THE8 | Junhao

FIFTY - ONE

| CHAPTER FIFTY - ONE |

They both slam their car doors shut, heavy breaths and the beating of their races hearts filling the small space.

"Go go go!" Minghao leans up in his seat, head turned all the way around to catch a glimpse of what might be behind them. But he flies down only seconds after doing so, a gunshot puncturing through the back windshield.

Jun slaps a hand to the back of Minghao's head, holding him down, "Stay down. Stay down." He's trying to hide shakiness in his voice, his foot cramping from how fast he's stepping on the gas pedal.

"This way." Minghao finally sits up, the gunshots more blurred now, more left behind the further they get. His chest was heaving, and he felt his head fuzz with adrenaline.

Jun turns just like Minghao wanted, hand gripping the steering wheel just as tight as his other gripped minghao's. Even in the chaos of the moment, his thumb traced comforting circles on the array of his knuckles, Minghao looking up at him with glossy eyes.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jun doesn't really know what to say as he drives, he doesn't really know how to start a conversation after seeing the boy for the first time in months. It was inevitable for him to fumble over his words.

Minghao stays silent, looking away.

Jun glances at him every now and then, hand clenching the wheel, "Minghao, look at me."

Minghao closes his eyes, heart banging against his ribcage, "I don't know what you want me to say," He speaks without turning his head. He's afraid if they meet eyes, he'll spill everything... everything Jun didn't know just yet.

"Why are you sulking? I'm just trying to talk."

Minghao chuckles, finally looking over, "I'm the most wanted criminal at the moment. Police are looking everywhere for me." he smiles in amusement, resting his head against the headrest of the seat as he turns away, "i wouldn't be surprised if we were on our way to the station right now."

jun stays silent, and minghao sighs.

there's a pause... but minghao soon breaks it, his voice shriveled and small now, completely different from the other, "how do you know my name?" he asks without looking over, eyes down at his fidgeting fingers, "did the chief tell you?"

"is that what matters right now?" jun scoffs, "no. what matters... is that you lied to the entire station, about not only your reason to be there... but your entire identity as a person."

minghao slumps in his seat, frowning.

"aren't you gonna say something?"

"what do you want me to say if what you're saying is the truth?" minghao asks, shrugging in defeat, "everyone seems to know how much of a dangerous person i am... so why can't i get that across to-"

"seungcheol." jun blurts, and minghao's eyes widen.

"what?"

jun moves over a bit, keeping his eyes on the road whilst pulling out a small, crumbled up piece of paper from his pocket. he waves it around in the air, chucking it at minghao, "that told me everything...." he says, "everything you ever didn't."

minghao gulps, unfolding the paper.

he slumps his shoulders, immediately closing his eyes at the first written line. he refolds the paper, leaning back against his seat, "so you know everything, huh?" he's in a state of defeat, not exactly knowing how to hide anything anymore.

"mostly." jun says, minghao watching him turn a corner. they were still on the road, next to a small field now, and minghao watched the autumn leaves fall to paint the brittle grass, "just not everything," he sighs, "i just... i wanna know why...."

"why?" minghao furrows his brows.

jun nods, "you're doing everything to catch this one man.... and i've heard the chief speak about that briefly.... but he never really told me why." he says, "and even if he did, i still want to hear it from you."

minghao gulps, panicking on the inside.

it all happened so fast, jun shouting a curse when the car abruptly comes to a stop, minghao's hand slipping off the gear as fast as it can, the beeper going off as soon as he pushes his door open.

"minghao-!" he screeches, "fuck- goddamn it!"

minghao runs for his life, feet slamming against the grass, crunching the frost away from each strand. he feels bad for stepping on all the flowers, just as he feels bad for running away... again.

but he doesn't get far, as he's freezing when a bullet shoots right past him, the loud boom of the gunshot making his ears ring.

"do not... run away again." jun was stood just at the street, gun already clocked and aimed just in case minghao were to run again.

he wasn't going to actually shoot him, of course. he was just going to scare minghao a little, make his fear rise enough to where he would eventually have no choice but to walk back over.

"minghao." jun gulps, slowly moving forward, gun still in his grip.

minghao's eyes were closed, and he was trying not to cry.

taking a deep breath, he finally spoke, frozen, "just forget about me, jun." he begs, hands up by the sides of his head in surrender, "just let me go and we can pretend this never happened."

"i cant pretend this never happened!" jun hates the way his voice threatens to crack, "i-i can't pretend we never happened!"

"we never did!" minghao's turned around now, and jun hates the tears in his eyes. minghao holds a shaky hand to his chest, "whatever you read in that fucking note was sugarcoated beyond hell! i didn't mean any of it!"

"liar." jun takes a step forward, his gun forgotten, stuffed back in his belt loop, "you're lying."

"i'm not." minghao sniffles, "i don't like you that way. i never did."

"stop," jun takes a breath, closing his eyes for a moment. he watches the moonlight bounce off minghao's glossy eyes, just like he watches a sparkly tear roll down his cheek, "stop fucking lying to me."

minghao looks away, taking a breath. his lip quivers, and he hates the way he doesn't know what to say. he hates the way he doesn't know what to feel, what to do and think anymore.

"hao," jun shudders, walking closer, "hao-"

"no!" minghao pushes away from jun's incoming embrace, tears beaming in his eyes, threatening to fall freely, "n-no, just-"

"stop pushing me away!" jun screams.

minghao starts crying then, turning around to hold his hands to his face. he sobs into his palms, chest jolting with every movement. he lets out everything, eyes squinted, lips pouted as he sobs his entire being out.

minghao flinches when he feels arms wrap around his shoulders from behind, jun's forehead pressed against the blade of his back. his hold was tight, as if he didn't want to ever let go, and that thought alone was what made minghao break.

"you're running from seungcheol's people right now, aren't you?" minghao doesn't say anything to that, but he finds himself nodding instead, throat incapable of working vocal cords.

"okay," jun takes a breath, "okay." he nods into minghao's back, "i... i have a place we can go for now, if you want." he breathes, gulping, "it's safe. you can stay there as long as you want," he pauses, "and.... and if you end up leaving to do whatever you need again.... i won't stop you." he sighs, "this is your choice. i won't hold you back. i won't be your burden."

minghao sniffles, taking a shaky breath.

"o-okay."