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After the events of Eden Studio and the disappearance of both Moonjo and Kihyuk, Jongwoo and Seokyoon get admitted to the same general hospital to recover. They’re placed in the same room and everyday since then, Seokyoon would watch as Jongwoo would zone into his laptop and type, type, type all day long, and sometimes those taps come accompanied with the clinking of his bracelet.
Seokyoon doesn’t mind it, to be honest, he finds both sounds to be calming like white noise and when it gets too overwhelming, he has his music to block out most of it. So no sweat, really.
Unlike Jongwoo, Seokyoon had more leeway during the interrogations, Kihyuk had made sure he was knocked out and hidden in his room for most of the massacre, kept both of them safe underneath his thin blanket, his earphones blocking out any sound of whatever murder was happening from beyond the locked door.
When all had gone quiet, Kihyuk gave him one last kiss, and slipped out the door to god knows where.
From what Jongwoo had whispered to him when no one else was near, Kihyuk had met up with him and Moonjo in the basement, the two older men had already formed their perfect escape and promised to meet with them again soon, leaving just shortly after the police sirens echoed through the streets.
When the police found the poor boy, Jongwoo was already with him and cursing about his head wound. Seokyoon was bleeding from the back of his head with bruises on his face, tape on his mouth and rope tied on his wrists and ankles. The door to the room was busted open, to stage that he had been kept locked inside the room for something , and that Jongwoo’s rampage was to save him. It was convenient, it was easy, Officer Junghwa didn’t even suspect the young rapper of anything, and Jongwoo was pardoned for the murders of the other tenants, his own bruises being his testament to his defense.
About the missing persons though? Well, as far as Jongwoo knew he had mentally blacked out from the adrenaline and had no idea what even happened during his rampage.
In the sterile scented dullness of their hospital room, day turns to night, and night turns to day, Seokyoon would reach out his hand towards Jongwoo’s bed and the other man would meet him halfway. For comfort, while they waited.
While Moonjo left Jongwoo the teeth bracelet as a promise gift– which he’s surprised the police even let him keep. Kihyuk left him with a pounding head. Romantic.
Sometimes, they’d get visitors, like Jongwoo’s co-workers, and the one time his own buddies in his part time job came by one sunny day. Officer Junghwa kept them company too, and brought them books and games, he really appreciated her. There's also the calls from Jongwoo’s mother, and Seokyoon would always comfort his hyung after each one left him in tears and breathing heavily.
Most of the time they were left alone with only the nurses to check on them. Seokyoon often wrote verses about phantoms and smooth expanse of skin. Of how the darkness embraced him tightly and kept him safe. It’s different from his usual lyrics, but it helped with his loneliness.
“When do you think they’ll come?” He asked one cloudy day, while they sat outside on the benches, finally let out of that boring room. Over the wooden planks of the seat, rests their intertwined hands.
“Don't know, but they better come quickly,” Jongwoo clicked his tongue, impatience bleeding from his voice, he tapped his feet rhythmically on the pavement and scoured the shadows for a hint of his own dear phantom, but to no avail.
“I think I’m about to lose all my shit in one go if they don’t come for us soon.”
While Jongwoo tapped away into his laptop, Seokyoon would hum and read on his bed– a new comic series Junghwa gave him. His eyes flickering from the pictures to the door, hoping a dark looming figure would enter anytime soon. He really missed him. The bruises had long since faded, though the back of his head still ached, and his heart grew heavier the longer Kihyuk wasn't with him.
So he wrote more. His little notebook of verses now half full with lyrics only about Kihyuk. He never named him in his songs, choosing instead to call him his black rose, but Jongwoo still advised him to hide it away where the nurses nor the police can find it.
Black rose in my soul,
Your thorns wound itself into my heart,
Black rose where'd you go,
The sun wants you to come back,
Back to me,
Make me bleed,
Cover me with your sins,
With a kiss, with your scent,
I belong only to you and no one else.
Reading the lyrics again always makes his ears go red. Putting his heart down into paper had always been his go to in venting out his thoughts, but when it's about Kihyuk, it never fails to fluster him.
Several months pass, and it's begun to grow cold again by the time the two of them fully recover. Just one more night. They need only stay one more night before they’re freed from the terrible hospital food, constant nurse visits, and lonely beds.
The police visits had long been finished, yet Officer Junghwa still kept them company, Seokyoon had secretly started to see her as an older sister figure even though he could tell Jongwoo is getting ticked off with her not so discreet interrogations about his still apparent memory loss about the incident. He said that once they’re out of the hospital, he’d cut off all ties with her for his peace of mind. It saddened him but he figured it wouldn’t be beneficial to them when their two phantoms finally come to get them if she’s still in their radar.
Night falls.
Like clockwork, when the lights had turned off and the nurse had made their last rounds in their room for the night, Seokyoon rose up from his bed and ambled onto Jongwoo’s, who raised his sheets up and scooted over to give him room. Nightmares had always been prevalent for the writer, and Seokyoon had missed it when his back was pressed up against a sturdy chest, so they made do with each other's smaller frames.
They talked about their plans once they’re out, in case their phantoms take longer to meet with them. Maybe Jongwoo will take Seokyoon back to Busan, maybe they’ll make it work here in Seoul, maybe maybe. As long as they’re together. Seokyoon likes the idea of going back to Busan, but also doesn’t want to make it harder for Moonjo and Kihyuk to find them.
