting enough sleep like I told you? May I come in?” The lady asked, though she excused herself inside before Taemin could even nod.
She shuffled towards the kitchen, placing a plastic bag full of anonymous objects inside. Taemin figured it was food and sat down onto the ground. “Thank you for the food, I appreciate it…” He mumbled, looking downwards as the woman faced him.
“No problem at all, someone’s got to take care of a young boy like you. It’s a shame really, about what happened to your mother. But no worries, Auntie Eunjin is here!” She punched the air as though she was a young girl again, and Taemin couldn’t help but smile at her attempted youth. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, there’s a fellow that’s going to move in today, and it’s going to be the vacant apartment next to yours! Isn’t that exciting? You should make friends with him, Taemin-ah.”
Taemin nodded despite how shocked he was when he heard make friends because he hasn’t “made friends” since he was in elementary school.
“Well, I’m going to take my leave. Try to stay healthy, Taemin-ah! I’m going to see if I can meet that new fellow…” And with that said, the door slammed shut, an eerie silence taking residence.
Taemin glanced from the ground to the kitchen table where the bag full of ramen was resting. After standing up and getting to the table, he decided it was about time to prepare breakfast. He plugged in the water boiler, and poured a good amount of water into it. The cover to the ramen bowl was unsealed and Taemin set the packets that were inside aside. As he was moving to dispose of the trash, a glass shard from a broken cup that just happened to be lying on the kitchen counter skimmed his arm.
He retaliated, dropping the trash on to the ground and observed the wound. A slight scratch, though blood was on verge of escaping. Taemin was pretty sure the bandages were in the bathroom, so he sped-walked on over to the cramped room, opening the mirror cabinet and grabbing the first-aid kit. Before he could even open it, the bell rang and Taemin swore under his breath.
If it’s that old lady, I am going to… Taemin marched furiously towards the door and threw it open only to find a strikingly tall male in front of him. The male wore a loose soccer t-shirt along with casual jeans. He had ruffled auburn hair, eyes a captivating chocolate, and smooth lips. If he wasn’t deathly afraid of strangers, he wouldn’t mind calling him extremely attractive.
“Um, hi I heard from the lady next door that I’m going to be your new neighbor - is your arm okay?” The stranger asked, focusing his attention to Taemin’s arm now.
Taemin was cradling his arm, blocking the wound so that the blood didn’t gush out, so of course it wasn’t as conspicuous as he thought it would be. “Ah, yeah…I was actually in the middle of trying to bandage it?”
“Oh, I’m sorry! At least let me help you with that, since I interrupted you and all.”
Taemin wanted to object to his offer, despite his sincerity, but the male already intruded into his home and was thus left to show him to the bathroom.
They wove around the disarrayed furniture, and broken shards of various objects, finally settling into the bathroom. The stranger had already opened the first-aid kit, grabbing a bandage from it along with safety scissors.
“Where did you get the wound from?” He asked casually as he wrapped the cloth around his arm.
“Just happened to scratch myself on some glass…” Taemin muttered.
“Not surprised, since there happens to be a lot around here.” The other remarked, leaving Taemin to hide his face in his neck in embarrassment. “There, all done.” The bandage was properly placed, concealing the wound. He started to place all the materials back into the kit when a high-pitched whistling rang.
“Ah! The water…” Taemin sprinted towards the kitchen, leaping over a knocked-over couch and slammed the button on the water boiler. He let out a relieved sigh and watched out of the corner of his eyes the male poke his head from the bathroom. “Breakfast.” He explained.
Taemin placed the bowl of ramen down onto the hardwood flooring, chopsticks in hand. The stranger accompanied him, sitting against the wall, watching Taemin as began to eat. “Oh, I almost forgot to mention, nice to meet you, the name’s Minho.”
Taemin swallowed his mouthful, “Taemin.”
A silent wall formed between the two as Taemin began to eat again. He figured it was because since he was eating, he didn’t want to interrupt him, so he began eating his breakfast comfortably.
“You look a little young to be living by yourself, where’s your parents?” Minho asked calmly, resting his head against the wall.
“I could say the same about you,” Taemin retorted, Minho following suit with a slight chuckle. “In all seriousness though, it’s a bit complicated.”
“Mm, I see. The place isn’t exactly fitting for a regular, old family now is it?”
Taemin tried to remember what the apartment actually looked like when his mom was still around. One thing’s for sure, it was by far a lot cleaner than its current state.
“So, what’re you moving in here for? Do you have family with you?” Taemin asked, attempting to continue a smooth conversation.
“Nope, it’s just me. I came here to study at a nearby university. Hopefully I’ll get things settled in before I attend school. Oh, speaking of which, which school do you go to?”
Taemin bit his lip nervously, and pointed at his computer. Minho sat there, puzzled as Taemin went to go dump his empty breakfast into the trashcan. “You mean…online school? Why would you want to do that?”
“I don’t know it’s the only thing my mom left me with. It’s not like I have money to go attend a regular school. And…” Taemin trailed off. He wasn’t quite ready to tell a complete stranger about his problems.
“Huh, well that sucks. Hey, you should come and see my university! It’s huge, and they got a large soccer field. In fact, let’s go play soccer, you in?” Minho stood up ecstatically, grabbing Taemin’s hand and pulling him towards the front door.
His heart sunk deep below his stomach and when Taemin realized just what the male was doing, he was writhing his hand away frantically. “Wait, stop, please! I don’t want to…” He begged.
“If you’re complaining that you’re bad at soccer, that’s too bad. Besides, I’ll go easy on you.” Minho replied, obviously ignoring his pleas.
The door opened and Taemin thought of all the possible ways he could be killed right then and there. With that door open, that dangerous door that led to a dangerous outside world. He shrieked, batting his free hand at Minho, which successfully released his grip on him. Minho tripped over his feet and stumbled into the complex hallway. Stunned, he turned around to look at Taemin, a question painted on his face.
