Work Text:
Death Row
"Alright, everybody up! It's 6am!"
The bellowing voice of the man in charge comes over the intercom, like it does every morning at this time. It's purpose: to wake up the inmates that lay sleeping on Death Row. Each cell was 6ft x 9ft, with three walls being concrete and the fourth being made of metal bars that ranged from the ceiling to the floor. The door was embedded within the bars. On the opposing wall, was the tiniest of windows. Each cell had a bed, a toilet and a sink. That's all there is to it.
Inside cell number 7, a young man in his twenties opens his eyes, awakening from his less than comfortable nights sleep. Sitting up and throwing back the thin sheet that covered him, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, yawning as he did so. Swinging his legs out of bed, he stood up and made his way over to his own personal sink. Splashing some water on his face, he began his usual morning routine.
Changing his boxers and putting on a clean shirt, he dressed himself in the same outfit he'd been wearing for the past 7 years. He had two changes of it, which he cleaned himself. A white vest top, plain blue boxers, white socks and shoes, along with bright orange trousers and an orange t shirt which he wore over his white vest. The uniform was a little too big for him, but he managed. In the winter it was a blessing, as it kept him a little warmer. Printed on the back and on the left breast pocket, was his ID number; 93309. Just below the number on his breast pocket, was his name.
Min Yoongi.
He didn't look like the normal Death Row inmate. In fact he looked like anything but. He had black hair that stopped just above his dark brown eyes. Pale skin that looked as though he hadn't seen daylight in over a decade, and a slim body that would make girls jealous. His ears were pierced and once harboured an assortment of earrings, but due to prison policy he hasn't worn them since he was incarcerated. How he missed them.
Stretching his muscles and back out, he waited patiently for breakfast to be delivered. Usually, inmates would have their trays slotted through the little gap in the door, but Yoongi's case was different.
As if on cue, the sound of his door being unlocked entered his ear canals. Turning around, he was greeted with the familiar sight of the guard who brought him his meals every day.
"Good morning, Yoongi!" The guard said in his usual happy go lucky manner.
"Morning, Hoseok." Yoongi replied, smiling at the cheerful boy.
Jung Hoseok. The prison guard that also happened to be Yoongi's best friend. Being just a year younger than the inmate, the two of them got along like a house on fire. They had also been childhood friends back when they were very young. Initially, it broke Hoseok's heart to find out that his friend was going to die, but there was nothing either of them could do about it, so they tried to make the most of the situation at hand.
Hoseok had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. The uniform he wore was fitted to his toned body, though from the outside he looked lanky. He was tall, slightly taller than Yoongi by a good inch or so, and had the world's biggest smile on his face every time he visited. It was as if he didn't work in a prison full of inmates on deaths door.
Yoongi was incarcerated for mass murder. However, it wasn't the conventional going out and killing a few people. He'd been working in a factory, and mixed up some chemicals that if put together would explode after a short period. One of his colleagues had been getting on his nerves that week, so he thought he'd play a prank on him. Unfortunately it went wrong. He used too much of the chemicals and ended up blowing up half of the factory. Though the police tried to make out that it was a freak accident initially, he knew they'd find out what he did and so decided to plead guilty. It saved everyone the trouble of going to court, especially the families of the victims. He didn't think he could look another horrified mother in the eyes again. That was 7 years ago, when Yoongi was just 21 years old.
Closing the door behind him and promptly locking it, Hoseok made his way over to Yoongi with the tray of food. Handing the tray to him, Hoseok and Yoongi sat down on the bed next to each other.
"Sleep well?" Hoseok asked.
"As well as you can on these hard mattresses. Honestly, it's like they want us to get a bad back or something." The pale boy replied, taking a bite of his breakfast.
Hoseok laughed at his statement; the statement he made almost every time Hoseok asked that question. He wasn't lying though, the beds were really uncomfortable. But it's prison, you're not supposed to enjoy it. It's punishment, not luxury.
