Sleepless Nights (4/?)
Title: Sleepless Nights (4/?)
Pairing(s): KyuMin
Genre: Angst, Romance, Humor (I think? xD)
Warning(s): swearing, epic failure
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,286
Summary: Something's changed about Sungmin, and Kyuhyun loses sleep trying to find out why. (Lolol, ANOTHER bad summary~ xD)
Chapters: 1, 2, 3
Sungmin shivered. He felt the strong winds attack him again as he sat on the swings. Sitting idly, he tried to analyze the event that happened before he left his aunt’s home. He didn’t understand. He trusted her, and she destroyed it by meeting with him. Sungmin’s eyes started to water. Why? Why would she do that to me? She told me she’d always protect me... His body started to shake with heavy sobs.
As he cried, he didn’t notice that the sky was starting to become dark. After crying for a good amount of time, he looked up and realized that it was now nighttime. He was calmer now; stress-free after the good cry. I better go. Things can get dangerous when it’s dark.
Sungmin got up, ready to leave. As he walked away, he couldn't help but think back to his past. No matter how much he suffered, something always drew him back to the dreaded memories.
~
"Hyung! Hyung!" A little boy started running towards Sungmin.
Sungmin turned around to see his little brother, Sungjin, fly into his arms. Holding him tightly, Sungmin could see that Sungjin was trembling in fear.
"Sungjin," he quietly whispered, "What’s wrong?"
Sungjin looked up at his hyung, tears spilling out of his eyes. "U-umma!" he hiccuped. "Sh-she-"
"Where’d the fuck you go?!" A woman’s voice was heard shouting.
Sungmin realized it was their mother. Oh god...
And just as he predicted, their mother came staggering down the hall in their direction. Sungjin started shaking even more.
"Hyung! Hyung! H-help me! U-umma! She’s gonna hurt me again!" he looked back at their mother in terror.
Sungmin stepped in front of Sungjin, acting as his barrier. "No, don’t worry. Hyung will protect you. Hyung will never leave you." Even if my life depends on it.
Sungmin turned around and hugged his little brother, an attempt to shield him from any impending attacks. But he knew it would be in vain. The same thing happened every time. Sungjin would come running to him. He’d try to protect him, but their mother would pry him off, throwing him to the ground. Then she’d beat Sungjin into oblivion, yelling and cursing at him, and he’d be helpess. Sungmin would not reach him. Their mother was too strong for him. When Sungjin reached unconsciousness, she’d stop hitting, and realize what she’d done. She would cry and craddle her "baby", her motherly instincts kicking back in. Then she would crawl away to the corner of the room, and bawl herself to sleep. Afterwards, Sungmin would cover her with a blanket, carry Sungjin back to their room, and nurse him back to health. This kind of thing was routine.
He hated it. He couldn’t stand the fact that he couldn’t do anything to help. He wanted to leave, taking his little brother with him. But how could they? After all, Sungjin was 8, and Sungmin was 10. And even if they were able to leave, where would they go? Nobody would give them a place to live, things to eat. So no matter how much they were abused, they couldn’t do anything about it.
Their mother drew nearer and nearer. She seemed to be drunk this time, based on the way she was walking; a drunken stagger.
Sungjin tightened his hold on Sungmin. "Hyung... I’m s-scared!"
Sungmin couldn’t say anything, because he knew no matter how much he said he would protect him, he knew he’d never be able to keep his promise. He watched as their mother sauntered daringly closer.
"Get the fuck off of him," she slurred.
Sungmin refused to let go. He shook his head. "No! Leave us al-"
"I SAID GET THE FUCK OFF!"
Sungmin and Sungjin flinched at the suddenly raised voice. But Sungmin still held on.
Their mother then grabbed the back of Sungmin’s shirt and flung him off Sungjin. He landed with a thud and a loud cry. Then he rolled over onto his side, groaning in pain.
"Hyung!" Sungjin cried out in worry.
She turned back to him, eyes full of anger. Sungjin whimpered. She grabbed ahold of him, picking him up, and slamming him into the ground. He yelped in pain. She slapped his face repeatedly, cheeks becoming a bloody red."Umma! Please! Sto-"
"Shut the fuck up! Who the fuck are you, to tell me what to do?" their mother started hitting Sungjin even harder.