Taemin panted, holding onto the door for support. He could see an ivory darkness swarm the corridors, and his heart started to race. “I-I’m sorry, I can’t…I…just…” Without knowing it, he slammed the wooden door in Minho’s face, leaving the male confused, stunned, and maybe just maybe a little hurt.
Taemin slunk down onto the floor, his chest pounding furiously. He rested his right hand over his heart to calm it down, exhaling a shaky breath as his mind really took in the events.
He burrowed his face in his gathered knees, wishing to crawl in darkness so that no one could find him, so that no one could kill him.
Taemin lost track of how many days have passed since that frightening meeting. Maybe it was weeks, or months; either way, Taemin wanted to forget what happened. He had been contemplating whether Minho really was a regular soccer-playing student, or was somehow a murderer in disguise that had tried to lure him out of his protective shell, and kill him in cold blood.
The more he thought about it though, the more he just wanted to hide under his blankets and stay there. Taemin eventually moved on, and resumed his daily (boring) life.
He had been surfing the web, bouncing from discussion forums to the latest news articles. He happened to pass by a disturbing serial killer article and shuddered vigorously. His eyes wandered to the corners and noticed the sun barely showing through the fabrics. Morning already? Taemin thought.
There was a soft knock, though Taemin did not catch it the first time. The second time was a bit louder, and confidant and Taemin glanced at the door where it seemed to be coming from.
After a moment’s hesitation, he picked himself from off the ground, stretching his sore arms and back. He rubbed his eyes clear of sand, and proceeded to open the door.
His breath caught in his throat as he saw Minho standing there. And to be honest, Taemin didn’t know whether to be shocked over the fact that Minho actually came back, or the fact that he could be here to resume his dastardly plans.
The shock must have been clearly shown on his face, for Minho took the initiative to speak. “Um, hey. Sorry about what happened last week, I didn’t mean to frighten you or anything. And to be honest, I’m still…a bit confused over what happened, but I’m apologizing to you anyway.” His hand wandered to the back of his head, scratching and ruffling his hair.
Taemin pursed his lips together as he nodded, still deciding whether that was a cover-up of his true intentions or whether Minho really meant it.
“I don’t know if I can ask this or not, but do you mind telling me about last week?” His posture shifted into an awkward position, and Taemin couldn’t help but to welcome him in.
Minho sat down, settling himself onto the floor while Taemin sat on the cushion that was placed in front of his computer. His eyes darted around the room nervously, before settling on Minho.
“This is my first time telling anyone this, I hope you know that.” Taemin muttered, Minho grinning at Taemin’s statement and nodded. After taking a deep breath, Taemin explained, “I’m agoraphobic,” Minho opened his mouth to ask what the heck that meant, but Taemin continued, “meaning, I’m afraid of going outside.
It’s kind of complicated, really. I mean I used to go outside a lot as a child. Whether it be playing with the neighborhood kids, or going to school, I did it all. But that’s been such a long time ago…and I don’t really remember what ‘outside’ looks like anymore. It’s just that I get so anxious whenever I open that door. I’m afraid something is just going to pull me out of this room and strangle me to death. I’m afraid I’m going to suffocate and die without anyone knowing. I don’t even know what’s safe anymore.
I’m still thinking about whether this all came from my mom or not. My mom…when she was still alive, she would always take me everywhere she went. It was fun, the last time I recall. But I was still too young to understand what she’s been going through. One day…I was playing in my room, my mom just outside. The doorbell rang, and my mom went to go get it. Suddenly, there was this loud bang and a thud and I had no idea what happened. I was still too young. I peeked outside my doorway and I saw…” Taemin choked back a sob, and realized a warmth on his hand. Minho had scooted closer, his hand on top of Taemin’s. It was a little comforting.
“My mom was on the ground, blood stained on the floor. I wanted to scream so badly, but then I saw someone standing over her. The next thing I knew, he was dragging her body out of the door. I still have no idea why she was killed, or why he took her body, but I guess…I’ll never get over that. I’m just…deathly afraid of dying like her. I’m deathly afraid of opening that door only to find a gun pointed to my forehead. I’m just deathly afraid of going outside only to die. It’s a lot safer in my house, you know?” Taemin ended his long explanation with a sigh, trying to remove the mental images that were starting to flood his memory.
Minho’s face was solemn, probably taking in the story. However, after a moment’s silence, he grinned at Taemin with his bright smile. Taemin sat there, blinking absently and Minho reached Taemin’s head to ruffle his hair.
“Even though what you’ve been through is rough, you’ll be okay. No one’s going to kill a cute kid like you.” Taemin felt heat spreading rapidly towards his cheek and immediately brought a hand upon his cheeks to check the temperature. While doing so, Minho pulled out his cell phone, flipped it open and glanced at it for a while. “Well, I have to get going, school’s going to start soon. See you later?”
Taemin nodded half-heartedly, waving slightly with his free hand.
After Minho had shut the door, Taemin felt a large smile grow on his face. Warmth bloomed within him, an unknown warmth he hasn’t felt since he was still a little child, when his mother was still alive. He buried his head in his knees, trying to hide his embarrassment and yet joy.
The last person to call him “cute” was his mother.
Things ran smoothly after that day. Minho would often come over to his apartment, and chat. Sometimes he would bring his backpack and laptop over and do his homework while Taemin finished doing exercises and assignments from his online school.
Minho claimed that eating ramen for your entire life was extremely unhealthy (though Taemin didn’t really get it, he was alive wasn’t he?), and would often cook dinner for him. Taemin ate with delight on his face, having not eaten such delicious cooking ever since…well, when his mom died. Minho watched Taemin eating with a satisfactory grin on his face, and would always ruffle his hair.
