It was weird seeing Myungsoo interact with the buzz-cut man. He seemed like a totally different person. A cold and trained soldier. An unfeeling person. But at the same time, there was something under that, which Sungyeol couldn’t pinpoint what was. Only that it was something.

Still. It was hard to concentrate on anything except for the fact that he was being held as a hostage and was tied to a hard metal chair with his hands behind his back. He was basically defenseless, and there was nothing he could do about that.

How could Myungsoo do this to me?

I thought I knew him…

Obviously he didn’t. He had been so sure that he had finally found that best friend who he could communicate with just with a look; laugh with because of something silly that happened two weeks ago; sit in pleasant silence for half an hour just because neither had anything specific to say.

Myungsoo clearly wasn’t that person though. Myungsoo was someone else entirely.

He was apparently involved with people who reminded Sungyeol awfully much of the Mafia. How Myungsoo had ended up with such a lot, Sungyeol had no idea, but he had no wish of finding out either. Someone who can fool you into thinking that they’re a friend, only to stab you in the back later, can’t be worth much. Sungyeol felt bitter for ever having thought that Myungsoo was his friend at all. At least now I know better.

-

“You have to eat,” Myungsoo told Sungyeol for the seventh time.

“No, I don’t,” Sungyeol replied defiantly.

“You’ll only get hungrier as time goes by.”

“Like you care.”

“I’m not gonna let you die.”

“Oh, well thanks. That’s really reassuring,” Sungyeol spat, his eyes mere slits as he stared at Myungsoo. He was still tied to the chair, though Myungsoo had removed the fabric from around his mouth that had disabled him from speaking. Myungsoo had also set a small table with a bowl of rice on top of it in front of Sungyeol.

Once again, Myungsoo held out a spoon with rice for Sungyeol to eat. And once again, Sungyeol turned his head away, refusing to eat.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake! Can’t you just take a freakin’ bite?!” Myungsoo exclaimed, rising from the chair he had been sitting on. He threw the spoon to the floor in a fit of rage. “Why do you have to be so difficult?!”

“Difficult?” Sungyeol replied, his voice also rising in volume. “I’m being difficult? Who the heck do you think you are? I’m the one who’s been kidnapped, for crying out loud! I have every right to be difficult! You’re the one who brought me here against my will!”

“Just shut up! I’m the one in charge here!” Myungsoo yelled. “And when I tell you to eat, you freakin’ eat!”

“I won’t!” Sungyeol screeched.

For a moment, Myungsoo just stood there, his hands balled into fists. Then he said, quietly this time, “Fine. Don’t eat. See how much I care. You’re the one who will suffer.” And he started to walk towards the only door in the room. When he arrived at the door, he took out a set of keys and unlocked the multiple sets of locks that had been installed on it. Then he turned and said to Sungyeol, “And don’t come and beg for food later, when you wish you had accepted it in the first place.”

-

Myungsoo had been right, of course. Sungyeol eventually got so hungry that all he could think about was food. Even worse though, was his need for water.

Myungsoo had come back later that same day to untie Sungyeol.

“Like I’m sure you’ve seen, the bed is over there in the corner,” he had said, pointing to the hard, metal bed. Sungyeol noticed that there was no pillow; only a thin blanket covered the mattress. “And there’s a bucket you can use as a toilet in the opposite corner.”

And with that, Myungsoo had left Sungyeol to his own devises, locking him in the small room where there was nothing to do but stare at the wall.

Sungyeol didn’t know how long ago that had been, but it felt like days. All he wanted was a drop of water.

Is he going to let me die like this? Sungyeol thought, pacing the room. I thought he was kidding; that it was nothing but a threat.

When Sungyeol thought of actually dying of dehydration, he felt the panic build up inside of him. He didn’t want to die, much less die because of something as stupid as dehydration.

If Myungsoo comes back, I’ll beg.

Sungyeol knew there was no other way. He would have to throw away this stupid defiance he felt in order to survive this.

-

Myungsoo came back into the room some time later. He had wanted to enter the room many times, but had stopped himself from doing so. He knew he had to show Sungyeol that he was the one in charge, and to do that, he would have to make Sungyeol so weak that he couldn’t resist anymore. So he waited. He waited for days before walking back into Sungyeol’s room. And like he had expected, Sungyeol had changed his mind.

