NIGHTMARE

10 | foggy; stormy; misty

the weather changed that evening, shifting to a dark, brooding fog.

yoo kihyun was curled up on the tattered sofa in his tiny apartment, listening to the wind beat against the window. the ceiling was creaking, so the neighbours were at it again.

it was times like these, when the sky outside was white and uncaring and he was alone, that kihyun really felt nostalgic. he missed his old friends from his hometown, he missed cold nights snuggled up in someone else's arms, and he missed cuddling misty on the couch when he was sad. he was even starting to miss the warmth and the smell of changkyun's hoodie.

it had only been one week since starting at his first ever teaching placement and he was already making a mess of things. choir club was a mess, kids weren't giving in their homework on time, and lim changkyun was giving him hell.

still, despite the struggles he hadn't anticipated, kihyun had still believed it would be a fresh start. now, he was starting to think that maybe he was wrong.

it's hard to escape the past.

buzz. the phone screen lit up from where it lay abandoned on the rug. kihyun had put it on vibrate mode instead of the ringer, but it still went off just as constantly.

he feared to pick up the call. but now, even a voice he feared was better than the silence he was existing in.

"...hello?"

his heart beat rapidly as he finally answered the call. he waited for a response, scared of what he would hear.

"god, ki, so fucking hard to get hold of," the voice on the other line slurred, "with another guy, huh? i always knew you're a fucking... slut..."

kihyun bit his lip. "don't call me that," he said quietly.

"but you are a slut, fucking bitch..."

kihyun stayed silent, the phone shaking in his hands. he didn't care about the slut - it was the ki he hated. it used to be a cute nickname, and now it was just a sour memory... some sort of reccuring nightmare.

"you're drunk, hoseok," kihyun stated, as if he even expected things to have changed.

hoseok.

the reason he'd moved out in the first place.

the reason he'd slept on minhyuk's floor over christmas because he had nowhere else to escape to.

the reason he'd moved cities, just to get away.

and the reason the number came up as unknown in his phone. he'd deleted it, and for good reason.

"why did you call me?" kihyun whispered, using all of his nerve not to hang up and start crying.

"i'm calling, you slut... 'cause i don't want you or your property hanging around anymore," hoseok rambled, the sneer evident in his tone. "come and get your fucking cat..."

"misty's there?" kihyun blurted. "um... i'll... i'll come and pick her up tomorrow morning...?"

beeeeeeeeeep. the line went dead and kihyun put his head in his hands.

and the tears began to fall.

he was supposed to get over him. but the sound of hoseok's voice made kihyun want to forget about the bad times, and the bruises, and the yelling and screaming, and all the hopeless crying. he wanted to be wrapped in hoseok's arms again and feel safe even if it only was pretend.

he missed having someone there, someone to call his own. even if the golden memories were outnumbered by the soju bottles smashed in anger.

when was the last time he cried this hard? kihyun couldn't remember, but it wasn't long ago.

the frosty wind howled outside, and kihyun sobbed hard into the cushions on the sofa, not knowing when the tears would stop.

and then, as if the script was turned to the next entrance cue: knock knock!

"go away!" came kihyun's muffled yell into the couch.

knock knock, knock knock knock!

kihyun tore across the room and flung the front door open, letting in a gush of cool air. standing shivering on the doorstep, with snow in his hair, was a student kihyun was eager to avoid. one look at changkyun's face and kihyun sobbed harder, his cheeks stained with tears.

"...kihyun?" changkyun blurted anxiously, outstretching a freezing hand to the older.

kihyun tried to control himself, choking back the sobs and sniffing. "why are you here?" he mumbled.

"to bring you the h-homework i didn't give in." changkyun licked his chapped lips nervously, teeth chattering as he spoke. "um... c-can i come in, please? it's like a blizzard outside and i think i'm going to d-die..."

kihyun sniffed again and let him in, shutting the cold out with a slam of the door. "stop being overdramatic," he murmured.

changkyun leaned over and shook the snow out of his hair and off his jacket, leaving a melting puddle on the carpet. he shivered, watching kihyun sniff and shuffle over to the sofa, turning the tv on.

"tonight's weather warnings are for unexpected snow and blizzards. high wind speeds mean it will be dangerous to go out, and temperatures are expected to continue to drop through the night. some areas may also experience power cuts a-"

the screen went black and the room became dark. kihyun looked up at the flickering light bulb until it finally cut out.

changkyun slowly edged across the room and sat tentatively next to kihyun on the couch. "a-are you... okay?" he asked.

"no," kihyun said shortly, returning to the verge of tears, "i'm not okay! everything's such a mess..."

and he fell into a crying mess in changkyun's lap, sobbing into his chest as changkyun held him and rubbed his back. he stroked his hair and wrapped his arms carefully around him.

the comfort was something kihyun longed for, something he needed. most of all, those tender hugs and safe arms were something he missed.

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