Title: Skull
Pairing: Luck
Related Chapter: 94, 98, 104, 115, 127, 139, 141, 148, 163, 177, 182, 194, 200, 214, 228,
Word Count: 981

Taekwoon kept a close eye on Sanghyuk, the younger only a few short feet from him as he walked along side Taekwoon’s father. Truth be told, Taekwoon didn’t understand why they were going to Sanghyuk’s old home let along why they were bringing Sanghyuk along. Couldn’t his father see how it would upset Sanghyuk? Didn’t he see how the younger was trying not to cry when he was told to come? Heard how he’d cried that night when he was alone in his room?

“We’re here,” Taekwoon’s father called, “spread out. Come to me if you find anything.”

“Father,” Taekwoon said, moving to stand beside his father once everyone had gone off and left them alone, “why are we here?”

“I sent a scout out here a few weeks ago,” his father explained, “and he told me he saw someone sniffing around. It might be nothing, but……..but what if the one who caused this has come back?”

“Why would they come back?” Taekwoon growled, “they already killed everyone and destroyed everything.”

“They didn’t kill everyone.”

Taekwoon looked over at Sanghyuk, slowly moving through the remains of his old home. He didn’t need to see the younger’s face to know how he was feeling. He was walking through the place that had seen his whole pack killed while he remained hidden under the floor boards of his house. Taekwoon couldn’t imagine what Sanghyuk had seen when he finally managed to escape from under the floor, but he knew it hadn’t been pleasant.

“Go with him,” his father spoke up, “keep an eye on him.”

“Alright,” Taekwoon nodded, wasting no time in rushing after Sanghyuk before the younger could vanish from sight.

Sanghyuk didn’t acknowledge him, full attention on the ruins around them. Save for a few walls, everything had been destroyed by both fire and time. Every so often, Taekwoon would stumble across something – bones, bricks, personal items. For the most part though, nature had reclaimed the land. Much of what had once been a werewolf village was now clearing with trees slowly encroaching. And yet, that didn’t seem to affect Sanghyuk.

He still remembered were everything had been. He could remember exactly where his school had stood. He still recalled the exact number of steps between his bedroom and his best friend’s front door. He knew exactly where their favorite places to play were, even though he hadn’t gone to any of them in ages. When he closed his eyes, he could see everything – his pack members laughing and talking, walking to work and home and just going about their lives.

It made him want to cry.

“Hey,” Taekwoon said, catching his arm when Sanghyuk stumbled slightly, “are you…..?” he trailed off, knowing that Sanghyuk wasn’t alright and asking was stupid.

“I…,” Sanghyuk wasn’t sure how to say what he was thinking, “I remember everything. Where everything should be, what everyone should be doing.”

“Do you want to go home?” Taekwoon asked, turning the younger to face him, “We can go back right now. Just say the word.”

“I just want to see one thing,” Sanghyuk said, turning away and walking off with Taekwoon right behind him.

The pair came to a stop in front of the remains of what Taekwoon suspected was once a door. Taking a deep breath, Sanghyuk walked into what had once been his house. Without a word, he walked around, passing through the living room, kitchen, and dining room before making his way to the remains of his parent’s bedroom. Taekwoon followed, always a few steps behind and ready to catch Sanghyuk if he needed support.

Sanghyuk needed that support when he saw the skull resting beside a hole in the floor, half hidden by dirt and grass. Sanghyuk lost it then, looking at the remains of his mother. Taekwoon rushed to catch him before he hit the ground and the pair sat there for a while, the older holding the younger tightly while he cried.

“I wanna go,” Sanghyuk finally said, “please.”

“Ok,” Taekwoon nodded. He hated seeing Sanghyuk so upset, but couldn’t deny that it felt good to hold him.

Taekwoon helped Sanghyuk to stand and led him away from the remains of his old home. The pair didn’t say a word as the older helped the younger into one of the cars they had arrived in with the others. The drive home was also silent save for when Taekwoon called him father to inform him that they were on their way home. He did notice that when he said that they were going home, Sanghyuk flinched slightly at the word.

Taekwoon frowned slightly at that. He’d always thought that Sanghyuk thought of their home as, well, home. But thinking back he couldn’t recall a single moment when the younger had called it home. Even when he asked Taekwoon to take him home, he hadn’t actually said the four letter word. He guessed that a part of Sanghyuk had always hoped that he could return to his old pack, that there was still something left of home to return to. This visit had proven that he could never go back, that everything was gone.

“Hey,” Taekwoon said after pulling into the driveway of his families’ house, making sure that the doors stayed locked so that Sanghyuk couldn't get out just yet.

“What do you want?” Sanghyuk asked, sounding tired and defeated.

“This is your home,” Taekwoon said, thinking over his words carefully, “It might not be like your old home, but…….but it’s a home. It’s……I want you to know that it’s your home, too. You aren’t…….you still have a home.”

“You’re bad at this,” Sanghyuk observed, looking over at Taekwoon with a small smirk, “but thank you.”

With that, Sanghyuk unlocked the door and headed inside the house. Taekwoon watched him go, not sure if he’d managed to get his point across or not.

A/N: awww, poor Hyukkie. The poor baby must be a wreck.