“They say there's a path soon where I'll stand to judge,
but the devils a waiting with Christ like a son.
When the look comes your way, best say was I,
for the reasons you hold give reasons to die.”

Sungmin lay still, his head pressed gently against the man's unmoving form. From the moment that he had laid his head down, he had given up all hope of the man awaking. His eyes were closed and he was unaware of anything around him, his strength entirely gone now. He felt like he was lost at sea, floating in the waters created by his unsteady mind. Bangs and crashes could be heard all around him, laced with cusses, but Sungmin wasn't aware of where or who they came from. All he could feel was the man. The man and his ever depleting warmth. If it were to fully fade, so would Sungmin. He would be under the waves and smothered.

He hated the man for being there, but he couldn't help the feeling of loss that was taking over him.

For the moment he was content, his hands mechanically gripping and releasing - one on the man's shirt the other in his hair - like he had reverted back to a baby, reacting to the feel of something in his palm. As they moved, his finger tips grazed across the man's chest and weaved into his matted hair.

Continuing to float, the world around him was hazy through his eyelids.

Cutting through came a angered bellowing: “WHAT THE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING NOW?!”

Sungmin felt himself being , like being pulled into a large vacuum cleaner. He was being pulled back. The force was magnificent and there was nothing he could do but move with it. He tried to hold onto the man – his safety point – but there was no use. Within his chest began a burning feeling that cursed through his nerves, ending at his extremities and setting alight.

“YOU NEVER STOP DO YOU?!”

Knowing he must open his eyes, Sungmin forced them to open. He was still in the room, although not where he had been. He was laid on the floor, feeling strong hands on the back of his shirt forcing him down, pressing on the gashes at the same time. Then he felt those same two hands pull him up so that he was resting on his knees, the rest of his body held vertical. One hand left him, the other holding him in place by his shoulder, as his attacker moved around him. It was Kangin again. Leaning down first to pick a large object up off the floor, he stood and towered over Sungmin.

His eyes were more menacing than ever, and Sungmin could feel them boring into him. Slowly he let his eyes travel up Kangin's form. Kangin was stood tall and overbearing, his remaining arm held limp by his side. In his hand was a long thin object. The darkness in the room made it hard to see what it was, but upon squinting, Sungmin was able to focus. He recoiled in fear as he saw that the object was a shotgun. In an attempt to get away, Sungmin began thrashing his body, but Kangin's vice like grip wouldn't let up. It just angered him further.

SLAP

A searing palm was sent crashing against the side of Sungmin's face. In shock he clasped at it and darted his eyes up to the cause. The instant he met eyes with him he regretted it as they gave away the true murderous intent that was inside this man. Eyes scanning the room in hopeless desperation, Sungmin began to pant. His mind was a rush with thoughts that he could make no logical sense out of as they overlapped and bounced off one another. Looking over to where the man was laid he let out a whimper as he felt his stomach hitch. His form slumped, but not entirely as Kangin was still holding on to him.

“I-is he d-dead? D-did you do t-that to him?” Although he knew he should be worrying about himself in this situation, his mind overtook him and asked.

“What? Oh him?” he threw his head back in a laugh. “Yeah I did that..... What of it? That bastard deserved it.” Returning to his full size and staring down at Sungmin again, he added: “And you deserve it too.” His voice was laced with poison.

Panic began to surge through Sungmin again as he realised the connotations behind Kangin's words. Doing the only thing he could think of to do, he harshly pushed himself down as far as he could, his hands resting on the floor holding him up. He began to plead.

“P-please D-don't h-hurt m-me....” he stuttered out, a sharp laugh being the initial reply.

“What? Are you actually serious?” he was still laughing.

Tears began to fall from Sungmin's eyes as they desperately searched the floor for help.

“P-please....... I'll do anything.......”

“You are pathetic. I'm doing you a favour.” Kangin spat releasing Sungmin's shoulder forcefully. There would be no mercy here.

Feeling the release, Sungmin shuffled forwards and gripped onto Kangin's feet.

“P-please Kangin,” his voice sounding almost manic now. “Please...... you loved me once. You must still feel something.........” Kangin tried to shake him off but he held firm. “I can make it better. I'll do anything. I'll make you love me again.”

Kangin could feel the anger rising with every word. This quivering man before him. This pathetic, disgusting man. He couldn't stand that he was touching him, the skin beneath his bony hands felt as if they were burning right to the bone. The last words were the final straw. Like a man possessed he ripped Sungmin away from him, pushing him sprawling onto the floor. Throwing his free hand up to his head, he began to rub and pull at his head vigorously, violently shaking. Letting out a bellowing shout he flung forward towards Sungmin as if possessed. Sungmin just watched on in fear as Kangin came hurtling towards him.

