Jaehwan is sitting by the curb with his face buried into his hands.

Why would they do this?

Why would they do this when they say this state is meant for the greater good?!

The were supposed to help people why?!

A ruckus starts in the other street. Sounds of confusion Jaehwan can recognize from his old, forgotten years in public school seeing the unfitting being bullied.

It sounds like a fight.

He gets up, stumbling on his feet after one too many drinks in the club just across the street. “Ooh, he's bleeding dude. Someone's gonna call the GF.”

“ it he's from the 900th who's gonna buy it anyway?” This guy is breathless and uncaring, cold.

Jaehwan had enough of cold. Had enough of uncaring.

“Hey!”

The guys, Jaehwan knows one of them. He's his neighbor, the er from 67th that always leaves trash on his door. That piece of that fights his girls in the middle of the night during week days.

He's sure he's hit one of them but he has no proof.

“ that's my neighbor.” He hisses like the ing snake he is and in a second his whole gang is scrambling away, empty threats that if he goes to jail he'll turn them all in.

Trash… But what kind of people a government like this deserves?

The guy is leaning against the lamp post, split lip and bruised cheek, sniffing the blood on his nose. “Are you okay?” The guy fixes him a look, eyes unwavering despite how swollen one of them is. “Can you stand? What's your name?”

“I'm Wonshik.” He says, voice much lower than Jaehwan had expected for a man so scrawny, Jaehwan can't really tell under the jacket.

There's dirt on it too, they must have kicked him. “Do you live nearby? I'm Jaehwan, I'm a medic.”

“I'm from the 900th” He says, sniffing again, trying to rub the blood off on his sleeve when sniffing doesn't work.  “I was looking for a friend, he lives in this neighborhood– or lived.” He seems oddly okay with how beaten up he is, as if used to things like this.

Used to being hit.

Used to pain.

If that's in fact the case, Jaehwan feels for him. He really does. “You need help standing up? I think there's some facilities around this area. I can help.”

“I have no health card, no insurance number either.” He says, wincing to get up, clutching a little his left side. “Sorry. But I appreciate the intention, Jaehwan the medic.” There's blood on his teeth when his smiles and Jaehwan dumbly reaches out to support him in case he falters.

“I– No, it's fine. I can pay.” This guy, this guy is his chance of repaying for all the countless times he has to say no because their ing I.D. numbers weren't high enough priority on the list for transfusion, transplant, chemotherapy.

“Uh… give me your card number so I can pay you back. For the treatment at least.”

“No I– one of the guys that beat you up is my neighbor, I kind of feel responsible.” It's an excuse of course, placing Wonshik's arm over his shoulder to help him walk, limping and still clutching to his side, all the way to the nearest health post. A tiny one, made for small treatments.

At this hours it's mostly empty.

Jaehwan strides in like he owns everything, leaving Wonshik precariously sitting on one of the rusted chairs the have on this side of the glass. “This facility is closed off–”

Jaehwan slams his Federation card over the counter, hating the rehearsed tone of her voice and how she doesn't even look up at him from her chain.

“Back the off, and open this damn door.” He hates everything about this place and he hates how he has to use authority to make anything happen around here.

How the nurses refuse to work even though they are paid to do it. How she was painting her nails before he walked in.

He hates it all.

“Ye-Yes sir.” She is fast to unlock the door and Jaehwan opens and closes cabinets and he hates how everything seems untouched, how the cotton balls and the iodine flasks are all sealed, tags unbroken, boxes of flu medicine unopened and antibiotics still in their shipment packages.

He hates it.

He feels like screaming. “Help the patient in.” She stumbles to this will, just because he can file a report, just because he can get her into trouble with the zone supervisor.

She's not even wearing her coat, and when she helps Wonshik in Jaehwan fixes her a look he hopes it looks like a warning because it goddamn is.  “Wait outside, if you're not gonna help might as well stay outta my way.”

“If y-you need anything, sir. Glad to be of service, sir.”

She leaves and Jaehwan heaves a disappointed sigh, it's so depressing how unsurprised he is about this. “Take your jacket off, please.” He instructs, opening the box of latex gloves and grabbing the cotton balls and the antiseptic.

Wonshik has both arms covered up in tattoos, his black T-shirt does nothing to hide it, the wide collar suggesting he probably has some on his chest too.

If Jaehwan wasn't sure now he can very much attest Wonshik has some toned arms going on underneath the jacket.

Well okay…

Okay.

Yeah, okay.

“Uh, you said you're from the 900th?”

“Yeah.” Wonshik has quite a pleasing voice… low and manly and .  All hot and handsome with his platinum blond hair and sharp features even under the bruises.

Jaehwan wasn't really paying attention, the light outside was too poor but damn he decided to rescue mister tall dark and handsome by accident. “Is it too bad?”

“Huh?”

“You're staring so I thought…”

“Oh, I… was just thinking if you'd need stitches but I don't think so.” He blurts out, surprisingly without stuttering. He's so well trained in saying all kinds of because of work it comes naturally now. “It's quite swollen so I'll have to put some balm.”

“I see…” He looks down at his dirty fingers, broken nails and blood stains and against all odds he smiles a little. “Hyung would be so mad…"

“Hyung? You have an older brother?”

“Yeah.”

