Chapter Text
"Would you like to walk more today?"
Suho's chest fluttered at the words, a strange warmth that made his eyes widen slightly with an eager nod. The sweet tang of peaches on his lips and cheeks was sticky as he quickly moved down to push up the light blue tray on his lap, utensils and dishes clinking noisily, damp fingers meeting the warm, calloused hands lifting the tray from the bedsheets.
"Do...do you think...Minho can come again?" Suho asked, absentmindedly rising to his knees though he obediently sat down on his hunches with a soft huff of breath at the firm look Seungmin passed him, the older man's crisp jacket spotless as he set the breakfast tray down on the bedside table.
"I'm sorry, but Minho won't be able to visit today." Seungmin replied gently, tone suddenly soft. He efficiently stacked the dirtied dishes on the tray, tossing the rest of the plastic trash.
"Why not?" Suho tilted his head, round eyes drifting back to the door now illuminated with the bright morning light spilling across the room.
He ran his fingers over the cool texture of the pen rhythmically, Seungmin's footsteps echoing behind his steady voice. "Minho has to work sometimes, Suho. He is very busy."
Suho let out a soft, "Oh" at the words, gaze moving to his arm where a small bruise lay at the source of the faint ache. Seungmin had taken out most of the strange little tubes from his arms, leaving behind small blots of color against his pale skin.
The hum of the air conditioning and rustle of paper filled the silence before Seungmin hummed, "Someone else is coming today." The soft click of a pen filled the room as paper rustled. "His name is Felix."
Suho bounced his feet over the edge of the bed as he hummed, a bit unsure but curiosity piqued as he glanced back at the door again. "Does...does he want to walk?"
His words earned a soft hum from Seungmin. "He does, Suho. Do you want to walk with him?"
Pausing at the words, Suho blinked. Did he? He hesitated for a moment. "Why...can't you come with me?"
Seungmin paused as well from where he had been carefully rearranging the blankets at the edge of the bed. "I have to work as well, Suho-ah." The mattress dipped slightly as the man's weight settled beside him, the thick white fabric of his sleeve brushing Suho's arm.
His fingers fidgeted nervously with the pen, thumb brushing along the cool tube rhythmically. "Is...Felix..." He tested the name. "Is Felix like Minho?"
That earned a faint chuckle though Suho didn't seem to appreciate it. "Yes. Felix is very nice." Seungmin leaned in closer, words a soft, private whisper that made Suho feel trusted with the words. "I think you'll really like him."
Suho didn't respond, pressing his lips together as his fingers continued their fidgeting against the pen. As Seungmin rose, something fluttered in his chest again, the sound of rustling papers and murmurs outside filling his ears.
"I'll be back by lunch, okay Suho?"
A small nod.
The door fell shut and the room slipped into silence again.
His palms prickled with sweat as he stared ahead at the door, the muffled sounds of voices pushing his spine up even straighter, shoulders set and feet fidgeting over the edge of the bed.
His head snaps up at the shadow behind the transparent door, at the soft knock against the wall. Cautious. Their footsteps were soft and effortless in a way that made Suho uneasy.
The man behind the door had a large smile as it opened. A pretty one, lacking any sort of the underlying tension that usually made Suho uneasy.
"Hi, Suho." His voice was deep; different from Seungmin's light hum or Minho's dry words. Suho tilted his head.
"You...are you Felix?" Suho's words were a light cadence though hesitant at first. His eyes darted around the room as he pressed his lips shut again, staring at the bright sunlight illuminating the floor.
"Yes." Felix's gaze tracked Suho's. It was quiet for a moment before the man moved further inside.
Suho stiffened.
"Is...this okay?" The man's deep voice rang in Suho's ears as the child raised his gaze again, fingers twitching against his pen. He almost shook his head, but hesitated, staring up at the soft smile and bright eyes. A small nod. "...Good."
The curtains pulled back with a soft swish of air, filling the room with a bright sort of warmth. Suho stared at the view through the crisp glass, hands stilling their movements as his eyes tracked the busy cars moving down the dark streets in fast lines. The tall buildings, taller than trees and even taller than the clouds, and the tiny people below. Suho's lips twitched up slightly. The people look like little ants from all the way up here. It was a strange, foreign sight that made him feel incredibly big and incredibly small at the same time.
"Do...do you want to come look a bit closer?" Suho's eyes darted up to the man who stood just next to the window. It was silent for a few seconds before Felix added, "There's...well, there's a few pretty dogs."
That piqued Suho's interest. With widened eyes, he stared out at the window again, squinting before deciding he needed a better look. His socked feet pressed against the cool tiled floor of his room, his blue gown hanging down to his knees. He glanced back up at Felix, who only seemed to smile larger, before padding toward the window.
He stared at the city, warm breath fogging the glass. "Where?" The sound of footsteps made Suho tense as the man got closer though he didn't pull away.