When he made contact, he grabbed a large chunk on Sungmin shirt in his fist and wrenched him back up onto his knees, all voluntary movement ceased, him limbs flying forward. His head moved unsteadily on his shoulders before he was held tightly in the position he had been in to start off with: on his knees. Whimpering cries filled the room once again.

“SHUT UP!! JUST SHUT UP!!” Kangin bellowed almost frantically.

Sungmin spluttered as sobs overtook him. Throwing his hands up frantically, he gripped at his mouth trying to stop the sounds, but it just changed them to a muffled sobbing.

“STOP! STOP!” Kangin dropped Sungmin and the shotgun to press his palms to his ears, pushing them roughly in an attempt to block out the sounds Sungmin was making.

Sungmin dropped forward so he was kneeling still, but his head resting on the floor, his hands still clasped over his mouth. It did nothing at all to quell the sobs that fought through his fingers.

“If you won't stop, I'll make you!”

Reaching down again he grabbed the back of Sungmin's shirt and pulled him back to a vertical position.

“Oh yes I'll ing make you!”

With his other hand, he reached for the shotgun laid disguarded on the floor. Shotgun recovered, he leant in close to Sungmin, pausing for a second before whispering words into his ear in a vicious tone that made his ear burn.

“Know this......I never loved you. Never.”

With those words, Sungmin felt his entire being fading from him. His eyes glazed over, all fight in him gone. There was no use any more. No use in fighting. No use in trying. He would accept whatever was going to happen. He was going to let it happen.

Letting go of his shirt slowly, Kangin gave out his final order to Sungmin. “Stay still.”

Still. Oh yes he would stay still. Anything for him.

Kangin lifted the gun to the back of the kneeling man's head. His body was shaking, surging down his arm and to the gun. Eyes boring a hole in the back of the waiting man's head, he slowly started to squeeze down on the trigger.

“One......”

“Two........” Sungmin closed his eyes.

Crash........

The countdown stopped as a large object hit hard against Kangin's head. Kangin could feel his body falling to the side, the room around him moving in slow motion. He landed with a crash behind Sungmin, the shock preventing full comprehension of what was happening. He lay there in a stupor, all colour moulding into pitch black.

Sungmin was still obeying orders; staying still. Every noise he heard he disreguarded. When Kangin fell to the floor, he reacted in no way. Then when a gentler thud not even half the volume of the one behind him sounded in front of him, he didn't bat an eyelash.

However, when two ice cold hands settled on the side of his face, he couldn't help but flinch at the unexpected feeling. First he furrowed his eyebrows, assessing the situation, then slowly began to open his eyes, staring down and the ground, then steadily moving up. Before him was a figure dressed all in black, whom he discovered was the man once his hopeful eyes reached his face. What he saw was two dark eyes staring back at him, but instead of being dull and dead like the last time he had seen them, they were full, staring at him with worry and apathy.

Hope transformed into pure shock as Sungmin was frozen to the spot, but this time, it was because a man whom he thought was dead was alive and kneeling in front of him. When he regained his sense, he acted out of reflex, leaning backwards away from him.

When he felt him trying to move away, the man moved with him, his ice cold hands still holding firm on the sides of Sungmin's face.

“Sungmin.......”

He was cut off by Sungmin's startled cry: “You were dead.......” his voice shaking. “Wh-what is this? Wh-what's happening?” His whole body was shaking now.

Tentatively, the man began rubbing his thumbs over his cheeks.

“Shhhhhhhhhhhhh. It is okay.” The man whispered soothingly. “Calm down.”

“NO! Tell me what's..... what's happening! Tell me now!”Sungmin shouted as tears began to pool into his eyes. “Where's Kangin?” He tried to shake the man off so he could find Kangin.

“Sungmin,” his voice dead panned. “Calm down.” It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order.

Hearing his words, Sungmin slumped forward, his exhaustion catching up with him. The man caught him and pulled him forwards towards the sofa which he placed his back against for support. Resuming his place kneeling in front of him, the man began:

“Sungmin.... Do you have any idea who I am? No? Do you know why I am here? No again? Well I am not here simply because my car has broken down and I need a mechanic to fix it. It is also just not by coincidence that the mechanic could not make it out here straight away. I did this Sungmin. I made this happen. Do you have any idea why?” The man had returned back to his stoic countenance the same as the day they had met.

Sungmin was staring at him with wide eyes, drinking in everything the man before him was saying, but not comprehending any of it. Listening and understanding are two completely different things.

“I will take that as a no.” He looked to the side thoughtfully as if thinking through what he would say. “I guess that the best thing for me to do in this situation would be to tell you as straightforwardly as I can.”

Turning his head and looking directly into Sungmin's eyes again, the man spoke in a blank, monotone voice: “I am here for Kangin.”

