The Sound of Flight - Interlude ; OT5
I know it's been a long time, so hopefully this will make up for it.
This is not Part 4, but it gives you a better understanding of what is to happen in Part 4 (which will be coming soon, I promise). This interlude gives you an idea of what it was like in The Academy and a closer look at the relationships between the five of them.
Title: The Sound of Flight - Interlude
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Dong Bang Shin Ki
Pairing(s): OT5
Disclaimer: The boys do not belong to me. This is also nothing but pure fiction.
All parts: Part I | Part II | Part III | Interlude | Part IV
Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII (final)
The Sound of Flight
Interlude
Yunho has a routine that he has to go through every day. An exercise routine that gets tougher every month as he improves. As he becomes stronger. An exercise routine impossible for any normal man can complete, except Yunho is not normal.
At the end of his daily routine, he reports to Dr. Lee, who gives him a task everyday.
On some days, it is to stop moving buses. Some days, it is to lifts cars. Some days, he is told to put his fists through various objects. Some days, he has to pull a truck full of people up seven storeys on his own.
He never asks why he is asked to do all these things. Yunho does them, no matter how difficult, no matter how much pain he is in, no matter how sore he knows he will get when he gets back to his room at night, no matter how his skin tears and bleeds, no matter how many times accidents happen, because his gift was given to him for a reason, a purpose.
Yunho doesn't know that reason is yet. The purpose has not shown itself yet, but Yunho knows that one day, he must be able to do what he was put in this world to do. He must be strong enough.
And one day, maybe, because he is strong enough, he will be able to save someone he loves.
"Does it hurt?" Yunho gently runs his fingers across the string of bruises on Jaejoong's hipbone. He matches his fingers to the dark bruises, and only realises now how much strength he put into his grip when he was holding Jaejoong a few nights ago. "I'm sorry."
"Of course it hurts," Jaejoong says, pulling his jeans up so the bruises are hidden from view. "But now I will always be reminded of how desirable I am," he smirks.
Yunho rolls his eyes.
"Disgusting," Junsu calls from his position on Yunho's bed, and makes a vomiting noise. "Jaejoong makes me sick."
"You," Yunho says. "Get your ass off my bed."
Junsu claps his hands over his ears, pretending not to hear, happily sprawled on Yunho's bed, waving his arms around like he is making a snow angel.
"I'm warning you," Yunho says menacingly, and gives Junsu two seconds of grace before lunging forward and grabbing one corner of the blanket. Junsu screams and snatches the blanket back. Yunho laughs, yanking it towards himself, and suddenly, the blanket is in two parts and Junsu is gaping at the pathetic quarter he is holding onto.
"Yunho," Jaejoong says.
"What?" Yunho turns around, a grin on his face.
Jaejoong is not smiling. "Yunho, what is this?" he says, putting his hands to Yunho's back and coming away with the red stain of blood.
"Nothing," Yunho says, dropping the torn blanket and quickly twisting around to hide his back from view.
Junsu comes up silently behind and lifts the shirt up. He makes a startled noise.
"The cut tore?" Yunho asks, keeping his voice light as Junsu dabs at his back with tissues gingerly. "I'll go back to the doctor then. Anyway, it's nothing serious. I got it during training in the morning - the training with the trucks are always dangerous, but it's not like I'm not used to it - "
"Yunho," Jaejoong says, and Yunho hates that he can hear sadness in his voice.
"Don't," Yunho says, taking Jaejoong's hands in his. "Don't," he repeats. "It doesn't hurt any more," he insists, and behind him, Junsu says his name in a small broken voice, blood-stained tissues littered around their feet.
"If you can't separate other people's feelings from your own, you will never get anywhere," Dr. Lee tells Changmin. Changmin throws up into the toilet bowl, his head throbbing painfully and his nose running. "Are you done?" he asks, when Changmin finally stops retching.
Changmin gets to his feet shakily, washes his mouth at the sink. He stares at his reflection in the mirror - his pale face, his blood-shot eyes and his damp hair. Can we please stop for today, he wants to ask, but bites the words back, knowing that the answer is no.
