Lost Boys

EXO Oneshot Collection

pairing: lutao (sort of).
word count: 3500.
rating: pg.
genre: angst. dystopian future au.
summary: in a world where children are traded off as slaves, luhan is on his own and struggling to get by.



It's late October and the night is chilly enough for Luhan's breath to be visible as he runs, leaving him in ragged puffs and making the air in front of him fog up with condensation. His feet pat loudly against cracked tarmac as they carry him through the backstreets and alleyways he has known like the back of his hand since he was very young. This is where he lives. This is his home. If there's anyone who knows all the shortcuts and escape routes in this part of the city, it would be him.

Information like that proves to come in handy in situations like the one he's currently in. As Luhan casts a glance over his shoulder, he quickly spots the reason that has him running in the first place: three burly men are following him, all of them close on his tail. Luhan had been hoping that he'd managed to shake them off by now. The nonstop sprinting is taking its toll on him and he isn't sure how much longer he can keep it up. These guys are persistent, however, and, worse than that, they're slowly catching up with him. Even from this distance he can see the grins glistening on their faces. They, too, know that he's getting tired.

In another desperate attempt at escape, Luhan makes a sharp turn to run down a different alley. Directly ahead of him is a chain link fence, at least three times as tall as him and wedged between two brick walls. Without slowing down, Luhan collides with the barrier, and although it rattles precariously, he grabs onto it, fingers curling into the holes, cold metal digging into his skin. Agilely he scales the fence until he's standing on the narrow beam that's stretched between the buildings. He keeps his arms out for balance as he walks across it to reach one of the adjacent walls.

It's a low structure, this one, a residential building only two stories tall. That makes it easy for Luhan to reach up, grab a hold of the rain gutter that creeps along the gable of the house and hoist himself onto the roof. Despite feeling more safe like this and despite his throat burning with every intake of air, Luhan doesn't stop moving. Instead he promptly gets on his feet and starts making his way over the rooftop, jumping across the small gap that separates this building from the one next to it and landing soundlessly on the balls of his feet.

Luhan continues this way for another few buildings before he finally dares come to a halt. He turns around and holds his breath, eyes frantically scanning the area to make sure he has really lost his pursuers. He would be surprised if they had actually managed to follow him up here, but he knows from hard-learned experience that it's better to be safe than sorry. He won't allow himself to relax before he knows he's not in any risk of getting caught.

When Luhan doesn't spot the men anywhere, he lets out a sigh of relief and slumps over, inhaling and exhaling heavily in quick pants to catch his breath. His lungs are burning from the lack of oxygen that has now turned into an overflow, and he has to crouch down with his head between his knees to get rid of the sudden dizzy spell that follows. His pulse is thundering in his ears, the rush of adrenaline flowing through him seems to be slowly dissipating.

It takes a while for Luhan's breathing to return to normal, for the nausea to fade into nothing but a faint bitterness in the back of his throat, and once he feels better he stands back upright and takes a look around to find the easiest way down. Walking to the edge of the building, he grabs a hold of the rain pipe that runs vertically down the wall and he slides along it until he's standing with both feet firmly planted on the ground once more.

This area is, unlike the one Luhan just left, brightly lit and it has stores that are still open despite it being well after ten in the evening, and colorful neon lights that flash promises of entertainment in the form of food, booze and women. The place is also a lot more crowded than the ones Luhan frequents. He doesn't really appreciate the company of other human beings all that much, but the amount of people here definitely makes it easier for him to blend in. Blending in is crucial, Luhan knows this. He hopes that he'll be able to do so.

Alas, luck was never on Luhan's side. He only makes it a few dozen yards down the sidewalk before he sees the exact person he had just sprinted to get away from. And unfortunately the guy sees Luhan as well, at least if the way his beady eyes widen in realization and the surprised exclamation he lets out is anything to go by.

Luhan's reflexes kick in instantly. He turns to flee, opting to run in the opposite direction to get away from the approaching danger, but as soon as he spins around, he comes face to face with a robust figure. Or more like face to chest, considering that Luhan slams into him headfirst. When he leans his head back to look at the guy he immediately spots the encircled 'x' branded onto the skin under his eye. Trader.

The Trader is quick to grab Luhan before he can run off again and no matter how much Luhan squirms and kicks to get loose, the man manages to keep his hold as he waits for his two companions to join them. All it takes to keep Luhan in place is one large, hairy arm wrapped around his torso, simultaneously forcing him to keep his own arms unmoving and pressing him back against a firm body. He's trapped. The fat man reeks of an unpleasant mix of alcohol, tobacco and day old sweat and the stench makes Luhan feel nauseous.

