Only Wanting

 

Prelude Story 2

 

A Hidden Kindness

 

Part 7

 

The drive back home had been conducted mainly in silence as Kiyeol was still upset and shaking, Bradley was trying to comfort the other and Jongki slipped between concern for their maknae and worry for the boy who had rescued him. They explained that Gary, who they nicknamed ‘Euo’ for the time being, had been in the Happy Cat and had seen the boy leave in a panic and followed. Unfortunately Kiyeol had ended up getting into a little trouble with some high school punks but Euo had helped out and taken him back to the Happy Cat in the hopes that someone would come looking. They left out all references to Jial and what else had occurred, but refused to take the other to the Hospital as everything was minor and right now the best thing to do was to get Kiyeol home, bathed and put to bed.

 

Kuso had been concerned but agreed that they would check everything out the next day and if he was in any type of pain then he would at least visit the Doctors. Kiyeol, for once, didn’t argue and clung to Bradley still silently weeping.

 

They got home around an hour after they left the cafe and the youngster was bundled into the house where immediately he was engulfed by the others who fussed on with him, told him off and threatened him with a thousand stupid things if he ever did such things ever again even though they all knew fine well that the youngster would more than likely to do it again. He was given lots of love and hugs and he just felt all the more guilty and stupid for having ran off. He knew that his hyungs would never abandon him and would listen when he had anything wrong but it was so hard to open up sometimes.

 

After a good half an hour, he was bundled up to the bathroom by Bradley, who had been putting Saki to bed and the little girl wasn’t best pleased about it either, to have a bath, get into his pyjamas and go to bed. It was one of the few nights were everyone was in bed quite early and a gentle hush filled the house.

 

However Kiyeol couldn’t fall asleep and slipped out of the room that he shared with Kyung and Jin, which as per usual was brightly lit with two night lights that sent different coloured patterns across the walls of the room, and made his way into ‘Mom and Dad’s’ (as it was nicknamed by everyone bar Jongki and Bradley who didn’t know of such things in the slightest).

 

Mama Bear was already fast asleep, bundled up in his blankets like some form of cocoon, and Jae – who shared with them on account of trying to keep the younger ones as un-infected as possible by the boy’s lack of immune system – stirred slightly when the door opened but simply turned over and went back to sleep in a matter of seconds.

 

Jongki blinked, a Kindle e-reader in his hand as he hadn’t quite felt tired enough to fall asleep as of yet and he was trying to not think about Jial, but smiled and patted his bed, “Didn’t think you would make it this long, Kiyeol.”

 

Kiyeol took the opportunity to slip inbetween the bedsheets and snuggle close to his hyung, loving the fact that Jongki always seemed to understand his situation without having to be told. Whilst Kiyeol clung to Bradley like a duckling, it was more common that any problems he had would be brought to Jongki first because in a really childish way Jongki was more of an Appa than Bradley towards them. For a second he remembered the funny comments about Brad and Jongki having been married in a previous life because they did act on like an old married couple despite just being best of friends but he thought better against voicing this aloud.

 

He doubted that Bradley would be overly chuffed at being called the woman in the relationship either.

 

Slowly he sighed, “I can’t stop thinking about him, Jongki, what he went through.”

 

Jongki sighed, putting his book down so that he could hug the other, “Kiyeol it wasn’t your fault.”

 

“They him Jongki,” Kiyeol just about managed to keep his voice low enough to not wake the others but already there were tears following down his cheeks, “They him. All because they couldn’t find me. They beat him and him...how is that not my fault? If I had...then he...”

 

“Kiyeol,” Jongki sighed, “He hid you because he didn’t want you to be hurt. It’s hard to say this but he knew what was going to happen, he’s probably dealt with those brutes before.”

 

Burying his face into the other’s chest, Kiyeol started crying again, “But why didn’t he yell out? Why did he take it? It’s not fair!”

 

“Shhh, Kiyeol,” Jongki said, running his fingers through the others hair, “Shhh, I agree with you but like Gary said, it’s a different world out there. We don’t understand the rules and how it all works. I don’t know why he did or didn’t do those things but I’m sure he doesn’t blame you in the slightest. He protected you Kiyeol, someone he barely knew and I think that takes a whole lot of courage. Think of him as being brave and despite the bad things that happened to him, he smiled and was kind to you. That’s a really rare thing and you should treasure that. Don’t think badly of him.”