He turns the tap on again, washing his hands slowly, buying more time for himself as he tries to will away the nausea in his stomach. He wipes his hands on his black pants, and puts them in his pocket so he can pretend they are not shaking. "Okay, I'm ready," he lies.
He knows that he will never be ready for what is waiting outside.
Dr. Lee opens the door. His expression never changes, even as he grabs Changmin's arm and pushes him out of the toilet. Changmin closes his eyes, steels himself and steps forward, back into the room where the funeral is being conducted, the black sea of sorrow swallowing him up once more.
There is someone in his room. Changmin knows this even before he turns the doorknob. After an entire day of intensive training, he is certain than he can pick up the faintest emotions from a hundred metres away. He still cannot believe he is still alive and conscious after getting through the day. A small miracle in its own.
"Who is it?" he says tiredly, pushing the door open. His voice is scratchy and hoarse. It doesn't sound like his voice at all.
Junsu is sitting on his bed, his shoes kicked off so Changmin can see that his socks are mismatched. Yellow and grey. The yellow one has a floral pattern on it. Both socks are quite ugly.
Changmin gathers whatever energy he has left to force a smile onto his face. Junsu smiles back, and shifts to the side so Changmin can collapse onto the bed.
"You look terrible," Junsu says and Changmin gives him a dirty look. He lets Junsu touch his face, smooth his fingers across his eyelids, swollen from crying. Junsu stares at him for a while, a sad expression on his face. There is a long moment where Changmin wishes he has enough energy left to give Junsu a hug and tell him it's all okay, but he is too tired to even lift an arm.
"I'll go get you a hot towel," Junsu says at last.
Changmin falls asleep before Junsu comes back. When he wakes up in the morning, Junsu is still there, curled up next to him, the towel in his hand damp and cold.
"You have three more seconds," the voice crackles through the system. Jaejoong stands alone in the middle of the hall, surrounded by various objects, and not knowing from which direction the first one will come.
As it turns out, the car comes first, flying out at him from the left. Jaejoong ducks instinctively, before remembering to use his gift to send the car sideways, away from him. Before he can smile at his success, the books are propelled towards him, one after another without pause.
"Shit," Jaejoong shouts, only managing to send a few out of his way. One of the books hit him in the knee. He bats one away with his arm, his concentration broken.
A loud metallic clang from above his head startles Jaejoong. He looks upwards, and screams.
The motorcycle descends quickly, and Jaejoong closes his eyes, and pushes his gift out of him so hard he feels bile rise up his throat. When he reopens his eyes, everything within a five metre radius of him rotates around him, a miniature hurricane. He stands in the heart of it, untouched - safe.
A hysterical laugh of relief bursts out of his mouth and he has the urge to shout I did it - I did it - over and over again.
Until the ropes from come from the bottom and start to strangle him.
Yoochun peels the bandages away from Jaejoong's ankles and winces at the sight of the rope burns. "Okay, I think you need to see the doctor."
"It hurts like fuck," Jaejoong informs him through gritted teeth.
"Language," Yunho says as he comes out from the toilet, armed with clean towels and a basin of water. "You better wash those wounds before they get infected."
"I think he should go to the doctor," Yoochun insists. "We don't know what we're doing here, maybe we shouldn't even be washing the wounds - " He makes an enraged expression when Yunho ignores him, dipping a towel into warm water and dabbing gently at Jaejoong's ankle.
"It hurts like fuck, I'm telling you, like fuck," Jaejoong shrieks, grabbing onto Yoochun's arm and squeezing.
Yoochun howls.
"Oh, shut up, the both of you are overreacting," Yunho says disapprovingly, and promptly screams when Jaejoong, in his throes of agony, kicks his leg upwards and upsets the entire basin of water onto Yunho's lap.
Half of Yoochun's training involves lengthening the time he is able to keep his targets under hypnosis. Every second is precious, Dr. Lee says, every second makes something else possible.
