𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀; nct dream

four

Chapter 4: Midnight

Sirens sounded throughout the hallway, the buzzing of all the doors being opened again, killing the peaceful silence that Jeno and Jaemin were basking in. Lockdown was now officially over. It was late, and the bright lights that were outside the room, in the hallway, indicated that it was early morning. And a cold morning at that.

There were steel bars between the glass and them. This was the only thing stopping the group of seven boys from escaping this hell.

Control. That was all that they had ever wanted in life. The control over where they went, what they ate, when they ate it. Instead there was a schedule, and if you ignored it, a punishment would wait for you.

The thought alone made Jeno squirm. He had only ever been punished twice, and he could only imagine what had happened to Jisung for breaking one of the main three rules. No fighting. This rule was one that was there for a reason.

There had actually been three recorded deaths from such fights. That was since Jeno had arrived of course.

He looked over at the blonde that had not been awoken by the racket somehow, and leaned forward, planting a kiss on the younger's temple. This action made Jaemin stir in his sleep, but he was very much asleep, and Jeno knew it was likely that he would be knocked out until morning.

He looked at the dark sky, a tint of purple tainting the perfect illusion of peace. The brunette could remember this so clearly. The smell of freshly cut grass, or maybe the petrol fumes as he sat in the car with his grandmother while his grandfather went to pay for gas.

He remembered how it felt to be treated normally. While attending school, the popularity had started. Peers and teachers alike, would compliment him for any little thing he did. Jeno would get praised for breathing, and he would be lying if he said he didn't like it.

Why was he here? It was a question that he had asked himself and his beloved grandparents on the rare occasions that they actually visited him. It had been four or five months since the frail couple had last come by to see how the obsessive teenager was doing.

Jeno released a pained sigh to compensate for the aching he felt in his heart whenever the couple came to mind. There wasn't anything seriously wrong with him, was there?

He understood why some of his friends were here, but he was just a scared boy himself. He had been able to live with his mind for so long and he couldn't comprehend why his grandparents had sent him here...to hell.

As these thoughts flew through his mind, Jaemin awoke, his soft and relaxed breaths hitching at the sight of Jeno crying.

Unaware that he was doing so, the blonde reached up to touch the wet stream that cascaded down his slightly tinted pink cheeks in wonder. "What's wrong Jeno?" He carefully mumbled, voice quiet and deep due to the short amount of time that he had come around for.

Finally noticing the younger's consciousness, he shook his head dismissively, having never been one to share his deep thoughts and only tell the lighthearted ones.

There was the rare occasion when he would tell Renjun or Mark, but that was because they were older, and they would usually be understanding.

Looking back down at the sleepy teen, Jeno felt his heartbeat increase by the toothy grin Jaemin gave him.

"You are the worst liar that I have ever met. Even Mark is better than you." The blonde chuckled a little, finding the pout that fell onto the older's lips quite adorable.

"It's just....grandmother and grandfather haven't been by in quite a while, and I'm worried that either something happened to them, or that they don't love me anymore..." he looked up slightly at the younger.

"They do love you, but you know how strict they are here. My sister isn't even allowed to come here. I miss her as much as you miss your grandparents, but we have each other," Jaemin whispered. The blanket of tension that lay thick in the air made even the quietest word effective.

"Love you Jaem." Jeno would never admit his feelings to the younger, so saying this, he knew that Jaemin took it as a brotherly moment.

"I love you too," the blonde mumbled, heart dropping when he felt the friendly vibe come off the empty words. "I love you too," he repeated, eyes beginning to droop with the exhaustion of getting through each day with no defining change of the day.

With that being said, the room fell to the familiar silence, bar the few screams that could be heard from along the hallway.

The night was late and the pair, who were still embracing each other, gave into the darkness that captured the room. The street lights illuminating their beautiful features as the soft snores melded with the rare mumble from the sleeping pair.

If it were a stranger looking in on them, their lives would seem easy, if not perfect.

But the reality of the situation was that their lives were a living hell. A hell that they fought to get away from...