Sungmin tried to get up; he couldn’t bare to watch any longer. He crawled over to his mother and flung himself at her, an attempt to stop her from beating his litlle brother, or at least, long enough for him to escape her clutches. Caught by surprise, she released Sungjin, falling to the floor.
"Sungjin, run!" Sungmin warned.
Sungjin looked behind him, and looked back at Sungmin. "B-but hyung! What about yo-"
"Just go! Hurry up! I can’t hold on much lon- Ah!" their mother stood up; Sungmin was on her back.
He pulled her hair and covered her eyes, trying to disable her. Enraged, she grabbed his arms and pulled forward, flipping him onto the floor as hard as she could. He screamed; his back, arching in extreme pain.
"Hyung! Nooo!" Sungjin cried out in terror.
Their mother smirked. "Serves you right, bitch."
Sungmin continued crying out, each wave of pain too intense for him to handle. As the pain slowly dimmed down, he found himself unable to move, most likely due to the shock of being thrown down in such a harsh manner. Helpless, all he could do was watch his mother, who’d long gone and dragged his little brother back, continue her abuse. This time, she was punching and shaking him like there was no tomorrow. When he caught a glimpse of Sungjin, he could see that he was already flickering in and out of consciousness.
"You bastard child!" she snarled. "If only you hadn’t been born! He wouldn’t have left us! We’d still be a family! We’d still be happy..." She was starting to cry now.
Sungjin stopped yelping in pain; he couldn't feel it anymore. He looked up at his mother, trying to get ahold of her eyes. "Umma..."
She immediately ceased hitting him, becoming silent. Her eyes widened. She hated it when he called her that.
She grabbed him and slammed him into the floor, an action now all too familiar to Sungjin. "Don’t, call me that. I’m not your fucking ‘umma’. I never was, and I never will be, because you’re a bastard child. And bastard children are a disgrace to both their parents and people alike. They only serve to make people’s lives miserable. They don’t even deserve to live." And with that, she started to choke him.
He struggled in a effort to get her to let go. He clawed at the hands around his neck; the hands that were squeezing the life out of him. But despite all his tries, she only pressed harder. Losing his source of oxygen, he desperately tried to gasp for air.
"'Hyung' can't save you now, can he?" she sneered.
Sungjin looked over to where Sungmin resided, sticking an arm out in his direction, presumably a signal for help. Sungmin watched with tears pooling in his eyes. He felt like a coward. He wished he could help, but he couldn't; he knew he was a weakling, a failure. He was unable to protect the ones he loved, and he hated himself for not being able to do so. Tears started to spill out of his eyes. Sungjin, I'm so sorry... I was supposed to protect you, but I can't do anything but lie on the floor.
Sungjin's grip on his mother's hand started to weaken, which motivated her to continue choking him. He tried to turn his neck in order to breathe, but he found that he didn't have the strength to. Taking one last glance at Sungmin, he could see that his hyung was crying. He smiled. It's ok, hyung. It's not your fault. I don't blame you. Please don't be sad. But I'm sorry, hyung. I'm sorry I have to say goodbye.
Sungmin saw his brother trying to send feelings of forgiveness with a smile. Sungjin, don't forgive me. This is all my fault. If only I had been able to stop her...
Sungjin started to lose his vision. He wasn't sure if he was hallucinating, because he could faintly make out a bright, warm light. He could hear voices calling for him. As he went closer, he felt secure, and safe. He felt that this, was the place where he could finally find true happiness. He reached for the light, and it embraced him.
When his body went limp, Sungmin knew what had happened. He didn't believe it. He had just lost his brother.
"SUNGJIN!" he cried out.
The cry shocked his mother back into reality. Realizing she had something in her hands, she gasped when she saw it was her son's neck.
"S-Sungjin?" she tried to wake him. "Sungjin! Wake up! Please!"
But Sungjin was still limp. She tried shaking him. Wait. What if? If... She gasped. No! Please, oh god, no!
She kept on shaking him, but received no response.
Tears flowed down her face. "Sungjin! My baby... My baby...," she whispered, holding his face close to the side of her head.