The other half involves Yoochun controlling his urge to use his gift whenever something does not go his way.
"Once you use it, you will give yourself away. And then people will know. And they will want to make use of you," Dr. Lee says, giving the lecture he always gives as he sits in his chair comfortably. "Most importantly, if you keep using it, someone will find out your weakness."
He never looks into Yoochun's eyes directly. Yoochun hates it.
Yoochun screams. The middle-aged woman is standing right in front of him, holding onto to the remote control that releases sharp jolts of pain up Yoochun's legs and through his entire body. She pushes the button a few times every minute.
Yoochun knows better than to use his gift on her, ask her to stop. If he does, he knows what will come after.
That time he gave in, and they brought Junsu in. They strapped him into the chair, and gave him the exact same treatment, except Junsu couldn't make them stop. And Yoochun, the one who had the ability to make them stop, was forced to watch from behind the glass, equally helpless.
"Why do you do this to me?" Yoochun screams, as the button is pushed again.
The middle-aged woman shows no sympathy on her face. She is only doing her job. It is not her fault.
Dr. Lee does not answer Yoochun's question, and salvation comes in the form of Yunho knocking on the door, and reporting for his daily task.
When Yunho comes in, he pretends not to see Yoochun, slumped in the chair, a whimpering mess. These are favours that they do each other. Pretend the other person is invisible. A favour Yoochun returns when he sees Yunho sobbing as he struggles to complete the routine that intensifies every month.
Junsu and Changmin bring dinner. Jaejoong is having some sort of special training tonight, according to the note he left Yoochun and Yunho is still not back from his task of the day which usually ends early enough for the five of them to gather in a room and have dinner together.
Tonight, it is just the three of them.
Things are still awkward with Changmin, for reasons that Yoochun cannot explain.
Junsu, Jaejoong and Yunho all get along with Changmin well enough. More than well enough, in all honesty, but somehow, tension still hangs between Yoochun and Changmin.
"Are you eating that?" Junsu asks sweetly, eyeing the piece of meat on Yoochun's plate.
"If you want it so badly, you can have it," Yoochun sighs, and doesn't tell Junsu when he sees Changmin steal a piece of meat from Junsu's plate while Junsu is taking Yoochun's.
Hyukjae knocks on the door a few minutes later, and Junsu goes off with him, leaving Yoochun and Changmin in the same room.
Yoochun prays that either Jaejoong or Yunho will return soon, and then hurriedly tries to stamp his discomfort and nervousness out because he knows Changmin can sense it, except the mere thought only makes him even more anxious and uncomfortable.
"Yoochun," Changmin says, breaking the thick silence in the room. He meets Yoochun's gaze squarely. "Make me do something."
"What?" Yoochun stares at him. "You're out of your mind."
"No, seriously. Make me do something - that way we're even. I can feel what you're feeling, and you make me do something." Changmin looks determined. Yoochun has no idea how someone as smart as Changmin supposedly is, cannot see how his suggestion is completely illogical.
"You don't even make sense," Yoochun says. "It's ridi - "
"It can just be something silly," Changmin says quietly. "Anything. Make me jump on the bed. Lick the wall. Sing a song. Massage your feet. Imitate a penguin. Dance around like a crazy - "
In the end, Yoochun doesn't understand why he does it. He wants to say shut up and give up on your silly idea but he finds himself leaning forward and kissing Changmin. Yoochun's hand is on the warm nape of Changmin's neck, tilting his head backwards to deepen the kiss.
Changmin kisses back, threading his fingers through Yoochun's hair, and it is wonderful for a few long seconds until Changmin suddenly jerks backwards. "What're you doing?" Changmin says, his hands still tangled in Yoochun's hair.
"Changmin," Yoochun stares into his eyes, his heart beat speeding up. "Changmin," he says, his mouth going dry as he gives Changmin what he wanted. "You will not remember what just happened. All we did was make small talk."
Changmin's hands loosen their grip in his hair and fall away. When the glassy look disappears from Changmin's eyes, Yoochun clears his throat, quickly looking away.
