Inside and Out | Seventeen Fanfiction

The Final Battle pt.2

All Joshua heard was a snap and another scream following behind it. Kun was the owner of that scream, making Joshua sigh with relief.

Kun fell to the ground as he held his arm tightly, it wasn't the same arm that was broken before. But it made him feel weak, and he hated that.

"You...bastard!" Kun rose from the ground again with a knife still in hand. Vernon caught that hand while Joshua watched in horror. The knife was removed from Joshua's shoulder and he was soon enough in the same position as Kun.
Except not as weak.

Kun became exhausted as he kept swinging his arm at Vernon, but the younger was simply too powerful at this rate.

"You've messed...with the wrong...family" Vernon said through gritted teeth. Kun took the opportunity while Vernon was distracted, to simply kick him in the chest.

Joshua soon got his strength back and kicked Kun in the side, making the assassin fly across the room. Another scream could be heard since he landed on his injured arm. Joshua felt guilt rush through his body instead of hatred, and he took another look at Vernon.

"We should help him"

"Are you crazy?"

"Perhaps. But at this point he isn't going to stop until he's satisfied. Just call the police then we'll abandon this place-"

"So we're going to leave him like this?"

Joshua shook his head as he walked towards the injured assassin. He kneeled to his level and looked him in the eyes.

"You going to finish me off...you asshole" Kun started getting tearful. The pain and the defeat was too overwhelming for him.

"No" Joshua shook his head in response. "I want to help you up before the police gets here"

Kun cocked a brow at Joshua and grunted a little at the pain in his arm.
"Vernon, you'll have to help me. My shoulder is busted"

Vernon wrapped an arm around Kun's side and pulled him upright, so he was sitting up straight. He was surprised that Kun didn't have any tricks up his sleeve.

Joshua know exactly why though.

"Kun...no more fighting. Please"

Kun shook his head while more tears fell.

"I need to win...I have to.."

"No, you don't. Neither of us won here, look at the two of us. We're bloody, bruised and have critical injuries. You think that's winning?

What will you get out of killing me?"

"Satisfaction"

"Is that all you really want?"

Kun nodded as he turned away from Joshua's stare. What Joshua did next made Vernon's eyes pop out his sockets, and well as Kun.
It definitely was considered brave.

Joshua embraced Kun in a hug. If affection is part of what cured Joshua, he needed Kun to feel the same thing.

Love. Affection. The feelings of being cared and wanted.

"What...are you doing?"

"Hugging you"

"But why?"

"Because you need to feel cared for as much as anybody else does. You don't need to win to feel good about yourself, you don't need to be good at everything...

You just need to understand all those trails and errors you made...made you a stronger man. You have feelings like I do too, you just need to allow them to take light"

Kun allowed his eyes to shut as more tears fell quickly. And with his good arm, he wrapped an arm around Joshua too. Vernon was flabbergasted.

"I care about you, okay? And many other people will if you let them in"

Kun nodded in understanding. He could stan Joshua in the throat at this very moment, but something stopped him. Something inside his heart stopped him from that thought.

He had given in.

——————————
Joshua and Vernon returned from their mission with Kun, and they were more than exhausted.

Kun was left behind at the warehouse and the police arrived shortly after the couple's disappearance. The assassin knew he deserved it, and he didn't bother fighting back. The officers knew he had a serious injury also.

Officer Jeon carefully lifted the assassin to his feet, while medics wrapped Kun's arm. He was going to make a long recovery before going behind bars.

Joshua had to have his own wounds treated by Hoshi, which was excruciating. Thankfully the knife missed the bone of the shoulder blade...but a muscle was for sure torn. This was going to be a tricky recovery.

Vernon was more than relieved that he was okay.

"So...what made you change your mind and give free hugs?"

"I just felt that fighting wasn't going to solve anything, it would just make the issue larger. And Kun would never be satisfied with that...

Also hugs are always free?"

Seokmin scoffed, "not with us...you've never hugged us in your life"

Joshua rolled his eyes as he walked towards the taller, wrapping his good arm around him.

"There, is that better?"

Seokmin chuckled and nodded at him before pulling away.

Jeonghan walked towards Joshua with his spray bottle.
"Hugs or a damp face?"

Joshua squinted at the older before sighing. He wrapped an arm around Jeonghan just like he did to Seokmin. The older was satisfied.

"I'm just glad you're both safe" Seonghceol calmly stated. "And you broke your promise there Joshua"

"Can't make promises like that I'm afraid...I always end up with a knife in me" he shrugged.

"At least it wasn't a gun shot"

"He missed all those bullets effortlessly, you should've seen it" Vernon boasted. Making his boyfriend roll his eyes.

Once everyone started comfortably talking to one another, an explosion could be heard in the distance.

"Right...WHO WAS IT THIS TIME?!"

Seokmin and Minghao burst into fits of laughter while everyone watched Woozi burst out through a cloud of black smoke.

"That was on purpose"

"And why is that?"

"Well in that case..." Vernon walked towards Joshua, puzzling the older immediately.

"Whoa...what...what are you doing?" Joshua eyed him worriedly.

"Joshua Hong..." Vernon said as he knelt on one knee.
Joshua's eyes widened. And so did everyone else's.

"I told myself if we both make it out alive...I'd do this. About time I did-

Joshua. You've been with me through thick and thin, and you're one of the strongest and bravest people I know. You've experienced the unspoken and you made it out there a stronger man. I respect and appreciate everything you do. You've been there for our team, for me, and you've helped so many people. You even spared Kun's life...that's the bravest thing I've ever seen anyone do...and I just want to say-"

"Just get to the point already!" Seungkwan grunted. Earning a glare from Joshua.

"Joshua...will you marry me?"

Jeonghan and Seokmin held each other's hands while watching this, getting all energetic and excited. Joshua was left speechless.
He didn't know what to say.

"I-"