The Aged | Gyuhao (Sequel to Youth)

- 54

| Chapter Fifty - Four — Finally |

"Y-You..."

"Me,"

"It's really you,"

"It's really me,"

Minghao is there. Right there at the doorstep of Carmine's hideout.

Sure, it's weird, it's frightening and it makes no sense, but Mingyu can't help but not care. He's never felt this type of happiness and adrenaline before.

Minghao pushes past him without another word, slamming the door shut, "Nobody can see me," He says as he looks around cautiously, "Nobody knows I'm here. Just you,"

"Nobody?" Mingyu's still in shock.

Minghao sighs, "Well, just one person. But don't worry, we can trust him. He's covering for me right now—"

Minghao's cut short because Mingyu's pulling him into a bone crushing embrace.

He's holding and hugging him so unbelievably tight and Minghao feels like crying because it's the warmest he's felt in weeks.

"I-I—" Mingyu's trembling. He squeezes Minghao tighter, practically sobbing into the crook of his neck, "I-I missed you so m-much—"

"Gyu," Minghao urges, lightly nudging at Mingyu's chest. He doesn't budge. Minghao speaks anyways, "Gyu, I need to tell you something. It's important—"

"You're important," Mingyu sniffles, nuzzling closer. Minghao almost collapses, "You're so important to me... Fuck, I can't believe you're actually here—"

"Mingyu, come on," Minghao successfully pushes him away, "Where's your father?"

Mingyu furrows his brows, "Why are you asking that?" He wants to sob like a baby until Minghao can do nothing but hold him again. He decides to stay strong and continue to swirl in the pit of confusion that's slowly rising with each passing second.

Minghao whines in distress, "Because—"

A gasp.

Both Minghao and Mingyu's heads fly to their right. And there... there stands—

"Soonyoung?"

The glass of water that Soonyoung had been drinking slips from his grip as his entire body freezes up. The shock was unbearable. Insane and overwhelming. Glass goes flying everywhere as it hits the floor.

"Myungho," The name spills past Soonyoung's lips like muscle memory, and he's jogging over to Minghao and throwing himself on him all the same, just as Mingyu had, "Oh my fucking god. Where have you been?!" He pulls away, fingers digging into Minghao's shoulders as he looks all over him, "Are you hurt? What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Hyung," Minghao pushes his hands away, "I'm fine. Go back to— Wait," He pauses, "What are you doing here?"

Soonyoung swallows, "O-Oh— I, uh...."

Minghao's eyes don't fail to soon fall upon that horrid cherry. It's tattooed just along the side of his friend's neck.

He feels like throwing up.

His first instinct is to look at Mingyu, "What is this?" He voice threatens to break, "Did you know about this?"

Mingyu sighs, "Hao—"

"Jesus Christ, Soon—" He turns back to his friend, grabbing him by the hands, "You can't be here. You can't stay here. It's dangerous, and you have to be kept—"