The awkward tension between them makes its appearance again, except this time, it is a different kind of awkwardness. Worse.
"Yoochun," Changmin says suddenly.
"What?" Yoochun says, his heart hammering in his chest and slowly crawling up his throat. He thinks he will throw up if Changmin somehow, somehow, remembers the kiss. Even though there is no way he can because Yoochun has told him not to. There is no way he knows, Yoochun tells himself.
Changmin presses the back of his hand to his mouth, and shakes his head, looking confused. "I think I ate something funny," he says, frowning. "My lips are burning like they've just been kissed."
"Is that right?" Yoochun forces out, faking a laugh. "It must be the food," he agrees, thanking God that Changmin can only sense emotions and not detect lies.
Junsu has always thought that the control he has over his gift is much more than good enough, until they decided to test him with this.
"You can't be satisfied with so little," Dr. Lee says, wearing a slight mocking smile. Next to him, his wife carefully winds the length of rope around a bundle of hay. She is thin, her figure disappearing into the long dress she is wearing. Her twig-like arms and fingers work silently, knotting the rope. What Junsu feels for her is not strong enough to be called hatred - it is more like severe dislike, the way he also feels about her husband.
"You're insane," Junsu says. "It's impossible."
Dr. Lee steps forward, just as his wife steps back, putting them side by side. They look alike. Equally condescending expressions on their faces. "It's not impossible," he says, fingering the rope. "This is rope, it's not thread. It's not just possible, but easy."
"You want to me to burn the rope, and the rope only," Junsu keeps his voice even. "It's ridiculous."
It is ridiculous, and so Junsu fails again and again. Dr. Lee makes him keep trying, and he repeats his attempts so many times until all he wants to do is wind that fucking rope around Dr. Lee's neck and strangle him to death. Dr. Lee stares at him impassively as Junsu struggles to complete the task - the only word he utters is, "again."
Finally, finally, he says, "stop."
Junsu's knees give out on him, and he crumbles to the ground like a doll. In front of him, yet another bunch of hay has been set on fire. Another failure. Not surprising at all.
"Do you know why you can't do it?" Dr. Lee says calmly.
"Because it's impossible, that's why," Junsu snaps.
"It's because," Dr. Lee interrupts him, "You're not trying hard enough." He stares at Junsu for a long while. "It is my responsibility to make sure you do your best," he tells Junsu, but Junsu doesn't quite get what he's trying say, until he hears the door opening and turns around to see Changmin being brought it, struggling against the rope wound tightly around his body.
"If you don't free him, he'll just have to stay here like this," Dr. Lee says, his voice void of any sort of emotion. The bundle of hay in front of Junsu is replaced by Changmin, suspended in mid-air. He is gagged and Junsu can't make out what he's trying to say - it's all just desperate noises to him.
"You're sick," Junsu says, stricken. "You're insane."
Dr. Lee ignores him. "If you want your friend freed, you have got to do it."
Junsu watches as tears roll down Changmin's cheeks, and realises that he has never wished so much in his entire life to be normal.
"Why did you cry?" Junsu asks Changmin, when the ordeal is finally over, and Changmin is safe, unscathed.
Changmin rubs at the red marks the rope left on his skin and he is silent for so long Junsu wonders if he even heard the question. "Because I felt your pain," Changmin finally answers.
Junsu remembers the way the rope slowly blackened, smoke rising as it burnt gradually, until it eventually came loose, setting Changmin free. What he felt at the moment was not triumph, or happiness, only relief.
Changmin clasps his shoulder, smiles. "You were wonderful," he says. "You saved me." He grins and makes his voice go breathy and high-pitched. "My hero," he pretends to swoon.
"I'll always save you," Junsu promises. "Any time, any where."
"From anything?" Changmin asks, his eyes mismatched and glowing.
"From anything," Junsu looks up at Changmin, who has grown so tall, Junsu has to reach up and pull his head down for their mouths to meet.
