Work Text:
In a dimly lit room, the only thing that can be heard is the soft tictoc of the hands of the wall clock. The night is chilly because of the incoming winter. He pulls the edges of his blanket closer to alleviate the cold. It is late to be up, he thinks, as he watches the hands of the clock pass each number but he has no better things to do. In fact, he is waiting for the time to pass by quickly. He sighs and lets his head fall back in his pillows. A phone rings in the dead silence of the night and sends a cripple of tiny shivers to his spine. He knows this sound damn too well. Suddenly, he’s sitting upright and hands everywhere his bed searching for this phone. He thumbs it open and listens.
"Hello, Myungsoo? What’s wrong? Calling at this time…"
A muffled voice.
"Okay. I'll be right there."
-
Lee Sungyeol walks idly as he clutches the strap of his backpack to the place which Kim Myungsoo mentioned over the phone. He is in no hurry since he's been there a couple of times already and knows the place like the back of his hand. He knows that when he turns right, he'll come to see a big abandoned factory which no one cares to go into. The place has spooky rumours about it being haunted. People in his class believe that the rundown building serves as a place for the lost souls. Unguided ghosts that scare the shit out of the townspeople seeking bloodthirsty revenge. He knows that when he go through straight the rusty metal door, he'll see that the farthest room is lit by an eerie glow of a bulb. The interior is barren and old. The once thick walls are now slowly chipping away with age. He doubts that it will stand a chance if he flicks his lighter on and sets the whole place on fire. Scraps of metal and dried leaves litter the wrecked floor. And he knows that inside the said room, he'll find Myungsoo drenched with his own sweat.
And blood. And he is sure as hell that it is not his.
One side of the wall bathes in bright crimson making it look like a poorly made graffitti by punk kids. The splashes of blood dry slowly as it trickles down the wall, on the surface of a broken table and stack of chairs. The smell of iron is nauseating but somehow bearable. Even they’re inside the old building, the air still cold and he is glad the he wears his warmest jacket.
“Wow.”
Myungsoo stands in the middle of the room, eyes blank and unmoving. He looks up and his eyes shine at the sight of Sungyeol. He always have that kind of reaction whenever their eyes meet. Seeing him is like watching the rising and setting of the sun. Like he is the only extraordinary, beautiful sight to see ever existed. He licks his dried lips and stares at Sungyeol who stares at the carcass of a girl at his feet.
"You made it remarkably well again today, Soo."
Myungsoo averts his eyes but returns he gaze almost immediately. “Sorry for calling you at this hour.”
“That’s okay. I don’t really mind.” Sungyeol lightly chuckles. He likes this side of Myungsoo. The I-need-you-but-I’m-too-shy-ask side.
Sungyeol rummages the insides of his pack and grabs a clean shirt, pair of pants and a hoodie.
"But change with this first. I'll clean up the rest."
Myungsoo glances down and nods meekly. He walks out the door clutching the clothes Sungyeol handed him, out of Sungyeol's sight.
Sungyeol then takes out the gloves out his pocket and wears it. He is no OCD but getting sticky and dirty whilst doing this ‘cleaning up’ is not his cup of tea.
Bae Suji is very beautiful indeed even though there are dirty smudges of god-knows-what on her body and clothes. Sungyeol bends on one knee and stares at her small figure. He brushes the hair strands that covers her face, doing it carefully and softly as if she might wake up from her sleep from his light touches. She has a pair of doe eyes, a pointy nose and long eyelashes. Her cheeks show her cute dimples whenever she smiles. He may not remember much but he definitely remembers this aesthetic part of her. Sungyeol also knows that they are in the same drama club at school. She and he always had the lead roles. (Myungsoo is also part of the drama club but he's more in the creative department. He paints and creates beautifully crafted ads, posters and background draft).
He looks at her cold and lifeless eyes, void of any emotion or warmth. There's a trail of blood oozing from her full mouth. The floor's beginning to pool with her blood from the wound on her stomach. He surveys the wound and becomes impressed on how Myungsoo cleanly sliced through her guts without spilling it out. 'He is truly good with his hands', he thinks.
He closes his eyes. Her voice still echoes in his ear with what she said this afternoon…
“Oppa.”
From the script he is currently reading, Sungyeol looks beside him as sees Suji all smiles at him. They are currently on their way to their club room to get more paint and paper for Myungsoo to use. The cultural festival is coming and they are busy preparing for the show.
“Why? Was there anything you need?”, he asks. They weren’t close to be classified as friends. Acquaintances maybe. But he can’t help but wonder what makes Suji smile so brightly.
“No. But I would like to ask you something.”
His lifts his left brow. “Sure, go ahead.”
They are now inside the club room and it gives them the sort of privacy that Suji needs.
“You’re close with Myungsoo oppa right? Best friends and all?” she says while blushing deep red.
He nods.
“I was wondering if you know what type of girl he likes. Or something.”
It is not a surprise. Myungsoo’s face is really likeable even so he fakes a smile and says, “You like him?”
“Yes. But I don’t know if he likes me back. I confessed to him yesterday. He is supposed to give an answer today, you know.”
It takes him intense patience and courage to pat her shoulder and replies with a sweet smile. “Well, he doesn’t tell me this stuff but if he likes you back then everything works out no?”
She chuckles. “I guess you’re right.” She looks at him more determined and says, “Let’s go back, shall we?”
He carries the two cans of paint and Suji carries the stack of papers from the table when they see Myungsoo at the door. They stop dead on their tracks and Sungyeol smiles secretly. Talk about perfect timing. Suji yelps beside him and looks everywhere but Myungsoo.
Sungyeol decides to break the silence. “Hey Myungsoo. What are you doing here?”
