Note: One of my lovely readers pointed out that my choice of names for two of the characters (TOP and Seungri) in this story seems bit confusing. TOP's real name is Choi Seung-hyun and Seungri's name is Lee Seung-hyun (pretty much the same name except the surname). So I used Seung-hyun as TOP's name and Seungri (the stage name) for the other in this story. Hope that makes it bit clear ^_^

Chapter 14 : Familiar Warmth

Jong Suk stands still as an unidentified guy limps across the rooftop. He doesn’t have a nice feeling about the way that husky guy smirks as if he has just acquired what he wants.

“Wow,” the tall guy exclaims when his eyes land on Jong Suk, “so I finally get to meet the beauty eh?” his rough voice rings in the silent roof. Jong Suk can feel his heart speeding up when that stranger’s predator eyes shine at him with something more irking. Something he has seen before…but where has he seen that glint before…How beautiful…an eerier voice plays in his head and Jong Suk’s breath catches in his throat.

“What are you doing here?” Woo Bin’s husky voice breaks Jong Suk off that tangled up world. He stares as Woo Bin walks upto that tall guy. His skin is much darker than Woo Bin’s and he is bit shorter compared to Woo Bin. But his authoritative aura rules above everyone. A group of few tall guys in leather jackets stands just behind him.

“Aww…that looks awful,” the rough voice says, eyes raking up and down Woo Bin. “Does it hurt?” he asks, his gleeful voice contrasts the concerning words.

“You yourself don’t look too good,” Woo Bin grins back, his voice firm as ever, “How does your leg feels?” he points toward the husky guy’s limp. Jong Suk takes this moment to observe the authoritative guy; Jong Suk isn’t the type to judge people by their appearance, but with his stubbled crew cut, helix piercing and his muscled look, he is the picture of the prototypical gang leader. His toned arms sticks tightly onto the leather of his jacket, his tank top hugs his abs finely.

“Did you think this would stop me from coming here?” the husky guy smirks, slapping on his limping leg. Woo Bin’s grin fades away when the husky stranger takes a step closer, glancing sideways at Jong Suk.

“Why would I want to stop you from coming here?” Woo Bin mutters, his voice no longer as firm as it used to be. By their conversation, Jong Suk easily assumes these two people know each other. And it doesn’t take him longer to realise what they share is anything but friendly.

“Oh, are we going to keep pretending now?” the rough voice speaks out, breaking Jong Suk from his thoughts, “Not going to protect your princess anymore?” his dark lips tugs at the corner as his attention now fully focuses on Jong Suk, giving him a shudder. Princess? Jong Suk repeats in his head, no longer understanding what they are going on about.

Woo Bin clenches his fists. “Seems like you’ve mistaken,” he says nonchalantly. It makes the husky guy chuckle.

The guy slides his hands into his leather jacket, eyes gripping on Woo Bin’s gaze. The smirk decapitates into a scowl. “What? That you came rushing to my den and threw your life at my foot just to protect his ?” he snaps his finger at Jong Suk.

What are they talking about? What has my got to do with any of this? Why would Woo Bin—he is interrupted by Woo Bin’s sudden outburst.

“I did not throw my life at your freaking foot and I certainly did not come to protect his ,” Hearing Woo Bin say those words somehow pangs his chest a little; the memory of a ten year old boy screaming his pleas as a slender young woman’s retreating back figure disappears down the horizon appears before Jong Suk. That hollow feeling invades his chest when Woo Bin’s dark eyes glare at him for a second. This isn’t the Woo Bin he trusts. This isn’t the Woo Bin whose eyes glint with mischief when he said he was just trying to cure his ‘human-phobia’, this isn’t the Woo Bin who hugged him like a spoilt kid, tugging his hand to through his hair. This seems like the Woo Bin he wanted to avoid few weeks ago.

“Then, may I ask why you lost your compose and acted like a total manic last week?”

The stranger’s sudden outburst rings a bell in Jong Suk’s head. Last week, that’s when Woo Bin came home covered in blood. Then, perhaps…did Woo Bin fight with this guy? Jong Suk glances between the two guys, why did he say he fought because of me? What has this got to do with me? 

“You dared to touch my girlfriend!!”  Woo Bin screams. Jong Suk’s heart stops on its tracks. It takes him a second to register what he had just heard. Woo Bin’s girlfriend…the image of that girl kissing Woo Bin down the staircase flashes across his mind. So it really was his girlfriend?

“Oh you mean that who came running to me and spread her legs before I even asked?”

“Yah!!!” Woo Bin punches the guy in the jaw; he grunts as he stumbles, but steadies himself quickly. The group of guys behind him hurries closer, ready to return the favour, but he holds his hand up, halting them on their tracks.

“That hurts,” he says, brushing off the trail of blood dripping from his busted lip. “So you really did come for that eh?” he mutters, giving Jong Suk a side way glance. He turns back to his group, signals them to move back. “Now, why don’t we be civil and talk this out before relying on our fists eh?” he says as he circles around Woo Bin, whose clenched knuckles have turned white. That’s when Jong Suk sees the blotch of redness soaking onto the clean bandages on his left hand. He wants to rush to him and inspect the open wound, but Woo Bin’s sharp glare gives him a change of mind.

“Besides,” the guy says “even if my leg is hindering me right now, my fist is as powerful as ever before…you’ll be finished with one blow,” he smirks. Then completely ignoring the death glare Woo Bin is showering him with, he turns on his heels and steps toward Jong Suk.

“Now, where were we,” the guy asks no one in particular, “Oh, right, where is my manners,” he extends his thick hand at Jong Suk, “I’m Lee Seung-hyun, better known as Seungri. I heard a lot about you.”

