A/N: Thanks for your comments =D I'll try to keep it at one chapter / week, so I plan on finishing this story before Christmas.

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The next morning his door got unlocked and someone pushed his breakfast into the room before Jiyong could even wake up properly. His sleep had been uneasy until early morning when he had finally managed to reach a deeper stage of sleep.

He heard Jiho's door getting unlocked as well. He was awake in an instant. Because normally, they wouldn't let Jiho out until evening.

He heard a short discussion between Jiho and two men, then they left. Shortly after the bathroom door had been locked, he heard Jiho's steps approaching his door and smiled.

“Good morning, Jiyong. How are you feeling?”

“Crappy. But it's good to hear your voice.” Jiyong greeted him sincerely.

Jiho had brought his own food and while they were eating, he explained excitedly: “They'll leave my door open, they said, only lock yours. They still don't want us to be together in a room for longer than necessary, but they suddenly worry about me having no faucet in my cell. So I can use the bathroom any time I need to.”

Jiyong felt his heart jump and getting a little bit excited, too. “It's strange they suddenly seem to care so much. And yet they're so cruel... So why all of a sudden...? Do you think they'll leave for a while? ”

Jiho shrugged.

“No idea. I wonder if they received a setback when they beat you up...” He quickly scrutinized Jiyong, worry flashing in his eyes. “Maybe they didn't get a ransom they wanted to have? I'll ask when they drag me out of your room again.”

That sounded kind of daring. But maybe only to Jiyong, as he feared their kidnappers right now more than anything.

Jiyong looked at Jiho – just a few days ago he had been ill and really needed someone to comfort him and care. The younger seemed different now. Now Jiyong felt like they had switched positions and that Jiho was ready and willing to take the role of the caring one. Jiyong was sure that Block B's leader didn't panic anymore when he was locked in his cell. He looked calm and focused.

“You really made up your mind and got your together, ha?”

Jiho's eyes met his and he nodded. “I am responsible for you now, Ji, since you can't walk. I can't let you down.”

When Jiyong didn't answer immediately, Jiho came a bit closer. “Don't worry, okay? I'll get out as soon as I find an opportunity and I'll get help!”

They stared at each other for some moments. Jiyong saw the determination in Jiho's eyes and how the younger tried to hide his worries.

“Your lip is bleeding again.”, Jiho said.

Jiyong his lips, tasting iron. “Yeah, I bit myself when they kicked me.”

He carefully felt the cut with his tongue, his saliva burning slightly in the wound.

“I think your eye is worse off.” Jiho carefully brushed his fingers over the skin next to the bruise.

It tickled.

“Keep cooling it.”, Jiho shoved the scarf back into his hands and Jiyong obeyed even though cooling his bruises with water all the time made his skin feel flaky and dry.

They remained silent as Jiho put the trays on top of each other.

Then the bathroom door to the hallway was unlocked and Jiho stood, waiting for their door to open.

They came in by twos, again. They fetched the trays, not really paying attention to their prisoners. Jiyong exchanged a look with Jiho, before the younger left and the door separating them was locked again.

Their kidnappers were becoming more careless. Jiyong felt his heart pound in his chest while he stared at the door and listened to the men leave. There was some sort of tension lingering in the space between him, the door, and Jiho on the other side.

For a while, Jiyong just listened to the silence, Jiho apparently did the same on his side of the door. He was there, sitting right behind the door – Jiyong was sure about this, he could almost feel him. Some strange connection had been established between the both of them.

Then finally, Jiho said:

“Jiyong? What will you do first after we get out of here? I mean, except from changing clothes?”

His voice sounded very clear, Jiyong closed his eyes and imagined Jiho sitting with his back to the door while speaking.

“I'll go see a doctor, of course.” He laughed bitterly but stopped as pain shot through his body.

“I just hope we'll get both out of this alive, Zico.”

“ 'Course we will! Don't give up so easily. Just remember, they want ransom for us. Okay, they apparently didn't get it yet, but they won't kill us, Ji.”

That nickname, all the time... A faint smile crossed Jiyong's lips. He enjoyed the comforting feeling the name invoked in him so he let the younger have his way.

“You know, Ji, you and me... we could go to a karaoke bar and sing together after we're out of here. I mean, we already sung together in here. I liked it, but I'd like it even more in a better place than this.”

Keeping his eyes closed, Jiyong's smile got wider.

“Sounds good, actually. Ok, I promise to go to karaoke with you. Just the two of us. If our bands would come, too, the public would make a fuss out of it.”

Jiho laughed. “Now it sounds like a date!”

“Dream on!”, Jiyong shot back but grinned and forgot for a moment that he was locked in a dark, cold cellar, bruised and battered, not able to walk properly and endangered of being beaten up again or worse.

“You know”, Jiho seemed to be talkative right now, “when I started my career, I really wanted to become as famous as you. I still look up to you. I always wanted to meet and talk to you. I imagined us having very deep and inspiring conversations.”

He paused and Jiyong kept quiet, curious what Jiho would say next.

