Sometimes, Seungcheol wondered why he had joined a gang in the first place. Getting attacked by a rival gang was a ty feeling. The feeling of a group of people with similar longings like him. He wanted to belong more than anything else, to have a family. That idea of a family was crushed when they sent him practically to his death. His gang knew there would be an ambush and Seungcheol walked right into it. How stupid of him. A bunch of guys just started jumping him and suddenly his entire world turned black. When he finally opened his eyes, he seemed to be in an unfamiliar setting, in a bed that was very much not his own. 

The sheets were of a light baby blue that reminded him much of the clear skies at a beach. The walls were of a plain white, but all around him were photo frames hung up or posters of bands. Seungcheol sat up straight, letting the towel that had been on his forehead just fall to his lap. He groaned in pain as he gripped his stomach, remembering how badly he got hurt there from that rival gang. 

Before he could even figure out where he was, the door suddenly swung open and in came a very tall male carrying a tray of what seemed to be porridge and a glass of water with some medicine. Seungcheol couldn't even get a word in before the tall guy quickly placed the tray down on the bedside table and called out into the hall. 

"Jisoo hyung, he's awake!" 

The tall guy left and in came a shorter male with cat-like eyes and straight brown hair and a smile that seemed to brighten up an entire room. Seungcheol stared, a curious look on his face as the stranger walked towards him.

"You're awake. I'm glad." 

Seungcheol felt pain shoot through his stomach and he gritted his teeth while the cat-eyed guy quickly went over, handed him the medicine and the glass of water. At first, he wanted to refuse the help, but the pout on the other's face made Seungcheol soften just a tad bit and took it anyways. 

"Thanks for the help and everything, but I don't like the feeling of having to owe someone, especially with my life in this case. I'll get going now. If anybody asks, don't say you ever helped me, got it?" Seungcheol tried getting up from the bed, but he was having more trouble than he realized. He felt hands against his body as he was pushed to lay back down on the bed and regretfully, Seungcheol did so.

"As long as you rest up fully, then I won't say a word of this to anybody." Seungcheol suddenly felt it hard to speak when he noticed the guy, (Jisoo, was it?), smile at him.

"Jisoo hyung, the pizza's here! Hurry up before I eat everything!" He watched as Jisoo turned his head toward the door, shaking it, but a smile was still there. Seungcheol watched as the other got up but before closing the door, Jisoo looked straight at him.

"Eat the porridge while it's still warm. Rest well."

_________

So for the past month, Seungcheol ended up staying at Jisoo's place. He learned that Jisoo was studying literature and played guitar and sang. He shared an apartment with his childhood friend, Mingyu, and after they graduated high school, they've lived together ever since. Jisoo worked part time as a convenience store and he tends to bring home snacks and drinks whenever he can. Seungcheol also decided that Jisoo was much too nice and too helpful and very cute. 

Besides Jisoo telling Seungcheol things about himself, Seungcheol even managed to talk about him and his life. He wasn't that interesting. Abandoned as a child, dropped out of school, resorted to stealing things and a life of crime. Seungcheol didn't tell Jisoo the part of him being in a gang because he was afraid of scaring the other, but he thought the other know or assumed anyways because he had a gang tattoo on his chest and considering he was wounded and cleaned up, Jisoo would've seen it.

The other would purposely drag him around with him to get groceries and do other errands. It was annoying, but Seungcheol thought it to be kind of endearing. Of course, he wore a hat and a face mask to cover himself in fear of being seen by his gang or maybe even rival gang members. Was it weird for Seungcheol to think that living like this was actually really nice? Because he kinda liked it. Jisoo was an amazing human being and Mingyu turned out to be cool. Loud, but cool nonetheless.

Seungcheol had gotten healthier and felt ten times better than the day he was jumped, but he still had some soreness every now and then throughout his entire body. He was sitting on the bed when Jisoo stepped into the room, but neither of them said a thing. At least five full minutes passed by before Jisoo spoke up. 

"You seem to be feeling better. You look good, too. I mean... you look... healthier." Seungcheol looked up and made eye contact with Jisoo when he said that last comment and he could see the pink blush dusting his cheeks and the slightly red tinged tips of his ears. Seungcheol simply nodded, a grin on his face. 

"Yeah... I guess, I'll get going." To where, Seungcheol asked himself. He couldn't go back to his gang. Not after they betrayed him like that. How could he go back to a place where they'd most likely do the same thing to him again. He couldn't do that. And all he wanted was to belong somewhere and feel like he mattered, feel like someone actually did care about him. 

He made to get up and walk out of the door, but Jisoo stopped him by grabbing his arm. Seungcheol looked down at the hand and then up at Jisoo's face.

"Why don't you stay with us?" Jisoo started and Seungcheol looked at him as if he grew a second head. "You don't have to be in a gang... You could live a normal life. With us. With...me."

Seungcheol pulled his arm away and sighed, noting how the look of hopefulness lingered in the other's eyes. "Why would you want me to stay?"

"Because I like you." Were the words that came out of Jisoo's mouth. Seungcheol wasn't expecting such a straightforward answer whatsoever, but then again, he could believe it because it was Jisoo after all. 

"You shouldn't like me. I'm nothing, remember? Worthless. I'm basically a street rat and you like me?" He didn't want to put Jisoo through anything, but deep down he was so so happy that someone actually liked him, that someone as perfect as Jisoo could like him. He felt like someone did care about him now, so why was he too stubborn to just accept it. 

"You're not worthless, Cheol. You mean a lot to me and Mingyu. Especially me. You humor me by letting me drag you around to places so I can do my errands and not feel alone. You took my loneliness away... Yeah, I have Mingyu and he's my best friend, but he has a life of his own, too. Taking care of you made me feel so happy. And even after you were better, you stuck around just a little bit longer and to me, I was so thankful." Jisoo had his head down and tried to hide behing his bangs, something Seungcheol noticed whenever the other was nervous or scared. 

He lifted the other's chin with his thumb and index finger and turned Jisoo's face to look at him. Seungcheol placed both hands on each side of Jisoo's face and pulled him in for a kiss. He pulled away and watched as the other's face turn pink which was a funny sight to see.

"I won't leave you alone, Jisoo." Seungcheol stated, looking confidently as possible. Jisoo wrapped his arms around Seungcheol's torso and buried his face in his chest. Seungcheol looked surprise for a second before wrapping his arms around the other. He gently pet Jisoo's hair and swayed them gently left and right. Seungcheol felt like he could belong now thanks to Jisoo.

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