This chapter was coming off as really disjointed no matter how much I tried to fix it! Hopefully it would make sense to you guys. ¬.¬

I'm kind of rushing through the scenarios here as well since I was hoping to end this fic off within a few more chapters... do feedback. (Hint: their relationship involves a teeny weeny bit of stockholm sydnrome in here.) ^^

Thank you all for your kind subscriptions and comments!

><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

Sounds of birds chirping and the intrusion of a warm ray of sunlight roused a sleeping figure as he shifts a little beneath the heavy sheets. For some reason, he is not in pain like how he would be usually. In fact, it felt almost as though his mind and body are detached. Is he finally dead? Does being dead feel like this?

Sitting up with much difficulty, the pale young man lifted his hands and did a quick examination of his battered upper limbs. They are bandaged and the cuts he had made are nowhere to be seen beneath the thick wade of gauze.

Moving his stiffened toes slowly, a soft clink caught his attention and dread washes over in an instance. He is not dead. Though he would be better off dead. The cold metal cuff around his ankle felt like it weighed a tonne and he can barely lift his feet. His heart dropped and he found tears of despair coursing down his face. Nevertheless, he could wallow in self-pity or he could do something about his plight.

Chewing furiously at his inner cheek, Hongbin is determined to get away. If he cannot die then at least he has reserved the rights to escape. Dorsi-flexing his feet and trying to wriggle it out from between the cuffs, Hongbin accidentally reopened the nearly dried scabs lining his currently shackled right ankle, evidence of his previous restrains.

Yelping a little and pouting with his failed pathetic attempts, the turning of the door knob just a mere metre away from the bed startled him into seizing up. Scrambling beneath the bottom most layer, Hongbin noticed how hard his hands are quaking but there is nothing he can do to stop those involuntary jerking movements.

Feeling the side of the bed closest to him sink beneath the weight of another person, Hongbin held his hands to his mouth to stifle the squeal that is working it’s way out of the back of his throat. He hadn’t been the most orientated back when he first arrived at his new prison, but now, he is lucid. Never been more clear headed.

The fear from before was dulled out by all that grogginess and dilapidation. Now that his body has recuperated to a certain extent, he is able to actually feel the terror again. Taekwoon’s grip on the edge of the sheets was cue for him to react and he held on with whatever he’s got.

The man seemed surprised at first and subsequently stopped with the tugging but before Hongbin can feel any sort of relief, the blanket is flung away. There, standing tall as always, is an expressionless Taekwoon.

The man looked fine as hell, hair a tiny bit dishevelled and he appeared to have been rushing. Taking note of the tray of food in Taekwoon’s hands, those horrid memories started to flood Hongbin’s head once again. Eyeing the man fearfully as he settles down beside Hongbin with the same blankly inscrutable face, the latter backed towards the head of the bed dramatically.

Nevertheless, he is not going anywhere with the chains practically connecting his leg to the tail end. Scrambling to put a pillow between them, Hongbin wailed when Taekwoon simply reached for the fetter and tugged him closer. Lashing out with his pillow, Taekwoon disarmed him pretty much instantly and Hongbin is in his arms once again.

Taekwoon’s eyes glowed with incandescence despite that unreadable face so Hongbin kind of figured he should stop provoking him. Watching the man as his eerily piercing eyes wanders down to his bruised ankles littered with raw abrasions, the latter held his breath for the longest moment while Taekwoon meddled with the manacles.

The metal bands clicked open soon enough and Taekwoon’s previously flat expression transformed into something more. A mixture of concern, displeasure and a blatant look of someone whose heart is aching. Hongbin could not fathom why he would even care but he hated Taekwoon for acting so gentle. His loathing for Taekwoon could possibly be a driving force to strive for survival yet the quiet man in front of him now is hard to detest.

his ankle a couple of times before letting go of his right leg, Hongbin quickly placed as much distance between them as possible. Taekwoon did not seem too bothered. Going about setting up his plate as well as adding more of his own portions to Hongbin’s designated plates, the man filled the glasses with water and smiled.

Turning to look at Hongbin who is now crouching in the corner of his room, the man stood and made his way over. Settling down on the ground beside the young man and placing the tray in front of Hongbin, Taekwoon started to eat his own portion. In the most undignified position, half squatting on the floor.

Watching Hongbin and munching away, Taekwoon pushed the tray closer to Hongbin with one hand causing the young man to jump cutely. This adorable sight caused Taekwoon to choke on his food and he had to turn away while he eases the smile off his face.

Turning back to face Hongbin once again, Taekwoon picked up the bread and holds it to Hongbin’s lips motioning for him to take a bite. The young man complies but bites Taekwoon’s fingers instead. Dropping his own morsel so that he can extricate his phalanges from between the latter’s teeth, the monster within Taekwoon threatened to unleash itself but was successfully suppressed.