Now that Taemin thought about it, Minho had grew a habit of petting him or ruffling his hair as though he were a dog. Not that that was a bad thing - in fact he adored the fact that he was seen as a cute animal - but to do it at an excessive amount makes Taemin curious about how Minho sees him.
One afternoon, Minho had waltzed into his apartment with new food ingredients to cook. Taemin glanced over at the male and saw what appeared to be a camera around his neck.
“Hey, what’s that?” Taemin questioned, pointing at Minho’s neck for emphasis.
“Oh, this? It’s a camera. Even though I’m a soccer player, I’m also interested in photography.” Minho said with a proud smile on his face, placing the bag on the kitchen counter. After sweeping away some glass shards he happened to almost step on, he sat down next to Taemin and gave him the camera. “Take a look.” He insisted.
Taemin took the object into his hands, fumbling it around till he found the on button. His eyes widened as he saw the camera’s gallery open, a picture displayed in front of him. Taemin’s mind went blank, and he didn’t know exactly how to feel.
It was a picture of a sunset, a pastel of magnificent oranges, reds, and purples. Taken in a panoramic setting, the buildings below were a dark shade of black, the clouds in the sky glowed mystically, and the sun contrasted it all, having a brilliant shade of yellow and orange. In other words, it was beautiful.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? Took it yesterday while I was on the roof.” Minho commented. Taemin was still clearly stunned, so Minho pressed the next button and Taemin gasped.
It was a meadow of some sort. The cotton clouds and the baby blue sky were calming, the grass a pale green. A medley of flowers bloomed from the ground, the trees outlining the background. However, the main point of the picture was the noble tree that rested in the middle of the picture. A large, large oak tree it was. Its branches held strong, containing an army of bright green leaves.
“Where…did you take this?” Taemin asked, his voice sounding distant.
“Hm? Oh, it’s by the park near my university. I was really lucky to find the place, since there was nobody around at the time.” Minho bragged, tapping his legs on the floor and swaying side to side.
“It’s amazing, absolutely beautiful. It’s like I’m looking at artwork…” Taemin said in awe, browsing through the other nature pictures on the camera.
“Thanks, I try my best.”
“It kind of makes me want to…” Taemin trailed off, uncertainty lingering in his eyes. Minho noticed this and placed his hand on top of Taemin’s, the said male turning to stare into Minho’s chocolate eyes. “It kind of makes me want to go out there,” Taemin finished.
He watched as Minho smiled from ear to ear, leaning over to ruffle his hair as per usual and stood up. “Wait right here, I have something for you.”
Taemin proceeded to watch Minho sprint out of the door, hearing rustling from the other side of the thin wall, and watch him come running in with some object in his hand after a few minutes had passed. Taemin tilted his head in a questioning manner, and Minho proudly presented it to him.
“For you.” Minho added before handing it over to Taemin.
It was a frame, a delicate photograph inside. It was of a bright blue sky, glowing so brightly that it could rival the sun’s radiance. Clouds of various sizes dotted the sky’s canvas, giving off such a calming aura. Just at the very bottom corner of the picture was what looked like the top of a lighthouse. The photograph was a picture of a sunny beach sky.
Taemin gripped the frame tight in his skinny hands, running a delicate finger over the extravagant details of the framework.
“I got this for my 15th birthday, along with a camera. I want to give this to you to show you what you’re missing. Maybe you can hang it on the wall? It could give some color to this room.” Minho suggested, running a bashful foot across the floor.
Taemin set down the photograph on a nearby rackety coffee table and took a step towards Minho. He wrapped his arms around him, arms locking securely together. He rested his head against Minho’s chest, sighing softly.
“Thank you…so much.” Taemin murmured further burrowing his head as much as possible.
Minho blushed, his heart pumping rapidly. However he did what his mind told him to, and wound his arms around Taemin’s small frame. A rush of warmth enveloped the two in a blanket, and Taemin sort of, kind of, maybe wanted to stay like this forever.
“You should come with me…” Minho whispered, the phrase stunning Taemin awake, which caused him to push away the other away, giving the two a small distance between each other.
“You know I can’t…p-people, strangers…kill…” Taemin felt himself beginning to hyperventilate, a clench tightening his heart as he imagined the horrors of the outside world. Before it could fully set in, he felt himself being embraced once more, except the feeling was different. Possibly, a more protective feeling?
“You’re still going on about that? Idiot…” Minho murmured, his hand caressing Taemin’s cheek. It left a burning hot trail as it traveled down his cheek to his chin. In a matter of seconds, Taemin found his lips on Minho’s own. It was a slight peck, really, because the warmth immediately left. Taemin was lost in a world filled with seduction and complete incoherence, because the only thing his mind was registering was Minho’s smooth lip. “No matter what, I’ll protect you. I’ll protect you from anyone and anything that tries to harm you. You have to trust me, Taemin.”
Minho leaned back in, pressing his lips in a more needy fashion. Taemin sighed in between their kisses. He thought that in this minute, everything seemed to be just right. Minho bit softly on Taemin’s soft lip, which caused him to whimper in the back of his throat. Taemin felt Minho’s long fingers entwine themselves in his hair, just barely massaging his scalp. His back bent and Minho leaned more, as their kiss grew more passionate. It was a kiss of reassurance, a kiss of convincing, a kiss of promise. Any emotion to convey to Taemin that Minho was, and will forever be there for him.
That night, Taemin fell asleep as he stared at the photograph, hanging proudly at the opposite wall, Minho pressed against his back.
Minho didn’t come around that often, claiming that it was Mid-Final’s week in college, and that he had to study efficiently if he wanted to make it on the soccer team. Taemin asked why he didn’t just come and study in his apartment.
“Because then I wouldn’t get any studying done, now would I?” He replied.
