My Broken Heart Wrapped Among Thorns (Hoonki FF)

Reconnect with broken wounds

The thing Riki had whispered to Shota about, was a scar. Haneul had gotten really mad at Riki one night after a bad fight and it ended with Riki getting stabbed.

-

They had stayed quite for a bit after riki removed his shirt showing the on scarring of a prevous stab wound right next to the bottom of his rib. Shota was trying so hard not to tear up and lose it infront of the younger because that was the last thing he probably neede right now.

"Iki..." Shota says with a sigh

"I know. Can we please just clean the cuts on my back." Riki says with the most numb voice.

"Please."

"yea. Just here, sit on my bed instead. It will make it easier."

"You know." Riki starts with a small smile trying to regain a memory but stops knowing its not the best for either of them. Nothing was the same anymore. They were now 4 years older from the last time they had talked and things were different.

And what once used to be a small trauma led joke to help them cope with problems now felt weird. It felt almost wrong now knowing that they hadn't talked in years.

"Hm?"

"Its actually um nothing."

"If your thinking about when you used to help me with this than you can make the joke yk." Shota smiles lightly. now speaking comfortabbly in their mother tounge.

"i remeber i tried to make that joke a while back when i first met my group" And shota just sighs.

"They didn't like it?" Riki asks and shota just awnsered with a hum.

"Kinda gives me deja vu yk just it was usually the other way around." Riki says trying to smile and Shota just chuckles

Shota used to deal with the beatings and the constent scaring and bruising on his body when his mom had married to a new man. The man had thought he was now this new owner who could boss Soul around. And well Shota... Well Shota didn't like that, so he would fight back. Until it got bad, and the Cuts and bruises had gotten worse. It took Riki's parents convinvcing his parents to send him to Korea for better accademics for him to get out of that situation.

"Im sorry for leaving." Riki says quickly "I didn't mean to leave you alone with him.. My parents were serious about my academics and i figured i could have good dance oppurtunities here too. I thought i would only stay for a semester but-"

"A semester turned into four years." Shota finishes Riki's sentence and then pauses what hes doing

"thank you." Shota says

"for what? I should be thanking you, yk? yah kinda saved my life back there" Riki trys to joke and Soul chuckles a bit now finishing putting ointment on Riki's cuts and then wrapping his upper body with gauze to keep pressure on the wounds"

"What bestfriends are for right?"

"mhm. Bestfriends forever no matter what. and you can tell we stuck to that phrase cause here we are" Riki says with a tear rolling down his face

"I know you were the one to tell your parents to convince mine to make me move for 'just a semester' knowing i would stay. Thank you.. You really helped me get away" Shota says finishing Helping riki with a tear falling from his face.

"Of course." Riki says as he turned around 

They both smiled at eachother and hugged. It felt different, but not an odd different. A comforting difference. It was like they were 8 years old again hugging after the same thing had happened to Shota except everything was reversed. Riki was the one taking care of the older boy and helping him.

"You can live with me." Shota says with tears falling down his face

"please. I know your thinking of going back to him. And you dont need to. I live alone and-" Soul started

"Soulie-" Riki lets go from the hug 

"please dont do this. yk i cant walk away. And ik you know because it was the same reason why you told me you wouldn't run away to just move in my house." Riki says while wiping tears from the shorter boy's eyes

"I just cant stand here and knowing that he did this to you" Shota says as he puts his hand on the now healed stab wound"

"I know. But he's the one who helps me with money and have friends."

"what about your parents? Plus you can have me and my friends." Soul says

"They're a bit tight on money. They're paying for the school already and-"

"live on campus."

"what?"

"I live on campus and its free. I dont have a roommate so you can-"

"Shota i told you he helps me."

"He isn't helping anything Kiki. if anything all he's doing is hurting you."

Riki goes quiet for a second then grabs Soul's hands

"Funny that the rules are reversed isn't it?" Riki says

"Thats not fair Riki"

"I said the same thing to you Shota. Did i not tell you my family would help you? Did i not tell you that your step dad was just hurting you. He even did this to you Shota" as touches the older boys Shoulder and pull the sweatshirt he was wearing to the side.

"How hasn't it even fully healed yet-"

"Yea, what that man did to me was fucked up. But you helped me get away. And you have a lot of chances here in Korea. Do you know what he does to everyone else. He's not only an asshole to you Riki but hes a huge bitch to everyone else."

Shota sighs 

"Get out of there before its to late. You know what almost happened to me that day." It was the same situation Shota had went through with his step dad. The only difference was. They were two different people. And one is still connected to the other

Shota sheds a few more tears

"Look i'm not trying to scare you Riki. But I-, I can't let that happen to you too. I can't lose you again." 

"And you wont. But you have to give me time. I-i still love him." 

and then there was a short pause in between

"At least I still think I do."

-

The two had a cup of coffee before it was time for Riki to have to go back to their shared apartment off of campus, knowing that Haneul would be mad if Riki was gone any longer.

"Thanks for having me but I have to go now" Riki smiled while getting up

"I can drive you? I don't feel comfortable with you taking the bus especially if its snowing like this" 

"Are you sure?"

"yeah"

-

So Shota had driven Riki to the shared house. But not everything went quite well when he dropped Riki off