Unlock - Chapter Forty-Seven
Title: Unlock
Authors:
renichifreak and
yeonah
Chapter: 47/?
Fandom: SS501, cameos by KARA
Pairings: KyuSaeng, HyunMin (may be other pairings in the future)
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU, Fluff
Summary: Not everything is as it seems, and for those who are as far from normal as you can get, life is a bleak existence. The only ones who can truly understand what these individuals go through are those...just like them.
A/N: YoungSaeng and HyunJoong are played by
renichifreak and KyuJong and JungMin are played by me. Updates every Monday.
A/N 2: OMG GUYS LOOK I'M ACTUALLY UPDATING ON TIME!!!
It was a rest day between exams, KyuJong and YoungSaeng taking the change to just lounge around their room and do absolutely nothing. The week after the talent show had been a rush of cramming and exams, leaving them with not a lot of time for themselves.
Thankfully they had no exams today, so instead of studying for tomorrow's exams like they should have been, they were just resting. KyuJong ran his hand slowly up and down YoungSaeng's back, tucking the younger boy's head under his chin and closing his eyes, humming softly.
YoungSaeng sighed, enjoying the fact that it was just he and KyuJong. They didn't need to study or even leave the room after the hellish exam schedule, but it was nice to relax for a change and de-stress.
BANG!
"GUYS!"
KyuJong's eyes snapped open at the sudden noise, half-sitting up. Nicole and HyungJoon stood in the open door to their room, absolute panic in their eyes.
"What?" KyuJong blinked at them owlishly, sorely confused.
"You both need to come see this...right, right now."
The loud bang and the cries startled a yell from YoungSaeng as he jumped up and watched Nicole and HyungJoon run into the room in a complete panic.
"What's going on?" he asked as he got up, worried over the states the two were in.
"What's going on?" HyunJoong asked as he walked into the room, having heard the commotion. "We can hear you in the next room."
HyungJoon was flailing nervously. "News. Turn on the news, quick, quick!"
"What's got his panties in a knot?" JungMin asked, coming out behind HyunJoong.
"No idea," KyuJong blinked wide-eyed at HyungJoon, but figured he shouldn't argue with the younger boy when he was this distressed. Then he noticed the telltale glaze over HyungJoon's eyes, and his own widened further before he reached over for the remote. HaRa came into the room behind them.
JungMin pushed HyunJoong further into the room so they could see what was going on as KyuJong turned the TV on, finding the news network.
At first he was confused; the camera was a low-quality one that moved constantly, showing shots of a city. It took him a moment to realize it must be someone's cell phone filming. There was someone talking in what he recognized as English, and though he had no idea what was being said, he could hear the note of panic in the man's voice. A label at the corner of the broadcast placed them in New York.
It took KyuJong a moment to figure out what they were seeing exactly, but then the camera shifted around to see past the crowds of people into the clearing, and they all stared at the TV in shock.
A young man stood in the center of the circle that had been created, staggering back and forth...and he was on fire.
Flames roared up from his body and he was flailing around in a panic. Some people would try and get close to him with blankets and jackets to put out the fire, and the man would stagger back away from them, hands out in a clear 'stay away' motion.
The camera cut and then fire crew were there, firemen pinning the man down with thick blankets. The fire started to go out, but the second the firefighters moved back it burst up again, drawing shouts from the onlookers as the man struggled with the firefighters. Not struggling because of the fire...struggling to get away from them.
"Eye witnesses describe the older teen to have burst into fire without warning or apparent cause. Some suspect he was carrying a lighter, but as can be seen from the cameras, the fire was too sudden and too large to have started by a single cigarette lighter.
"The teen resisted all help, and despite efforts by the firemen shortly on the scene, the fire could not be extinguished at first. Finally one of the firefighters threw a bucket of water over the teen, dousing the flames."
The camera switched again, and it must have been a news camera because it was much better quality. They could see the teen, their age, being loaded unconscious onto a stretcher and a breathing mask fitting over his face as he was hurried into the back of an ambulance.
"Firefighters and onlookers stated the teen passed out when he was doused with water despite having remained fully conscious until then. Those on the scene were further baffled when, upon rushing the teen to the nearest hospital, discovered no burns on his body, despite having been completely covered in flames for well over five minutes."
It switched out to the interview of an eyewitness, the young woman talking in English with a Korean voiceover.
"We could hear him yelling at us to stay back. The fire didn't seem to hurt him, I don't know, I've never seen anything like it. It completely came out of nowhere."
Another witness, this time one labeled as a friend.
"We were just on our way to school, you know? He's never liked crowds, it makes him nervous, but he's never...this has never happened before. I really hope he's okay."
The feed went back to the teenager on fire, hands out to keep people away from him.
"Doctors have informed that the teen is being held in a stable condition, and we now wait for him to regain consciousness. Police have barricaded the street where he suddenly burst into flames and are researching into the cause of the fire. Please keep watching for updates on the situation as we learn more."
YoungSaeng watched the news in horrified silence. His eyes had doubled in size as his hands covered his mouth. There was another like them, and he had been caught in public losing control. "Oh my God..." he murmured quietly.
HyunJoong lost all color in his face as he leaned up against JungMin. Reaching down, he took hold of JungMin's hand and squeezed. The American boy had an elemental power just like JungMin and they had just seen what could happen if one lost control.
He refused to let his boyfriend be brought down. He had been making amazing strides.
KyuJong stared at the news report in shock as well. This wasn't good...not at all. His arms wrapped around YoungSaeng's waist as the news report went to something else, hardly able to breathe.
HyungJoon sat down heavily on the unoccupied bed, the haze leaving his eyes and breathing unevenly. Nicole and HaRa clung to each other, shuffling into the room so they could close the door. JungMin was visibly shaking, not seeming to notice the grip on his hand.