Sungmin fully comprehended as his first reaction was to try to lean forwards, his mouth hanging agape, however he was stopped by a firm hand on his chest.

“Stay down Sungmin.” He ordered. “I do not think that you will ever be able to fully understand anything I have to tell you, so I will not bother explaining everything fully. You just need to know that this is because of you, but it is not your fault. Did you hear me? Not your fault. He has abused you for so long, mutilated your body and caused deep psychological scars. Do you think that we would have let it happen any longer?”

After staring at him and willing him to understand, the man stood up and walked away from the bewildered Sungmin towards Kangin who lay unmoving in the position he had landed in.

“Time is up.” The man voiced bluntly.

“Wait!” Sungmin shouted, dragging his exhausted body up to his feet, using the sofa to lift and then steady himself. “Why are you doing this? I don't understand. What are you going to do to Kangin?”

No matter how he had been treat, Sungmin couldn't stop the feelings of fear that filled him at the thought of losing Kangin.

“Lee Sungmin. You have to leave this place. There is hope for you.” The man's icy voice extended, echoing through the room.

“No! There is no hope for me. Regardless of whether or not I stay, there is no hope left for me.” Sungmin replied despondently.

“You do know what this means? I will take him regardless of your choice.” The man spoke again.

“No. I won't let you take him.” Sungmin interjected.

“This in non negotiable.”

“No! I won't let you.” He repeated, this time with more force.

“You have absolutely no say in this. The decision has been passed. There is nothing you can do.” The man spoke angrily now, his voice cold and cutting, slicing into Sungmin. His eyes were piercing into him with the ferocity of an animal caged.

Clutching at straws, Sungmin carefully walked over to the man and dropped himself down to his knees in front of him.

“Please. Please. I will do anything. Anything at all. Just leave him with me.”

Shocked, the man's face cracked, giving way to something akin to remorse before sealing back up and returning to its cold stoic stare.

“There isn't an option.....”

“No! No! Don't say that. You can't take him.” he shouted, tears beginning to stream from his eyes as he began to plead. “Please...... please.....”

The man had returned to his stoic mask in an attempt to be able to be unaffected by Sungmin. He knew Sungmin would put up a fight. But being with Sungmin these past few days was rendering his mask useless and it once again cracked, his eyes softening.

“Sungmin. This is recompense.” He tried, clearing his throat before he began to reject any feelings that were working their way up his throat. Emotions were a sickness. He didn't need them in this line of work. “This is for you.”

“For me?! How can this be for me? If you take him away I will die. I swear I will.” He was looking up at him from his place on the floor, pleading again. “Please.....”

That was enough. The man's mask shattered entirely as he too fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around Sungmin and pulling him tightly to his chest. Sungmin's arms were folded in between the two and he clutched onto the man's shirt as if holding on for dear life. Burying his face into his chest, his body shook.

“Please don't....... please don't......” Sungmin repeated softly.

Running his fingers through his hair, the man attempted to calm the disconsolate man whose body was going into shock from panic. He opened his mouth to speak, but there were no words. Everything he could say would be to no effect. He wanted to sooth him, to heal him, to rectify, but how would that be possible if he was taking the one thing that Sungmin felt he needed to be healed.

He couldn't leave Kangin. That was the one thing he definitely couldn't do. But what could he do?

Holding Sungmin tightly to himself still, the man began to speak softly: “Sungmin, listen to me. I need you to know that you are going to be okay. No matter how bad things seem, or how bad you feel at first, you are going to be okay. Everything is.”

Taking his hand from Sungmin's hair, he replaced it on his shoulder, moving his other hand from Sungmin's back to his other shoulder. Pushing him back carefully, he surveyed his face to read his emotions before directing his attention straight into his eyes. Sungmin looked utterly broken, he didn't even look like Sungmin any more. His eyelids were red and swollen and tears had made tracks down his face in the muck and blood that had settled. His gaze was fixed on the man's chest.

He wanted to believe that everything he had just said to Sungmin was true but, looking at him now, he doubted his words. His form looked like it could shatter at the slightest touch. If he gave Sungmin his wish and let Kangin stay, he would die for sure. So it wasn't an option. But he dreaded to think what would happen when he took Kangin away.......... He would just have to deal with the outcome.

Staring at the broken man's face, the man felt that he could never leave. The very thought of leaving brought bitter bile up into his throat. He needed to stay, to look after Sungmin, to help him heal. Holding his slight frame in his hands told him that this is where he needed to be. Without thinking through things fully, the man spoke again.

“Look at me, Sungmin.” The man started softly, trying to force a half-hearted smile, but failing as his lips quivered in the corners. He was not used to this. When he got his request, his heart constricting as their eyes met, he continued. “I need you to make me a promise. You need to wait for me. Okay? I will come back. I will come back because you need me........... I need you......... I will take care of you........ you just need to wait. Will you promise me that?”