 

Kiyeol whimpered, “I don’t, I just wish that I could do something for him.”

 

“We did, Kiyeol,” Jongki said, “I’m sure that he’ll use that money for something good. Don’t worry yourself anymore, you’re both safe and with people who care for you. Don’t fret on it, okay?” gently he placed a kiss on the other’s forehead and let him snuggle in deeper. Whilst Kiyeol finally slipped off to sleep, Jongki found himself staring out of the window, watching the moon and wondering about the strange boy named Jial. At first it was simple concern that plagued his mind, how he was doing and if he had been seen to but slowly as sleep gathered into his thoughts he wondered what food the other liked to eat, where he liked to go on weekends and just as he drifted off, what his lips tasted like.

 

Jongki wouldn’t admit it aloud, but he liked Jial. Though sadly it was probably nothing more than a passing fancy as he doubted that he would see the other again.

 

~~~

 

Sitting in the huge old bay window of the safe house, Jial stared up at the same moon and barely appeared to notice that the blanket that had been placed round his frame had fallen away from his bare shoulders. His mind felt calm and clear now, going back through the events of the evening and processing everything that he could. He skipped the bad bits naturally as he didn’t want to really remember them but instead focused on the strange and beautiful Jongki. He knew that he should forget about the other, forget the meeting and everything that went with it but there was just something about him, something that made his head feel funny and caused his heart to beat a little bit faster when he thought of the other.

 

Could he be ‘liking’ the other?

 

Jial shook his head furiously at that thought, that was a stupid notion and one that could get himself into a lot of trouble or even worse killed. No, he had to forget about the dark eyed and flawless skinned beauty because they were from two different worlds and that’s how it would always remain.

“Forget about him Jial,” he commented lightly to himself, “Just forget about him.”

 

He sighed, knowing that he probably wouldn’t as Sun was more than interested but he kept himself in check.

 

“Hey,” Gary’s voice thankfully cut into his mindless ramblings and the elder smiled warmly at him, “How you feeling?”

 

“Not good,” Jial replied, shifting a little, “But I’ve been through worse.”

 

Gary sighed and pulled the other into his lap, gently running his hand through the tatted locks, “You going to go willingly to Dixon’s tomorrow or am I going to have to drag you there?”

 

There was a sigh, “I’ll go.”

 

“Good boy,” came the reply, “You need a good wash and a trim too.”

 

“That costs money Gary.”

 

“You’ve got money,” came the reply, “Don’t think of giving it to your boss. You got given it.”

 

Jial twisted so that he could look up at the other, “That doesn’t matter and you know it. He’ll know, regardless of the weather and regardless of anything else. I can’t not give him it.”

 

Gary sighed, “You’re too loyal for your own good, you know that you stupid ?”

 

“I’m not loyal to him” came the reply, “I’m not giving up on Tae, no matter what I want to see my little brother open his eyes again and be able to talk to him. That’s the only person in the world that I’m loyal too and if it takes the rest of my life, I will see him awake once again.”

 

The Guard sighed, knowing that Jial was one hundred per cent committed to his cause and wouldn’t budge on the notion of doing anything else either. He was a fool and an idiot for not taking care of himself but there again, the Guard knew that it was Jial’s nature to look after everyone else. He had spent years at home running the place whilst his parents were working or doing stuff he wasn’t allowed to be involved in – he had a fair idea as to what but wouldn’t suggest it to Jial right now – and had basically brought his little brother up single handedly from the time he was about eight. Jial was used to looking after everyone else first and putting himself second but he shouldn’t have to. 

 

“You’re an idiot,” Gary said, gently and in good humour, “Loveable, but an idiot all the same.”

 

“Thanks hyung,” Jial replied gently, trying to fight off the pull of sleep which caused the guard to tut and watch as he slowly fell asleep. Once he was absolutely sure that Jial was out for the count, Gary picked him up and took him to one of the best beds in the safehouse and covered him against the cold. How someone who had gone through such a horrid and wretched life as his could still look like an angel whilst asleep was beyond Gary but the old Guard smiled and placed a kiss on top of his head.

 

“Kkwag jam, Jial” he said, before turning and heading through the rest of the safe house, checking on those who were in. There were only four others, a testament to the weather situation and Gary couldn’t help but start to worry about some of the ones who were missing. Hopefully they were doing fine and not being idiots.

 

Gently he rested his head against a frost covered pane of glass and sighed, he really was getting too soft for this job.

 

T.B.C