"He's...like us," HaRa said shakily after a moment of silence. "They have one of us on film."
"Do you think they'll...figure out the cause of the fire?" KyuJong asked quietly, not letting go of his boyfriend.
Swallowing the lump that had taken root in his throat, HyunJoong brought JungMin over to the other bed and took a seat, pulling his shaking boyfriend into his lap. He secured his arms around him and closed his eyes, whispering quiet assurances to the redhead, hoping to calm him down a bit.
"I-I don't know," YoungSaeng quietly confessed. "The thing is, what if more gifted show up? We're lucky in that we don't have physical manifestations beyond my eyes and JungMin sparking when he gets wet."
All were silent when HyungJoon spoke, voice quiet and subdued as he said what was on all of their minds.
"They're going to hunt us soon, aren't they...?"
YoungSaeng closed his eyes and leaned into his lover as he remembered HyungJoon's ravings when his power was fully opened.
"I hope not..."
"Let's not jump to conclusions," KyuJong shook his head, trying not to panic and think rationally. "We don't even know if they'll make the connection, this is the first time something like this has happened. If the boy has some sense of control, he can get out of the hospital and back home without anyone finding anything out."
It must have been the rush hour crowd that triggered the unknown teen's gift, the panicked, crushing feeling of being surrounded by too many strange people.
"And even if they do conclude that the boy somehow spontaneously combusted by himself, how are they going to prove it to the world, and are they going to think that there might be more people like that, not necessarily with fire as a gift?" Nicole said quietly.
"This could very well be the start of a witch hunt, though," HaRa said, fear clear in her eyes.
With a final kiss to JungMin's shoulder, HyunJoong spoke up. "Kyu's right. We can't get ourselves worked up just yet. Spontaneous combustion is something people believe in, so if they think that happened, we should be okay for the time being," he reasoned, convincing both the others as well as himself.
"I-It's not as if finding out about us would start a witch hunt, right?" HyungJoon asked desperately, looking from one person to another. "We're people too. Society is past the point of getting rid of whole races, right? We can talk to them, explain we're not so different. We're not...not all of us are dangerous."
JungMin stood from HyunJoong's lap at that, hands clenched into shaking fists and hair hiding his eyes as he stormed out of the room, the door hitting the wall.
"...You are just brilliant," Nicole hissed, hitting HyungJoon off the head hard.
YoungSaeng was on his feet immediately when JungMin left the room and headed for the door.
"Saeng, I locked him down, but I don't know how long I can hold it if he gets too far away," HyunJoong told him. Right now, JungMin needed YoungSaeng, and even he knew that. He just hoped the physical contact would help calm his boyfriend.
Smiling back, YoungSaeng left the room and ran after JungMin. It took a few minutes to find him, but when he did, YoungSaeng called out and grabbed hold of his hand. "Min, hold on, please," he urged.
The second he felt a hand grab his own (his gloves had been left in the room), JungMin tore his arm away. "Don't touch me," he snapped, looking back over his shoulder at YoungSaeng even as he kept walking, anger and fear spurring him on. "Just leave me alone."
He had gotten himself worked up, fighting back the burning in his eyes. It wasn't fair. Why did he have to be deadly? The others weren't dangerous, no. The worst they could do was hurt themselves. But he could kill. He was like the boy in New York, and when it was found out that teenage boy could cause fires at a whim, he would be locked up. He was dangerous, an out of control threat. Just like JungMin.
When JungMin pulled back and started walking away faster, YoungSaeng gave chase, grabbing him again. How to get him to stay still, or even just go back to his room?
"JungMin, your power's locked. The further away you run, the more you're going to hurt HyunJoong," he stated, hoping that would work.
He knew what JungMin was going through to an extent, and he just wanted to help. JungMin had gained a lot of control recently, and needed to know that he wasn't like that American teen.
That did get through to JungMin, the redhead pausing in his movements as he was grabbed again. He couldn't go too far away...not without his gloves on him, and with HyunJoong holding on to his electricity like this. He was trapped.
Panting a little, he leaned against the wall, shoulders stiff. "Leave me alone, Saeng," he muttered, eyes averted.
"No," YoungSaeng stated firmly. It was a rare thing for him to be so forceful, but this was important. "I'm not letting you leave, JungMin. I know exactly what you're thinking and you need to stop right now. You two are not the same. You've been practicing and have made tremendous progress," YoungSaeng told him before pulling his friend into a hug.
"HyungJoon is an idiot and the girls are beating up on him for it as we speak. HyunJoong's worried enough that he let me come after you instead of doing it himself knowing that I might be able to help more."
JungMin was stiff in the older boy's arms, unable to look at him and acutely aware that if it weren't for HyunJoong holding down his power, even doing this would kill his friend on the spot.
Tears prickled his eyes and he shut them tightly. "That doesn't matter. I can still lose control and kill people. Even if they...accept the rest of you, somehow, how are people going to feel knowing there's someone who can kill them just by bumping shoulders in the bus?" His voice shook. "I could kill you, right now, if HyunJoong slips cause I'm too far away. You should let go."
"I don't care," YoungSaeng replied as he hugged JungMin tightly. "I don't care because despite what you think, I have faith in you. Think about it, Min. HyunJoong's power could be just as devastating if he unlocks other abilities like he did that one time. And how many people would try to get their hands on HyungJoon? A precog, JungMin. Yes, you may have a power that is viewed as dangerous, but so do we all."
Shaking as he listened, JungMin buried his face in YoungSaeng's shoulder. Maybe he was just being selfish, thinking only about himself. But he couldn't help it. It had been the exact same thing his entire life, and if people knew what he was...he didn't know what he was going to do.