Taemin sipped on some hot cup of tea Minho had earlier made him. He observed the wall proudly as more photographs were hung up. They were all mostly nature photographs: beaches, meadows, flowers, trees, setting sun, rising sun. Though a more recent photo was a picture of the city. An industrial building that stood at an intimidating height. However the reflection of the sun on the billions of windows of the building was a nice touch.
For once, colors were actually brought into his dull, boring world.
He stared, and stared at them, contemplating if this what the true world really looked like. He thought that he would actually remember what it would look like from his child memories, but he failed as he tried. Taemin wondered if Minho would keep his promise. Would he protect him? No matter what happened?
Taemin imagined himself in Minho’s strong arms that resembled a castle wall, looking up at his entrancing face that served as his sky. He figured that if Minho was there, then maybe, just maybe he had a chance.
He placed the cup into the sink to be washed later and stared at the wooden door. There was no way that he could even accomplish this, but…it was worth a shot. Taemin hesitantly reached for the doorknob before retracting his arm. There was no way that he could do this without Minho. Not without Minho there by his side.
Then again, his mind reasoned, if he miraculously did manage to get so much of an inch outside the door, Taemin could impress Minho about it.
Just before he could even think about turning the doorknob, there was a knock along with a cheery, “Taemin!”
He opened the door and Minho stood there like a wall when he looked down at Taemin. “That was extremely fast, were you standing in front of the door or something?” Minho questioned, trying to walk in through the front entrance, but before anything, Taemin had grabbed Minho’s right sleeve of his sweater. His head lowered, and Minho took that as a signal to dig his hand into Taemin’s smooth hair.
“Minho…” Taemin whispered. He seemed to pause for a good minute, so Minho coaxed him by softly rubbing his head, answering with a soft Hmm? “I-I…want to go outside!” Taemin exclaimed, looking up oh so confidently into his eyes. “I want to go outside…but only if it’s with you…”
Minho’s hands crawled up to Taemin’s cheek, his head lowered, and he pressed a soft kiss upon his lips. “Of course, Taemin.” He murmured into his lips. After a comfortable minute passed, Minho grinned as he straightened and turned towards the hallway, “Shall we go?”
He took Taemin’s small, fragile hand into his and began to pull when suddenly Taemin cried, “Wait, wait, wait! Just…give me a second to prepare myself.” Minho blinked for a few seconds before his expression grew soft and nodded.
Taemin closed his eyes, trying to erase all his anxieties away, all the darkness that had been sleeping peacefully deep in the crevices of his conscious. He took a deep breath, and exhaled his worries away. He was prepared…for now anyway.
After telling Minho he was ready, he began to drag Taemin out. A careful foot was placed outside the doorframe. Another one was added. He was progressing, Minho thought. Taemin’s grip on the other’s hand tightened as he dared to push himself out of the apartment. He was rewarded with a peck on the forehead, and Minho proceeded to close the door.
“Just try to walk normally, okay?” Minho calmly ordered, placing a soothing kiss on his cheek, and began to walk down the hallway. Taemin was at a decent pace, walking just barely naturally as he did in his apartment, but when they got to the stairs, his heart suddenly dropped and imagined some deformed dark being crawling at an inhuman pace towards them.
Taemin shut his eyes before it attacked them, but was surprised to feel nothing. He peeled his eyes open only to find Minho and him heading down towards the steps. Minho looked back and smiled lovingly, temporarily erasing all the tricks his mind was giving him.
He then saw the front entrance (or at least that’s what he assumed), a glowing brightness shining through it, and Taemin closed his eyes. His eyes have never yet to seen such radiance before, if not, then not in a long time. Taemin felt his feet drag along, and he felt his body grow heavy. The only thing that kept him from dropping to the ground was Minho’s light hand guiding him along.
A sound of a bell, a sound of a creak, and a sound that resembled a mechanical lion.
A chilling breeze that Taemin shuddered to, a sound of high-pitched chirps, and the warmth of Minho’s hand.
“Taemin, open your eyes. We’re outside.”
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Ack, finally finished with this, and it took me 'bout 3 days yaay. It's amazing how much more i write whenever i write a more 'srs bzns' fic owo anyways since the bottom half of the fic may suck due to my rushing of this fic so if you spot any grammatical or spelling errors, feel free to point it out.
I just had to rush this fic because of the KOALA HUGGING KSLJDFLKMA I shall write moar fluffy fics about them once I start writing this fic I've been meaning to write after this one mehalsdkfjal D:
GIMME SOME COMMENTS COOKIES?!
2Min | PG | 5016 words
Come on baby, you can make it; it’s just one more step. Come see this beautiful world with me baby, because I’m not going alone, not going without you.
Finally I come back with something. >w< After many attempts of writing something and horribly failing, I finally bring this inspired by my sister’s attempt of giving me ideas 8D Anyways, hope you guys like it, I may be a bit rusty. :x
The torturing sound of the clock ticking away echoed throughout the deserted living space. It reflected nicely with the atmosphere, rooms disheveled with furniture turned in angles that most would not be placed as. Mirrors were hung so that the mirror itself faced the wall, picture frames were in shards as well as the glass, and various fabrics covered everything from the windows to a single crack in the wall.
It seemed as though the only color that existed was brown. If there were any other colors, then it would seem that it was being overtaken by dullness.
There was a slight rustle in one of the rooms, it being the bedroom since a beaten up mattress was placed in there. Under one of the many thin blankets appeared a boy, hair sticking out in odd angles, and bags under his eyes.
He picked himself up, dusting off invisible particles and meandered his way towards what was suppose to be a living room, but was actually a large empty room with toppled furniture. To his left he found the computer lying on a wooden table, screen idled, a ball bouncing off the computer’s walls. Past the table was the entrance towards the kitchen.
On the kitchen table were papers of all kinds: bills, application forms, and homework. All haven’t been touched since they were first set there. Dust was forming on them, but he didn’t bother blowing it off, there really wasn’t a point in the first place.