Well well well, what do we have here?” one of the other guys drawls as he comes closer. He's short and stocky and missing several teeth. He, too, is branded with the Traders' mark, only his looks like it was put on him years before the other's. He scrutinizes Luhan's face, cocking his head from side to side. “You sure are a pretty one. Are you by yourself, boy?”

No, sir,” Luhan immediately answers in a calm tone and without looking the man in the eye. He keeps his gaze fastened pointedly at the dirty ground instead. The key to being a good liar is pretending to be calm and confident, even if you aren't. Luhan knows this too. “And my parents are probably waiting for me to get home, so if you'd please–”

Oh, but if you really do have parents then you have nothing to worry about from us, right?” This time it's the last one talking, a beak-nosed guy with gangly limbs. His voice is disgustingly sweet and so fake that Luhan can practically taste it. “If you'll just let us scan you real quick, then you can be on your way in no time and you can go back to your parents.” The final word is spat with a sarcastic sneer; clearly he doesn't believe Luhan's lie. Luhan is growing uneasy. He opens his mouth to object once more, but he doesn't get the chance to.

This will only hurt if you fight it,” the one with the bad teeth says with a gummy grin. From the bag that hangs on his hip he pulls out a device and he aims it directly at Luhan's face. It looks like one of the cellphones Luhan has seen wealthy people using, but since he's been in contact with plenty of these objects before, he knows that it isn't. It's a tracking device and nothing good ever comes out of those... or anything else the Traders do, for that matter.

There are people passing by them in a steady flow and even though most of them throw quick glances in their direction, not one of them comes to Luhan's aid. It's obvious what's going on, yet no one seems as if they're even as much as considering helping him out. Perhaps it's because it's not exactly unusual to see Traders holding back kids of any age to scan their faces.

As panic begins to flood Luhan's body, he starts squirming again in an attempt to wrench out of the large man's grasp. He throws his head from side to side, refusing to let them catch him on the screen. Eventually the gangly one seems to get fed up with his behavior. “Hold him,” he orders and a large hand comes up to keep Luhan's face still. The bruising grip on his jaw makes him unable to move no matter how much he wants to, however, so now he can only stare into the black lens as the device works to identify his face and pair it with a corresponding picture in the database.

A single beep indicates a completed search. Holding his breath, Luhan waits for the Traders' reaction and the moment he sees the smile spreading collectively on their faces, he knows he's in trouble. The one with the bad teeth reads aloud: “Name, Lu Han. Age, twelve. Relatives...” He raises his gaze to glance at Luhan. His eyes are glistening dangerously. “None.” The hold on Luhan tightens further to a point where he can barely breathe. With annoyingly slow movements the Trader puts away the device. Then he smirks at Luhan. “So you are a Lost Boy.”

The beak-nosed one clicks his tongue disapprovingly. “Why would you lie to us? That's not a very nice thing to do.” Defiantly Luhan spits on the ground directly in front of his feet. Anger flashes through the man's eyes, his huge nostrils flaring. Luhan halfway expects a backhand slap to hit him, but the man manages to hold himself back.

You're a bad boy, Luhan,” the other one interjects. “Do you know what happens to bad boys?" He leans closer and Luhan has to resist the urge to gag as the man's breath hits his face in a gust of foul stench. “Bad boys get punished.”

Luhan doesn't wait around to figure out what they consider a sufficient punishment for lying. He already knows it's nothing pleasant. Without hesitation he sinks his teeth into the hand that's still curled tight around his jaw and bites down hard enough to taste blood. The large man howls and pulls his hands off him and Luhan immediately goes on to elbow him in the stomach. His arm sinks into the soft spot right under the man's ribcage and as all air leaves him with a huff, the man staggers backwards, releasing Luhan completely.

Before any of the other two Traders can react, Luhan kicks out. His feet connect with the sensitive area between their legs and he kicks them in the crotch over and over, alternating between the two men to make sure they're both rendered immobile. Luhan doesn't stop kicking until they're doubled over in pain, groaning. Then he starts running again.

Never before in his life has Luhan run so fast. Now that the Traders know that they aren't chasing Luhan for nothing, that he's actually going to be worth something if they manage to catch to him, they have picked up their pace. Now the hunt is serious. It doesn't help that they're probably pissed off too, the anger only seems to spur them on.

Usually at times like these Luhan will come up with some idea to get the pursuers off his tail, but at the moment his mind has gone blank. He's desperately searching his brain for any possible means of escape. He keeps coming up short. His surroundings are of no help. “You can't run forever, boy!” one of his chasers calls out behind him. The worst thing is that Luhan knows he's right. Everything seems hopeless. Still, he continues to sprint. His will to survive is strong. He refuses to give up.