"You're allowed to go out and play basketball today. I can't come with you though as I have other work to do. Another guard with escort you there later today. Afterwards you can go for a shower. Tonight I'll be back and we can chat, maybe you could show me some of the song lyrics you've been working on?" Hoseok explained.
Yoongi was allowed to shower every other day, and he was allowed to play basketball twice a week depending on the guard. Usually Hoseok managed to get him clearance to play almost everyday, which Yoongi was grateful for. Whenever Yoongi wasn't allowed out to exercise, he usually did a few sit ups and press ups in his cell. It was a way of passing the time.
Finishing his breakfast, Yoongi handed the tray back to Hoseok who put it on the floor at the side of his feet.
"Okay, guess that will be fun. Do you know which guard will be escorting me?" Yoongi asked curiously.
Some guards he got on with, others he did not. Namjoon and Jin he got along with quite well, but Ronan and Kris he did not. The two American prison guards weren't particularly nice to him. In fact, they weren't nice to him at all. Ronan always handcuffed him too tight and pushed and shoved him down the corridor when he was quite capable of walking on his own, and Kris would always verbally abuse him and treat him like he was dirt. The two of them usually paired up when escorting Yoongi places, restraining him way too much when taking him to the showers or the basketball court. Prisoners going to these places are usually only handcuffed in the front, but apparently these two jackasses didn't get the memo. It wasn't like Yoongi was violent; he'd never been in a fight in his life. He was always cooperative, never made a fuss and always listened to everything the guards told him. It made his life much easier, just by obeying the rules.
Hoseok, Jin and Namjoon were the nice guards. They treated Yoongi with respect, and only handcuffed him because they were supposed to. In their minds they didn't need to, as they knew Yoongi wouldn't act out like other prisoners did.
"Unfortunately I don't," Hoseok replied sadly. "But we can hope it's Namjoon or Jin. They are on duty today so I don't see a reason for them not to escort you."
Yoongi felt his heart drop but his expression didn't change. He really didn't want Kris and Ronan. Evil bastards.
"I can only hope." Yoongi said, smiling at Hoseok warmly.
Standing from the bed and picking up the tray, Hoseok made his way over to the door.
"I'll see you later, Yoongi. Have a good day!" And with that Hoseok was gone, closing and locking the door behind him.
Standing up, Yoongi stretched again. Though his breakfast wasn't always the nicest, he was thankful for the food he received. It kept him going at least. Walking over to the bars of his cell, he listened to the sounds of the prison. The sounds of gates opening and closing, guards shuffling around and the odd prisoner singing to himself was the norm. Yoongi's ears had grown accustomed to the sound.
Taking in a deep breath, Yoongi turned on his heel and headed over to his bed. Reaching under his pillow, his found his little black note book that he used for writing song lyrics. He also used it as a diary.
Sitting down on the bed, he took his pen out of the little holster attached to the book and opened it onto a half written page. He wrote in the diary a lot, noting down his thoughts and feelings, as well as song lyrics that came to mind. He usually came up with ideas while in the shower, so after showering he would come back to his cell and immediately write them down.
Every so often he'd write little notes to Hoseok, just in case he were to get a hold of his diary. Nothing much, just little facts about himself and what he would've liked to do with Hoseok if he weren't in prison and awaiting death. He'd love to make music with Hoseok, as well as dance and go horse riding and all these random activities that couples would usually do. They weren't a couple, but they were best friends. Best friends can do couple things right?
After a couple of hours, there were two guards at his door.
"Time to play basketball, Suga." The first guard said.
Looking up from his diary, Yoongi spotted the two guards standing there. The one who had spoke was the very guard he didn't want to see. However, looking to the other guard, he realised that it was Namjoon. Namjoon had been paired with Kris today for some reason.
Putting his diary back under his pillow, he put his shoes on and walked over to the bars of the cell.
"Hi Namjoon." Yoongi greeted, completely ignoring Kris who looked more than pissed off.
With Namjoon there instead of Ronan, he couldn't abuse Yoongi on his way to recreation. That was a relief to Yoongi.