He caught his name on one of the papers scrawled out with his once tiny right hand, trying so hard to write it neatly so that it could impress his teacher. His second grade homework he guessed. Taemin, he mouthed.
Taemin observed the kitchen and made his way towards one of the cabinets. Empty. He opened another one. Empty. High and low, he opened all of the cabinets and drawers and was met with kitchen appliances and other dishware.
No food unfortunately.
He supposed it was his fault though, considering he ate the last of the ramen he had been storing up from the nice lady next door. Taemin heavily sighed, whispering under his breath about hoping the lady would come visit again, and casually sat down in front of his computer.
His computer was his everything. It was his only connection with the outside world, the world in which he didn’t want to be in, ever.
After waiting for the computer to wake, it flashed to a web site in which was Taemin’s school. Taemin grabbed paper that was placed conveniently next to him, and began some exercises when the doorbell rang.
He stared at the wooden door for a few seconds, suddenly getting the idea about opening a gate to the dangerous outside world in which he never wants to meet again; that when he opened that door, his life would be cut…just like his mother.
The bell became a hindrance so Taemin eventually got up, walking nonchalantly towards the door. Before grabbing the knob, he adjusted his hair so it was at least a little decent, and opened the door.
His prayers were answered for the nice lady next door was standing before him. “Ah, Eunjin-sshi…”
“Taemin-ah! You look better than usual, getting enough sleep like I told you? May I come in?” The lady asked, though she excused herself inside before Taemin could even nod.
She shuffled towards the kitchen, placing a plastic bag full of anonymous objects inside. Taemin figured it was food and sat down onto the ground. “Thank you for the food, I appreciate it…” He mumbled, looking downwards as the woman faced him.
“No problem at all, someone’s got to take care of a young boy like you. It’s a shame really, about what happened to your mother. But no worries, Auntie Eunjin is here!” She punched the air as though she was a young girl again, and Taemin couldn’t help but smile at her attempted youth. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, there’s a fellow that’s going to move in today, and it’s going to be the vacant apartment next to yours! Isn’t that exciting? You should make friends with him, Taemin-ah.”
Taemin nodded despite how shocked he was when he heard make friends because he hasn’t “made friends” since he was in elementary school.
“Well, I’m going to take my leave. Try to stay healthy, Taemin-ah! I’m going to see if I can meet that new fellow…” And with that said, the door slammed shut, an eerie silence taking residence.
Taemin glanced from the ground to the kitchen table where the bag full of ramen was resting. After standing up and getting to the table, he decided it was about time to prepare breakfast. He plugged in the water boiler, and poured a good amount of water into it. The cover to the ramen bowl was unsealed and Taemin set the packets that were inside aside. As he was moving to dispose of the trash, a glass shard from a broken cup that just happened to be lying on the kitchen counter skimmed his arm.
He retaliated, dropping the trash on to the ground and observed the wound. A slight scratch, though blood was on verge of escaping. Taemin was pretty sure the bandages were in the bathroom, so he sped-walked on over to the cramped room, opening the mirror cabinet and grabbing the first-aid kit. Before he could even open it, the bell rang and Taemin swore under his breath.
If it’s that old lady, I am going to… Taemin marched furiously towards the door and threw it open only to find a strikingly tall male in front of him. The male wore a loose soccer t-shirt along with casual jeans. He had ruffled auburn hair, eyes a captivating chocolate, and smooth lips. If he wasn’t deathly afraid of strangers, he wouldn’t mind calling him extremely attractive.
“Um, hi I heard from the lady next door that I’m going to be your new neighbor - is your arm okay?” The stranger asked, focusing his attention to Taemin’s arm now.
Taemin was cradling his arm, blocking the wound so that the blood didn’t gush out, so of course it wasn’t as conspicuous as he thought it would be. “Ah, yeah…I was actually in the middle of trying to bandage it?”
“Oh, I’m sorry! At least let me help you with that, since I interrupted you and all.”
Taemin wanted to object to his offer, despite his sincerity, but the male already intruded into his home and was thus left to show him to the bathroom.
They wove around the disarrayed furniture, and broken shards of various objects, finally settling into the bathroom. The stranger had already opened the first-aid kit, grabbing a bandage from it along with safety scissors.
“Where did you get the wound from?” He asked casually as he wrapped the cloth around his arm.
“Just happened to scratch myself on some glass…” Taemin muttered.
“Not surprised, since there happens to be a lot around here.” The other remarked, leaving Taemin to hide his face in his neck in embarrassment. “There, all done.” The bandage was properly placed, concealing the wound. He started to place all the materials back into the kit when a high-pitched whistling rang.
“Ah! The water…” Taemin sprinted towards the kitchen, leaping over a knocked-over couch and slammed the button on the water boiler. He let out a relieved sigh and watched out of the corner of his eyes the male poke his head from the bathroom. “Breakfast.” He explained.
Taemin placed the bowl of ramen down onto the hardwood flooring, chopsticks in hand. The stranger accompanied him, sitting against the wall, watching Taemin as began to eat. “Oh, I almost forgot to mention, nice to meet you, the name’s Minho.”
Taemin swallowed his mouthful, “Taemin.”
A silent wall formed between the two as Taemin began to eat again. He figured it was because since he was eating, he didn’t want to interrupt him, so he began eating his breakfast comfortably.
“You look a little young to be living by yourself, where’s your parents?” Minho asked calmly, resting his head against the wall.
“I could say the same about you,” Taemin retorted, Minho following suit with a slight chuckle. “In all seriousness though, it’s a bit complicated.”
“Mm, I see. The place isn’t exactly fitting for a regular, old family now is it?”
Taemin tried to remember what the apartment actually looked like when his mom was still around. One thing’s for sure, it was by far a lot cleaner than its current state.
