The Path Beneath our Skin

Chapter 3

The days passed, with Taeyong openly showing his affection. Mornings started off with curling up against Daehyun, filling his lungs with the scent of the night before. And like a little bird, he'd spring to action, getting dressed before Daehyun would pull him back into bed, tangled in each other's embrace.

Taeyong would eventually have enough of being lazy; they'd finally leave the warm confines and lounge around all day. Taeyong filled the silence while Seunghyeon and Myungsuk were away.

Daehyun loved it. It was a break from the world he didn't know he needed. Away from prying eyes and city life. It was almost perfect.

Whenever Daehyun saw the shed, even a glimpse out the window, reality would crush him. Something about the ugly, mouldy pile of wood made his body go cold, making him feel as though he was drowning. He was on borrowed time, and the longer he stayed the harsher his sentence.

"Are you okay, hyung?"

Daehyun looked up, Seunghyeon and Myungsuk standing at the end of the room, hand in hand. He cleared his throat and sat up. "Uh, yes. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in." Or anything at all.

"You look stressed," Myungsuk added, nervously kicking his feet.

"No, it's nothing," Daehyun insisted. "Just thinking that I should call my lawyer. They'll probably need me back soon."

"Oh." Myungsuk pouted and turned to Seunghyeon.

"So you haven't forgiven Taeyong-hyung?" Seunghyeon asked.

Daehyun furrowed his brows. "What?"

Seunghyeon tsked, cutting him off, and the two crossed the room towards the other door. "He won't be happy when he hears that you want to leave again."

The boys opened the other door and Daehyun chased after them. "Seunghyeon, what did you just say?" Again? He was sure he heard him say 'again'.

"It's hard to trust someone when they hide their true self," Myungsuk said, tapping his finger to his head. "You never know what they're thinking."

Seunghyeon shrugged. "Taeyong-hyung does weird things when he's mad," he said and stopped in his tracks, turning to Daehyun. "He's more dangerous than he looks."

Daehyun stared at them, ice trickling his skin as the boys continued walking. His heart pounded in his ears, and his limbs moved on their own, following them.

"It'd be nice if you had all the answers," Myungsuk said, and they pushed the front door open, finally stopping. "Maybe this time you'll make it."

Daehyun grabbed his shoulder, his breath fast and shallow. "What are you two talking about? What answers?"

With unfazed expressions, the boys pointed. Daehyun followed their fingers, and chills ran down his spine.

"The shed?" Daehyun breathed out, clenching his jaw as his stomach twisted, his body buckling under the weight of the crushing grey sea, the dark holes in the walls staring at him with a million eyes. He tried to take a step forward, but his legs were submerged, the water slowly rising, swaying his vision, like a boat caught in the storm.

Suddenly, he was pulled back and stumbled out of the spinning world, his arm being squeezed, all the weight ringing out of them.

"Daehyun! Daehyun, are you okay?"

Taeyong's yelling felt like a lifetime away. He blinked up at him, concentrating on Taeyong's hands, holding his arm as his voice washed out the buzzing in his ears until it was gone, and Taeyong's voice was loud and clear.

"Uh, yeah," Daehyun croaked.

Taeyong's eyes scattered all over his face as he huffed and held Daehyun's arms as if keeping him upright. "I heard you talking to someone, and I ran down to catch you. You looked like you were going to pass out," he rambled before sucking in a deep lungful of air and wiped the sweat from Daehyun's brow. "What are you doing in the doorway?"

"I um." Daehyun frowned, straining to find words. "I was with Seunghyeon and Myungsuk."

"Who?"

Daehyun paused, a moment of clarity at Taeyong's unreadable face. "Your brothers," he replied slowly. "They were just-" Daehyun looked around, his breath catching in his throat when they were nowhere in sight.

Taeyong's mouth hung open. "Oh." It wasn't the reaction Daehyun expected as Taeyong cupped his cheek with knitted brows and sad eyes. "Maybe I went a little overboard. Did something wrong," he whispered to himself.

"What are you talking about?" Daehyun asked before a sharp pain shot through his head. He clutched his head and groaned, Taeyong keeping him from falling over.

"I'm going to take you upstairs. Come on, let's just make it upstairs," Taeyong pleaded. He wrapped his arm around Daehyun's waist, leading him up the stairs as Daehyun leaned his weight against him.

Something was wrong. He wanted to push away and run out, but his limbs were too weak, and the ache in his head kept coming back in tsunamis. But one thing rang through the murky fog.

He's more dangerous than he looks.