"What are we gonna do?" he whispered, hugging YoungSaeng back finally, tears in his eyelashes.
Running a hand over JungMin's back soothingly, YoungSaeng sighed. That was a good question. "For now, we do as we always have. We practice, we go to school, and we be normal." Pulling back, he looked JungMin in the eyes. "It's not the same, Min. It was a single incident. Everything will be fine," he soothed, voice quiet and calm.
JungMin looked down at him, drawing in a shaky breath. "I hope you're right," he whispered, swallowing thickly. He felt a little calmer now, but he didn't think he'd be able to face the others for the rest of the day.
"We're going to really need that vacation," he gave a watery chuckle, reaching up to try and wipe away the tears in his eyes.
YoungSaeng laughed lightly. "Well, vacation starts soon, and we'll be far away from here."
"Want to head back to your room now?" YoungSaeng asked, gently running a hand over his friend's back. It was a lot to take in all at once. "I'm sure the others are worried."
The redhead nodded a little, glad that YoungSaeng had offered to bring him back to his own room, rather than the room with everyone in it. "Sorry," he mumbled a little, drawing in a breath before lifting his head and starting back the way they'd came.
"Why are you apologizing? You have no reason to be sorry," YoungSaeng replied, tugging lightly on JungMin's hair. "I'll get your gloves for you when we get back, and do you want HyunJoong to meet you in your room, or no?" he asked. He knew that the elder was worried about JungMin, but would understand if he needed to be alone.
Pausing, JungMin nodded after a moment. If it was HyunJoong, he would be fine. He just didn't think he could deal with all the others at the moment, his nerves frazzled.
They headed back towards the rooms, JungMin going straight to his own and disappearing inside with a quiet 'thanks'.
Smiling sadly, YoungSaeng opened the door to his own room and stepped inside, closing it behind him. Looking around, he noticed HyunJoong laying down and massaging his temples lightly.
"You okay?" he asked before returning to his lover.
Peeling open one eye, HyunJoong nodded. "Headache from the distance. How is he?" he asked sitting up and wincing slightly at the bright lights of the room.
"Freaked out, but better," YoungSaeng responded before tossing him JungMin's gloves. "He's next door."
Smiling as he caught them, HyunJoong slowly got to his feet and headed for the door, leaving in favor of his boyfriend.
KyuJong watched him leave before turning to YoungSaeng, wrapping his arms around the younger boy. They'd left the TV on in case more news on the incident came on, but muted it for HyunJoong.
"How are you feeling?" he murmured, kissing YoungSaeng's forehead and hugging him close. The other three were quiet, curled up on the other bed.
Curling up in KyuJong's arms, YoungSaeng closed his eyes and sighed. "What if he's right, KyuJong? Not about being dangerous, but about being hunted?" he asked, voice quiet.
The time traveler swallowed thickly, trying not to focus on the idea too much. That would change everything. "We'll figure that out if it comes to that," he answered softly, rubbing one hand along his back slowly. "For now, we'll just be more careful than usual. They have nothing to link us to what's happening, no matter what conclusion the world reaches."
Nodding his head, YoungSaeng stayed where he was, the other three not moving either. They had a hard enough time believing in themselves, but now the world would be watching.
KyuJong sighed softly, pressing his lips to YoungSaeng's temple. "It'll be fine," he whispered, not just to tell YoungSaeng, but to tell himself too. They were all together...they would be fine.
**********************
YoungSaeng sighed and threw the book he had been studying from across the room. "Kyu, I quit," he whined, pouting and dropping back on the bed with an exasperated sigh. It was the day before their final exam and he just wanted it to be over so their vacation could start. After that day, it was hard to concentrate as they began checking the news religiously before exams bogged them all down again.
Jumping at the loud 'thump', KyuJong looked up from where he was studying at the desk, blinking back the bored daze from his eyes. "We're just about there, Saeng," he chuckled, standing up and stretching before going to fetch the book from the other end of the room. "Last exam tomorrow, then we can forget all about school for three whole weeks."
Tilting his head up to look at KyuJong, YoungSaeng glared. "You bring that book back to me and I'm sleeping in JungMin's room," he threatened, both knowing that he would never go through with the threat. "I hate Math and I want to pretend that it doesn't exist," he pouted.
Raising one eyebrow in amusement, KyuJong placed the book on his desk before heading to the bed. "Better?" He pressed one knee into the mattress and hovered over YoungSaeng to give him a light kiss. "We can take a bit of a break before going back to it, how about that?"
Grinning brightly after he was kissed, YoungSaeng wrapped his arms around KyuJong's neck and pulled him down. "Break time," he agreed happily before kissing KyuJong again.
Chuckling into the kiss, KyuJong pressed his hands on either side of the younger boy to steady himself as he deepened the kiss, tilting his head to the side to make it easier. He knew their 'break time' would probably last much longer than it was supposed to, but he wasn't about to complain. He had been about to shoot his book in the garbage too.
YoungSaeng grinned as KyuJong kissed him back, sighing happily into the kiss. This was far better than studying in his opinion.
After a long, heated kiss, KyuJong broke it slightly to breathe, noses lightly touching as he looked down at YoungSaeng. "I can't wait to bring you back home," he smiled widely, finding the younger boy's hand and playing with his fingers. "Three weeks of absolutely nothing to worry about, we can do whatever we want." He kissed YoungSaeng's lips again.
YoungSaeng smiled happily at the thought of going back to KyuJong's home. I can't wait, Kyu. I love the feeling I get there, and being with you just makes it all the better," he replied, rubbing his nose against KyuJong's.