"Right..." Felix's voice was low and deep. His finger traced the window, making squiggly lines with his finger, lines that would have looked silly if they weren't invisible. Suho's lips twitched in amusement as he followed the erratic movements. "Here." The finger made a soft thud as it settled on the glass, right next to the tiny figures on the ground way below, and the even tinner dog on a leash.
"What kind of dog is it?" Suho asked lightly, leaning more heavily against the window as his hands pressed against the surface, cheek grazing the cool glass.
There was a soft laugh. "That's a good question, Suho-ya. I'm not really sure."
Suho's eyebrows furrowed in concentration, a small pout on his features as he pressed impossibly closer against the glass. "...Maybe..." He paused, staring down at the little brown tog. "...A fluffy one."
He glanced up as Felix nodded seriously though his face never felt any less gentle, eyes focused on the window as well. "Definately fluffy." Suho watched Felix for another moment as the older man crouched down beside him, pausing before his gaze shifted back.
Suho pointed at the streets filled with colorful arrays of cars, all different shapes and sizes. If he focused hard enough, he could hear the soft hum of the engine and beeps of the vehicles. "Why are the little cars all lined up?"
"Ah, it's traffic." Felix paused at Suho's confused expression, correcting himself casually. "It's...to keep things nice and neat."
"Neat?" Suho tilted his head, squinting as he stared at the road. It did look very neat. His eyes caught the sight of a few people. His eyes widened as he watched a strange figure, his hand moving across Felix to tap on the window where a woman with a strange purple suit was walking. "Where's that lady going?"
"Work."
"..Work..." Suho repeated the word, lips pressing together. Minho had to work. "What's work?"
"Ah, work is...a very important thing grown ups do." Felix said, that same smile on his lips.
Suho gave a little hum in response, watching the little lady hurry across the street before he looked up again. "Does...that mean Minho comes back?"
Felix nodded with a smile. "Every day."
They stayed crouched there by the windows for a long time, the soft thud of fingers tapping and light, airy voices pointing out the small details. The little boy playing at the park. The ducks that Felix said like to swim in ponds. Big groups of people all hurrying to work like the little lady.
"...You know...there's a lot more to see than just this window." His words were casual enough that Suho barely spared him a glance before he processed the words.
Suho stared up at Felix, fidgeting with the sleeve of his gown. "...Can we?" He asked softly, words much quieter now though they still seemed too loud for the small room.
Smiling, Felix hummed, "Of course. Just don't overdo it, Suho." He was already rising from the window, followed by a small, eager figure bouncing on the balls of his feet.
...
The hallway was a lot bigger than Suho remembered. He stared down at the plush carpet now, his little toes wiggling in the old shoes Felix had handed him. The man was much nicer than Suho had thought would be-and a pretty smile with little brown dots on his cheeks Felix called freckles.
Freckles. Suho repeated the word as his feet padded against the floor. It rolled easily off the tip of his tongue.
The hallway was long, the walls were a bright, clean white just like his own room had been, but now they were scattered with big brown doors. There were lots of busy people as well, hurrying about the hallways and rooms just like the figures on the streets had been.
Suho peered his head into an open doorway, eyes meeting a darkened room similar to his, with big machines and several beds. He stared up at all the different kinds of women pushing about silver carts filled with little towels and trays. Some looked serious and others waved at him. Every single one stopped to talk to Felix and Felix seemed to know every name. Suho didn't wait for them to finish.
He ran his hand against the cool wall, eyes widening when a particularly shiny tank gleamed in the open sunlight from the window, scurrying toward the little thing with a soft breath. It was propped up on a big wood table next to a bench, filled with pretty blue water and even prettier little plants at the bottom, all different colors and shapes. And much to his pleasure, there were fish swimming around as well, ducking beneath the sand and darting between bubbles. Suho hadn't realized he was smiling until he bounced on his feet, tugging at Felix's shirt.
"Hyung, Hyung, what's this?" He asked, voice light with pleasure as he bent down to stare back at the rippling water.
Felix looked happy as well as he bent down beside Suho. "Ah, it's a little fish tank, Suho. So you can see all the fish."
Suho smiled, tapping on the glass as he stared down at the fish, voice soft and light as he tried to talk to them, cheek pressed against the cool surface, he glanced up when Felix's gentle hand settled around his wrist.
"Shh...we don't tap, Suho. It scares the fish."
Suho let out a soft, deflated "oh", at the thought of scaring the little fishes, but at Felix's reassuring smile, Suho focused back on the tank patiently, a grin blooming on his face again only seconds later as he watched bubbles bloom around the swimming blurs of color.
The room outside the hallway was even bigger. Suho moved around the source of the bustling voices, people moving about holding clipboards and pens, wearing the same sort of white jacket Seungmin had.
There was a large white desk in the center of it all, and lines of people waiting to talk to the ladies behind. Work, Felix had said. This is what people do for work. Suho had laughed at that. He didn't want to work if it meant doing that all day.