As soon as Myungsoo walked in, Sungyeol swiftly turned his head towards the door. Myungsoo couldn’t help but notice the look in Sungyeol’s eyes. Hunger. A tiny knot formed in Myungsoo’s stomach, which he ignored.

Sungyeol rose from the bed which he had been sitting on and immediately knelt down on his knees, bending his head. “I’m sorry.”

Myungsoo stood and stared at the suddenly submissive boy in front of him.

“I’m sorry,” Sungyeol repeated. “I won’t disobey you again. So will you please give me some water?” And he slowly looked up at Myungsoo, the thirst shining in his eyes.

At that moment, all Myungsoo wanted to do was give Sungyeol everything he wanted: water, food, a warm blanket.

“I told you you would regret it,” he said instead.

“I know. And I do. So will you please just give me some water?” Sungyeol pleaded.    

“I also told you that I wouldn’t give you anything when you’d come begging.”

Sungyeol opened his mouth, as if about to utter a sentence, but closed it again. He knit his brows, and Myungsoo noticed that his hands were clenched.

“Please,” Sungyeol mumbled after a while, once again looking at the ground.

Myungsoo knew he couldn’t deny the boy what he wanted anymore. So he turned and strode back towards the door. Sungyeol, unable to understand that Myungsoo was in fact going to get some water – and not to leave him again – burst out, “Please! Don’t go again! I beg you, Myungsoo!”

Myungsoo froze, his hand on the door handle.

“Please don’t leave again,” Sungyeol whispered. “I can’t stand the thirst. I’ll do everything you say, so please just give me some water. Please don’t go again…”

“I’ll come back,” Myungsoo replied, and walked out the door.

-

Myungsoo came back only a couple of minutes later, two bottles of water in his hands and a fat sandwich. Sungyeol couldn’t help but feel relieved when he saw the other boy. He wanted to deny it, but he knew it was pointless. He was grateful for the water and the food, but he was also grateful for the company. Sungyeol was a person who didn’t like being alone. Even if he was away from people no more than a couple of days, he got lonely. He needed to interact with people. Talk with them. Communicate with them.

So when Myungsoo sat down on the couch after giving Sungyeol the food and water, Sungyeol felt slightly better. Not happy, obviously. He couldn’t be anything close to happy. He was being kept as a hostage after all. Still, it was nice to have another human being close by, even if said human being was a traitor and a liar.

Sungyeol drank both the bottles in one go. He then ate the sandwich, savoring the flavor of the food. He was sure it was the nicest thing he had ever eaten.

When he was done, he asked Myungsoo quietly, “Are you going to keep me here for long?”

This seemed like an unexpected question, for Myungsoo just looked at him in surprise. After a couple of seconds, he replied, “That depends on how long your father is going to remain stubborn and foolish.”

“Don’t call my dad foolish,” Sungyeol snapped.

“I can call him whatever I want,” Myungsoo shot back.

“Jerk,” Sungyeol spat.

“What did you just say?” Myungsoo asked, glaring at Sungyeol with big eyes.

“If you can call my dad foolish, then I can call you a jerk.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Yes, I can. Are you deaf or something? Jerk. Jerk. Jerk.”

 Myungsoo rose from the couch. “Shut up.”

“You shut up.”

“Shut. Up,” Myungsoo hissed.

“Don’t wanna,” Sungyeol replied nastily, and stuck his tongue out at the other. That seemed to have been too much for Myungsoo, for he strode over to where Sungyeol was sitting on the bed and slapped him hard, so that the room echoed its shrill sound. He then hovered over him, huffing as his anger slowly ebbed away.  

Sungyeol – whose cheek was slowly turning red – stared at Myungsoo in shocked silence. His hand went up to his face, and he touched his cheek gently, as if making sure what he had just experienced was real.

“Don’t make me do it again,” Myungsoo warned, his voice low.  

Sungyeol gazed at him with those big eyes of his, and Myungsoo detected an almost imperceptible nod.

Feeling no need to stay there any longer, Myungsoo turned and left the room, making sure to lock all the locks. Afterward, he stood for a second and stared at his hand, hating himself for having to do the things he did. Why couldn’t I have been a normal boy like everybody else? If it hadn’t been for… But no. He didn’t want to put the blame on anyone. Especially not someone he loved. 

Author's Note: I'm sorry, you guise... our poor Yeollie got slapped T^T But it just kinda had to happen...