It has begun to rain now, cold, hard drops falling from the sky, and just like the thick layer of dust on the ground that's turning into dirty slush, Luhan is slowly getting soaked. His lungs are burning again. His legs are shaking and threatening to give out, but he just keeps running and running.

Luhan knows what has happened to all the kids that were taken by the Traders. He has heard the stories many times from Lost Kids like himself who live in constant fear of getting picked off the streets. The stories are never pleasant. Luhan doesn't want to spend the rest of his days being abused and finally – inevitably, from the sound of things – beaten to death.

As luck would have it, Luhan slips and falls in his attempt to make a sharp turn. He slams hard into the ground and his body skitters a few feet across the mud. He can feel his right knee scraping against the jagged asphalt, can feel skin and flesh peeling and blood flowing forth. He lets out a hiss. The pain is enough to make hot tears sting in his eyes, but he can't afford to waste time.

Adrenaline drives him to quickly get on his feet again despite the intense pain. His palms are stinging from where he tried to break the fall and his pants are torn now, a bloody wound covering his entire kneecap. He can hear the Traders approaching, though, so he motions to break into a run again. His injured leg buckles under him and he nearly falls, just barely managing to catch himself. The panic returns full force when Luhan realizes that he's practically immobile now. There's no way he can run away from the Traders.

Luhan casts a glance around, looking for somewhere, anywhere, for him to hide. There are huge dumpsters lining the walls and Luhan could easily crawl into one of those, but that would be too obvious. The Traders are professional hunters, they know where to look. The cardboard boxes stacked in a corner wouldn't provide sufficient cover, especially not with the heavy rain pouring down from above. Nothing seems to be a good spot for Luhan to hide and he's growing desperate, the sound of running footsteps coming closer and closer.

But then something catches his eye. In the wall of one of the buildings surrounding the alley is a hole. It's small, about a foot high and four feet wide and it's partially covered by wilting shrubbery and overflowing trash bags. Luhan doesn't have much time to think about whether or not it will be good enough. This may be his final chance. He bolts for it.

Practically throwing himself on the ground, Luhan wiggles his way through the small opening. To his surprise he finds that once he gets past the outer wall the building's insulation is gone, creating a cave of sorts where he can easily sit upright if he crawls further in. It's too dark for him to see much, but he knows it's the ideal hiding spot. He shifts a few of the stuffed plastic bags to cover the hole even more. Then he sits up and he scoots backwards the rest of the way, keeping an eye on the opening to make sure the Traders didn't see him crawling in here.

Luhan almost lets out a yelp when he suddenly bumps into something warm, and the something warm he bumped into seems just as surprised to not be alone anymore, letting out a small squeak of its own. Snapping his head around, Luhan squints. Once his vision becomes accustomed to the darkness, he can just barely make out the form of what appears to be a child. The child's eyes are large and terrified and the moment he opens his mouth, Luhan surges forward, stopping him from making a sound by using his hand to stifle the words.

Shhh,” Luhan chides when the boy starts to kick and squirm and scream into his hand. “You have to be quiet or they're going to find us.” The child immediately goes still at this, staring up at Luhan with tears pouring from his eyes. He's trembling with fear in Luhan's arms and all Luhan wants to do is comfort him, but he can't. Not right now.

Where did he go?” a gruff voice sounds coming from outside and Luhan holds his breath. “I could have sworn I saw him running in this direction.” Luhan can hear them checking the dumpsters, creaking the lids open and slamming them shut when they're done looking. He's thankful that he knew not to hide there.

The sound of a slap reverberates between the walls in the alley, so loud that even Luhan winces. It sounded painful. “You ing idiot, that kid would've been worth a fortune.”

I know, I know. . He can't have made it far. Let's go.” Luhan hears their footsteps retreating and then things are quiet except for the muffled noises coming from the traffic driving close by.

It takes a while for Luhan to remember that he's still holding on to the boy. He lets go. The moment the boy is released he shuffles away from Luhan and presses himself into the far corner, staring at Luhan in what's obviously fear. His chest rises and falls with his troubled breathing and he's still visibly trembling. “Hey, kid,” Luhan says softly. The boy flinches when a hand is extended towards him so Luhan drops it into his lap instead. “Hey, I'm not dangerous, I promise.” The boy stares back at him, rubbing his eye with one small fist and sniffling. “What's your name?”

Zitao,” the boy mumbles hesitantly.

Nice to meet you, I'm Luhan. Are you by yourself?” The boy seems reluctant to answer, but that's alright. Luhan can be patient.

Eventually Zitao nods his head, eyes welling up all over again. “Yes.”