KyuJong laughed at the Eskimo kiss and returned it. "And the others will be there too. HaRa and Nicole were saying they were probably gonna stay at HaRa's house for most of the holiday, but that still leaves the other three. It'll definitely be an interesting break."
YoungSaeng laughed at that. "So when we're not together or Min and Hyun aren't, we're going to be trying to get Joonie to stop being so oblivious, I take it."
"Yeah," KyuJong chuckled. "Though I'm not sure how I feel about matchmaking my little sister with one of my friends. Guess we'll just see how the holiday goes."
"Could be worse," YoungSaeng pointed out. "At least you know him, right?"
"Right, but that won't stop me from kicking his ass if he ever hurts her," KyuJong laughed quietly. "Not that I think he will, HyungJoon's a good person."
"Once he figures it out, you should put the fear of God into him...and get it on video," YoungSaeng told him, running fingers lightly over KyuJong's back beneath the shirt he was wearing.
KyuJong's lips quirked as he tried not to laugh. "Taking bets on what his reaction will be?" He drew in a breath at the fingers along his back, arching slightly against the other boy.
"Hiding behind me, probably," YoungSaeng laughed. "Or HyunJoong like he usually does."
"That won't work, JungMin's taken to picking on him when he does that and HyunJoong doesn't exactly stop him all the time," KyuJong chuckled. He played with bits of YoungSaeng's hair.
"Well yes, but he still hides because he's the oldest and we all tend to listen to him," YoungSaeng pointed out, smiling as KyuJong played with his hair. "You like playing with my hair, don't you?" he chuckled softly.
"Of course, your hair's very soft," KyuJong smiled, kissing the side of YoungSaeng's head. After a moment he dropped down completely to lie beside YoungSaeng, one leg draped over his boyfriend's and nose buried in the other's hair. His hand rested lightly against YoungSaeng's chest.
Releasing a light laugh, YoungSaeng brought one hand up to rest over the hand on his chest. "Have I told you that I love you lately?" he asked randomly, expression peaceful.
KyuJong's gaze warmed, as did his smile. "I'd never protest to hearing it again," he chuckled, kissing his boyfriend's head. "I love you too, Saeng."
Grinning widely at the words, YoungSaeng tilted his head up and kissed his lover. He never got tired of hearing those words from KyuJong and he knew that he never would.
Kissing him back, KyuJong lingered against the younger boy's mouth, enjoying YoungSaeng's taste and the feeling of being next to him like this. "It's a lot different, isn't it?" he murmured against his boyfriend's lips. "Compared to six months ago."
At the mention of the time, YoungSaeng's hand automatically moved to the necklace. "Sometimes, I wonder if it was the same person when I think of that first day," YoungSaeng mused. "You were so kind to me that I always thought that if I were to open up, it would be to you," YoungSaeng confessed.
KyuJong's smile widened, feeling YoungSaeng's hand shift from his own upwards. "I'm so glad for that..." He would be forever grateful that they'd ended up as roommates...so much would be different for one small change. "I remember thinking that if you were to let it out, you must have a beautiful smile," he whispered.
Lips curling at the words, YoungSaeng shook his head in amusement. "And were you right?" he asked.
"Surprisingly, no I wasn't," KyuJong grinned. "'Beautiful' is much too modest a word." He kissed the corner of YoungSaeng's lips.
Grinning, YoungSaeng tugged KyuJong back down, meeting him half way. "Thank you, Kyu," he murmured against his lips. He had never felt so loved in his entire life and owed it all to KyuJong.
"Thank you too, Saeng," the older boy smiled into the kiss, returning it slowly and running his thumb over the fabric of YoungSaeng's shirt, hand still against his chest lightly.
Pulling away a few minutes later, YoungSaeng snuggled up against KyuJong, completely relaxed. "I don't know what I would ever do without you, Kyu," he murmured, pacing a kiss to KyuJong's collarbone.
"Good thing you don't have to worry about that then," KyuJong whispered, smiling at the kiss and wrapping his arm around YoungSaeng's waist, running his hand up and down his back. "Because I'll always be right beside you."
YoungSaeng chuckled lightly. "Good to know," he mused, sighing at the hand running over his back. "I don't want you anywhere else."
"Neither do I," KyuJong smiled, kissing his forehead softly. "We're strongest when we're together. With you, I'm not afraid of anything."
"Neither am I. Even the voices don't scare me as much anymore," YoungSaeng admitted. "That's not to say that they aren't still nerve-wracking, of course," he added.
"It's understandable for it to be nerve-wracking," the time traveler drew YoungSaeng closer. "But voices can't hurt you if you don't let them. I'm really glad they don't affect you as much, you're making so much progress, Saeng."
"Your mother helped a lot, Kyu," YoungSaeng replied quietly as he recalled when he'd had the attack and the woman talked him through it. "I wish my mom was like that."
KyuJong smiled a little sadly, kissing his forehead. "We can't do anything about that...but you've been practically adopted into our family, so I guess you could say that one of your moms is like that."
"That reminds me of your dad...he keeps calling me his son-in-law," YoungSaeng laughed, playing with KyuJong's hand. "I really like that," he murmured.
"He adores you," KyuJong chuckled, watching YoungSaeng's expression. "You like being called that?" He uncurled his fingers to nudge YoungSaeng's chin lightly.
Looking up at KyuJong's urging, YoungSaeng smiled and nodded. "I feel like I belong somewhere when he calls me that. And I know that he approves of us, something I appreciate."
"You do belong somewhere," KyuJong whispered, kissing his nose then his lips. "With me, with us. You belong right here." He hugged YoungSaeng.
"I know," YoungSaeng replied, closing his eyes. Just being there with KyuJong was all he could ever need, and he soaked it up.
