(24) Dreamcatcher - 1,896

“This is a nightmare,” Jongwoon hissed, chest tight and air thin in their surroundings. Kyuhyun agreed silently, tiptoeing his way to see the corner of the hallway.

“Why are we doing this, we’re in our thirties. We’re not supposed to be doing this.” Kyuhyun resisted rolling his eyes because normally, Jongwoon would love to play along.

But Jongwoon was a particular human being and he was prone to quite a lot of mood swings.

Today, they all caught him in a horrible mood.

He wasn’t all that whiny and Kyuhyun thanked his luck for it because he cannot stand whining. Especially when you’re aiming to win.

“Shut up, hyung,” Kyuhyun whispered harshly, pushing Jongwoon’s chest back to keep their position hidden. “Heechul-hyung calls it team building.”

“Team building my ,” and Kyuhyun wanted to do that . He shook his head because now was not the time. “We’re ing playing hide and seek!”

Kyuhyun slammed against Jongwoon, caging him on the wall with a hand covering his mouth. “You’re gonna give away our position!” He growled.

Jongwoon glared darkly. “I’m going to let you go but please, hyung, shut up.”

Resigned, Jongwoon nodded and Kyuhyun slowly backed away. He held his hands up in surrender to show that he wouldn’t actually cause harm. Jongwoon wiped his philtrum and mouth with his sleeve because the sweat was disgusting.

“How did we even get volunteers to play demon-seekers?” Jongwoon asked, crouching against the wall and finally cooperating.

“I think Heechul asked a few friends--”

“Typical.”

“And Siwon insisted we all play.”

“That, I did not see coming.”

Kyuhyun turned to glare at Jongwoon over his shoulder. He wanted to win the game. His pride was on the line. And a new box set of the latest games, a prize proposed by Heechul.

Jongwoon on the other hand, didn’t much care for the game. He arrived at the dorms expecting some rest and relaxation only to be pulled into the idiotic game of demon-hide-and-seek.

He never heard of it before especially the demon parts but Kyuhyun grabbed his wrist and an amazing out-of-nowhere intercom informed them to stay hidden from the Demons for two hours. If they succeeded, there was a prize. If they didn’t, chores, chores and nothing but chores.

Which, Jongwoon realized, was what drove Kyuhyun into playing.

“Fine but if I’m playing seriously, we need weapons.”

*

Siwon thought he heard cackling beside him. Heechul sat, legs spread wide and feet on a chair opposite him. He held a walkie-talkie in one hand and played with a control stick that moved the new hidden camera they installed a few days prior.

Usually Siwon wouldn’t condone things with demons but the rest of the members managed to convince him because, and he quoted, “for the greater good of the group, they need to fix their unresolved ”.

Which led to them playing this game. Only Kyuhyun and Jongwoon thought they were playing a game. Besides Heechul and Siwon, the rest of the members were outside doing personal stuff because they preferred not knowing Heechul’s plans. Heechul on the other hand, wanted to be the cause of the resolution of the unresolved .

Hankyung-hyung had warned him about this.

Siwon sat on the chair next to Heechul, posture straight and his aura all prim and proper. He glanced on the wide television screen that had a grid to show various views of the dorm. On one corner view, he saw Kyuhyun push Jongwoon against the wall.

It sort of took his all not to call off the game entirely. Of course, whether he called it off or not, it was still Heechul’s say, so he held onto his phone with Hankyung’s number just a press of a button away.

Jongwoon gave a small nod and Heechul whispered something through the walkie-talkie. The small videos were filled with men in almost too tight black costumes and a demonic mask that covered their entire face.

Heechul gave a feral smile.

Siwon sighed and leaned back on the chair, his almost regal posture destroyed.

It was going to be a long day. He might as well be comfortable.

*

Jongwoon could hear his heavy breathing. The tension was high and his heart thrummed loudly against his chest. He felt Kyuhyun’s body heat on his back. His breathing only slightly quieter than his. If the blood in his ears weren’t drumming loudly, he swore he could hear Kyuhyun’s too.

“I think someone’s here!” Jongwoon hissed and readied his water gun. He bit his lower lip and thought of a plan. Two hours was a long time to hide from someone and though the dorm was quite big, it was way too easy to navigate through. Not to mention there weren’t much hiding options besides locking yourself in a room.

And being locked in a room with Kyuhyun was the last thing Jongwoon wanted to happen.

He wished cursing Heechul had any effect at all.

Alas, if he was going down, he was going down with a fight.

He was turning thirty one. Why was he playing along?

Kyuhyun dismissed it as one of his moods because usually he would’ve gone along with it. Encouraged it, in fact. Jongwoon knew they perceived him as dense and naïve. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what was happening. It was that if he was wrong, things would be a nightmare.

They made their way as swiftly as they could to the other end of the dorm. If Jongwoon knew Heechul, he would be hiding and watching them, amused like they were his puppets on a show.

He couldn’t exactly begrudge him. He could towards Siwon. And though the usually religious member of their group wouldn’t allow things like demons being rampant in their dorms, true or not, Jongwoon realized it should have clicked when he received a text message from Siwon saying that he was sorry.