She wrapped her arms around his head and put his body on her lap, cradling him. "Sungjin... Who did this to you? Why would someone do something so cruel, and to just a little boy? Sungjin... Please come back..."
Sungmin watched his mother intently. He pitied her. She didn't know that she was the one who killed him. The one who was "cruel" to him. He wanted to say something, but found himself being lulled into unconsciousness; he was just so tired.
"Sungjin," his mother continued rocking him, rubbing her cheek against his. "Don't worry... You won't be alone. Umma will always be with you. Always."
Sungmin closed his eyes, and let the darkness engulf him.
~
Sungmin opened his eyes. Everything was still blurry, but he could faintly make out a figure next to him, sleeping on his bed. He blinked a few more times. He saw that he was in an extremely white room. When he tried to take a deep breath, he noticed that there were tubes all over him; one in his nose, one on his left arm, everywhere. He tried to pull them out, but a hand restrained him. He flinched, shrinking away from the touch.
"No, it's ok. You're safe now," an assuring voice came from his left.
Sungmin immediately turned to find the source of the voice. He saw a young woman, most likely the one that was sleeping on his bed a moment ago. He looked at her with curiosity. He opened his mouth to say something, but found that he wasn't able to speak. He tried to make a sound again, but it ended up as a squeak. He clamped his mouth, frightened.
The woman spoke up again. "Don't worry. You'll be able to talk again soon." She smiled, and Sungmin didn't know why, but he felt that he could trust this woman.
"Do you know where you are?" she asked.
He nodded. The white room was already enough of an indicator.
Taking his response as a "yes", she asked another question, "Do you know why you're here?"
Sungmin thought for a minute. As he tried to recall what had happened before he woke up, images started flashing through his head. He saw someone running to him, and he felt that he was supposed to protect this person. Someone tried to drag the person away, and started beating them. He couldn't remember the rest, except for the person becoming motionless, and someone hugging them. Feeling a shock, Sungmin winced and shut his eyes, shaking in fear.
Seeing his response, the woman pet his head, trying to comfort him. Despite her efforts to calm him down, he kept shaking. He felt so wrong. He felt like there was something heavy on him, pressing him like a burden. Knowing it wasn't doing any good, the woman pulled Sungmin in a hug. She tightened her embrace.
Rocking him gently, she whispered, "Shh... It's ok... Don't be afraid. You're in safe hands. I'll protect you."
Her words of assurance were soothing to him. His shaking slowly ceased, becoming into a small tremble. The woman pitied him. She didn't know what had happened. She only knew that when they had found him, he was lying unconscious on the floor, bloodied and bruised. The other people in the room, another woman and a little boy, presumably his mother and younger brother, were lying on the floor together, the boy in the woman's arms. After checking for their pulse, they knew that Sungmin was the only survivor; the rest, dead.
She continued to coo. Sungmin's eyelids felt heavy, and he slowly drifted off to sleep. When the woman realized he was sleeping, she let go of him, laying him back onto the bed as slowly and carefully as she could so he wouldn't wake. Moving back, she took a good look at Sungmin, and she felt a wave of sorrow. She wanted to help him. She wanted to care for him. She wanted to become someone he could finally trust. She wanted to love him as if he were her own child. Her eyes started to water. She could tell that he must have been through a lot. She couldn't help but hug him again. Don't worry, I"ll give you the love you deserve... The love you've missed out on for so long...
__________________________________________
A/N: OMFG YES. I FINALLY FINISHED CHAPTER 4. >:'D
I'm sorry for making everyone wait for like, forever. D: /gets shot
But I've been busy with school lately, and they keep dumping more and more work! ;_____;
So to make up for it, I made this chapter super longggg, or at least, as long as I could make it. xD
It's not actually done, but I felt like the other part didn't really fit in, so I cut it out. It shall go in Chapter 5! :'3
So for the moment, it's still in Sungmin's past. :]
Here's another treat~: the next chapter's about Sungmin and the mysterious woman, and how their lives are after he leaves the hospital. xD
I shall try my best to update as soon as possible! >:'3
And silent readers~ don't be afraid to comment~ I welcome all comments (as long as they're nice please ^w^) at any time~ :]
Thanks for reading!~ :'D ♥
( Chapter 5 )
Pairing(s): KyuMin
Genre: Angst, Romance, Humor (I think? xD)
Warning(s): swearing, epic failure
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,286
Summary: Something's changed about Sungmin, and Kyuhyun loses sleep trying to find out why. (Lolol, ANOTHER bad summary~ xD)
Chapters: 1, 2, 3
Sungmin shivered. He felt the strong winds attack him again as he sat on the swings. Sitting idly, he tried to analyze the event that happened before he left his aunt’s home. He didn’t understand. He trusted her, and she destroyed it by meeting with him. Sungmin’s eyes started to water. Why? Why would she do that to me? She told me she’d always protect me... His body started to shake with heavy sobs.