Sungmin's eyes scanned around the man's face. He didn't fully understand what the man was saying to him or what the connotations were, all he knew was that he trusted him. So he nodded slightly, so slightly that it didn't even look like a nod.

As soon as the signal came, the man brought his face to Sungmin's and kissed him gently. As it lingered, his eyes were open the entire time, looking at Sungmin with a concentrated expression. Sungmin's body had initially tensed before it relaxed, then relaxed so much that his body crumpled against the man's who caught him with expertise, lowering his body gently so that it was laid flat on the floor. He was out cold. Ghosting his hand over his resting face, the man whispered: “Wait for me.”

*

When Sungmin awoke he was laid in his bed, the covers wrapped tightly around his torso. Stretching, he blinked his eyes open and looked around the room. For a few moments he was disorientated before he remembered Kangin. Wondering where he is, Sungmin threw the covers aside and climbed out of bed.

After checking in all the rooms upstairs and getting no luck, Sungmin walked down the stairs.

“Kangin! Where are you?” he shouted, looking in all the rooms downstairs. He was still no where to be found. Confused, Sungmin furrowed his eyebrows and stood in the same spot, doing a full 360 turn.

Sungmin settled his mind on the thought that Kangin had gone out somewhere, his thoughts being confirmed by looking out of the window to discover that his car wasn't there.

Turning round, he made his way towards the kitchen, stretching as he did so. Letting out a sharp cry, he winced at a sudden sharp pain that spread over his back. He reached an arm around and under his shirt, feeling at his back gently. When his hand rested on the dressing that was neatly wrapped around his back and abdomen, his brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to recall why they were there. He couldn't remember hurting his back.

Shaking it off as early morning memory loss or something, he continued into the kitchen. Once inside, he brewed himself a cup of coffee, preparing three cups but only filling one. Lifting up his drink, he stared at the two cups left bewildered. Why did I get three cups? He thought to himself. Emptying one into the rubbish bin, he placed the cup in the sink and sat down at the table with his drink. In the centre, were the days letters. Pulling them towards himself, thinking how they were just going to be bills, his eyes settled on the top letter that had his name scribbled on in Kangin's untidy scrawl. Opening it, his eyes widened as he read the contents:

Sungmin,

I can't do this any more. I am leaving you. Don't try to find me, I don't want to

see you again. You deserve more than I could ever give you. You deserve better

than me. All I ever did was mistreat you. I did love you once, but that went and

with it my self control.

Don't worry about the house, you can keep it.

I'm sorry for everything I have ever done to you.

Kangin

He read and re-read the letter a couple of times before letting the it drop entirely from his hand. Tears filled his eyes as he stared down at the letter completely bewildered. He couldn't believe it.

Over come with grief he tried to think about what he would do now, how he would survive without Kangin. He could see no way that he would survive, he needed Kangin.

Dropping his head down onto the table and covering his face with his arms, he began to sob. It was while the powerful sobs were making his body shake that a memory surfaced in his head. A voice that sounded close but also far away. A voice that sounded familiar but also completely alien.

“Wait for me,” it said. Plain and simple. “Wait for me.”

What it meant Sungmin didn't know. All he knew was that, for some reason, it calmed him. After racking his brain for an origin to the voice and coming to no avail, Sungmin gave up, surrendering to the the voice that was playing even louder and clearer in his head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And there it is, the final chapter.

When I started writing it I had a clear goal in mind, but after I had written a few chapters, I started to sway towards a different path. As a result, I have started a sequel!! Hopefully it will make those of you happy who wanted more KyuMin. Here it is:

Recompense

@Missldash: Sorry I made you think I had given up. I hope I didn't make you wait too long this time. Hope the final part was okay :D Thank you for your support!!

@BlueBeach: Still sort of a sad ending, but at least he is safe now! The sequel will be much happier! I promise!

@Keobukbi: Thank you :). Sungmin finally got some help! Though he doesn't realise it yet, it is help!! The sequel will be more of this :)

@candeegraffiti: haha thank you sooo much for your support. You always leave such lovely comments. I really appreciate it!! I spend so much time on the story making sure the pacing is just right because I think it is really important. This one has finished, but there is a sequel. Is that better? It will contain more happiness!!

@Namitsutw: I don't think I could have killed Kyuhyun! I just did it to tease :P. Hmmmm i guess everything isn't quite resolved, but there is the start of it. Thanks for reading and for your support, you always leave such lovely comments!!

@loveSungmin: Thank you for your support, I'm happy you like it!!

@kyumin15shipper: haha sorry, is everything okay now? He is safe!

@justanotheroutsider: I hope you enjoyed it!

Thank you all so much for sticking with me as I beat Sungmin up for seven chapters!! I appreciate it sooooooo much!!

*hugs*