He thought it was just him apologizing for not visiting him. Jongwoon might have preferred that instead.

“Hyung,” the breath of air that tickled his ear was hot. It felt like he was burning. “We should hide further.”

“We have to get to the source of all evil.” Jongwoon said, continuing his way.

“The source of all evil has an accomplice.” The intercom resounded through the room that caused the both of them to jump. Jongwoon grabbed the front of Kyuhyun’s chest and Kyuhyun held Jongwoon at the back of his neck, as if ready to push him to the ground and protect him.

They flinched but immediately released their holds on each other as soon as they realized it was just the intercom. Jongwoon glared at a corner. “What are you up to, hyung?”

“Don’t glare at me. This was all Siwon’s idea.”

*

Siwon sighed and grimaced. He cared about Jongwoon, he really did. He also cared about Heechul and Kyuhyun but with the way things were going…

He didn’t remember why he was here in the first place.

Yeah it was his idea to go through with the hide-and-seek game, but with a completely different purpose.

He watched as the men in black leotards approached Jongwoon and Kyuhyun from behind.

Kyuhyun reacted first, seeing something from his peripheral view. He held on Jongwoon’s wrist and pulled, running down the hallway from where they came.

Heechul was biting his bottom lip but the smile evident on his face.

Siwon wondered if his prayers reached God yet.

He watched the screens, praying that this would end because he’ll end up dreaming about this tonight. He sighed again.

*

Jongwoon yanked his wrist from Kyuhyun’s hold. They were locked in a room now and the nightmare was getting worse. He avoided this for reasons and it looked like there was no escaping now.

Kyuhyun stood guard beside the door as if it was a matter of life and death. Jongwoon sat on the bed and wondered whose room this was.

Satisfied that there wasn’t anyone outside, Kyuhyun moved away after making sure the door was locked.

When he sat beside Jongwoon, he was startled by the sudden conversation. “Why are you even playing this game?”

Kyuhyun gave him an incredulous look. “Asks the man who searched for the water guns?”

Jongwoon shrugged but smiled, hitting his shoulder against Kyuhyun’s. Kyuhyun stayed unaffected, but a smile played on his lips.

“How long until it’s been two hours?”

“Half an hour,” Kyuhyun said, checking the alarm clock that was in the room.

Jongwoon looked around before leaning onto Kyuhyun’s shoulder. Kyuhyun stiffened, shocked at the sudden contact but relaxed after a while. He gazed at him fondly, eyes completely softening.

“Whose room is this?” Jongwoon asked, the room completely unfamiliar and practically bare now save for the bed, a desk, a picture frame and an alarm clock. They kept the room dim for fear of being found.

When Jongwoon didn’t raise his head, Kyuhyun turned his head, careful not to move his shoulder. His brows furrowed down the middle in thought. Until he caught the picture frame.

“Wasn’t it yours?”

Jongwoon jerked up and stared at Kyuhyun’s line of sight, eyes wide in surprise.

Kyuhyun stood and walked to the picture frame. He chuckled and took it from the desk then walked back to the bed. He gave it to Jongwoon who took it with care.

It was a ridiculous picture of him with Ddangkoma.

Jongwoon nearly laughed out loud before remembering why they were in the room in the first place and covered his mouth, his shoulders vibrating from the silent laughter.

Kyuhyun couldn’t help but smile.

When Jongwoon calmed down, he wiped the invisible tears at the edge of his eyes. “This is so embarrassing.” His cheeks were red but whether it was from laughing or actual embarrassment, Kyuhyun didn’t know.

“It’s a nightmare,” Kyuhyun said, reiterating Jongwoon’s words from earlier.

Jongwoon looked at him apologetically but didn’t word it aloud. He gave a small smile.

“Well,” Jongwoon said, leaning onto Kyuhyun again. “It’s not that bad.”

Kyuhyun didn’t keep track of the time, their positions too comfortable to worry about anything else. The moment of silence wasn’t at all awkward. He pulled them both down after a minute or two when he felt Jongwoon completely sag against him. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around him and made Jongwoon lie on his chest then kissed the top of his head.

“Sweet dreams.” He closed his eyes.

*

Jungsoo demanded to know what happened when they all returned, his hands on his hips. Siwon avoided eye contact, somewhat ashamed that things went that far.

Because Heechul looked unapologetic and shrugged Jungsoo off before sauntering back to his room to play video games.

“Where are they?” Jungsoo asked, rubbing his temples. The “demons” were paid and sent home and Jungsoo took note that they may need a new lock and security system after this.

Siwon led him to Jongwoon’s old room. “Locked, though.” Jungsoo produced a master key and opened the door.

Jongwoon was on his stomach, arm stretched over Kyuhyun’s chest and Kyuhyun firmly had his arms locked around Jongwoon. They slept peacefully.

Siwon smiled, happy that things went well. But the look on Jungsoo’s face told him that there will be words.

He wondered if God would forgive him for lying and running away just this once.

A/N: This was heavily inspired by Ya-ya-yah's Onigokko series, which I miss so much. ;n; BTW Almost halfway there!