As he cried, he didn’t notice that the sky was starting to become dark. After crying for a good amount of time, he looked up and realized that it was now nighttime. He was calmer now; stress-free after the good cry. I better go. Things can get dangerous when it’s dark.
Sungmin got up, ready to leave. As he walked away, he couldn't help but think back to his past. No matter how much he suffered, something always drew him back to the dreaded memories.
~
"Hyung! Hyung!" A little boy started running towards Sungmin.
Sungmin turned around to see his little brother, Sungjin, fly into his arms. Holding him tightly, Sungmin could see that Sungjin was trembling in fear.
"Sungjin," he quietly whispered, "What’s wrong?"
Sungjin looked up at his hyung, tears spilling out of his eyes. "U-umma!" he hiccuped. "Sh-she-"
"Where’d the fuck you go?!" A woman’s voice was heard shouting.
Sungmin realized it was their mother. Oh god...
And just as he predicted, their mother came staggering down the hall in their direction. Sungjin started shaking even more.
"Hyung! Hyung! H-help me! U-umma! She’s gonna hurt me again!" he looked back at their mother in terror.
Sungmin stepped in front of Sungjin, acting as his barrier. "No, don’t worry. Hyung will protect you. Hyung will never leave you." Even if my life depends on it.
Sungmin turned around and hugged his little brother, an attempt to shield him from any impending attacks. But he knew it would be in vain. The same thing happened every time. Sungjin would come running to him. He’d try to protect him, but their mother would pry him off, throwing him to the ground. Then she’d beat Sungjin into oblivion, yelling and cursing at him, and he’d be helpess. Sungmin would not reach him. Their mother was too strong for him. When Sungjin reached unconsciousness, she’d stop hitting, and realize what she’d done. She would cry and craddle her "baby", her motherly instincts kicking back in. Then she would crawl away to the corner of the room, and bawl herself to sleep. Afterwards, Sungmin would cover her with a blanket, carry Sungjin back to their room, and nurse him back to health. This kind of thing was routine.
He hated it. He couldn’t stand the fact that he couldn’t do anything to help. He wanted to leave, taking his little brother with him. But how could they? After all, Sungjin was 8, and Sungmin was 10. And even if they were able to leave, where would they go? Nobody would give them a place to live, things to eat. So no matter how much they were abused, they couldn’t do anything about it.
Their mother drew nearer and nearer. She seemed to be drunk this time, based on the way she was walking; a drunken stagger.
Sungjin tightened his hold on Sungmin. "Hyung... I’m s-scared!"
Sungmin couldn’t say anything, because he knew no matter how much he said he would protect him, he knew he’d never be able to keep his promise. He watched as their mother sauntered daringly closer.
"Get the fuck off of him," she slurred.
Sungmin refused to let go. He shook his head. "No! Leave us al-"
"I SAID GET THE FUCK OFF!"
Sungmin and Sungjin flinched at the suddenly raised voice. But Sungmin still held on.
Their mother then grabbed the back of Sungmin’s shirt and flung him off Sungjin. He landed with a thud and a loud cry. Then he rolled over onto his side, groaning in pain.
"Hyung!" Sungjin cried out in worry.
She turned back to him, eyes full of anger. Sungjin whimpered. She grabbed ahold of him, picking him up, and slamming him into the ground. He yelped in pain. She slapped his face repeatedly, cheeks becoming a bloody red."Umma! Please! Sto-"
"Shut the fuck up! Who the fuck are you, to tell me what to do?" their mother started hitting Sungjin even harder.