“You were taking too long for just one can of paint.” He refutes. “I need them.”
“Two”, he corrects. “Sorry about that. We were talking about something.” Sungyeol hears the faint condemnatory ‘oppa’ from Suji’s lips and he sees something flicker from Myungsoo’s eyes.
Wariness. Anger. Jealousy.
It started again.
And Sungyeol loves it.
Myungsoo did this. His sweet little Myungsoo who would pet cats on a warm sunny day, who wouldn’t hurt a fly, who would cuddle on days he’s feeling selfish and who wouldn’t budge when someone pushes him on the edge did this for him. The thought gives a familiar warmth in is heart. It fills him to the core thinking that Myungsoo considers only him. He loves every single bit of it because it shows that Myungsoo loves him. And only him.
This kind of selfish love is wrong.
Sungyeol knows this. Myungsoo knows this. They both know it but they are blinded by the same love they have for each other. It breaks all reasons, all morals and even the touch of reality of the actions that they do. But they don't care as long as they have each other.
He carries the body, slides it inside an overnight bag and zips it close. Scanning the room, he finds the bucket of water he believes Myungsoo purposely put there so he can use it for cleaning up the mess. He watches as the water mixes with the blood and goes through the murky depths of drainage. As he slumps the bag over his shoulder, Myungsoo appears, having changed completely with the new clothes. Apparently, he intends to help him dispose the body because he wears his own pair of work gloves.
“Shall we go?”
-
The hike was short but tiring because of the weight on his shoulders. But Sungyeol learms to deal with it in time. Well, it’s not like it’s the first time they did that after all.
“’Sorry, Yeol.”
Sungyeol glances back at Myungsoo. He isn’t sure he heard him so he asks, “Hm?”
“I’m sorry for always being like this.”
“It’s fine. I’m good at heavy labour anyway.”
When they arrive at the empty lot, Sungyeol dumps the overnight bag together with his back pack beside him. Myungsoo then hands him one of the pair of shovel he’s been holding for a while now. They begin shovelling the ground in silence. Only the soft scrunch of gravel and soil can be heard. The hole is waist deep and Sungyeol thinks that it is enough. Suji is petite after all.
“Soo”
Myungsoo looks up from the ground.
“Were you jealous?”
Myungsoo’s mind flashes with images of Sungyeol lightly brushing his palm over Suji’s shoulder. The giggle that escapes her lips when he looks up to him. He hates it because he wants Sungyeol to touch only him and no one else.To him, that bitch is trying to steal his Sungyeol away.
But he can never tell him that.
“No.” He looks away because he knows that Sungyeol can always tell when he’s lying. He hears Sungyeol sigh and his shoulders slump in defeat.
“You hate this side of me after all, don’t you?” He continues to dig, his eyes swelling with tears.
Myungsoo hears a soft thump and glances at Sungyeol’s direction. Sungyeol has removed his work gloves and cups his face.
“Not at all. I love you, Myungsoo. Only you. I love you so much.”
Myungsoo’s face heat up and he is thankful that it is dark so Sungyeol can’t see his face. He leans closer and murmurs at his cheek, “Yeah. Me too.”
They kissed under the basked shine of the moonlight. Myungsoo wraps his arms around Sungyeol’s neck as he pulls their bodies closer. Sungyeol places his hands on Myungsoo’s hips as they kiss passionately. He fumbles his shirt to feel the heat of his skin as their lips move in synchronization. Sungyeols moans weakly as he deepens the kiss. Myungsoo, on the other hand, snakes his fingers on Sungyeol’s fluffy hair and pulls a little bit rougher. His lips left his mouth to nibble the sensitive spot behind his ear. Sungyeol gasps and fans the left side of his face with warm breathes. It feels intoxicating and they are now having trouble in their pants.
He places one last peck on the side of Myungsoo’s mouth and they both smile.
Nothing else matters right now.
-
The sudden outpour brings anxiety to Sungyeol’s classmates but he isn’t worried. He has brought his umbrella with him because his mother insisted that he cannot be confident with the uncontrollable weather. He stands side by side with Myungsoo watching as the tiny droplets of rain fall against the pavement. It’s nice just standing here with his lover watching the world be engulfed by the thin fog and smell of wet air.
“It’s raining quite a bit today huh?” Myungsoo just hums in agreement so he adds, “Where’s your umbrella?”. He shoves his right hand inside his bag to show Sungyeol he has it when he notices a figure beside them.
“I should have watched the weather forecast.” The girl suddenly burst out when she sees that rain won’t stop for a while. Both of them cast a look at her.
Jung Soojung. That’s what her nameplate reads.
She notices that the both of them are still looking and looks back. Her eyes widen when she sees them. Her face also becomes a lovely shade of scarlet. Sungyeol follows her gaze and his eyes fall on Myungsoo. It is painfully obvious as why Soojung has this dreamy look on her face.
Sungyeol approaches the girl and Myungsoo almost let out an angry growl.
“Excuse me. If it’s okay with you, please use my umbrella. My friend here has one and we don’t mind sharing.” He glances at Myungsoo and smile. “Right, Myungsoo?”
It’s amazing how Sungyeol can rile him up and calm him down within a short period of time.
Myungsoo averts his eyes, a blush coming up to his face.
“Sure.”
Sungyeol's glad that his dad bought another pair of work gloves again yesterday.
-
He sits on his bed still fully clothed. His backpack is at the foot of the bed, all ready and packed. His holds his phone and watches his face on the surface of the glass.
Three… two… one…
The phone rings.
He glances at the clock and it reads exactly one am.
He smiles.
"Hello? Myungsoo?"