Kihyun ducks through the doorway, twisting to avoid the door halfly hanging on its hinges. He glances around the somewhat demolished home, sighing at seeing he’s the only one there. He swears, if the others aren’t back by sundown he isn’t even going to bother cooking them dinner.

The short male hobbles over to the musty couch, and is met with a cloud of dust as he plops down on the cushions leaking with stuffing. He sets his crutches off to the side, absentmindedly glancing down at his leg. He finds himself wishing yet again that things were different. If he hadn’t have fought in the stupid rebellion, both his legs would be just fine. He’d be able to help out a lot more now, other than just cooking for his friends and moving around in the shadows to find them suitable places to squat.

“Hyung!” Changkyun’s voice suddenly calls, breaking through the silence. Kihyun glances up, raising an expectant brow as the younger enters the home. Changkyun’s blank expression breaks out into a grin at seeing Kihyun, and immediately goes to sit beside him. He lies down, resting his head on Kihyun’s lap.

“I’m glad to see you back on time, for once,” Kihyun comments as he begins to comb through Changkyun’s dark locks. It’s much shorter than usual, a haircut gone awry. It’s the last time Kihyun lets Minhyuk around Changkyun’s precious head with a pair of scissors in his hands. Changkyun’s eyes meet Kihyun’s, a pout contorting his features.

“The others actually sent me ahead,” Changkyun admits, chuckling at Kihyun’s exasperated groan. “Jooheon-hyung asked me to tell you that they’re going to be running late tonight. He said if you could hold off on cooking dinner for an hour, it’d be great.”

“A whole hour?” Kihyun asks, alarm filling his mind. Just what are the others out there doing that’s going to take so long? Changkyun hums affirmatively, as if it wasn’t a big deal. “What are they up to?”

“Jooheon-hyung wouldn’t explain,” Changkyun tells him, sitting up. “You know how he is, only telling us what we need to know.” Kihyun rolls his eyes in aggravation, sitting back further into the couch. Changkyun smiles fondly at the older, adding, “He does it to keep us safe. You know that.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Kihyun grumbles, crossing his arms across his chest stubbornly. Changkyun chuckles at his hyung’s behavior, and scoots close until his face is mere inches from the older’s. His eyes glance down towards Kihyun’s lips, slowly leaning in, but then pauses. His eyes begin to blink rapidly as he studies Kihyun’s eyes, and he pulls away.

“What’s wrong, hyung?” Changkyun asks, his lighthearted tone growing serious. “Is your leg bothering you again?” Kihyun instinctively grips his right thigh, which earns a whimper of concern. “Don’t worry, hyung. Jooheon-hyung said that he’s close to getting enough to get you a prosthetic, just like he promised. It won’t be long now.”

“He’s been saying that for months, Kyunnie,” Kihyun can’t help but sigh. He squirms away from his boyfriend, grabbing for his crutches and moving towards the bags hidden away in the entryway closet. Changkyun doesn’t say anything else until Kihyun returns to see his confused pout. Kihyun’s heartbeat slows at the expression, guilt filling him at saying what he did. He didn’t want to fight with the younger about this again.

“Is something else bothering you?” Changkyun asks, moving to help the older with the supplies. Kihyun in a breath through his teeth, wracking his brain for something to say that’ll end this discussion.

“Just tired, I guess,” he sighs out at last, trying for a small smile. “It’s been a long day.” Changkyun comes to stand beside him and peers into his eyes once more, not quite believing him. Kihyun sees the conflict in his eyes, wanting to continue the discussion but also not wanting to press him. Kihyun finds himself leaning in to give Changkyun a slow, deep kiss in hopes that the younger will get too distracted to press on. He reaches over, placing his free hand against the back of his boyfriend’s neck to hold him in place as he moves his lips against the younger’s. “Really,” he whispers, pressing his forehead against the younger’s as he pulls away, “I’m fine.”

Changkyun hesitates another moment before finally nodding. He presses another kiss against the older’s lips, and then begins setting out the sleeping bags and lanterns. Kihyun swallows down his own guilt at lying to the younger, but knows it’s for the better. He doesn’t want his doubts getting back to Jooheon, after all. And Changkyun, the innocent boy that he is, wouldn’t think anything of repeating their conversations to the mastermind of their group. No, it’s better to keep his thoughts to himself, to keep them both safe from Jooheon’s manipulative tactics to keep them in line.

“I can get you what you need,” Jooheon murmurs, breaking apart a twig as he speaks. The older man sighs heavily, rubbing at his eyes.

