Deeper into Darkness | ChanHoMin

10

ultimately, their plan failed.

although seungmin was nervous about being away from them, he was way too excited to see felix to let it put him off.

chan was leaning against the counter in the kitchen, sighing as he talked to felix on the phone.

"you're telling me there's more people there than just you and seungmin?!"

"y-yes... my friend jeongin and my other friend sungho."

chan rubbed his forehead.

"we're nervous enough to be away from him felix, dropping this on us now isn't helpful."

"look, i know you're worried about being away from him, but i was taking care of his mental health issues long before you were, i can handle it."

chan glared at the counter, clenching his teeth, he didn't like that at all, he wanted to slap the smug tone out of felix's system.

"talk to me like that again and he's not coming, if you're saying things like that, how can we be sure you won't tru filling his head with lies to turn him against us? it's best for seungmin to stay with us yet we're still giving him these opportunities and you're not sounding grateful."

"you have my address. see you later."

felix hung up and chan had to take a deep breath to stop himself from throwing the phone.

minho had seungmin on the counter and was covering up a bruise on his neck with make-up.

"you change in the bathroom, not in front of people, you don't sleep in the same bed as anyone else..."

minho had been giving seungmin a list of rules. he had his bag packet with minho's help and chan had charged up his old phone, putting a parent lock on all internet access and removing all contacts, putting his own number and minho's into it.

he put that in seungmin's bag just as minho came in with seungmin.

"are you sure you want to go baby?"

seungmin smiled and nodded.

"i'm nervous but i really missed lixie, i promise i'll behave, i'll be really good and i'll miss you lots."

minho clicked his tongue and crossed his arms, looking at seungmin.

seungmin's smile faded a little as he looked at their faces, he lowered his head and sighed.

"you don't want me to go, right?"

neither of them responded for a second.

"go and have fun with your little friends."

the way chan said it sounded bitter.

"i... i don't want to go if i'll get punished."

"go to the door seungmin."

"but-"

"hey! you know better than to talk back! go!"

seungmin flinched and did as he was told, going to the front door, starting to tear up.

they opened the door and carried seungmin's things to the van, opening the door and getting in with him. chan pulled the boy onto his lap and rocked him like a baby.

"don't cry pup."

seungmin rested his head on chan's chest.

"d-don't wanna make you mad." he whispered.

"we just worry about you, you're not like other people baby, you need special care and treatment only we can give you, we're only trying to keep you safe."