“So, what’re you moving in here for? Do you have family with you?” Taemin asked, attempting to continue a smooth conversation.
“Nope, it’s just me. I came here to study at a nearby university. Hopefully I’ll get things settled in before I attend school. Oh, speaking of which, which school do you go to?”
Taemin bit his lip nervously, and pointed at his computer. Minho sat there, puzzled as Taemin went to go dump his empty breakfast into the trashcan. “You mean…online school? Why would you want to do that?”
“I don’t know it’s the only thing my mom left me with. It’s not like I have money to go attend a regular school. And…” Taemin trailed off. He wasn’t quite ready to tell a complete stranger about his problems.
“Huh, well that sucks. Hey, you should come and see my university! It’s huge, and they got a large soccer field. In fact, let’s go play soccer, you in?” Minho stood up ecstatically, grabbing Taemin’s hand and pulling him towards the front door.
His heart sunk deep below his stomach and when Taemin realized just what the male was doing, he was writhing his hand away frantically. “Wait, stop, please! I don’t want to…” He begged.
“If you’re complaining that you’re bad at soccer, that’s too bad. Besides, I’ll go easy on you.” Minho replied, obviously ignoring his pleas.
The door opened and Taemin thought of all the possible ways he could be killed right then and there. With that door open, that dangerous door that led to a dangerous outside world. He shrieked, batting his free hand at Minho, which successfully released his grip on him. Minho tripped over his feet and stumbled into the complex hallway. Stunned, he turned around to look at Taemin, a question painted on his face.
Taemin panted, holding onto the door for support. He could see an ivory darkness swarm the corridors, and his heart started to race. “I-I’m sorry, I can’t…I…just…” Without knowing it, he slammed the wooden door in Minho’s face, leaving the male confused, stunned, and maybe just maybe a little hurt.
Taemin slunk down onto the floor, his chest pounding furiously. He rested his right hand over his heart to calm it down, exhaling a shaky breath as his mind really took in the events.
He burrowed his face in his gathered knees, wishing to crawl in darkness so that no one could find him, so that no one could kill him.
Taemin lost track of how many days have passed since that frightening meeting. Maybe it was weeks, or months; either way, Taemin wanted to forget what happened. He had been contemplating whether Minho really was a regular soccer-playing student, or was somehow a murderer in disguise that had tried to lure him out of his protective shell, and kill him in cold blood.
The more he thought about it though, the more he just wanted to hide under his blankets and stay there. Taemin eventually moved on, and resumed his daily (boring) life.
He had been surfing the web, bouncing from discussion forums to the latest news articles. He happened to pass by a disturbing serial killer article and shuddered vigorously. His eyes wandered to the corners and noticed the sun barely showing through the fabrics. Morning already? Taemin thought.
There was a soft knock, though Taemin did not catch it the first time. The second time was a bit louder, and confidant and Taemin glanced at the door where it seemed to be coming from.
After a moment’s hesitation, he picked himself from off the ground, stretching his sore arms and back. He rubbed his eyes clear of sand, and proceeded to open the door.
His breath caught in his throat as he saw Minho standing there. And to be honest, Taemin didn’t know whether to be shocked over the fact that Minho actually came back, or the fact that he could be here to resume his dastardly plans.
The shock must have been clearly shown on his face, for Minho took the initiative to speak. “Um, hey. Sorry about what happened last week, I didn’t mean to frighten you or anything. And to be honest, I’m still…a bit confused over what happened, but I’m apologizing to you anyway.” His hand wandered to the back of his head, scratching and ruffling his hair.
Taemin pursed his lips together as he nodded, still deciding whether that was a cover-up of his true intentions or whether Minho really meant it.
“I don’t know if I can ask this or not, but do you mind telling me about last week?” His posture shifted into an awkward position, and Taemin couldn’t help but to welcome him in.
Minho sat down, settling himself onto the floor while Taemin sat on the cushion that was placed in front of his computer. His eyes darted around the room nervously, before settling on Minho.
“This is my first time telling anyone this, I hope you know that.” Taemin muttered, Minho grinning at Taemin’s statement and nodded. After taking a deep breath, Taemin explained, “I’m agoraphobic,” Minho opened his mouth to ask what the heck that meant, but Taemin continued, “meaning, I’m afraid of going outside.
It’s kind of complicated, really. I mean I used to go outside a lot as a child. Whether it be playing with the neighborhood kids, or going to school, I did it all. But that’s been such a long time ago…and I don’t really remember what ‘outside’ looks like anymore. It’s just that I get so anxious whenever I open that door. I’m afraid something is just going to pull me out of this room and strangle me to death. I’m afraid I’m going to suffocate and die without anyone knowing. I don’t even know what’s safe anymore.
I’m still thinking about whether this all came from my mom or not. My mom…when she was still alive, she would always take me everywhere she went. It was fun, the last time I recall. But I was still too young to understand what she’s been going through. One day…I was playing in my room, my mom just outside. The doorbell rang, and my mom went to go get it. Suddenly, there was this loud bang and a thud and I had no idea what happened. I was still too young. I peeked outside my doorway and I saw…” Taemin choked back a sob, and realized a warmth on his hand. Minho had scooted closer, his hand on top of Taemin’s. It was a little comforting.
“My mom was on the ground, blood stained on the floor. I wanted to scream so badly, but then I saw someone standing over her. The next thing I knew, he was dragging her body out of the door. I still have no idea why she was killed, or why he took her body, but I guess…I’ll never get over that. I’m just…deathly afraid of dying like her. I’m deathly afraid of opening that door only to find a gun pointed to my forehead. I’m just deathly afraid of going outside only to die. It’s a lot safer in my house, you know?” Taemin ended his long explanation with a sigh, trying to remove the mental images that were starting to flood his memory.
