𝑭𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅𝒔 - 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓾𝓷𝓰

𝓒𝓱; 12 𝓑𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓽

Chan let out a scream, eyes fuming. A crashing sound resounded through the room as the objects hit the wall and got sent rolling over the floor. He shut his eyes, taking back control over his heavy breathing, and cooling down his rage. Chan dropped onto his bed, running his hands through his hair, exhaling. "I'm losing him.." Chan's breath grew shaky with every second he thought more about it. It ate at the inside of him, the feeling of insecurity. He would never be enough. "Why.." Chan whispered, trembling. "Why can I never have what I truly desire?"

Jisung closed the door behind him, the end of the journey finally allowing him to stretch out. The bus remained cramped even on the second ride. Though the camp was okay, Jisung was still happy to be back home again. Just as he was about to put away his luggage, the footsteps of an excited child rushed down the stairs. A boy a little younger than him ran towards Jisung and clutched around his leg. 

Jisung cooed, and crouched down to the boy's level, patting his head. "Hello, Jaeyong," he greeted him with a smile. "Brother," the younger pouted. 

"Yes?" 

"When are mom and dad coming home?" he asked, looking up at Jisung with his little glistening eyes. Jisung's face lost the genuineness in his smile, but he continued to pat his head. "I think mom and dad are coming a bit later today," he ensured his little brother, although he, himself, didn't even know. 

Then the door creaked open and the drunkard staggered inside. Jisung widened his eyes, heartbeat spiking in his chest, and turned himself towards his brother. "Jaeyong, could you please go upstairs to Irene?" Jisung asked him, rushing his sentence. The younger boy nodded and ran upstairs to his nanny. 

Jisung's eyes pooled with fear as he turned around to meet his father's bloodshot eyes. His cheek stung when his hand crossed it. He could already feel the mark burning on his skin. "Great, that'll be another afternoon in the bathroom," Jisung complained to himself.  

"Why are you trying to keep my son away from me?!" he yelled at him, Jisung didn't flinch. "I am protecting him from a monster like you." he spat, glaring at him. He isn't giving up on protecting his family. Even if that means taking every hit possible.

The man threw the bottle in front of Jisung, making it shatter into thousands of pieces. His father pushed him, forcing him to sit down. Jisung felt the pain igniting in his skin, starting from his knees as the glass pierced through. "That's all?" he chuckled almost lifelessly, looking up at his father.

"As you wish," he muttered, pushing Jisung further down, digging the shard even deeper as Jisung let out another cry and the man just laughed.

Jisung stood in front of the bathroom mirror, looking down at his knees, red and purple cuts painted on his legs. He took the bandage on top of the sink and started wrapping it around them after he cleaned everything. 

He smiled to himself. "Do it for your family" he said, looking at his reflection. The bathroom door opened and Irene stormed inside. The tears stood in her eyes as she covered her mouth. "Oh my goodness, Jisung. I'm so sorry.." 

"It's fine, Irene. I've had worse," he reassured, but she shook her head. "No. No child should go through this!" She reached a hand toward his face, examining it carefully. Irene had always been there for him and his brother. She was a close friend, actually. She is his mother's best friend. Irene had taken care of him and his brother when their mother couldn't handle it. She could already be considered part of the family. 

"I'm fine, Irene. I really am. Just, please, go and take care of my brother," he pleaded to her. Because Jisung knew she would protest otherwise. "Fine," she sighed. "I'm going out for a while. I will probably return a bit late today," he said when they stood in the corridor. Irene smiled at him and nodded. "Of course, I will leave you some food in the fridge" she answered, knowing exactly what to do. "Thank you." He gave her a small hug and Irene was quick to return it.

"Get back safe." He nodded at her, grabbing his coat. "And don't catch a cold!" she called behind him when he left the door. "Will do!" he yelled back before closing the door. 

"When are mom and dad coming home?" Jaeyong's words kept replaying inside of Jisung's head. How will he keep protecting the child's innocence like this? He doesn't want to drag Jaeyong into this at all. But how can he keep lying like this? The truth will come out eventually, whether he liked it or not. 

He had his head lowered, hiding his face in his hands. Jisung let out a long, exhausting, breath while the wind blew in his face. No matter how hard he tried, his mind couldn't be at ease. "Tough home situation?" a voice behind him asked, and sat down next to him. "I'm fine." Yes, that's a lie, Minho could see it from Jisung's quivering lips. Minho gave him a questioning look. Why does he have to lie about how he feels?

Jisung felt Minho's presence still next to him. For some strange reason, It made him want to cry. He felt his vision blurring again. Jisung hid his face in the palms of his hands. He let out a scoff, sighing after. "I am so fucking embarrassing." 

Minho kept his eyes on Jisung, continuing to observe him. "Come here," he suddenly ordered, but this time it wasn't out of annoyance. When Jisung looked up he saw Minho, spreading his arms. He rose his head in a nod, giving Jisung a look of approval. "Come here, crybaby," he teased Jisung with a soft smile on his face, speaking of which, this being the first time Jisung noticed his genuine smile. He remained glued to the spot at first but still crawled toward Minho after contemplating. As soon as he got engulfed in his warm embrace, Jisung let his tears escape. 

Minho softly cradled him back and forth as he felt the male in his arms shake against his body.  For some reason, he can't bear seeing Jisung like this. It wasn't that he felt some sort of responsibility for him then. However, he finally experienced the feeling. The feeling of care. Minho tightened his grip on the other, pulling him closer just a bit. He wanted to give him a sense of safety. Even if it was for a few seconds. He wanted to make sure he couldn't get hurt. Minho's heart ached, looking at Jisung's stained face. He noticed his red, swollen eyes and how his face turned a bit puffy. "Look at you." Minho caressed his hand across Jisung's face, wiping away the last tear. 

Jisung invested himself in staring into those dark brown eyes, noticing just how soft and genuine the other's gaze is. They had a depth in them. And definitely held care, too. "Why are you doing this?" he asked, barely in a whisper. Minho brushed back a strand of hair behind Jisung's ear so it didn't irritate his eyes. "You said I could trust you right?" Jisung nodded at him, recalling the memory. "So that's what I'm doing." the older stated. For a second, all of his sadness and worries diminished. This time, he carried this warm, full, instead of empty, feeling inside. He enjoyed it. "Please, stay like this for a bit longer," Jisung pleaded while leaning onto the older's shoulder. "Then I will," Minho confirmed, laying his head on top of Jisung's as well.