Placing his arms through the bars of his cell, Yoongi allowed Namjoon to handcuff him. Unlike Kris, Namjoon was actually gentle and called him by his real name, whereas Kris would be rough and call him by his nickname.
Pulling his hands back through the bars, Yoongi positioned himself in front of the cell door and waited patiently for Kris to open the door. Unlocking the door and swinging it open, Kris allowed Yoongi to step out before he closed and locked it again. Kris was tall, very tall. He was taller than Namjoon by at least three inches, meaning he towered over Yoongi. He was quite intimidating.
"Let's go, you've got an hour of shooting hoops and then half an hour for showering. I'm being generous today." Kris growled, taking hold of Yoongi's arm and pulling him along.
"No need to hold him like that, Kris." Namjoon warned.
Namjoon had a higher authority over Kris, so Kris couldn't do anything but comply. Letting go of Yoongi's arm, the boy was allowed to walk at a normal pace between the two guards. It took roughly 5 minutes to get to the basketball court. Nobody else was there; Death Row inmates weren't allowed to play together unless they requested it. Yoongi didn't mind playing alone though, it gave him time to think.
After the doors to the fenced off court were closed and locked firmly, Namjoon removed Yoongi's handcuffs, being as gentle as possible just like before. Off to the side was a bench where Kris and Namjoon would watch as Yoongi played; on top was a basketball. Walking over to the bench, Yoongi removed his orange shirt. He didn't want to get it sweaty after it was clean on that morning. Neatly folding it and placing it on the bench, Yoongi picked up the basketball and headed out onto the court.
The sun was hot on his pale skin, but he didn't mind. He didn't get to see the sun much these days, so any time he got to see it he was thankful. Bouncing the ball, he practiced as if he were playing against an opponent. For every basket he missed, he managed to get two in. He'd done this every week since his incarceration, so he'd gotten pretty good at shooting hoops.
Sweat was already beading on his forehead from the heat of the sun and the strain of the exercise. Bouncing the ball to one end of the court, Yoongi turned around and faced the basket. Bouncing it in his right hand, he imagined the scene in front of him. Opposing players to his left and his right, hardly a clear shot in sight. The basket was in reach, but he'd have to be skilful. Taking off in a sprint, Yoongi dodged the imaginary players, making a spin and eventually shooting a three pointer. The ball went in and Yoongi mentally cheered. Smiling to himself, his mind was in the clouds. He gazed over the fence, seeing the green fields and wide open spaces. He wondered what it would be like to be free again. His mind was completely out of it. So much so, that he didn't hear Kris telling him his time was up.
"Oi, Min Yoongi!"
Snapping out of it, Yoongi quickly retrieved the ball and put it back on the bench. Picking up his t shirt and slipping it back on, he held out his wrists for Namjoon to handcuff again. With the metal around his slim wrists, he was escorted off of the basketball court and into the shower room.
"Half an hour, no longer." Kris ordered as Yoongi's wrists were released.
He knew the drill, but usually he only got ten minutes. Odd.
Undressing and stepping into the shower, Yoongi let the warm water wash over his slim body. He never had to shower with other men, which made him happy. Once again he was allowed to get lost in his own thoughts as the water soaked his dark hair. Washing away the sweat, the boy lathered his body with soap before starting on his hair. He thought about all the things he could've accomplished had he not been sent to prison. He could've met that special someone, that one special girl that he'd ask to marry and she'd say yes. He could've started a family, maybe had one or two kids. He could've made a career in music, rapping for an entertainment company.
But all that was gone now. All that he could no longer accomplish and he hated it. At 28 years old, he was serving a death sentence. And there was nothing he could do about it.
Washing the shampoo out of his hair, he stood there for a few minutes, letting the water run over him. It felt nice, it always did. It was one of the one comforts he had inside the prison.
Turning the water off, he grabbed the towel that was set out for him before drying himself off and getting dressed again. His hair remained damp on the walk back to his cell, but it would soon dry in the summer heat. His hair wasn't that long, so it usually dried in an hour or less.