Luhan sighs. “Yeah, me too.” Chewing on his lip in thought, he looks Zitao over. He can't be more than eight or nine years old at the most, small and skinny with clothes that are even more tattered than the ones Luhan is wearing. Luhan wonders how long the boy has been on his own and he cringes at the thought. He's so young. There's no way he'd make it very long like this and thinking of all the bad things that could happen to Zitao if he was alone makes Luhan's stomach churn. “You should stick with me,” he suggests before his brain has the chance to second-guess it.

He can practically see all the gears in Zitao's head turning as he thinks. He looks Luhan up and down several times as if he's trying to decide something. Luhan keeps smiling in reassurance as well as encouragement. He's hoping to win Zitao over, to convince him to stay.

Then, still hesitantly, Zitao scoots a little closer. Just a little. He pauses and fixes his wet eyes on Luhan again with a frown. “Promise you're not a bad guy.”

I promise,” Luhan says with conviction and this time Zitao doesn't shy away when he reaches out for him. Instead he takes the offered hand, albeit somewhat uncertainly, and he crawls all the way over to Luhan until the two of them are pressed together in the small space.

Zitao is cold. Luhan doesn't think twice about wrapping his arm around him to share some of his warmth. Tentatively, Zitao leans his head on Luhan's shoulder, and Luhan caresses Zitao's dark hair with careful , wincing at the way the strands feel against his palm that's still sore from the fall. The touch seems to calm Zitao down, though, so Luhan doesn't stop.

After a while Zitao is completely relaxed against Luhan's side. His eyes are drooping. Yawning, he curls his hands into the damp fabric of Luhan's worn jacket and he presses his face into his chest. “Gege, I'm scared,” he mumbles sleepily.

Those three words are enough to make Luhan's heart drop all the way into his stomach. With wide eyes he stares at the boy leaning against his side. “What?” he manages, voice trembling.

Jiejie, I'm scared.

I'm scared,” Zitao repeats. “I don't wanna be alone, it's scary.”

I don't wanna be alone, jie.”

It takes a long time before Luhan is able to continue to e Zitao's hair. Zitao seems to be asleep by then, his small face finally peaceful. Luhan swallows something. His eyes sting. “You don't have to be alone anymore, you've got me now,” he says quietly. “We're gonna be okay, Tao.”

Song Qian kissed Luhan on the forehead and smiled softly. “We're gonna be okay, Han. Don't worry. I'll never leave you.”

 

~*~

 

A/N: this is like... three different old story ideas that I had. the traders trading kids was one, the climbing on top of a building to jump across rooftops was one, the hiding from pursuers and accidentally bumping into someone else was one. I turned those three into a single story instead and this is the result. none of those stories were lutao. this story wasn't originally supposed to be lutao either. oh well (I'm not going to tell you guys what they were originally supposed to be). as you can probably tell by now I'm not very good at writing "action" scenes, but it is what it is. practice makes perfect or whatever.

oh, and maybe I should explain what's going on at the end of the story... or actually, you know what? if you don't understand it or if you would like to hear my explanation for it or if you'd like to discuss it, you can ask me. how 'bout that?

 

thank you so much to
kavallier - supa_med - rocksolidpanda - loveisinfinite - anni2604 - iamtheunicornwolf - k-pop_muffin - miss_lady - authornim_e
for the upvotes. ;~~~;

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goopeculiar
thanks for the feature??????????????

Comments

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Niniskai88 #1
Chapter 32: This one is always my fav omg my chankai heart🥺
ChoiGurl1187
#2
Chapter 61: Pegging...
Ah...
ChoiGurl1187
#3
Chapter 62: 2 Jongins???
Yes, please...
♡♡♡
NoorKyra
#4
Chapter 62: My God..... Who's that....???!!! If Jongin is just coming....

I'm have my goosebumps on my arms..... !!!

(。ŏ﹏ŏ)
NoorKyra
#5
Chapter 59: This spooky and awesome...at the same time...
NoorKyra
#6
Chapter 55: Chanyeol as superfans...... And Idols Jongin.... Love it...!!!
NoorKyra
#7
Chapter 54: So cute....!!!! Kyungsoo in this story is so Kyungsoo...I can imagine his character ...

Hihihihihihihihihihihihihi..!!!

ෆ╹ .̮ ╹ෆ
sfs-readytobingo
#8
Chapter 61: I love you so much ?? I don’t even know what to SAY it’s like you read my mind ??? I always wanted to read a pegging fic and here it is you are the bomb dot com
ChoiGurl1187
#9
Chapter 61: Interesting!!!Love it.
fani437
#10
Chapter 61: Happy Valentine's Day!
This was kind of hot ngl O-O