The Trials of Neo City [WINWIN • YUTA]

🖤 38. Time 🖤

"Taro!" Yuta yelled hysterically, running up and down the city streets with Sicheng behind him. "Shotaro! Taro!" He hollered, not caring anymore if he triggered a trap or brought attention to himself. All he wanted was Shotaro back and he was worried that he ran out of time.

He shouldn't have spent the night with Sicheng. He shouldn't have left Shotaro alone for even a moment. He forgot where he was and now Shotaro might be hurt or lost or... worse.

Everything he's done would have been for nothing at all if Shotaro was hurt. All for love, all because his emotions blinded him.

He ran as fast as he could, tears brimming at his eyes. He could only think of the worst things, panicking and desperately trying to find the younger boy.

When Yuta ran out of breath, Sicheng tried to help him; "That cannon might not have been him, Yuta. Let's calm down and try to think where he might be-"

"You don't understand!" Yuta yelled, making Sicheng flinch. His eyes were wide with fear and his cheeks were pink. "Do you know what I've done to keep that kid safe? If Shotaro's dead, then I'm dead. Then all those Capitol bastards that I sucked off for a favor were for fuckin' nothing! The past three weeks would have been useless, and I can't fucking have that! Do you understand me?"

Sicheng's throat went dry. His mind raced a mile a minute but before he could ask any more questions, Yuta sprinted away, yelling Shotaro's name again.

They ran all the way to the other side of the city aimlessly before finally spotting Shotaro on a narrow road, picking at something in the street and putting it in his pockets.

Yuta screeched, barreling towards Shotaro as quick as his legs would allow. Shotaro looked up in surprise, kneeling by a sewer grate where dried fruit was left sitting out next to a few stray sticks. There weren't many trees in the city, but he rationed that the wind must have carried them over, since they weren't too heavy. He smiled when he saw Yuta, opening his arms for Yuta to tackle him down.

"Taro!"

"I was looking for food. Someone left these behind, some rations over here." Shotaro's voice was calm as Yuta frantically checked him for injuries or marks. But no, his body was clean and untouched and nobody had found him yet.

Yuta sighed in relief and looked around nervously before hugging Shotaro close to his chest. His lip wobbled. "Taro... I was so scared."

He then became stern and let go of Shotaro, letting his shoulder angrily. "Don't you ever run off like that again! You could have gotten yourself trapped, or worse-"

"I have the sneaking suspicion that your sweet little 'Taro' did get trapped." A voice called out. Yuta's blood ran cold, realizing that the voice didn't belong to Sicheng and Sicheng wasn't hadn't followed him. "And we caught you two in the process. He made it easy, huh? Looks like your little rebellion is over and you're out of time."

Yuta whipped his head in horror around to see his lover with a knife pressed to his throat by Johnny Suh, who's plump lips curled into a catlike smirk.

"Out of time, Nakamoto."