WOUNDED SECRETS ☆ EARTHMIX AU

✧f o u r: blurry ✧

— everyone has a part of their life they wish would stay blurry forever —

17 MONTHS AGO

The rope was too tight.

It was digging uncomfortably into Mix's wrists, making his skin burn with slight stinging pain. That pain was the first thing he felt after he came back to his senses.

And after the pain came a voice. Deep muffled voice, slightly raspy at the edges. The man was wearing a mask, looking down at him.

"Look who finally woke up? Took you long enough!"

Stay calm.

That was the No. 1 rule Mix learned at the university especially when he talked to his criminology friends. When they kidnap you stay calm, cooperate with your kidnapers... buy yourself as much time as possible before help comes.

But what if help doesn't come?

Mix was going back home from his work. He wasn't sure if someone was alerted about his situation which could very well mean that he was all alone in this mess.

He raised his head a little, looking up at the masked man, "what do you want from me?"

The man grinned as he approached Mix's chair, taking out a knife.

Mix gulped down, trying to keep his breath slow and steady. Trying to stay calm. The man had to need him for something or he wouldn't take Mix with him. If Mix was supposed to just be a random victim he would be already laying somewhere in a pool of his own blood and the next morning he wouldn't be the one putting out the news but there would be news put out about him.

But he was still alive and still alive meant still needed.

The man smirked as he walked behind Mix and seconds later the rope was no longer cutting deep into Mix's wrist and the stinging pain was replaced by a burning one. Mix brought his wrists in front of himself and massaged them carefully, trying to relieve the pain a little.

The man stepped back in front of him, "you are going to write me an article. It better be your best one yet and you'll make sure it's out before dawn. Get it?!"

"You don't want it out before dawn," Mix shook his head at the man's stupidity. "If you want it to break into a major news you want it between 6 and 7 in the morning."

"I fucking told you I want it before the dawn so that's when you gonna fucking finish it!" Mix's cheek throbbed with pain as the man hit him for the first time.

With the bitter taste of iron in his mouth Mix nodded, looking up at his kidnapper, "so, what am I writing about?"

✧✧✧

PRESENT

Mix could still feel every harsh slap and hit he got from his kidnapper. He could still feel the sharp pain on the right side, just under his ribs. And he could still smell the gasoline that the man poured all over the place Mix was held in. And Mix could still remember that feeling of paralyzing terror creeping all over his body. He was sure that he was going to burn alive that night. And he was still damn that sure of it now that if his kidnapper didn't make one small but extremely important mistake, Mix wouldn't be standing right now in front of Earth, trying to come up with some explanation for why he said what he said, instead Mix would be nothing but ashes long gone in the wind.

But then the man started searching for his lighter just minutes before Mix was supposed to post the article he wrote debunking everything he wrote in an article just a month ago, exposing one of the highest-ranking men in the Bangkok mafia. Looking at the gun laying on the table just about within a hand's reach from him, Mix let out such a loud relieved sigh that for a second he was scarred that the man heard him. But he didn't. The man was still walking around, cursing at everything that wasn't his precious lighter he was so vehemently trying to find, that he didn't even notice that he left his gun unattended right in front of Mix.

What happened next was mostly blurry in Mix's mind and he wanted to keep it that way. The frantic realization of having only one chance to get out of that horrific situation, the horror of the realization that his chance of getting out alive included him injuring or even killing another person. The trembling hands that reached out for the gun, the cold shiver that ran through his spine when he heard the man's raspy voice right behind him. The ultimate acceptance that it was now or never. Lighter vs. a gun. The man was too close, the blood splattered all over Mix's face. The trembling hands that let go of the gun. The police that came seemingly out of nowhere and were making sure Mix was fine, taking his statement... telling him that the man was dead.

Mix remembered everything but it was still blurry. He didn't exactly remember the smell of the gasoline or how it felt to have the man's blood all over his own body. And that was good. The more blurry his memory of that night was the more he could pretend that he didn't keep returning to those moments every night in his sleep.

Mix tried to not think about it as much as possible so now, standing in front of Earth, he wished he could keep his mouth shut. He couldn't possibly tell Earth the truth, but making up another lie also didn't seem like the best idea. After all, the more lies you tell the more you have to remember.

So, Mix cleared his throat and with his most intimidating look — which wasn't much at all — he said to Earth, "I did. You don't want to know more."

Before Earth could say anything his phone buzzed and as he looked at it, a hint of worry appeared on his face, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he read a text message that popped up on his screen.

Earth left without uttering one more word and Mix could do nothing just watch in confusion as Earth's back was disappearing into the darkness of the club.

"Weird," Mix mumbled under his breath and went back to the locker room to grab his stuff.

✧✧✧

"Linda!" Earth yelled upon opening the door to his apartment. "Linda... what happened?"

Linda came walking into the living room, waving Earth over, "you forgot, Earth don't you?"

Earth frowned, "what? Is my dad okay? Did something happen?" Panic was rising in Earth's chest.

Linda shook her head, "khun Kla is fine, don't worry. But I have a doctor's appointment in less than thirty minutes, Earth I told you."

Earth let out a breath he didn't know what he was holding. Ah, yes, the doctor's appointment. Linda was supposed to go to a check-up with her cardiologist. Earth couldn't possibly let her miss that. He ducked his head before he raised it back again with an apologetic smile, "I'm so sorry, Linda. We have a new guy in the club and I don't know... my mind keeps wandering that way. I forgot honestly."

"It's fine, kid. Better late than never, right?" I'll be back tomorrow morning to have another lovely day with khun Kla. We are best friends at this point," Linda smiled. And it was such a warm, mother-like smile that Earth never received from his real mother that it made him want to curl up in Linda's arms and pretend that everything was fine. That his mother didn't die giving birth to him, that his father didn't sustain brain damage from one of the fights, so severe that he had been bedridden for the last eight years. That Earth didn't have to fight and not only fight but be the best in the Fire Dragon to earn enough to be able to pay not only Linda but everything that his father needed to stay alive.

Instead of hugging Linda, Earth only smiled back and walked her to the door, thank you for everything Linda, see you tomorrow and all the best and the doctor's."

Earth didn't even get a chance to go to the bedroom to look at his father since Linda left when there was a loud knock at the door.

Earth turned around and walked back to the door, half expecting that it was Linda who forgot something, half confused because Linda had the key so if she really did forget something, she would just let herself in instead of knocking.

"Linda, did you forget something?" Earth asked before opening the door.

But it wasn't Linda.

"You?"

To be continued...

P.S. Would it be even me atp if I didn't give Earth some kind of sad backstory? 😭🤣