Minho’s face was solemn, probably taking in the story. However, after a moment’s silence, he grinned at Taemin with his bright smile. Taemin sat there, blinking absently and Minho reached Taemin’s head to ruffle his hair.
“Even though what you’ve been through is rough, you’ll be okay. No one’s going to kill a cute kid like you.” Taemin felt heat spreading rapidly towards his cheek and immediately brought a hand upon his cheeks to check the temperature. While doing so, Minho pulled out his cell phone, flipped it open and glanced at it for a while. “Well, I have to get going, school’s going to start soon. See you later?”
Taemin nodded half-heartedly, waving slightly with his free hand.
After Minho had shut the door, Taemin felt a large smile grow on his face. Warmth bloomed within him, an unknown warmth he hasn’t felt since he was still a little child, when his mother was still alive. He buried his head in his knees, trying to hide his embarrassment and yet joy.
The last person to call him “cute” was his mother.
Things ran smoothly after that day. Minho would often come over to his apartment, and chat. Sometimes he would bring his backpack and laptop over and do his homework while Taemin finished doing exercises and assignments from his online school.
Minho claimed that eating ramen for your entire life was extremely unhealthy (though Taemin didn’t really get it, he was alive wasn’t he?), and would often cook dinner for him. Taemin ate with delight on his face, having not eaten such delicious cooking ever since…well, when his mom died. Minho watched Taemin eating with a satisfactory grin on his face, and would always ruffle his hair.
Now that Taemin thought about it, Minho had grew a habit of petting him or ruffling his hair as though he were a dog. Not that that was a bad thing - in fact he adored the fact that he was seen as a cute animal - but to do it at an excessive amount makes Taemin curious about how Minho sees him.
One afternoon, Minho had waltzed into his apartment with new food ingredients to cook. Taemin glanced over at the male and saw what appeared to be a camera around his neck.
“Hey, what’s that?” Taemin questioned, pointing at Minho’s neck for emphasis.
“Oh, this? It’s a camera. Even though I’m a soccer player, I’m also interested in photography.” Minho said with a proud smile on his face, placing the bag on the kitchen counter. After sweeping away some glass shards he happened to almost step on, he sat down next to Taemin and gave him the camera. “Take a look.” He insisted.
Taemin took the object into his hands, fumbling it around till he found the on button. His eyes widened as he saw the camera’s gallery open, a picture displayed in front of him. Taemin’s mind went blank, and he didn’t know exactly how to feel.
It was a picture of a sunset, a pastel of magnificent oranges, reds, and purples. Taken in a panoramic setting, the buildings below were a dark shade of black, the clouds in the sky glowed mystically, and the sun contrasted it all, having a brilliant shade of yellow and orange. In other words, it was beautiful.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? Took it yesterday while I was on the roof.” Minho commented. Taemin was still clearly stunned, so Minho pressed the next button and Taemin gasped.
It was a meadow of some sort. The cotton clouds and the baby blue sky were calming, the grass a pale green. A medley of flowers bloomed from the ground, the trees outlining the background. However, the main point of the picture was the noble tree that rested in the middle of the picture. A large, large oak tree it was. Its branches held strong, containing an army of bright green leaves.
“Where…did you take this?” Taemin asked, his voice sounding distant.
“Hm? Oh, it’s by the park near my university. I was really lucky to find the place, since there was nobody around at the time.” Minho bragged, tapping his legs on the floor and swaying side to side.
“It’s amazing, absolutely beautiful. It’s like I’m looking at artwork…” Taemin said in awe, browsing through the other nature pictures on the camera.
“Thanks, I try my best.”
“It kind of makes me want to…” Taemin trailed off, uncertainty lingering in his eyes. Minho noticed this and placed his hand on top of Taemin’s, the said male turning to stare into Minho’s chocolate eyes. “It kind of makes me want to go out there,” Taemin finished.
He watched as Minho smiled from ear to ear, leaning over to ruffle his hair as per usual and stood up. “Wait right here, I have something for you.”
Taemin proceeded to watch Minho sprint out of the door, hearing rustling from the other side of the thin wall, and watch him come running in with some object in his hand after a few minutes had passed. Taemin tilted his head in a questioning manner, and Minho proudly presented it to him.
“For you.” Minho added before handing it over to Taemin.
It was a frame, a delicate photograph inside. It was of a bright blue sky, glowing so brightly that it could rival the sun’s radiance. Clouds of various sizes dotted the sky’s canvas, giving off such a calming aura. Just at the very bottom corner of the picture was what looked like the top of a lighthouse. The photograph was a picture of a sunny beach sky.
Taemin gripped the frame tight in his skinny hands, running a delicate finger over the extravagant details of the framework.
“I got this for my 15th birthday, along with a camera. I want to give this to you to show you what you’re missing. Maybe you can hang it on the wall? It could give some color to this room.” Minho suggested, running a bashful foot across the floor.
Taemin set down the photograph on a nearby rackety coffee table and took a step towards Minho. He wrapped his arms around him, arms locking securely together. He rested his head against Minho’s chest, sighing softly.
“Thank you…so much.” Taemin murmured further burrowing his head as much as possible.
Minho blushed, his heart pumping rapidly. However he did what his mind told him to, and wound his arms around Taemin’s small frame. A rush of warmth enveloped the two in a blanket, and Taemin sort of, kind of, maybe wanted to stay like this forever.
“You should come with me…” Minho whispered, the phrase stunning Taemin awake, which caused him to push away the other away, giving the two a small distance between each other.
“You know I can’t…p-people, strangers…kill…” Taemin felt himself beginning to hyperventilate, a clench tightening his heart as he imagined the horrors of the outside world. Before it could fully set in, he felt himself being embraced once more, except the feeling was different. Possibly, a more protective feeling?