Sungmin tried to get up; he couldn’t bare to watch any longer. He crawled over to his mother and flung himself at her, an attempt to stop her from beating his litlle brother, or at least, long enough for him to escape her clutches. Caught by surprise, she released Sungjin, falling to the floor.
"Sungjin, run!" Sungmin warned.
Sungjin looked behind him, and looked back at Sungmin. "B-but hyung! What about yo-"
"Just go! Hurry up! I can’t hold on much lon- Ah!" their mother stood up; Sungmin was on her back.
He pulled her hair and covered her eyes, trying to disable her. Enraged, she grabbed his arms and pulled forward, flipping him onto the floor as hard as she could. He screamed; his back, arching in extreme pain.
"Hyung! Nooo!" Sungjin cried out in terror.
Their mother smirked. "Serves you right, bitch."
Sungmin continued crying out, each wave of pain too intense for him to handle. As the pain slowly dimmed down, he found himself unable to move, most likely due to the shock of being thrown down in such a harsh manner. Helpless, all he could do was watch his mother, who’d long gone and dragged his little brother back, continue her abuse. This time, she was punching and shaking him like there was no tomorrow. When he caught a glimpse of Sungjin, he could see that he was already flickering in and out of consciousness.
"You bastard child!" she snarled. "If only you hadn’t been born! He wouldn’t have left us! We’d still be a family! We’d still be happy..." She was starting to cry now.
Sungjin stopped yelping in pain; he couldn't feel it anymore. He looked up at his mother, trying to get ahold of her eyes. "Umma..."
She immediately ceased hitting him, becoming silent. Her eyes widened. She hated it when he called her that.
She grabbed him and slammed him into the floor, an action now all too familiar to Sungjin. "Don’t, call me that. I’m not your fucking ‘umma’. I never was, and I never will be, because you’re a bastard child. And bastard children are a disgrace to both their parents and people alike. They only serve to make people’s lives miserable. They don’t even deserve to live." And with that, she started to choke him.
He struggled in a effort to get her to let go. He clawed at the hands around his neck; the hands that were squeezing the life out of him. But despite all his tries, she only pressed harder. Losing his source of oxygen, he desperately tried to gasp for air.
"'Hyung' can't save you now, can he?" she sneered.
Sungjin looked over to where Sungmin resided, sticking an arm out in his direction, presumably a signal for help. Sungmin watched with tears pooling in his eyes. He felt like a coward. He wished he could help, but he couldn't; he knew he was a weakling, a failure. He was unable to protect the ones he loved, and he hated himself for not being able to do so. Tears started to spill out of his eyes. Sungjin, I'm so sorry... I was supposed to protect you, but I can't do anything but lie on the floor.
Sungjin's grip on his mother's hand started to weaken, which motivated her to continue choking him. He tried to turn his neck in order to breathe, but he found that he didn't have the strength to. Taking one last glance at Sungmin, he could see that his hyung was crying. He smiled. It's ok, hyung. It's not your fault. I don't blame you. Please don't be sad. But I'm sorry, hyung. I'm sorry I have to say goodbye.
Sungmin saw his brother trying to send feelings of forgiveness with a smile. Sungjin, don't forgive me. This is all my fault. If only I had been able to stop her...
Sungjin started to lose his vision. He wasn't sure if he was hallucinating, because he could faintly make out a bright, warm light. He could hear voices calling for him. As he went closer, he felt secure, and safe. He felt that this, was the place where he could finally find true happiness. He reached for the light, and it embraced him.
When his body went limp, Sungmin knew what had happened. He didn't believe it. He had just lost his brother.
"SUNGJIN!" he cried out.
The cry shocked his mother back into reality. Realizing she had something in her hands, she gasped when she saw it was her son's neck.
"S-Sungjin?" she tried to wake him. "Sungjin! Wake up! Please!"
But Sungjin was still limp. She tried shaking him. Wait. What if? If... She gasped. No! Please, oh god, no!
She kept on shaking him, but received no response.
Tears flowed down her face. "Sungjin! My baby... My baby...," she whispered, holding his face close to the side of her head.