Continue to Part IV
Back to Part III
How was it? :D
MASTERLIST OF FICS HERE
This is not Part 4, but it gives you a better understanding of what is to happen in Part 4 (which will be coming soon, I promise). This interlude gives you an idea of what it was like in The Academy and a closer look at the relationships between the five of them.
Title: The Sound of Flight - Interlude
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Dong Bang Shin Ki
Pairing(s): OT5
Disclaimer: The boys do not belong to me. This is also nothing but pure fiction.
All parts: Part I | Part II | Part III | Interlude | Part IV
Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII (final)
The Sound of Flight
Interlude
Yunho has a routine that he has to go through every day. An exercise routine that gets tougher every month as he improves. As he becomes stronger. An exercise routine impossible for any normal man can complete, except Yunho is not normal.
At the end of his daily routine, he reports to Dr. Lee, who gives him a task everyday.
On some days, it is to stop moving buses. Some days, it is to lifts cars. Some days, he is told to put his fists through various objects. Some days, he has to pull a truck full of people up seven storeys on his own.
He never asks why he is asked to do all these things. Yunho does them, no matter how difficult, no matter how much pain he is in, no matter how sore he knows he will get when he gets back to his room at night, no matter how his skin tears and bleeds, no matter how many times accidents happen, because his gift was given to him for a reason, a purpose.
Yunho doesn't know that reason is yet. The purpose has not shown itself yet, but Yunho knows that one day, he must be able to do what he was put in this world to do. He must be strong enough.
And one day, maybe, because he is strong enough, he will be able to save someone he loves.
"Does it hurt?" Yunho gently runs his fingers across the string of bruises on Jaejoong's hipbone. He matches his fingers to the dark bruises, and only realises now how much strength he put into his grip when he was holding Jaejoong a few nights ago. "I'm sorry."
"Of course it hurts," Jaejoong says, pulling his jeans up so the bruises are hidden from view. "But now I will always be reminded of how desirable I am," he smirks.
Yunho rolls his eyes.
"Disgusting," Junsu calls from his position on Yunho's bed, and makes a vomiting noise. "Jaejoong makes me sick."
"You," Yunho says. "Get your ass off my bed."
Junsu claps his hands over his ears, pretending not to hear, happily sprawled on Yunho's bed, waving his arms around like he is making a snow angel.
"I'm warning you," Yunho says menacingly, and gives Junsu two seconds of grace before lunging forward and grabbing one corner of the blanket. Junsu screams and snatches the blanket back. Yunho laughs, yanking it towards himself, and suddenly, the blanket is in two parts and Junsu is gaping at the pathetic quarter he is holding onto.
"Yunho," Jaejoong says.
"What?" Yunho turns around, a grin on his face.
Jaejoong is not smiling. "Yunho, what is this?" he says, putting his hands to Yunho's back and coming away with the red stain of blood.
"Nothing," Yunho says, dropping the torn blanket and quickly twisting around to hide his back from view.
Junsu comes up silently behind and lifts the shirt up. He makes a startled noise.
"The cut tore?" Yunho asks, keeping his voice light as Junsu dabs at his back with tissues gingerly. "I'll go back to the doctor then. Anyway, it's nothing serious. I got it during training in the morning - the training with the trucks are always dangerous, but it's not like I'm not used to it - "
"Yunho," Jaejoong says, and Yunho hates that he can hear sadness in his voice.
"Don't," Yunho says, taking Jaejoong's hands in his. "Don't," he repeats. "It doesn't hurt any more," he insists, and behind him, Junsu says his name in a small broken voice, blood-stained tissues littered around their feet.
"If you can't separate other people's feelings from your own, you will never get anywhere," Dr. Lee tells Changmin. Changmin throws up into the toilet bowl, his head throbbing painfully and his nose running. "Are you done?" he asks, when Changmin finally stops retching.
Changmin gets to his feet shakily, washes his mouth at the sink. He stares at his reflection in the mirror - his pale face, his blood-shot eyes and his damp hair. Can we please stop for today, he wants to ask, but bites the words back, knowing that the answer is no.