Studying and everything else could wait.
Authors:
renichifreak and
yeonah
Chapter: 47/?
Fandom: SS501, cameos by KARA
Pairings: KyuSaeng, HyunMin (may be other pairings in the future)
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU, Fluff
Summary: Not everything is as it seems, and for those who are as far from normal as you can get, life is a bleak existence. The only ones who can truly understand what these individuals go through are those...just like them.
A/N: YoungSaeng and HyunJoong are played by
renichifreak and KyuJong and JungMin are played by me. Updates every Monday.
A/N 2: OMG GUYS LOOK I'M ACTUALLY UPDATING ON TIME!!!
It was a rest day between exams, KyuJong and YoungSaeng taking the change to just lounge around their room and do absolutely nothing. The week after the talent show had been a rush of cramming and exams, leaving them with not a lot of time for themselves.
Thankfully they had no exams today, so instead of studying for tomorrow's exams like they should have been, they were just resting. KyuJong ran his hand slowly up and down YoungSaeng's back, tucking the younger boy's head under his chin and closing his eyes, humming softly.
YoungSaeng sighed, enjoying the fact that it was just he and KyuJong. They didn't need to study or even leave the room after the hellish exam schedule, but it was nice to relax for a change and de-stress.
BANG!
"GUYS!"
KyuJong's eyes snapped open at the sudden noise, half-sitting up. Nicole and HyungJoon stood in the open door to their room, absolute panic in their eyes.
"What?" KyuJong blinked at them owlishly, sorely confused.
"You both need to come see this...right, right now."
The loud bang and the cries startled a yell from YoungSaeng as he jumped up and watched Nicole and HyungJoon run into the room in a complete panic.
"What's going on?" he asked as he got up, worried over the states the two were in.
"What's going on?" HyunJoong asked as he walked into the room, having heard the commotion. "We can hear you in the next room."
HyungJoon was flailing nervously. "News. Turn on the news, quick, quick!"
"What's got his panties in a knot?" JungMin asked, coming out behind HyunJoong.
"No idea," KyuJong blinked wide-eyed at HyungJoon, but figured he shouldn't argue with the younger boy when he was this distressed. Then he noticed the telltale glaze over HyungJoon's eyes, and his own widened further before he reached over for the remote. HaRa came into the room behind them.
JungMin pushed HyunJoong further into the room so they could see what was going on as KyuJong turned the TV on, finding the news network.
At first he was confused; the camera was a low-quality one that moved constantly, showing shots of a city. It took him a moment to realize it must be someone's cell phone filming. There was someone talking in what he recognized as English, and though he had no idea what was being said, he could hear the note of panic in the man's voice. A label at the corner of the broadcast placed them in New York.
It took KyuJong a moment to figure out what they were seeing exactly, but then the camera shifted around to see past the crowds of people into the clearing, and they all stared at the TV in shock.
A young man stood in the center of the circle that had been created, staggering back and forth...and he was on fire.
Flames roared up from his body and he was flailing around in a panic. Some people would try and get close to him with blankets and jackets to put out the fire, and the man would stagger back away from them, hands out in a clear 'stay away' motion.
The camera cut and then fire crew were there, firemen pinning the man down with thick blankets. The fire started to go out, but the second the firefighters moved back it burst up again, drawing shouts from the onlookers as the man struggled with the firefighters. Not struggling because of the fire...struggling to get away from them.
"Eye witnesses describe the older teen to have burst into fire without warning or apparent cause. Some suspect he was carrying a lighter, but as can be seen from the cameras, the fire was too sudden and too large to have started by a single cigarette lighter.
"The teen resisted all help, and despite efforts by the firemen shortly on the scene, the fire could not be extinguished at first. Finally one of the firefighters threw a bucket of water over the teen, dousing the flames."
The camera switched again, and it must have been a news camera because it was much better quality. They could see the teen, their age, being loaded unconscious onto a stretcher and a breathing mask fitting over his face as he was hurried into the back of an ambulance.
"Firefighters and onlookers stated the teen passed out when he was doused with water despite having remained fully conscious until then. Those on the scene were further baffled when, upon rushing the teen to the nearest hospital, discovered no burns on his body, despite having been completely covered in flames for well over five minutes."
It switched out to the interview of an eyewitness, the young woman talking in English with a Korean voiceover.
"We could hear him yelling at us to stay back. The fire didn't seem to hurt him, I don't know, I've never seen anything like it. It completely came out of nowhere."
Another witness, this time one labeled as a friend.
"We were just on our way to school, you know? He's never liked crowds, it makes him nervous, but he's never...this has never happened before. I really hope he's okay."
The feed went back to the teenager on fire, hands out to keep people away from him.
"Doctors have informed that the teen is being held in a stable condition, and we now wait for him to regain consciousness. Police have barricaded the street where he suddenly burst into flames and are researching into the cause of the fire. Please keep watching for updates on the situation as we learn more."
YoungSaeng watched the news in horrified silence. His eyes had doubled in size as his hands covered his mouth. There was another like them, and he had been caught in public losing control. "Oh my God..." he murmured quietly.
HyunJoong lost all color in his face as he leaned up against JungMin. Reaching down, he took hold of JungMin's hand and squeezed. The American boy had an elemental power just like JungMin and they had just seen what could happen if one lost control.
He refused to let his boyfriend be brought down. He had been making amazing strides.
KyuJong stared at the news report in shock as well. This wasn't good...not at all. His arms wrapped around YoungSaeng's waist as the news report went to something else, hardly able to breathe.
HyungJoon sat down heavily on the unoccupied bed, the haze leaving his eyes and breathing unevenly. Nicole and HaRa clung to each other, shuffling into the room so they could close the door. JungMin was visibly shaking, not seeming to notice the grip on his hand.