Saying goodbye to Namjoon and ignoring Kris once more, Yoongi sat himself down on his bed. Picking up his dairy, he began to write down his experience of playing basketball that day and all the thoughts he had during that time. He enjoyed writing, he really did. It gave him the chance to create things, to create thoughts and little scenarios that he would imagine himself in. His favourite scenario was going shopping with Hoseok and watching movies together. He wished he could do that with the boy, but it was unlikely.
Later that day, Namjoon came by. Looking up from his notes, Yoongi saw the sad expression he had on his face. It was then that he knew.
"Tomorrow morning at 9am. I'm so sorry, Yoongi." Namjoon said, avoiding eye contact with the inmate.
Yoongi's heart dropped into his stomach. That must've been why he had extra time for a shower today. He closed his diary and put it down on the bed before walking over to the bars. Namjoon looked him in the eyes, and it was clear he was being serious. As the head guard just below the big boss, Namjoon was the one to deliver the news to the inmates.
"You're allowed one request." Namjoon said, placing a hand on the bars of the cell.
Thinking hard, Yoongi thought of the one thing that he'd like to do before he's put to sleep.
"I'd like to watch a movie with Hoseok." He replied, looking at Namjoon with pleading eyes.
Though he seemed a little taken aback by the request, Namjoon seemed to understand.
"Usually we don't allow stuff like that, but because it's you and you've given us no trouble over the last 7 years I'll allow it just this once. I'll prepare a room for the two of you and I'll give Hoseok the rest of the day off. You can stay with him until 9pm. It's now 3pm so that gives you plenty of time."
Plenty of time to say your goodbyes.
"Thank you, Namjoon." Yoongi smiled.
Walking away from the cell, Namjoon headed off to get the room ready. Yoongi on the other hand, walked back over to his bed, sitting down to collect his thoughts.
He was going to die tomorrow.
This was really it.
His life was over.
Half an hour later, Namjoon arrived with Jin this time. His hands were handcuffed once more before he was lead into a room which contained a sofa and a TV, along with a few snacks and drinks. An assortment of DVD's lay next to the TV, ready to be viewed.
"Your handcuffs will have to stay on, but you'll be alone with Hoseok, okay?" Jin explained before closing the door.
Sitting down on the sofa, Yoongi waited patiently. Namjoon hadn't made the cuffs as tight as he usually did; just tight enough to make sure he couldn't release himself. In the corner of the room he noticed a surveillance camera, a clear sign that the request was being monitored. He presumed it was going to be monitored by Namjoon though, so he didn't have much to worry about.
A few minutes later, Hoseok entered the room, locking the door behind him. Turning to look at him, Yoongi saw that Hoseok's face was tear stricken and his eyes were all puffy, a clear sign he'd been crying.
"Yoongi." The boy choked out as he joined Yoongi on the couch, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug.
"Hoseok, it's okay." Yoongi replied, clinging to Hoseok's shirt as he was unable to hug him back.
"But it's not, you're going to die tomorrow and I'm never going to see you again. What am I supposed to do?" Hoseok cried, hugging the boy tighter.
"I've accepted it, Hobi. I've been on Death Row for over 7 years, each day could potentially be my last. After the first few months, I began to accept that I could die any day. I've been ready to die for the past six years." Yoongi said calmly.
His words didn't really have much of an effect on Hoseok, but there were only so many tears the boy could let fall. Yoongi had stopped crying about his fate a long time ago.
"Now come on, my last request was to spend time with you, watching a movie."
Pulling away, Hoseok wiped away his tears and nodded. The least he could do was make Yoongi's final hours enjoyable. Sifting through the DVD's, the two of them opted to watch a film that both of them hadn't seen before. However, it seemed like an appropriate film to watch.
Putting the film in the DVD player, Hoseok sat back down next to Yoongi. As the film began to play, the two of them watched attentively. Throughout the film, Yoongi began to realise that the story was similar to his. Not really the same, but it was about a guy in prison. They had that in common.
Yoongi could see Hoseok's eyes filling up as the film went on. It was just like that time EXO watched the film. Almost everyone had been a blubbering mess by the end of it.
Hoseok was no different.