But beyond the large room, were more hallways, all looking the same though most lacked the pretty fish tank. Suho had long since given up on walking around every room after the last few minor collisions with nurses resulted in Felix's firm words not to open any more doors without him.
But at the end of the last hallway, after exploring another big window, though much less interesting than the others, Felix led him to a little metal box in the wall. An elevator.
"Does it go down or up?" Suho asked as they waited behind more people working. His fingers had settled in Felix's warm grasp as he peered up at the older man.
"Well, you can pick which way it goes." Felix hummed, giving Suho's hand a small squeeze as they moved up in line.
Suho's brows furrowed at that. How can you pick? But now, staring wide eyed at the large panel of glowing buttons, he let Felix's hand guide his pointer finger onto a glowing button Felix said was ten.
Ten.
The little elevator jolted and Suho's eyes widened as he pressed closer to Felix, peering up at the little room. The walls were a dark oak as well, and the floor was tiled and doors a silver metal. As a light music began to play, Suho frowned at the movement.
"Where...where did the room go?" Suho asked. His stomach and chest fluttered. It felt like they were moving, stuck in this tiny little room.
Brushing back a stray strand of hair hanging in Suho's eyes, Felix hummed, "It's because we're moving, Suho. It's a bit scary, isn't it? But it's completely safe."
Safe.
The word lingered. He had heard it before. It still felt strange. He repeated the word softly, staying firmly attached to Felix's side. Abruptly, the music paused with a soft ding and the doors opened with a swish of air. Suho held onto Felix's hand firmly as he led him out the elevator.
This floor was much, much quieter. There were no working people bustling about, no voices bouncing off the walls, no movement except for Suho and Felix's soft footsteps. He waited patiently as Felix spoke with a man in front of a heavy looking door. His fingers had slipped from the man's absentmindedly as Suho crouched down to brush his fingers against the carpet. It was as soft as it looked.
The sound of a click echoed through the otherwise quiet hallway and Suho scrambled back to Felix's side as he watched the big door slowly swing open. He passed nothing more than a curious glance at the man that gave him a small wave-the man Felix had been speaking to moments ago.
Suho peered up at Felix as a soft, melodic humming filled the otherwise silent hallway, shoes clicking on the floor. Felix noticed after a moment, and passed a small smile. The corners of Suho's lips twitched again.
When the hallway finally opened up, the sight made Suho's eyes widen. It was a huge room, bigger than the room filled with people. He stepped on a big, furry carpet that looked like a real animal, and stared at the large, plush couch that seemed big enough to fit every person he had ever met on. His fingers brushed the thick black fabric with a sense of awe as he moved to the large oak bookshelves stacked against the walls, taller than even Felix, holding all kinds of books and little figurines that felt cool to the touch. The TV looked bigger than Suho, hanging above the big brick fireplace. Suho stared back at his reflection on the black screen. He hadn't ever seen a TV like this before.
He moved between armchairs decorated with neat pillows, passing tables filled with cluttered paperwork and old coffee mugs, pressing his small hands against the polished oak dining table, even longer than the couch, and tall chairs all neatly aligned. There were photo frames hanging on the walls, big paintings and images of familiar faces, one he recognized as Felix. The man only laughed faintly at that, pointing out other members. Suho could only remember Seungmin's face-strange to Suho's eyes without his usual thick white coat on his shoulders.
The kitchen was as big as everything else, the cool oak floor fading to white tile. Suho eagerly sat down on one of the bar stools next to the kitchen island when Felix gestured, promising a good snack. Suho's lips twitched as Felix pulled two little peaches from the silver refrigerator.
"Minho mentioned you like these, right?" Felix asked, and Suho nodded, legs swaying from the chair, not quite touching the floor, as he watched the knife dip into the tender, juicy flesh in even, methodical cuts.
And soon they were both eating the sweet fruit, lips tinged pink with sticky juice. The soap at the kitchen sink smelled like pine, and Suho pressed his nose to his hands periodically, breathing in the lingering sweetness.
"You know, we...well, we want you to have your own little space." Felix began. Suho gave an absentminded nod as he stared up at the big windows of the little hallway, the marble floor clicking underneath their shoes. "It's not decorated yet. But, we can help you make it more comfortable." Suho glanced up. What was he talking about?
They had stopped at another large corridor, a few doors on each side. Felix was turning the handle to the one closest to them. Suho peered inside, curious as he stepped inside. It was a big room, and a big bed sitting in the center of it. There were two windows, sunlight streaming inside as Suho glanced out at the city beneath them. White carpet covered most of the marble floor, soft and fluffy when Suho ran his fingers through it.
"This is your room, Suho-ya."
Suho blinked, frowning. This was his? His? He tentatively brushed the plush bed with his fingers, the soft muffle of traffic below the only sound between them
Finally he glanced up. "It's...mine?"
A small nod. "It's yours, Suho."