"He's...like us," HaRa said shakily after a moment of silence. "They have one of us on film."
"Do you think they'll...figure out the cause of the fire?" KyuJong asked quietly, not letting go of his boyfriend.
Swallowing the lump that had taken root in his throat, HyunJoong brought JungMin over to the other bed and took a seat, pulling his shaking boyfriend into his lap. He secured his arms around him and closed his eyes, whispering quiet assurances to the redhead, hoping to calm him down a bit.
"I-I don't know," YoungSaeng quietly confessed. "The thing is, what if more gifted show up? We're lucky in that we don't have physical manifestations beyond my eyes and JungMin sparking when he gets wet."
All were silent when HyungJoon spoke, voice quiet and subdued as he said what was on all of their minds.
"They're going to hunt us soon, aren't they...?"
YoungSaeng closed his eyes and leaned into his lover as he remembered HyungJoon's ravings when his power was fully opened.
"I hope not..."
"Let's not jump to conclusions," KyuJong shook his head, trying not to panic and think rationally. "We don't even know if they'll make the connection, this is the first time something like this has happened. If the boy has some sense of control, he can get out of the hospital and back home without anyone finding anything out."
It must have been the rush hour crowd that triggered the unknown teen's gift, the panicked, crushing feeling of being surrounded by too many strange people.
"And even if they do conclude that the boy somehow spontaneously combusted by himself, how are they going to prove it to the world, and are they going to think that there might be more people like that, not necessarily with fire as a gift?" Nicole said quietly.
"This could very well be the start of a witch hunt, though," HaRa said, fear clear in her eyes.
With a final kiss to JungMin's shoulder, HyunJoong spoke up. "Kyu's right. We can't get ourselves worked up just yet. Spontaneous combustion is something people believe in, so if they think that happened, we should be okay for the time being," he reasoned, convincing both the others as well as himself.
"I-It's not as if finding out about us would start a witch hunt, right?" HyungJoon asked desperately, looking from one person to another. "We're people too. Society is past the point of getting rid of whole races, right? We can talk to them, explain we're not so different. We're not...not all of us are dangerous."
JungMin stood from HyunJoong's lap at that, hands clenched into shaking fists and hair hiding his eyes as he stormed out of the room, the door hitting the wall.
"...You are just brilliant," Nicole hissed, hitting HyungJoon off the head hard.
YoungSaeng was on his feet immediately when JungMin left the room and headed for the door.
"Saeng, I locked him down, but I don't know how long I can hold it if he gets too far away," HyunJoong told him. Right now, JungMin needed YoungSaeng, and even he knew that. He just hoped the physical contact would help calm his boyfriend.
Smiling back, YoungSaeng left the room and ran after JungMin. It took a few minutes to find him, but when he did, YoungSaeng called out and grabbed hold of his hand. "Min, hold on, please," he urged.
The second he felt a hand grab his own (his gloves had been left in the room), JungMin tore his arm away. "Don't touch me," he snapped, looking back over his shoulder at YoungSaeng even as he kept walking, anger and fear spurring him on. "Just leave me alone."
He had gotten himself worked up, fighting back the burning in his eyes. It wasn't fair. Why did he have to be deadly? The others weren't dangerous, no. The worst they could do was hurt themselves. But he could kill. He was like the boy in New York, and when it was found out that teenage boy could cause fires at a whim, he would be locked up. He was dangerous, an out of control threat. Just like JungMin.
When JungMin pulled back and started walking away faster, YoungSaeng gave chase, grabbing him again. How to get him to stay still, or even just go back to his room?
"JungMin, your power's locked. The further away you run, the more you're going to hurt HyunJoong," he stated, hoping that would work.
He knew what JungMin was going through to an extent, and he just wanted to help. JungMin had gained a lot of control recently, and needed to know that he wasn't like that American teen.
That did get through to JungMin, the redhead pausing in his movements as he was grabbed again. He couldn't go too far away...not without his gloves on him, and with HyunJoong holding on to his electricity like this. He was trapped.
Panting a little, he leaned against the wall, shoulders stiff. "Leave me alone, Saeng," he muttered, eyes averted.
"No," YoungSaeng stated firmly. It was a rare thing for him to be so forceful, but this was important. "I'm not letting you leave, JungMin. I know exactly what you're thinking and you need to stop right now. You two are not the same. You've been practicing and have made tremendous progress," YoungSaeng told him before pulling his friend into a hug.
"HyungJoon is an idiot and the girls are beating up on him for it as we speak. HyunJoong's worried enough that he let me come after you instead of doing it himself knowing that I might be able to help more."
JungMin was stiff in the older boy's arms, unable to look at him and acutely aware that if it weren't for HyunJoong holding down his power, even doing this would kill his friend on the spot.
Tears prickled his eyes and he shut them tightly. "That doesn't matter. I can still lose control and kill people. Even if they...accept the rest of you, somehow, how are people going to feel knowing there's someone who can kill them just by bumping shoulders in the bus?" His voice shook. "I could kill you, right now, if HyunJoong slips cause I'm too far away. You should let go."
"I don't care," YoungSaeng replied as he hugged JungMin tightly. "I don't care because despite what you think, I have faith in you. Think about it, Min. HyunJoong's power could be just as devastating if he unlocks other abilities like he did that one time. And how many people would try to get their hands on HyungJoon? A precog, JungMin. Yes, you may have a power that is viewed as dangerous, but so do we all."
Shaking as he listened, JungMin buried his face in YoungSaeng's shoulder. Maybe he was just being selfish, thinking only about himself. But he couldn't help it. It had been the exact same thing his entire life, and if people knew what he was...he didn't know what he was going to do.