He turns the tap on again, washing his hands slowly, buying more time for himself as he tries to will away the nausea in his stomach. He wipes his hands on his black pants, and puts them in his pocket so he can pretend they are not shaking. "Okay, I'm ready," he lies.
He knows that he will never be ready for what is waiting outside.
Dr. Lee opens the door. His expression never changes, even as he grabs Changmin's arm and pushes him out of the toilet. Changmin closes his eyes, steels himself and steps forward, back into the room where the funeral is being conducted, the black sea of sorrow swallowing him up once more.
There is someone in his room. Changmin knows this even before he turns the doorknob. After an entire day of intensive training, he is certain than he can pick up the faintest emotions from a hundred metres away. He still cannot believe he is still alive and conscious after getting through the day. A small miracle in its own.
"Who is it?" he says tiredly, pushing the door open. His voice is scratchy and hoarse. It doesn't sound like his voice at all.
Junsu is sitting on his bed, his shoes kicked off so Changmin can see that his socks are mismatched. Yellow and grey. The yellow one has a floral pattern on it. Both socks are quite ugly.
Changmin gathers whatever energy he has left to force a smile onto his face. Junsu smiles back, and shifts to the side so Changmin can collapse onto the bed.
"You look terrible," Junsu says and Changmin gives him a dirty look. He lets Junsu touch his face, smooth his fingers across his eyelids, swollen from crying. Junsu stares at him for a while, a sad expression on his face. There is a long moment where Changmin wishes he has enough energy left to give Junsu a hug and tell him it's all okay, but he is too tired to even lift an arm.
"I'll go get you a hot towel," Junsu says at last.
Changmin falls asleep before Junsu comes back. When he wakes up in the morning, Junsu is still there, curled up next to him, the towel in his hand damp and cold.
"You have three more seconds," the voice crackles through the system. Jaejoong stands alone in the middle of the hall, surrounded by various objects, and not knowing from which direction the first one will come.
As it turns out, the car comes first, flying out at him from the left. Jaejoong ducks instinctively, before remembering to use his gift to send the car sideways, away from him. Before he can smile at his success, the books are propelled towards him, one after another without pause.
"Shit," Jaejoong shouts, only managing to send a few out of his way. One of the books hit him in the knee. He bats one away with his arm, his concentration broken.
A loud metallic clang from above his head startles Jaejoong. He looks upwards, and screams.
The motorcycle descends quickly, and Jaejoong closes his eyes, and pushes his gift out of him so hard he feels bile rise up his throat. When he reopens his eyes, everything within a five metre radius of him rotates around him, a miniature hurricane. He stands in the heart of it, untouched - safe.
A hysterical laugh of relief bursts out of his mouth and he has the urge to shout I did it - I did it - over and over again.
Until the ropes from come from the bottom and start to strangle him.
Yoochun peels the bandages away from Jaejoong's ankles and winces at the sight of the rope burns. "Okay, I think you need to see the doctor."
"It hurts like fuck," Jaejoong informs him through gritted teeth.
"Language," Yunho says as he comes out from the toilet, armed with clean towels and a basin of water. "You better wash those wounds before they get infected."
"I think he should go to the doctor," Yoochun insists. "We don't know what we're doing here, maybe we shouldn't even be washing the wounds - " He makes an enraged expression when Yunho ignores him, dipping a towel into warm water and dabbing gently at Jaejoong's ankle.
"It hurts like fuck, I'm telling you, like fuck," Jaejoong shrieks, grabbing onto Yoochun's arm and squeezing.
Yoochun howls.
"Oh, shut up, the both of you are overreacting," Yunho says disapprovingly, and promptly screams when Jaejoong, in his throes of agony, kicks his leg upwards and upsets the entire basin of water onto Yunho's lap.
Half of Yoochun's training involves lengthening the time he is able to keep his targets under hypnosis. Every second is precious, Dr. Lee says, every second makes something else possible.