By the end of the film, Hoseok was crying into Yoongi's shoulder once more. Yoongi felt like he wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come out. He hadn't cried in a long time.
"Hoseok, when I'm gone I want you to have my note book." Yoongi announced.
Sitting up, Hoseok wiped his tears away again and looked Yoongi dead in the eyes.
"Really? But you love that book."
"I'm not going to have much use for it after tomorrow, am I? I want you to keep it. Feel free to read it if you like. If you want to use the song lyrics, you can do. You have my permission."
Hoseok smiled at Yoongi, and Yoongi smiled back. He was happy that he got to spend his last few hours with Hoseok; his best friend.
When the time came to go back to his cell, Hoseok followed Jin and Namjoon while they escorted Yoongi. Opening the cell door, Namjoon gave Hoseok the key to Yoongi's cuffs and allowed him to remove the cuffs inside the cell. Once they were removed, Yoongi immediately wrapped his arms around Hoseok, and Hoseok did the same. Nobody noticed Namjoon and Jin leave as the two remained comfortable within each others embrace. This was likely the last time they would get to embrace each other, so they were making the most of it.
"Goodbye. Yoongi." Hoseok said as he left the cell, locking the door behind him.
"Goodbye, Hoseok." Yoongi replied as Hoseok walked away.
He could hear the quiet sobs down the corridor as Hoseok walked away. It was heartbreaking. It was truly heartbreaking. Heading back over to his bed, Yoongi picked up his diary and began writing.
It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep. The last sleep he would have where he would wake up the next day. His sleep wasn't filled with dreams or nightmares, it was empty. Nothing happened, but then again he would soon be dreaming for eternity.
When morning came, he was woken up as usual. Getting up and washing his face, he mentally prepared himself for what was to come. At 6:30am, Hoseok arrived outside his cell, along with Namjoon. He was trying so hard not to cry and keep up a brave face.
Standing in the middle of the room, Yoongi knew what he had to do even before Namjoon said it.
"On your knees with your hands behind your head. We will come in and we will handcuff you. You will then stand and your ankles will be shackled." Namjoon explained in an authoritative voice.
Doing as he said, Yoongi got on his knees, placing his hands behind his head. He hadn't realised he was shaking until the cell door swung open. Walking over to Yoongi, Hoseok carefully took his slim wrist in his hand before attaching one of the cuffs. Bringing it down behind his back, Hoseok then took Yoongi's other wrist and cuffed it in place. Feeling the boy shake, it was clear that Yoongi was scared.
He was terrified.
Pulling him to his feet, Hoseok held onto Yoongi's arm as Namjoon clamped shackles around his ankles. A chain was wrapped around Yoongi's waist, which attached to the handcuffs and kept his hands close to his body.
"I'm sorry." Hobi whispered as they began to lead Yoongi out of his cell for the last time.
Nobody spoke on the way to the holding cell. Nobody really knew what to say. Yoongi kept his head down, listening to the clank of the shackles as he walked. He had accepted it. This was happening. He had accepted it.
He had accepted it.
Arriving in the room, Yoongi was sat down with Hoseok at his side. Namjoon left to go and check what was happening in the execution room, which was right next door. In less than couple of hours it would be all over.
Staring at the floor, Yoongi didn't notice when the prison chaplain came in to talk to him. He didn't really listen as he spoke to him, just nodding in response as if he knew what was going on.
A couple of hours flew by while everything was being prepared. The second Namjoon came back into the room, he knew it was time to go. Standing up from his seat, Yoongi was lead into the execution room. His eyes immediately shot to the bed that he would be put to sleep on. It looked like a bed used by chiropractors, only with two sticky out arms where his arms will rest, along with several straps that will hold him down.
Yoongi's eyes remained on the bed as Hoseok removed his restraints. The boy was required to remove all but his boxers before they would begin. Slipping both of his shirts off, along with his pants, he handed them to Hoseok before he felt himself being pulled towards the bed. Because it was quite high off the ground, Namjoon picked him up and lead him down on it. Almost immediately the medical staff began strapping him down, starting with his arms and torso and ending with his legs. The straps were rough against his skin and held tight around his wrists. His head wasn't strapped down though, allowing him to look around the room.