Jong Suk gazes at the waiting hand suspiciously, earning a little chuckle from the guy. He thinks it’s best not to mess with this guy, so he introduces himself with a little bow, never daring to take that hand.

“Your business here is with me! Let’s get over this!” Woo Bin stands between them all of a sudden, blocking his visage from that guy.

“I think you’ve mistaken something here,” Seungri says, “I’m here to meet our beauty over there, not your rotten ,” He tries to brush Woo Bin off but he doesn’t even budge. “Look Woo Bin-ah…I’ve no interest in your girlfriend and I only ed her because she came spreading her legs for me. It’s not my fault,” he shrugs, “Now, will you stop hindering us and get your ing out of here? Or do you want me to beak your legs too?”

Woo Bin turns to Jong Suk, his eyes gleam with anger as he speaks, “You, get out of here. I’ve business with this guy,” he orders Jong Suk who takes the chance to slip out of the crowded place, but is stopped by a stronger hand. He turns to find Seungri clutching tightly onto his wrist, eyes staring at Woo Bin. The grip is hurting Jong Suk, a lot more strained than Woo Bin’s grip he is getting used to. He doesn’t like how forceful Seungri’s hand feels on his skin. 

“Umm…c—can you—let me go please?” Jong Suk manages to utter. His heart picks up its speed. This isn’t good, he thinks, looking at Woo Bin with pleading eyes.

Seungri smirks fiddling with the end of Jong Suk’s light brown hair, “I can’t do that baby,” he mutters and swings Jong Suk around, cradling him to his chest. Jong Suk’s eyes snaps wide, breathing halts. His heart pounds on his chest as he helplessly stares at thin air. He hates it when he feels like this; so helpless that he can’t do a single thing even if it means he is about to be taken by force. His hand comes to clench the front of his white shirt. He can feel his heart hammering through his shirt.

“Oh baby, why are—” Before he could utter another word, Woo Bin’s fist comes flying on his face and just before his eyes started dilating, he sees Seungri’s wide frame crashing on the floor; the sounds around Jong Suk tunnels up, swallowing him in a world of darkness.

The sharp sound of breaking glass snaps his head. The familiar scene unveils before him: the brilliant shards of the wine glass spreads across the tile like diamonds soaking in blood. He flinches reflexively when he hears the sound of those heavy steps creaking closer to him. He crawls back, his heart hammering in his chest, in a futile attempt to get away from those thick hands. His back slams against the wall with no escape. The familiar stench of alcohol permeates the room, horror fills his heart. He keeps his head bend over his feet, hugging his knees close to his chest; eyes clenched shut in an attempt to run away from this nightmare.

Those fat fingers wraps around his neck with enough force to make his knees buckle, pressing him to the wall in a fit of drunken rage. He fights back, using all the energy he could muster up, but he rarely won those battles, and just like that his limbs go numb as the pressure increases around his neck. White bolts of light flashes across his dilating eyes. It is something he is subjected to very often. What comes next, too, is familiar. A shudder shot across his body. He clenches his teeth and braces himself. Deathly hands loosens around his neck, one fat thumb brushes over his small lip, the sickening feeling stirs in the pit of his stomach. He feels the urge to throw up when that same thumb slithers down his neck. A sniffled sob escapes his mouth.

“You are too pretty,” his voice is raspy from years of inhaling smoke from fires and cigarettes, “Prettier than you mother…” he whispers. The ruffling and clanking of his unbuckling belt echoes in the dusky room. “Be a good boy and you won’t have to suffer,” those fat thumbs reaches him again and tucks his chin up. A pair of hazel eyes filled with an irking glint ogles his ten year old body.

A pair of gentle arms wraps around his waist, plastering him against a broad chest. It doesn’t feel rough like Seungri’s; it rather gives him a feeling of security. Jong Suk likes that familiar warmth pressing against his neck. It spreads across his skin, down to his every limb, chasing away those fat fingers from the darkness surrounding him. He blinks for a moment, absorbing his surrounding into him; the bunch of guy from earlier lies on the floor, the limping guy is nowhere in sight. His heart skips a beat when he remembers Woo Bin. Did he do something to Woo Bin?

“Jong Sukie…” the familiar voice brushes against his neck and he sighs in relief. He likes the huskiness of this voice, it is somehow soothing than that raspy sound echoing in the darkness.

“Woo Bin-ah…” The grip around his waist loosens, but never leaves him completely. He turns around and gasps the moment his eyes land on Woo Bin’s bleeding face.

“Are you okay?” Woo Bin mumbles.

“What happened to you?” Jong Suk blurts out, his hands hurrying over to inspect the newly added bruises purpling on Woo Bin’s face. Woo Bin winces when Jong Suk’s fingers gently hoovers over his beaten skin.

“Are you feeling okay?” he manages to ask through the grunts, his arms still wrapped around Jong Suk.

Jong Suk stops his ministration and looks into the dark orbs inches away from his. “Is it me you should be worrying about?” he states rather than questioning. “Did you fight them? Your wounds have opened again,” he mutters in dissatisfaction, his eyes traveling to Woo Bin’s left arm with the once clean bandage now soaked in blood and pasted with dust.

Woo Bin’s hands leaves to capture Jong Suk’s face. He holds it firm, forcing Jong Suk’s eyes away from his reopened wounds. “I told you to stay home today…” he mumbles, his voice losing its energy.

“You never told me why…” Jong Suk argues.

“Now you know why,” he says, leaning closer to Jong Suk’s face. He presses his lips gently on Jong Suk’s cheek, earning a light gasp from the boy. He pulls away and looks into Jong Suk’s eyes, “I’m glad you are alright,” he utters before crashing onto Jong Suk’s shoulder.