“I think a lot of people imagine meeting their role models and doing cool stuff together. But with all due respect, Hyung, I hate our adventure here.”

“Yeah, reality is never as great as your imagination, isn't it?”, Jiyong agreed. “I'd prefer us hanging out at some cool place, too.”

Jiho snickered. Then he got serious all of a sudden and asked: “If I died, would you tell my Mom I love her?”

“You're not as optimistic as you try to seem, ha?” Jiyong hoped Jiho didn't get strange thoughts again. “You won't die. But I would tell her, don't worry.”

“Just in case... What would you want me to do? If something happened to you?”

Jiyong sighed. “Probably also to tell my family I loved them. And give Taeyang a hug.”

Thinking of his friend hurt. He really missed that dork. And the others.

Jiho hummed. “Okay.”

As his body started aching worse again without him moving, Jiyong changed position and laid flat on the ground. He'd been sleeping on this rock solid floor for days now and soon he wouldn't know anymore how to lay down without his back and neck protesting.

When Jiho was visited by their hosts again some time later, Jiyong was not prepared for what would follow after the visitor stepped into the bathroom.

He heard Jiho back away from the door.

Steps came closer, but then there was a sudden noise and a moan.

Jiyong felt his heart jump and tried to get to his feet, but without success.

Another punch, Jiho hissing, a sharp cry of pain.

Jiyong stared at the door, eyes wide, heart in his mouth and felt anxious for Jiho.

The next strike sent a body to the floor and Jiyong shuffled backwards, away from the door. He prayed that Jiho had won.

At first, slow steps approached the door to the hallway and locked it. Then they came back to Jiyong's door.

The key was inserted into the lock. He knew that he was probably in big trouble if the kidnapper would be the one to enter.

But when the door opened and Jiho looked at him, wiping his cheek where he had received a blow, Jiyong made it to his feet. He saw a masked man laying on the bathroom floor, unconscious. It looked like it was the guy “with some sense”, according to Jiho.

Jiho quickly paced the room to support Jiyong and he gladly grabbed the younger's shoulder.

“You made it, Zico.”

“Yeah, he was pretty unprepared.” Jiho was breathing heavily. “They got used to me being obedient.” He grinned.

Jiyong grabbed both of Jiho's shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. “Great job. You got the keys? Lock that guy inside your cell. Then get out through this door behind me.”

Jiho nodded and got to work. While he was pulling the guy inside the smaller room across the showers, he said: “I wonder why he came here, alone and unarmed. It's far too early for dinner... Hugh, guy's pretty heavy for being so slender...”

For a second he looked at Jiyong disappointedly because he couldn't help him with his task.

“He didn't say anything before I attacked him.”

Jiyong watched Jiho locking up the guy, clutching to the door frame to support himself. Now that Jiho could run away, he felt somewhat sick. Not that much because of excitement and hope, though.

“You know, if it weren't for the others”, Jiyong pointed towards the ceiling, “if speed wasn't important, I would come with you.”

Jiho looked at him from across the bathroom, hand still resting on the door which he had just locked. He paced the room and pulled Jiyong into a hug. Jiho gently pushed him back into the cell, kicking the door shut behind them.

“I'll lock this door, okay?”, Jiho mumbled into his ear and Jiyong leaned into him, carefully, so his ribcage wouldn't hurt more than it already did.

“If this'll make you feel better for me...”, Jiyong whispered back. He was blinking rapidly as he felt like crying. Maybe this was the last time he saw a friend in his life. If Jiho didn't make it out of the factory premises and reach help, then...

Damn his foot! He tried to put weight on it, but the sharp pain shooting through his body made him flinch and Jiho looked at him worried.

“Don't. If it's broken...” Jiho's voice was low.

Jiyong nodded and pulled out of the hug. The younger didn't look at him but fiddled with the keys in his hands.

“You must leave.”, Jiyong said. “As soon as they miss their buddy, they'll be after you! And”, he couldn't prevent himself from saying this, “maybe they'll want to know which direction you went...” He swallowed. Not again. If they would beat him up again like last time, he wasn't sure he would survive.

Jiho looked up, tears in his eyes and grabbed Jiyong's shoulders, ignoring that Jiyong flinched in pain.

“Are you sure you don't want to hide somewhere outside?”

Jiyong, unable to speak as there was a lump in this throat, laid his hands on Jiho's and pulled them from his shoulders, gently pressing them. He shook his head.

Jiho started crying silently, pressing back and Jiyong, feeling he was about to loose it if Jiho stayed any longer, begged him with his eyes to leave.

“I'll make it, okay! Just hold on. Trust me, I'll be back with help as soon as possible!”, Jiho whispered and let go.

He found the key to the door surprisingly quick and, casting a last glance at Jiyong, slipped into the next room, closing the door behind him.

Jiyong sank to the ground.

He heard Jiho's steps fading , then the door to the stairs outside being opened and closed again.

Jiyong started to cry, every sob sending pain through his body.