"What are we gonna do?" he whispered, hugging YoungSaeng back finally, tears in his eyelashes.
Running a hand over JungMin's back soothingly, YoungSaeng sighed. That was a good question. "For now, we do as we always have. We practice, we go to school, and we be normal." Pulling back, he looked JungMin in the eyes. "It's not the same, Min. It was a single incident. Everything will be fine," he soothed, voice quiet and calm.
JungMin looked down at him, drawing in a shaky breath. "I hope you're right," he whispered, swallowing thickly. He felt a little calmer now, but he didn't think he'd be able to face the others for the rest of the day.
"We're going to really need that vacation," he gave a watery chuckle, reaching up to try and wipe away the tears in his eyes.
YoungSaeng laughed lightly. "Well, vacation starts soon, and we'll be far away from here."
"Want to head back to your room now?" YoungSaeng asked, gently running a hand over his friend's back. It was a lot to take in all at once. "I'm sure the others are worried."
The redhead nodded a little, glad that YoungSaeng had offered to bring him back to his own room, rather than the room with everyone in it. "Sorry," he mumbled a little, drawing in a breath before lifting his head and starting back the way they'd came.
"Why are you apologizing? You have no reason to be sorry," YoungSaeng replied, tugging lightly on JungMin's hair. "I'll get your gloves for you when we get back, and do you want HyunJoong to meet you in your room, or no?" he asked. He knew that the elder was worried about JungMin, but would understand if he needed to be alone.
Pausing, JungMin nodded after a moment. If it was HyunJoong, he would be fine. He just didn't think he could deal with all the others at the moment, his nerves frazzled.
They headed back towards the rooms, JungMin going straight to his own and disappearing inside with a quiet 'thanks'.
Smiling sadly, YoungSaeng opened the door to his own room and stepped inside, closing it behind him. Looking around, he noticed HyunJoong laying down and massaging his temples lightly.
"You okay?" he asked before returning to his lover.
Peeling open one eye, HyunJoong nodded. "Headache from the distance. How is he?" he asked sitting up and wincing slightly at the bright lights of the room.
"Freaked out, but better," YoungSaeng responded before tossing him JungMin's gloves. "He's next door."
Smiling as he caught them, HyunJoong slowly got to his feet and headed for the door, leaving in favor of his boyfriend.
KyuJong watched him leave before turning to YoungSaeng, wrapping his arms around the younger boy. They'd left the TV on in case more news on the incident came on, but muted it for HyunJoong.
"How are you feeling?" he murmured, kissing YoungSaeng's forehead and hugging him close. The other three were quiet, curled up on the other bed.
Curling up in KyuJong's arms, YoungSaeng closed his eyes and sighed. "What if he's right, KyuJong? Not about being dangerous, but about being hunted?" he asked, voice quiet.
The time traveler swallowed thickly, trying not to focus on the idea too much. That would change everything. "We'll figure that out if it comes to that," he answered softly, rubbing one hand along his back slowly. "For now, we'll just be more careful than usual. They have nothing to link us to what's happening, no matter what conclusion the world reaches."
Nodding his head, YoungSaeng stayed where he was, the other three not moving either. They had a hard enough time believing in themselves, but now the world would be watching.
KyuJong sighed softly, pressing his lips to YoungSaeng's temple. "It'll be fine," he whispered, not just to tell YoungSaeng, but to tell himself too. They were all together...they would be fine.
**********************
YoungSaeng sighed and threw the book he had been studying from across the room. "Kyu, I quit," he whined, pouting and dropping back on the bed with an exasperated sigh. It was the day before their final exam and he just wanted it to be over so their vacation could start. After that day, it was hard to concentrate as they began checking the news religiously before exams bogged them all down again.
Jumping at the loud 'thump', KyuJong looked up from where he was studying at the desk, blinking back the bored daze from his eyes. "We're just about there, Saeng," he chuckled, standing up and stretching before going to fetch the book from the other end of the room. "Last exam tomorrow, then we can forget all about school for three whole weeks."
Tilting his head up to look at KyuJong, YoungSaeng glared. "You bring that book back to me and I'm sleeping in JungMin's room," he threatened, both knowing that he would never go through with the threat. "I hate Math and I want to pretend that it doesn't exist," he pouted.
Raising one eyebrow in amusement, KyuJong placed the book on his desk before heading to the bed. "Better?" He pressed one knee into the mattress and hovered over YoungSaeng to give him a light kiss. "We can take a bit of a break before going back to it, how about that?"
Grinning brightly after he was kissed, YoungSaeng wrapped his arms around KyuJong's neck and pulled him down. "Break time," he agreed happily before kissing KyuJong again.
Chuckling into the kiss, KyuJong pressed his hands on either side of the younger boy to steady himself as he deepened the kiss, tilting his head to the side to make it easier. He knew their 'break time' would probably last much longer than it was supposed to, but he wasn't about to complain. He had been about to shoot his book in the garbage too.
YoungSaeng grinned as KyuJong kissed him back, sighing happily into the kiss. This was far better than studying in his opinion.
After a long, heated kiss, KyuJong broke it slightly to breathe, noses lightly touching as he looked down at YoungSaeng. "I can't wait to bring you back home," he smiled widely, finding the younger boy's hand and playing with his fingers. "Three weeks of absolutely nothing to worry about, we can do whatever we want." He kissed YoungSaeng's lips again.
YoungSaeng smiled happily at the thought of going back to KyuJong's home. I can't wait, Kyu. I love the feeling I get there, and being with you just makes it all the better," he replied, rubbing his nose against KyuJong's.
