hold on to your shadow
Title: hold on to your shadow
Pairing: Kaisoo
Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy!AU
Length: 907 words
Warning: Character death.
prompt: write a fic based on a song of your choice: Peter Pan - EXO
Kyungsoo slips easily through the glass doors of the hospital, finally finding refuge away from the eerie moonlight of the outside world, from the hostile shadows cast against the streets of the sleeping city. Under the safe cover of the dimly lit rooms of the medical ward, his own shadow hugs him tightly, quivering in apprehension as its owner flits quickly through the hallways, skidding occasionally against the checkered floor-tiles and pausing to crouch in the crease between the wall and the ceiling at the sign of any sort of noise within the darkened building.
Kyungsoo soon finds himself at the entrance of the back stairwell, and with quiet movements he climbs up to the very first platform, craning his neck back to see the staircase as it climbs its way to the floors above, spiraling around the narrow tower as it reaches up for the highest point of the building. Adjusting his green cap to sit more firmly on his messy red locks, Kyungsoo lets out a slow breath, whistling gently through his teeth.
Within seconds, a small light flickers to life before him, tiny wings fluttering about as the light hovers just above his head. With a small smile, Kyungsoo blows a small gust of air towards the fairy, upsetting its position and watching as the wings beat frantically to pull itself out of boy’s reach.
Kyungsoo carefully climbs onto the railing of the staircase, holding his arms out for balance as manages to find his footing on the narrow metal bar. The light begins to move up, farther away from Kyungsoo and towards one of the floors above, and Kyungsoo leaps after the trail of dust it leaves in its wake, touching lightly against the walls of the stairwell with his feet to add a bit of momentum as he darts after the pulsing pinprick of light.
The fairy stops at the fifth floor, waiting for Kyungsoo to open the latched door before floating out into the empty hallway, its wings beating faster as it motions with a trail of dust for Kyungsoo to follow. The boy’s shadow jumps after the fairy, and Kyungsoo himself follows at a slower pace, his feet only touching the ground at every other step.
There’s a door propped open near the end of the hall, Room 512, and Kyungsoo’s shadow slides inside before he can call it back, although the light retains its manners and hovers politely by the name plate, waiting for Kyungsoo to arrive. The boy smiles gently in thanks to the fairy and leans in to read the engraved writing on the wall beside the entrance, double-checking for the name he knows he’s looking for.
Inside the room is a boy asleep on a hospital bed, his head turned towards the window and dark chocolate bangs falling across his face. There’s two IV lines hooked up to the veins in one of his thin, bony wrists, and Kyungsoo can see a heart monitor set up in the corner of the room, the red line moving up and down in a steady, repeating pattern. His shadow crouches beside the bed, reluctantly joining up again with its owner when Kyungsoo makes a gentle leap onto the sheets, kneeling over the boy and watching the rise and fall of his shallow breaths. He seems almost Kyungsoo’s age, maybe a little younger, and he watches as the boy frowns in his sleep, the muscles of his face pulling against drawn, pallid skin. The fairy hovers just above the boy’s face, flickering three times to give Kyungsoo the go ahead.
With a cautious hand, Kyungsoo reaches out and gives the boy’s shoulder a small shake, watching as the other stirs and slowly opens his eyes, blinking blearily, confused at the sight of Kyungsoo crouched before him. With weak arms, he helps himself up into a sitting position, a questioning look forming on his face as he tilts his head to one side, watching Kyungsoo curiously. Behind them, the heart monitor skips a beat.
“Who are you?”
Kyungsoo chuckles and doesn’t answer, instead reaching out to cup the fairy in his palms and pull it into his chest. The boy watches in awe, the flickering light of the fairy reflected in his wide eyes. “What is that?”
“A friend of mine.” Kyungsoo grins and tucks the fairy into the front pocket of his faded green tunic. Looking back up at the boy, he smiles encouragingly, addressing the boy with a new question. “Are you ready to go?”
“Go where?”
“To Neverland, of course.”
The boy contemplates this with a puzzled look, scrunching up his nose as he thinks about Kyungsoo’s proposal. Eventually he looks back up at the boy before him, a thoughtful expression settling onto his face. “What’s it like there?”
Another beep comes from the monitor, the pattern slowing into unsteady, jagged lines.
“You’ll find out,” is Kyungsoo’s only reply, his eyes crinkling kindly as he holds out his hand in offering to the boy. “Come on, let’s go.”
After a pause, the boy places his own hand hesitantly in Kyungsoo’s, looking frightened but determined at the same time. A new, healthy light shines in his eyes and his shadow on the bed flickers to life, giving a small wave of its own accord. “Okay.”
Kyungsoo pulls Jongin gracefully to his feet, securing his grip on the other’s wrist.
The line of the heart monitor falls flat.
A/N: Sorry I'm posting a little late, I had trouble accessing wifi. ;n;;; anyways hope you guys like my first challenge for xoxocamp and uh yeah I was just thinking like what if neverland is where all the children who die before theyre able to live out their life and that's why they never grow up?? I DONt knOW I'LL STOP TALKing bye