She wrapped her arms around his head and put his body on her lap, cradling him. "Sungjin... Who did this to you? Why would someone do something so cruel, and to just a little boy? Sungjin... Please come back..."
Sungmin watched his mother intently. He pitied her. She didn't know that she was the one who killed him. The one who was "cruel" to him. He wanted to say something, but found himself being lulled into unconsciousness; he was just so tired.
"Sungjin," his mother continued rocking him, rubbing her cheek against his. "Don't worry... You won't be alone. Umma will always be with you. Always."
Sungmin closed his eyes, and let the darkness engulf him.
~
Sungmin opened his eyes. Everything was still blurry, but he could faintly make out a figure next to him, sleeping on his bed. He blinked a few more times. He saw that he was in an extremely white room. When he tried to take a deep breath, he noticed that there were tubes all over him; one in his nose, one on his left arm, everywhere. He tried to pull them out, but a hand restrained him. He flinched, shrinking away from the touch.
"No, it's ok. You're safe now," an assuring voice came from his left.
Sungmin immediately turned to find the source of the voice. He saw a young woman, most likely the one that was sleeping on his bed a moment ago. He looked at her with curiosity. He opened his mouth to say something, but found that he wasn't able to speak. He tried to make a sound again, but it ended up as a squeak. He clamped his mouth, frightened.
The woman spoke up again. "Don't worry. You'll be able to talk again soon." She smiled, and Sungmin didn't know why, but he felt that he could trust this woman.
"Do you know where you are?" she asked.
He nodded. The white room was already enough of an indicator.
Taking his response as a "yes", she asked another question, "Do you know why you're here?"
Sungmin thought for a minute. As he tried to recall what had happened before he woke up, images started flashing through his head. He saw someone running to him, and he felt that he was supposed to protect this person. Someone tried to drag the person away, and started beating them. He couldn't remember the rest, except for the person becoming motionless, and someone hugging them. Feeling a shock, Sungmin winced and shut his eyes, shaking in fear.
Seeing his response, the woman pet his head, trying to comfort him. Despite her efforts to calm him down, he kept shaking. He felt so wrong. He felt like there was something heavy on him, pressing him like a burden. Knowing it wasn't doing any good, the woman pulled Sungmin in a hug. She tightened her embrace.
Rocking him gently, she whispered, "Shh... It's ok... Don't be afraid. You're in safe hands. I'll protect you."
Her words of assurance were soothing to him. His shaking slowly ceased, becoming into a small tremble. The woman pitied him. She didn't know what had happened. She only knew that when they had found him, he was lying unconscious on the floor, bloodied and bruised. The other people in the room, another woman and a little boy, presumably his mother and younger brother, were lying on the floor together, the boy in the woman's arms. After checking for their pulse, they knew that Sungmin was the only survivor; the rest, dead.
She continued to coo. Sungmin's eyelids felt heavy, and he slowly drifted off to sleep. When the woman realized he was sleeping, she let go of him, laying him back onto the bed as slowly and carefully as she could so he wouldn't wake. Moving back, she took a good look at Sungmin, and she felt a wave of sorrow. She wanted to help him. She wanted to care for him. She wanted to become someone he could finally trust. She wanted to love him as if he were her own child. Her eyes started to water. She could tell that he must have been through a lot. She couldn't help but hug him again. Don't worry, I"ll give you the love you deserve... The love you've missed out on for so long...
__________________________________________
A/N: OMFG YES. I FINALLY FINISHED CHAPTER 4. >:'D
I'm sorry for making everyone wait for like, forever. D: /gets shot
But I've been busy with school lately, and they keep dumping more and more work! ;_____;
So to make up for it, I made this chapter super longggg, or at least, as long as I could make it. xD
It's not actually done, but I felt like the other part didn't really fit in, so I cut it out. It shall go in Chapter 5! :'3
So for the moment, it's still in Sungmin's past. :]
Here's another treat~: the next chapter's about Sungmin and the mysterious woman, and how their lives are after he leaves the hospital. xD
I shall try my best to update as soon as possible! >:'3
And silent readers~ don't be afraid to comment~ I welcome all comments (as long as they're nice please ^w^) at any time~ :]
Thanks for reading!~ :'D ♥
( Chapter 5 )