The other half involves Yoochun controlling his urge to use his gift whenever something does not go his way.
"Once you use it, you will give yourself away. And then people will know. And they will want to make use of you," Dr. Lee says, giving the lecture he always gives as he sits in his chair comfortably. "Most importantly, if you keep using it, someone will find out your weakness."
He never looks into Yoochun's eyes directly. Yoochun hates it.
Yoochun screams. The middle-aged woman is standing right in front of him, holding onto to the remote control that releases sharp jolts of pain up Yoochun's legs and through his entire body. She pushes the button a few times every minute.
Yoochun knows better than to use his gift on her, ask her to stop. If he does, he knows what will come after.
That time he gave in, and they brought Junsu in. They strapped him into the chair, and gave him the exact same treatment, except Junsu couldn't make them stop. And Yoochun, the one who had the ability to make them stop, was forced to watch from behind the glass, equally helpless.
"Why do you do this to me?" Yoochun screams, as the button is pushed again.
The middle-aged woman shows no sympathy on her face. She is only doing her job. It is not her fault.
Dr. Lee does not answer Yoochun's question, and salvation comes in the form of Yunho knocking on the door, and reporting for his daily task.
When Yunho comes in, he pretends not to see Yoochun, slumped in the chair, a whimpering mess. These are favours that they do each other. Pretend the other person is invisible. A favour Yoochun returns when he sees Yunho sobbing as he struggles to complete the routine that intensifies every month.
Junsu and Changmin bring dinner. Jaejoong is having some sort of special training tonight, according to the note he left Yoochun and Yunho is still not back from his task of the day which usually ends early enough for the five of them to gather in a room and have dinner together.
Tonight, it is just the three of them.
Things are still awkward with Changmin, for reasons that Yoochun cannot explain.
Junsu, Jaejoong and Yunho all get along with Changmin well enough. More than well enough, in all honesty, but somehow, tension still hangs between Yoochun and Changmin.
"Are you eating that?" Junsu asks sweetly, eyeing the piece of meat on Yoochun's plate.
"If you want it so badly, you can have it," Yoochun sighs, and doesn't tell Junsu when he sees Changmin steal a piece of meat from Junsu's plate while Junsu is taking Yoochun's.
Hyukjae knocks on the door a few minutes later, and Junsu goes off with him, leaving Yoochun and Changmin in the same room.
Yoochun prays that either Jaejoong or Yunho will return soon, and then hurriedly tries to stamp his discomfort and nervousness out because he knows Changmin can sense it, except the mere thought only makes him even more anxious and uncomfortable.
"Yoochun," Changmin says, breaking the thick silence in the room. He meets Yoochun's gaze squarely. "Make me do something."
"What?" Yoochun stares at him. "You're out of your mind."
"No, seriously. Make me do something - that way we're even. I can feel what you're feeling, and you make me do something." Changmin looks determined. Yoochun has no idea how someone as smart as Changmin supposedly is, cannot see how his suggestion is completely illogical.
"You don't even make sense," Yoochun says. "It's ridi - "
"It can just be something silly," Changmin says quietly. "Anything. Make me jump on the bed. Lick the wall. Sing a song. Massage your feet. Imitate a penguin. Dance around like a crazy - "
In the end, Yoochun doesn't understand why he does it. He wants to say shut up and give up on your silly idea but he finds himself leaning forward and kissing Changmin. Yoochun's hand is on the warm nape of Changmin's neck, tilting his head backwards to deepen the kiss.
Changmin kisses back, threading his fingers through Yoochun's hair, and it is wonderful for a few long seconds until Changmin suddenly jerks backwards. "What're you doing?" Changmin says, his hands still tangled in Yoochun's hair.
"Changmin," Yoochun stares into his eyes, his heart beat speeding up. "Changmin," he says, his mouth going dry as he gives Changmin what he wanted. "You will not remember what just happened. All we did was make small talk."
Changmin's hands loosen their grip in his hair and fall away. When the glassy look disappears from Changmin's eyes, Yoochun clears his throat, quickly looking away.