“The hospital bills are too much,” Hyunwoo says, his soft voice floating along the ash-filled air. There’s been another insurrection not too far from the capital, where they are, but it failed. Again. It seems nothing will get them out of this mess their beloved country has become since the civil war. “They say he needs a new treatment, too, which will only add more. I’m already so far into debt with the hospital that they won’t administer the treatment unless I pay upfront.”

Jooheon sighs tiredly, throwing the remnants of the stick further down the alley they’re currently sitting in. He wishes he could get enough of the drug ready in time, but there’s only so much Delphinium around here… He has to save as much extract as he can.

“I can help you get the money, hyung,” Jooheon insists. Hyunwoo shakes his head, running his hands through his dark hair.

“I’m not going to steal, Jooheon-ah,” Hyunwoo argues, already knowing what Jooheon is suggesting. This isn’t the first time they’ve had this discussion, after all. “If I get caught, my father is done for.”

“If you don’t try whatever you can, your father is done for,” Jooheon presses on, his suddenly harsh tone causing the older to flinch. The gentle approach hasn’t worked with Hyunwoo up to this point. Now it’s time for a different tactic. He stands, brushing off his pants. “Look, hyung. You know I don’t want that to happen, neither of you deserve that kind of tragedy, but you’ve tried doing things by the book. Maybe it’s time to throw that book out the window…” He pauses, watching the older to see if his words have reached him on some level. Hyunwoo merely sits there, head bent down, refusing to acknowledge the younger’s words.

“I’ve gotta go, hyung,” Jooheon sighs, shaking his head at the older’s stubbornness. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” Hyunwoo hums, and Jooheon turns on his heel and exits the alley. He can’t spend all night there, no matter how much he wants to bring Hyunwoo in as soon as possible. He’s got other things he needs to check on before he gets home.

Minhyuk leans against the gatepost, watching the lights in the house looming before him switch off one by one. Finally, after all the lights are off, he sees the second-floor window he knows so well open. A skinny form steps out through it, stepping slowly on the thin banister that wraps itself around the house, and follows it to the drainpipe. The escapee then shimmies down the pipe soundlessly, landing on the ground deftly as he then turns away from the house and sprints over to where Minhyuk stands.

“Have you been waiting long, hyung?” Hyungwon asks him, his voice low. Minhyuk hums, shaking his head. He smiles brightly at the younger, and grasps his wrist tightly to lead him away from his father’s house.

“How was your day, Hyungwonnie?” Minhyuk says, pulling the younger to be in-step with himself, looping their arms together. Hyungwon hums contentedly at the nearness, and glances up at the stars in thought. Minhyuk watches him, reveling in the beauty of the young man before him. Hyungwon parts his plump lips to answer, but Minhyuk suddenly freezes upon noticing something amiss, a pout replacing his smile.

“Why do you have a split lip?” Minhyuk questions. He drops the younger’s arm and grabs for his face instead, pulling it closer to him for a better inspection. Hyungwon’s pupils seem to begin to shake, though it’s hard to tell in the moonlight, as they dart around to look at everything in the street except his boyfriend. Minhyuk sighs exasperatedly, releasing the younger’s face with a small push.

“Hyung…” Hyungwon begins tiredly, but Minhyuk shakes his head, already walking away as he feels his aggravation spike.

“Don’t try to excuse that, Hyungwon-ah,” Minhyuk tells him. “Your father did it, and you can’t convince me otherwise.”

“It’s not as bad as it looks, really.”

“Why do you always defend him?!” Minhyuk demands, whirling around to face the taller. Hyungwon glances down in defeat, unable to bring himself to face Minhyuk’s eyes shining with tears.

“He’s my father…” is all Hyungwon can bring himself to say.

“That doesn’t give him the right to treat you like dirt,” Minhyuk insists, reiterating the same stance he’s expressed time and time again. He breathes in deeply, releasing the breath in a shaky exhale as he steps closer to Hyungwon. Hyungwon flinches at the sudden movement, and Minhyuk’s heart twinges in pain at the instinct. He slowly reaches out, grabbing both of the younger’s hands tightly, reassuringly.

“You don’t need to put up with that, Hyungwonnie,” he tells him gently. “We could run away, leave this place. You deserve so much better than—”

“Sorry, hyung,” Hyungwon interrupts, his voice thick with exhaustion at having the same argument over and over, “but I can’t do that. He’d chase after me, I know it. Then he’d find out about us, and I can’t let anything happen to you.” His voice cracks as he goes on, finally bringing his gaze up to the older to show the clear fear on his face.

Minhyuk’s heart cries at the expression, and all he can do is pull the younger in for a comforting embrace.

“One day,” he whispers, “we’ll be free of all this. Just wait, Wonnie, you’ll see.”