I have absolutely no idea where this came from.  But something just popped in my head this morning so this is what you get.

#7 – Hold

Running, running, running…

Key raced through endless white halls, one after the other, all looking exactly the same.

“ARGHHHHhhhhh!”

It echoed all around him.  Tortured screams barreled down the endless maze of hallways, forcing Key to continue on, to keep running and searching.

“NNNOOOOooooo!”

Key rounded another corner and came to a large room, and there Taemin lay bound to a table in the middle.  He was bloody and bruised and laid there panting and crying, the tears mingling with blood on his gentle face.  His bare feet bore multiple lacerations that slowly dripped blood onto the stainless steel table that their own lay trapped on.  His jeans and grey long-sleeved shirt were torn and ragged, dyed red with the man’s own blood.  Brown hair lay matted to his face, scrunched up as it was in great pain.    

A man in black stood with his hand poised over a switch.

“Kibum…” Taemin gasped out, head turning to lock eyes on Key’s frozen form, blood dripping from his mouth, making distinct lines that made him appear as something like a grotesque puppet. 

“Taemin!” And Key’s feet were moving again, but it was too late…

The man in black wore a sadistic smile, and he pulled the switch…

“AHHHHHHH-!”

Key shot up screaming, falling off the couch and crashing loudly to the floor. 

“Kibum!”

Taemin came skidding around the corner, his feet actually squeaking on the wood floors as he sped to the sound of Key’s scream. 

Key sat slightly dazed on the floor, still trying to come to grips with the reality that it had just been a dream.

“Kibum…” Taemin whispered, putting down the stapler that he had grabbed as an odd choice of weapon at the spur of the moment when he thought that his lover was being attacked and he had rushed to aid the other man.  “Kibum what’s wrong?” he added, slowly lowering himself in front of the older male and reaching out a hand, though not touching, as though he was afraid of spooking the man.

With an odd sort of semi-strangled yelp, Key launched himself at his partner. 

Taemin, caught by surprise, barely had time to throw a hand behind him to keep them both balanced while the other moved instinctively to surround Key’s trembling form.  He was even more startled then when he felt the odd sensation of his shirt rapidly dampening from the tears that Key was shedding and watched with a sense of horrible fascination as Key’s shoulders began to heave as he moved quickly from a few tears to gasping sobs.

“What in the…?” Taemin mumbled to himself as he quickly sorted out his balance so that he could wrap both arms around the obviously distraught older man.  He rubbed circles on the other’s back while holding him close to his own body, murmuring nonsense words trying to just calm Kibum down enough to understand what had just happened.

Key was filled with a lot of anxious energy lately as he was waiting on news of whether or not he was receiving a long sought after promotion at the designing firm he worked at.  He had spent the whole day cleaning the apartment from floor to ceiling in order to try and burn some of it off and had wound up completely wearing himself out so that he fell asleep only a few minutes after settling himself on the couch to watch the news after dinner. 

Taemin had smiled at the adorable picture that Key had made, and had laid his partner down so that when he awoke it wouldn’t be with a crick in his neck from having slept with his chin slumped down to his chest.  Turning off the TV so as not to disturb the sleeping beauty, he had gone back to his office to write a little bit and had been completely startled an hour later to hear a horrific scream fill the apartment and hearing a massive thud in the living room.  He had raced out thinking that Kibum was being attacked, only to find the man completely alone and terrified on the floor, having just fallen off of the couch. 

Which brings him to wear he sat now, utterly confused and trying desperately to comfort the distraught man who clang to him like white on rice.

But Taemin did not feel embarrassed, did not detach the other.  He knew that Kibum needed the contact and the comfort right now.  Something had spooked him, and spooked him good.  The last time that Taemin could remember Key being this scared was when the dancer had woken up in the hospital and started freaking out because of the tube that was down his throat.

So Taemin remained calm, just being there for the other man while he was needed.  No words were necessary to request it, Taemin just knew that Kibum needed that security and so he would remain.  Taemin would stay there and hold the other close, sharing his love and reassurance without words and remain by Key’s side until the other was alright again and able to vocalize just what had brought about this particular turn of events.    

Slowly the other man started to calm.

Taemin had moved their positions at some point so that he could have his back against the couch and his legs spread out in front of himself, whereas Kibum had curled himself up in Taemin’s lap like a lost kitten and had wrapped his arms around the younger man as his cries slowed to hiccups and the occasional sniffle. 

Taemin waited a few more moments before sighing and moving one hand up to pet at Key’s hair, tucking it in below Taemin’s own chin.  Taemin’s hands continued their gentle motion on Key’s back and head as the elder began to feel embarrassed for his actions.  But before that emotion had a chance to take hold, Taemin spoke.

“Are you alright now?” he spoke softly, with the air of someone in a strict library, almost like he didn’t want to spook Key again himself.

“I’m sorry,” Kibum mumbled voice scratchy from his screams and wails.  “Nightmare…” he trailed off unsure of what else to say.

“What was it about?” Taemin asked in the same soft, unassuming tone as before. 

Key’s grip on Taemin tightened as he said, “He was going to kill you…and I couldn’t stop him…”

“Who?”

“I dunno, some guy…but that doesn’t matter.  It was so real!  I could hear you screaming and begging for help and I couldn’t find you.  And when I finally did, it was just to see you die…though I guess I woke up before you actually died… But I was so scared.”

Some of the tears had come back, though far more mildly than before. 

“I don’t want to lose you.  I can’t lose you now!”

“I’m not going anywhere Kibum.” 

God Taemin should be a therapist with his voice, Kibum thought.  It was so calming and reassuring.  It just sounded like someone who had all of the answers that you needed; you just needed to wait patiently enough to hear him say them. 

Key clung to his lover and tried to coincide with the knowledge that it had been nothing more than a horrible dream and the fact that Taemin was right here, holding him close, not in some awful place fighting for his life…again.

“It was just a dream Kibum.  I’m right here, nothing’s wrong.  It’s just us, in our home, together.  Nothing can hurt us or separate us here.”  He continued to mumble platitudes trying to reassure Key and himself that nothing was going to happen to them. 

Eventually Key had untangled himself from Taemin and shooed the younger off with an embarrassed wave of his hand, assuring him that everything was alright now.

But Taemin didn’t go far.  He knew that Kibum needed him around, if only for reassurance.  So not saying anything more on the subject he suggested that they watch some TV together.

Leaving his work for another night, he curled up next to Key on the couch as they watched some mindless clichéd drama together.  Key yelled at the screen like usual and yelled at screen-writers that couldn’t hear him as they recycled the same old plot devices once again. 

They both called it a night early.  Like always, they fell asleep wrapped around each other, though they always woke up apart.  But just like always, their hands sought out each other in their unconscious state, holding each other close no matter what. 

So….there might be a rated chapter coming up.  I’ve never written one before so I don’t know if I’ll actually go through with it, but what do you think.  If that’s not your thing you could just skip it, but I guess I’ll have to rate the whole story for that one chapter….hmmm…still can’t decide.

And if anyone has any suggestions for ‘shackles’ as the next prompt, please let me know.  I have a small idea, but you’ll only get a drabble out of it so if you want a full chapter please give me another idea…