The awkward tension between them makes its appearance again, except this time, it is a different kind of awkwardness. Worse.
"Yoochun," Changmin says suddenly.
"What?" Yoochun says, his heart hammering in his chest and slowly crawling up his throat. He thinks he will throw up if Changmin somehow, somehow, remembers the kiss. Even though there is no way he can because Yoochun has told him not to. There is no way he knows, Yoochun tells himself.
Changmin presses the back of his hand to his mouth, and shakes his head, looking confused. "I think I ate something funny," he says, frowning. "My lips are burning like they've just been kissed."
"Is that right?" Yoochun forces out, faking a laugh. "It must be the food," he agrees, thanking God that Changmin can only sense emotions and not detect lies.
Junsu has always thought that the control he has over his gift is much more than good enough, until they decided to test him with this.
"You can't be satisfied with so little," Dr. Lee says, wearing a slight mocking smile. Next to him, his wife carefully winds the length of rope around a bundle of hay. She is thin, her figure disappearing into the long dress she is wearing. Her twig-like arms and fingers work silently, knotting the rope. What Junsu feels for her is not strong enough to be called hatred - it is more like severe dislike, the way he also feels about her husband.
"You're insane," Junsu says. "It's impossible."
Dr. Lee steps forward, just as his wife steps back, putting them side by side. They look alike. Equally condescending expressions on their faces. "It's not impossible," he says, fingering the rope. "This is rope, it's not thread. It's not just possible, but easy."
"You want to me to burn the rope, and the rope only," Junsu keeps his voice even. "It's ridiculous."
It is ridiculous, and so Junsu fails again and again. Dr. Lee makes him keep trying, and he repeats his attempts so many times until all he wants to do is wind that fucking rope around Dr. Lee's neck and strangle him to death. Dr. Lee stares at him impassively as Junsu struggles to complete the task - the only word he utters is, "again."
Finally, finally, he says, "stop."
Junsu's knees give out on him, and he crumbles to the ground like a doll. In front of him, yet another bunch of hay has been set on fire. Another failure. Not surprising at all.
"Do you know why you can't do it?" Dr. Lee says calmly.
"Because it's impossible, that's why," Junsu snaps.
"It's because," Dr. Lee interrupts him, "You're not trying hard enough." He stares at Junsu for a long while. "It is my responsibility to make sure you do your best," he tells Junsu, but Junsu doesn't quite get what he's trying say, until he hears the door opening and turns around to see Changmin being brought it, struggling against the rope wound tightly around his body.
"If you don't free him, he'll just have to stay here like this," Dr. Lee says, his voice void of any sort of emotion. The bundle of hay in front of Junsu is replaced by Changmin, suspended in mid-air. He is gagged and Junsu can't make out what he's trying to say - it's all just desperate noises to him.
"You're sick," Junsu says, stricken. "You're insane."
Dr. Lee ignores him. "If you want your friend freed, you have got to do it."
Junsu watches as tears roll down Changmin's cheeks, and realises that he has never wished so much in his entire life to be normal.
"Why did you cry?" Junsu asks Changmin, when the ordeal is finally over, and Changmin is safe, unscathed.
Changmin rubs at the red marks the rope left on his skin and he is silent for so long Junsu wonders if he even heard the question. "Because I felt your pain," Changmin finally answers.
Junsu remembers the way the rope slowly blackened, smoke rising as it burnt gradually, until it eventually came loose, setting Changmin free. What he felt at the moment was not triumph, or happiness, only relief.
Changmin clasps his shoulder, smiles. "You were wonderful," he says. "You saved me." He grins and makes his voice go breathy and high-pitched. "My hero," he pretends to swoon.
"I'll always save you," Junsu promises. "Any time, any where."
"From anything?" Changmin asks, his eyes mismatched and glowing.
"From anything," Junsu looks up at Changmin, who has grown so tall, Junsu has to reach up and pull his head down for their mouths to meet.
Continue to Part IV
Back to Part III
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