“Ah, they’ll find us no problem.” Jongwoo whispered to his ear that night, “The bastard Moonjo might have implanted a tracker up my ass from how he always finds me and I’m sure your weirdo’s done the same to you.” His arms are languid on his waist, and Seokyoon pretends it’s heavier on its hold on him.
He quiets his giggle, “Maybe, I wanna see your home, hyung.” Seokyoon turns his head slightly to face Jongwoo, who rolls his eyes.
“Sure, whatever. Shouldn’t be too bad since you’ll be there too.”
Their plans come to a pause, when Seokyoon is roused awake by rough jostling on his side. His eyes snapped open and before his brain could even catch up to his movements, sat up and turned to Jongwoo to wake him up from a nightmare– ah.
Moonjo had that rare annoyed look on his face when he stared down at Seokyoon. The younger man thought he was a ghost at first (his brain is still waking up) and gaped for a bit before the man sighs and nudged him away from Jongwoo’s side– who he noticed had rolled away from him but still had their backs pressed on his sleep.
“You’re too close to my jagiya, Seokyoon-ah.” His voice low and got him hurrying out of the bed. Seokyoon’s face gets red when his brain has fully caught up and– oh my god, they’re here, they’re really– Seokyoon’s eyes widen as he scans the dark room.
“Moonjo-ssi where’s Kihyuk?” Seokyoon feels his heart sink when he doesn’t find his lover with the dentist. Moonjo huffs, now laying where Seokyoon used to be, his arms wound around Jongwoo’s and he nuzzles on his back, “Outside waiting, there's clothes on your bed. Wear it.” His voice then smooths when he mutters his term of endearment into Jongwoo’s ears, and Seokyoon looks away and to the pointed clothes on his hospital bed. It’s really happening, they’re really here.
He changes quickly, ignoring Jongwoo’s bothered groans, Moonjo’s honeyed voice and the “What the fuck?” That comes out of Jongwoo’s sleep laden mouth.
When he finishes he turns to the couple, but not really looking at them both to give them their privacy, and picks at his fingers, “He’s.. he’s outside?”
Moonjo hums, definitely wants him out of the room quickly, “By the parking lot inside a black, shiny car. I’m sure you won’t miss it.”
Seokyoon nods, he rounds his bed and reaches under the sheets for his lyrics notebook and his pen, bidding them goodbye and quietly walking out of the room. He’s eager to see Kihyuk again, but he knows he has to keep his footsteps quiet to avoid alerting the staff. Halfway out the hallway, Seokyoon suddenly stops and realises a mistake.
He doesn’t actually know what way he should go to be discreet in his escape, since he never really goes out of his room when the lights are out, but he also doesn’t want to go back to ask Moonjo because he might walk into something not even Kihyuk can save him from.
He sighs, maybe he should wait for them? But Kihyuk–
“Oh? Are you lost, sunshine?”
The initial voice makes him freeze, brain already halfway into an excuse but the nickname–
“Kihyuk-ssi–” Before Seokyoon can fully turn around, that familiar warmth engulfs him, making him gasp and melt instantly. His muscles relax and he sighs, he's back, he’s come back for him.
Kihyuk’s breath tickles Seokyoon when he leans down to whisper in his ear, “Let’s get us back to the car now, shall we?” Seokyoon nods quickly, their hands intertwining after a long time again and neither wants to let go of the other.
The car sways a bit, when Kihyuk abruptly presses his chest against Seokyoon’s, pinning him down to the car seat, his mouth beginning to suck onto the younger man’s neck like a leech. Kihyuk has never really liked seeing him unmarked for long.
Underneath him, Seokyoon wriggled and cried into Kihyuk’s hair, his thin arms wrapped around Kihyuk’s neck and pulling him even closer, moaning when the man bites down on his flesh.
“I missed you so so much, my sunshine.” Kihyuk breathed into Seokyoon’s skin, taking in his scent that he missed terribly. Manhandling him up to his lap and pressing their bodies even closer, “I can’t wait to devour you at our new place,” He kissed the tears that were falling from Seokyoon’s eyes, “I made sure our room is something you’ll love.”
Seokyoon sniffles, his hands unwrap themselves on Kihyuk’s neck to hold onto his face, “New place? Is that why you came late, hyung?”
Kihyuk moves his head to the side to kiss Seokyoon’s palm and hums “Moonjo and I had a lot to prepare, forgive us for making you wait.”
He then leans down and catches Seokyoon’s mouth fully, chapped yet soft and all his again. They kiss like their world is ending when it is only beginning to spin again, and they grab at each other desperately, pulling harshly at the other's body to get even closer. Mouths opening and tongues meeting. Kihyuk swallowed every groan coming out his darling's lips, while Seokyoon made sure to feed him more of his voice.
The two would have gone beyond and more if it weren’t for the tapping on the glass that made Seokyoon squeak and almost bite off Kihyuk’s tongue in surprise. The older man laughs off his apologies and snaps out his haze, not bothering to fix his appearance when he unlocks the car doors for Moonjo and Jongwoo to slide in. The younger of the two giving them a rather sour look at their position in the backseat.
“Good thing we arrived before anything worse happened.” Jongwoo grumbles while securing his seatbelt, definitely not paying any mind to the lingering feeling of lips on his skin. Seokyoon pouts at him, still wrapped around Kihyuk’s arms like normal.
“Hyung you have marks too–”
And like their own version of normal, Moonjo lets the roar of the card engine act as white noise to Jongwoo and Seokyoon’s bickering, while Kihyuk stays quiet and gets comfortable with his own bundle of sunshine. Ah, he’ll be able to hold his darling like that later on too.
He can’t wait.