He noticed that Namjoon had vacated the room, and another guard who he didn't recognise had replaced him. On the opposing wall, there was a viewing window. He had almost forgotten that executions had to be witnessed. A few members of the public were there, along with Kris and Ronan, as well as Jin and the chaplain. Hoseok was still in the room, standing by the viewing window. Yoongi's clothes were no longer in his arms; Namjoon must've taken them.
Yoongi hadn't realised his eyes were watering until he felt tears drip down his face and onto the bed. On either side of him, two doctors had swabbed his arms with alcohol and were ready to insert the IV's. He cringed slightly as the needles went in, but after the initial shock, there was no pain. Securing the needles with tape, one of the doctors applied a heart rate monitor to his chest. His heart was beating incredibly fast, a clear sign that he was in fear. After that, the doctors moved to the side.
Hoseok stepped forward, and Yoongi tilted his head to look at his friend. Tears were definitely falling from Yoongi's eyes now, just as Hoseok gently stroked his fingers through his soft black hair. Yoongi hadn't wanted to cry, but he just couldn't help it.
"I'm going to miss you." Hoseok whispered as tears fell from his eyes.
"I'm going to miss you, too, Hobi. Don't cause too much trouble without me okay? Take care of everyone." Yoongi managed to choke out.
Hoseok couldn't reply. He could only nod in response. Looking up at the clock, Hoseok knew he had to leave the room now. Looking at Yoongi, he exited the room, closing the door behind him. Entering into the viewing room, he joined the other guards to watch the execution. He didn't want to see his friend die, but this would be the last time he would ever see him.
Laying his head back down, Yoongi waited for death to take him. The first of the three drugs to course through his veins began filtering through the IV tubes, and soon enough Yoongi was put to sleep. After the last two drugs were applied, Yoongi's heart rate flatlined, signalling that he was gone, never to return.
Hoseok was out of tears by the end of it. When the heart monitor flatlined, he smiled. At least Yoongi would be in a better place now, free to run around and start a family, not locked up in a cell wasting away.
The doctors and guards took Yoongi's body away to the morgue where an autopsy would be preformed and then cremated. After the removal of the body, Hoseok has revisited Yoongi's cell. The cell felt empty and cold. And upon the bed lay Yoongi's black note book.
Sitting down on the bed, Hoseok realised that the book was laying open on a certain page. Picking it up, he began to read it. It was a message to him.
Dear Hoseok,
If you're reading this, it's probably because I'm gone right? I knew this day was coming, I just didn't expect it to be so soon. Though, 7 years isn't exactly a short amount of time to wait to die, is it? Aha, well the time has come for me to move on.
Over the last few years, I've really come to realise the true value of life. I lived 21 years outside of this establishment, 21 years that I took for granted. But I did get to spend more time with my childhood friend being incarcerated in this prison. Though it's not exactly a nice way to go, I'm glad I got to spend my final moments with my best friend.
Cherish life, Hoseok. Don't do something stupid like I did. I know you don't have a girlfriend or a wife or anything like that, but I think you should get one. Go out there, find a girl, get married, have kids. Everything I wanted to do is written here in this book. As my dying wish I would like for you to do all this for me. Do everything I wanted to do while I watch you do it from above. You're a great guy, Hoseok. The best friend I always wanted.
Stay safe, Hobi. Enjoy life and don't miss me too much. Remember, I'm always with you in your heart.
I love you, Hobi.
Min Yoongi.
Ps. Tell Kris and Ronan to go fuck themselves.
Hoseok cried a lot that night, but he was happy that his friend was finally at peace. And everything that Yoongi wanted to accomplish but couldn't, Hoseok accomplished for him.
So when Hoseok grew old and passed away in his sleep at the ripe old age of 90, he met up with Yoongi again. Only Hoseok was back to being the age he was when Yoongi died.
The first thing they did when they saw each other? They hugged.
And they never let go.