“You’re still going on about that? Idiot…” Minho murmured, his hand caressing Taemin’s cheek. It left a burning hot trail as it traveled down his cheek to his chin. In a matter of seconds, Taemin found his lips on Minho’s own. It was a slight peck, really, because the warmth immediately left. Taemin was lost in a world filled with seduction and complete incoherence, because the only thing his mind was registering was Minho’s smooth lip. “No matter what, I’ll protect you. I’ll protect you from anyone and anything that tries to harm you. You have to trust me, Taemin.”
Minho leaned back in, pressing his lips in a more needy fashion. Taemin sighed in between their kisses. He thought that in this minute, everything seemed to be just right. Minho bit softly on Taemin’s soft lip, which caused him to whimper in the back of his throat. Taemin felt Minho’s long fingers entwine themselves in his hair, just barely massaging his scalp. His back bent and Minho leaned more, as their kiss grew more passionate. It was a kiss of reassurance, a kiss of convincing, a kiss of promise. Any emotion to convey to Taemin that Minho was, and will forever be there for him.
That night, Taemin fell asleep as he stared at the photograph, hanging proudly at the opposite wall, Minho pressed against his back.
Minho didn’t come around that often, claiming that it was Mid-Final’s week in college, and that he had to study efficiently if he wanted to make it on the soccer team. Taemin asked why he didn’t just come and study in his apartment.
“Because then I wouldn’t get any studying done, now would I?” He replied.
Taemin sipped on some hot cup of tea Minho had earlier made him. He observed the wall proudly as more photographs were hung up. They were all mostly nature photographs: beaches, meadows, flowers, trees, setting sun, rising sun. Though a more recent photo was a picture of the city. An industrial building that stood at an intimidating height. However the reflection of the sun on the billions of windows of the building was a nice touch.
For once, colors were actually brought into his dull, boring world.
He stared, and stared at them, contemplating if this what the true world really looked like. He thought that he would actually remember what it would look like from his child memories, but he failed as he tried. Taemin wondered if Minho would keep his promise. Would he protect him? No matter what happened?
Taemin imagined himself in Minho’s strong arms that resembled a castle wall, looking up at his entrancing face that served as his sky. He figured that if Minho was there, then maybe, just maybe he had a chance.
He placed the cup into the sink to be washed later and stared at the wooden door. There was no way that he could even accomplish this, but…it was worth a shot. Taemin hesitantly reached for the doorknob before retracting his arm. There was no way that he could do this without Minho. Not without Minho there by his side.
Then again, his mind reasoned, if he miraculously did manage to get so much of an inch outside the door, Taemin could impress Minho about it.
Just before he could even think about turning the doorknob, there was a knock along with a cheery, “Taemin!”
He opened the door and Minho stood there like a wall when he looked down at Taemin. “That was extremely fast, were you standing in front of the door or something?” Minho questioned, trying to walk in through the front entrance, but before anything, Taemin had grabbed Minho’s right sleeve of his sweater. His head lowered, and Minho took that as a signal to dig his hand into Taemin’s smooth hair.
“Minho…” Taemin whispered. He seemed to pause for a good minute, so Minho coaxed him by softly rubbing his head, answering with a soft Hmm? “I-I…want to go outside!” Taemin exclaimed, looking up oh so confidently into his eyes. “I want to go outside…but only if it’s with you…”
Minho’s hands crawled up to Taemin’s cheek, his head lowered, and he pressed a soft kiss upon his lips. “Of course, Taemin.” He murmured into his lips. After a comfortable minute passed, Minho grinned as he straightened and turned towards the hallway, “Shall we go?”
He took Taemin’s small, fragile hand into his and began to pull when suddenly Taemin cried, “Wait, wait, wait! Just…give me a second to prepare myself.” Minho blinked for a few seconds before his expression grew soft and nodded.
Taemin closed his eyes, trying to erase all his anxieties away, all the darkness that had been sleeping peacefully deep in the crevices of his conscious. He took a deep breath, and exhaled his worries away. He was prepared…for now anyway.
After telling Minho he was ready, he began to drag Taemin out. A careful foot was placed outside the doorframe. Another one was added. He was progressing, Minho thought. Taemin’s grip on the other’s hand tightened as he dared to push himself out of the apartment. He was rewarded with a peck on the forehead, and Minho proceeded to close the door.
“Just try to walk normally, okay?” Minho calmly ordered, placing a soothing kiss on his cheek, and began to walk down the hallway. Taemin was at a decent pace, walking just barely naturally as he did in his apartment, but when they got to the stairs, his heart suddenly dropped and imagined some deformed dark being crawling at an inhuman pace towards them.
Taemin shut his eyes before it attacked them, but was surprised to feel nothing. He peeled his eyes open only to find Minho and him heading down towards the steps. Minho looked back and smiled lovingly, temporarily erasing all the tricks his mind was giving him.
He then saw the front entrance (or at least that’s what he assumed), a glowing brightness shining through it, and Taemin closed his eyes. His eyes have never yet to seen such radiance before, if not, then not in a long time. Taemin felt his feet drag along, and he felt his body grow heavy. The only thing that kept him from dropping to the ground was Minho’s light hand guiding him along.
A sound of a bell, a sound of a creak, and a sound that resembled a mechanical lion.
A chilling breeze that Taemin shuddered to, a sound of high-pitched chirps, and the warmth of Minho’s hand.
“Taemin, open your eyes. We’re outside.”
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Ack, finally finished with this, and it took me 'bout 3 days yaay. It's amazing how much more i write whenever i write a more 'srs bzns' fic owo anyways since the bottom half of the fic may suck due to my rushing of this fic so if you spot any grammatical or spelling errors, feel free to point it out.
I just had to rush this fic because of the KOALA HUGGING KSLJDFLKMA I shall write moar fluffy fics about them once I start writing this fic I've been meaning to write after this one mehalsdkfjal D:
GIMME SOME COMMENTS COOKIES?!