Seeing that Taekwoon is not about to hit him despite what he had done, Hongbin released his fingers and tried to escape once more. Taekwoon acted on instinct and moves in for a swift capture. Holding Hongbin by the waist and pulling him to sit on his lap while they lounge on the cold floor, Taekwoon calmly continued with dinner.

Hongbin relents after a long while and ended up eating a small portion. Refusing to let Taekwoon feed him, they ended negotiating in silence. Hongbin would eat half his plate and Taekwoon would leave him alone thereafter. They communicated with whatever means available except with words.

Taekwoon had been nothing but tender towards him and the vibe that he gave off was unexpectedly different. His current self is a stark contrast in comparison to the angst and stressed up man from before. He looked serene and at peace with himself too. In addition, he looked a whole lot more forbearing and almost eager to talk.

After all, walking in on a half dead Hongbin almost caused Taekwoon his sanity. His prisoner had apparently decided that he would rather die than be one for the rest of his life. Taekwoon totally understood why Hongbin had done what he did, yet it is still unacceptable.

Fortunately for Taekwoon, he had decided to return to his room back then instead of heading back to work. The higher ups were all looking for him for suggestions but he really wasn’t in the mood to be brainstorming with them. Unfortunately and fortunately for Hongbin, he wasn’t bleeding out fast enough and Taekwoon’s doctor ended up fixing him up before anything detrimental could take place.

It was through this scare did Taekwoon realise how much he feared losing Hongbin. His house is not the considered big. It’s just a one storey building with multiple rooms. Yet it felt empty and barren without anyone else residing in it besides himself. Hongbin is a great addition to his family. An addition to die for.

They have met under very extreme circumstances and Taekwoon is aware that keeping Hongbin by his side is akin to tormenting him further, but he chose to stand by the argument that he wanted a chance to make it up to the latter. He cannot lose Hongbin. He needed the comfort of knowing Hongbin is around and close to him. Safe.

On that note, the man cuffed the latter’s left ankle this time around and left. Leaving a notepad and pen beside the latter so that he can write to relieve some of his bottled up frustration.

Taekwoon had noticed Hongbin’s habit of writing letters. He felt that if writing could make Hongbin happy, then he would do whatever it took to please the latter.

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

“Dear Mr Kidnapper,

    Don’t you have any other kinds of food asides from dried army grains?”

Approaching Hongbin’s room again for breakfast the next morning, Taekwoon spotted a note addressed to him lying on the small bedside stand beside the sleeping Hongbin.

Admiring and rereading the note before slipping it into his shirt pocket, Taekwoon smiled brightly and left with the tray he had brought in with him. He will fix a more appetising breakfast for them.

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

“Dear Mr kidnapper,

    Will appreciate it if you would allow me to preen in peace. Preferably alone.”

The next note came a couple of days later. Taekwoon found it amongst the pile of pyjamas when doing the laundry. Hongbin’s handwriting is as neat as Hongbin is neat and Taekwoon kept that crinkled piece of paper as well.

Entering the room since it is Hongbin’s bath time, the latter felt more like a pet animal that Taekwoon is rearing. He is not pleased about the institutionalisation but it was not like he could complain about it. As long as Taekwoon would leave him be. As long as Taekwoon could refrain from violating him, he is already more than thankful.

It took him a few days to successfully convince himself that Taekwoon would probably not touch him. They are all alone in the house and Hongbin is sure that even if Taekwoon were to do anything vile to him at all, he wouldn’t be able to escape his fate anyway. Which was also why bath times are the most nerve wrecking. He cannot help but be overly conscious about stripping in front of Taekwoon. It wouldn’t be the first time he is so underdressed in front of Taekwoon, but that is not something he wants to get accustomed to.

Since his failed attempt at his own life, Taekwoon had been keeping a particularly close eye on him. Especially during bath time when he has all the time in the world to pick his method of suicide.

Whenever the man is out, he would be sure to leave the windows open and whatever Hongbin needed would be within reach as well. Despite being chained to the bed, he never really got any more depressed than before. With the new gadgets such as the film machine that Taekwoon had brought back to entertain him with, he rarely felt bored at all. Taekwoon would allow him to roam around freely whenever he was present and Hongbin began hoping to see the man around more often.

Taekwoon would also dress the wounds on his wrists and ankles for him, and he had been nothing but gentle. Every night without fail. Then looking almost apologetic as he fits the manacles back on every night before he heads off to bed, making Hongbin feel bad for side eyeing him.

They never slept in the same room but Hongbin would often hear Taekwoon’s movements from the wall between them. It had become a sort of habit for the latter to stay awake, wondering what the man is doing next door. Killing and feasting on another human being? Draining the blood from his victim with a diabolic look on his face.

Hongbin had a colourful imagination and that often affected his sleep, yet the monstrous Taekwoon he had anticipated and known is nowhere to be found.

Deep down inside, Hongbin is at the verge of forgiving Taekwoon. Unbeknownst even to himself, he is gradually loosening up around Taekwoon. The number of letters addressed to Taekwoon are increasing. He is starting to talk to Taekwoon. Though not literally.