KyuJong laughed at the Eskimo kiss and returned it. "And the others will be there too. HaRa and Nicole were saying they were probably gonna stay at HaRa's house for most of the holiday, but that still leaves the other three. It'll definitely be an interesting break."
YoungSaeng laughed at that. "So when we're not together or Min and Hyun aren't, we're going to be trying to get Joonie to stop being so oblivious, I take it."
"Yeah," KyuJong chuckled. "Though I'm not sure how I feel about matchmaking my little sister with one of my friends. Guess we'll just see how the holiday goes."
"Could be worse," YoungSaeng pointed out. "At least you know him, right?"
"Right, but that won't stop me from kicking his ass if he ever hurts her," KyuJong laughed quietly. "Not that I think he will, HyungJoon's a good person."
"Once he figures it out, you should put the fear of God into him...and get it on video," YoungSaeng told him, running fingers lightly over KyuJong's back beneath the shirt he was wearing.
KyuJong's lips quirked as he tried not to laugh. "Taking bets on what his reaction will be?" He drew in a breath at the fingers along his back, arching slightly against the other boy.
"Hiding behind me, probably," YoungSaeng laughed. "Or HyunJoong like he usually does."
"That won't work, JungMin's taken to picking on him when he does that and HyunJoong doesn't exactly stop him all the time," KyuJong chuckled. He played with bits of YoungSaeng's hair.
"Well yes, but he still hides because he's the oldest and we all tend to listen to him," YoungSaeng pointed out, smiling as KyuJong played with his hair. "You like playing with my hair, don't you?" he chuckled softly.
"Of course, your hair's very soft," KyuJong smiled, kissing the side of YoungSaeng's head. After a moment he dropped down completely to lie beside YoungSaeng, one leg draped over his boyfriend's and nose buried in the other's hair. His hand rested lightly against YoungSaeng's chest.
Releasing a light laugh, YoungSaeng brought one hand up to rest over the hand on his chest. "Have I told you that I love you lately?" he asked randomly, expression peaceful.
KyuJong's gaze warmed, as did his smile. "I'd never protest to hearing it again," he chuckled, kissing his boyfriend's head. "I love you too, Saeng."
Grinning widely at the words, YoungSaeng tilted his head up and kissed his lover. He never got tired of hearing those words from KyuJong and he knew that he never would.
Kissing him back, KyuJong lingered against the younger boy's mouth, enjoying YoungSaeng's taste and the feeling of being next to him like this. "It's a lot different, isn't it?" he murmured against his boyfriend's lips. "Compared to six months ago."
At the mention of the time, YoungSaeng's hand automatically moved to the necklace. "Sometimes, I wonder if it was the same person when I think of that first day," YoungSaeng mused. "You were so kind to me that I always thought that if I were to open up, it would be to you," YoungSaeng confessed.
KyuJong's smile widened, feeling YoungSaeng's hand shift from his own upwards. "I'm so glad for that..." He would be forever grateful that they'd ended up as roommates...so much would be different for one small change. "I remember thinking that if you were to let it out, you must have a beautiful smile," he whispered.
Lips curling at the words, YoungSaeng shook his head in amusement. "And were you right?" he asked.
"Surprisingly, no I wasn't," KyuJong grinned. "'Beautiful' is much too modest a word." He kissed the corner of YoungSaeng's lips.
Grinning, YoungSaeng tugged KyuJong back down, meeting him half way. "Thank you, Kyu," he murmured against his lips. He had never felt so loved in his entire life and owed it all to KyuJong.
"Thank you too, Saeng," the older boy smiled into the kiss, returning it slowly and running his thumb over the fabric of YoungSaeng's shirt, hand still against his chest lightly.
Pulling away a few minutes later, YoungSaeng snuggled up against KyuJong, completely relaxed. "I don't know what I would ever do without you, Kyu," he murmured, pacing a kiss to KyuJong's collarbone.
"Good thing you don't have to worry about that then," KyuJong whispered, smiling at the kiss and wrapping his arm around YoungSaeng's waist, running his hand up and down his back. "Because I'll always be right beside you."
YoungSaeng chuckled lightly. "Good to know," he mused, sighing at the hand running over his back. "I don't want you anywhere else."
"Neither do I," KyuJong smiled, kissing his forehead softly. "We're strongest when we're together. With you, I'm not afraid of anything."
"Neither am I. Even the voices don't scare me as much anymore," YoungSaeng admitted. "That's not to say that they aren't still nerve-wracking, of course," he added.
"It's understandable for it to be nerve-wracking," the time traveler drew YoungSaeng closer. "But voices can't hurt you if you don't let them. I'm really glad they don't affect you as much, you're making so much progress, Saeng."
"Your mother helped a lot, Kyu," YoungSaeng replied quietly as he recalled when he'd had the attack and the woman talked him through it. "I wish my mom was like that."
KyuJong smiled a little sadly, kissing his forehead. "We can't do anything about that...but you've been practically adopted into our family, so I guess you could say that one of your moms is like that."
"That reminds me of your dad...he keeps calling me his son-in-law," YoungSaeng laughed, playing with KyuJong's hand. "I really like that," he murmured.
"He adores you," KyuJong chuckled, watching YoungSaeng's expression. "You like being called that?" He uncurled his fingers to nudge YoungSaeng's chin lightly.
Looking up at KyuJong's urging, YoungSaeng smiled and nodded. "I feel like I belong somewhere when he calls me that. And I know that he approves of us, something I appreciate."
"You do belong somewhere," KyuJong whispered, kissing his nose then his lips. "With me, with us. You belong right here." He hugged YoungSaeng.
"I know," YoungSaeng replied, closing his eyes. Just being there with KyuJong was all he could ever need, and he soaked it up.
Studying and everything else could wait.