“Was it him that you were visiting? No wait, you said it was a friend. Sorry, I swear I'm listening.” he douses the cotton balls in antiseptic and Wonshik turns that little smile in his direction.

“He's not actually my brother. I mean he is, but not by blood you know? I wanted to apologize.” He sighs. “I did something really awful.”

“You don't really look like the awful type to me.” It might be the way that despite the strong arms, the tattoos, the rings and the shirt spelling fire and anarchy he still dangles his legs as he sits patiently on the high barrow this unit has in the back, letting Jaehwan, drunk and stupid, fuss about him. “I mean I've known you for entire ten minutes and you didn't try to stab me once.”

He scoffs a little low chuckle, it sounds silly, like the laugh of one of those gentle giants depicted in kid's cartoon, low but strangely kind edged. “You have some low standards Jaehwan the medic.” Jaehwan taps the cotton ball around his cheek, a little too close if he was to be honest but Wonshik doesn't seem to mind him.

That's good.

“You have no idea…”

“Is something the matter?”

“Hm? Oh, no no… Nothing I'm just one of those types you know? Who drinks and gets really sad?”

“Shouldn't drink then, be happier.”

“Yeah, I think as you grow older there are some things you can't take sober.” He sighs. “Being a doctor and all, I see some bad things every day.” He sprays Wonshik's swollen ankle and is immediately hit by that suffocating smell of camphor he is subjected to almost every day.

Makes him think of work.

He doesn't remember a time where work didn't make him nauseous. Where camphor didn't make him feel like his whole life is being wasted on the wrong things… But if not the Federation, then what?

“Why don't you change areas then? It's never too late, and I'm sure the Federation would help you transition.” This guy looks like the helpful type, the type that actually pays attention, that offers more than just the that must Jaehwan is already used to and quite frankly expecting by this point.

“I don't think my area is the problem…” He starts opening Band-Aids and placing them on the bruises around Wonshik's cheeks.

“Then what is?”

“Me? Probably me.”

“You're paying for the treatment of a man you never saw in your life. That doesn't seem like the behavior of someone's who's part of the problem.”

“Well it's a win win situation because turns out you're actually quite easy on the eyes.” Wonshik looks mildly unsure about this statement. “Handsome. I'm calling you handsome.”

It's immediate the way Wonshik's shoulder tense up, like he's uncomfortable. Oh, he got the signs all wrong didn't he?

Oh, .

Oh that's awkward.

“I'm really drunk don't mind me. I say a lot of when I'm drunk.” He turns to get more cotton balls and Wonshik holds his fussing with surprisingly warm hands.

“Yeah, not sure if you should be doing this then.”

Damn he ed up.

This guy seems like such a sweet one too… Damn it.

You and your stupid mouth Jaehwan could just have stayed quiet but no, oh no had to say , embarrass yourself make this dude all awkward. Now he thinks you're helping because you're expecting to get something, that's the major douchebag move Jaehwan what the . “Uh…”

“Maybe I should go…”

“I'm not– I mean I didn't mean to say it–” Wonshik hops off the barrow and Jaehwan feels like hitting his head up on the wall. “I didn't mean that as like... I'm not expecting anything you know. I'm a douchebag but not that much of a douchebag.” He crack a really nervous smile.

It would be such a ty end to this ty night if he just made himself look like a piece of in front of this guy… This pretty decent guy just because he has problems with tattoos and hot dudes. “I'm not a creep I swear.” That's exactly the kind of thing creeps say. “I'm sorry.”

“Look, thanks for the compliment and all…” Wonshik scratches his neck as awkward as one can be at any given moment. Which is a lot, a whole lot. “But I really gotta go, my bike is nearby... Do you have anyone to get you home?”

“I was just… I was going to hail a cab.” He just sounds defeated now. He blew it without even trying.

Good one Jaehwan, great one.

“You want a ride? It's a pretty long ride to the 900th anyway, I could make one more stop.” He's so nice what the . This just makes him feel worse... “I have to thank you for the mending.”

“No I… I'm cool.” He sighs, presses down at his eyes. “Have to sober up anyway or I won't make it through the elevator up to my floor."

Wonshik pulls a piece of crumpled paper from his back pocket, a receipt, fetching pen on the front desk. “Look… I don't know much about you but– Maybe it's your job you know.” He scribbles some lines over the paper. “I know working for the Federation may be some heavy . If you ever feel like you want to get away from them, look in here.” He hands Jaehwan the paper, and he's quite slow to accept it, a little weary it seems.

“The… Initiative?”

“Look for the Nautilus. My Captain said everyone working there is running away from something.” He shrugs, a little awkwardly for one of his shoulders hurts too much to move around. “I don't know if you're running away from anything, but just so you know.”

“I… Yeah, thanks.” He wants to know what he's running away from but it doesn't seem like the time to ask anything, he already said too much he'll just stay quiet.

“You're welcome.” He smiles again, that little friendly smile of his. “Be careful on your way home Jaehwan the medic.”

“You too… and put some ice on your cheek or you'll bloat like a blueberry.” He calls as Wonshik walks out, limping a little still.

“Will do, doctor.”

Jaehwan looks down at the paper again… Running? Yes he's been running from many things alright.

He could go there tomorrow, if the hangover let's him out of bed that is.

A/N: Should I talk about how all of them met? 

I could.