Chapter Text
It had been weeks of undisturbed quiet, and Hongjoong could say for the most part he was content to finally have some peace to focus on his projects. Hyunjin had been in every few days, and the newest addition on his thigh had been finished with his last visit, and Hongjoong’s mind was at ease once more.
Despite the quiet and focus though, he had this feeling he couldn’t shake. The time between the episodes of his mind slipping were more frequent, and he could feel that his humanity was continuously draining away as time passed. He knew the time he had left would upset nearly everyone he had allowed to remain in his life, but the less they knew the better.
He frowned as he considered the projects he had left, and constantly found himself reorganizing their importance in his workload. It was this obsessive focus that he hoped would ensure nothing slipped through the cracks.
And he now stood over the one he considered the most important. Things in his life had taken many turns, and the Hongjoong of his childhood would never believe that this is how he would end up. And as he stood now, he felt like he was on the edge of something bigger than even himself. Something he would need to succeed, if not for himself, than for the one that had come to matter the most to him.
Sighing, he lifted the tablet back up to review the data that was being compiled, and allowed himself a rare smile. Finally he was making some progress. It had taken years to get to this point, but he knew that he was close at long last. And what better time to finish what he considered his magnum opus than now when he had the luxury of peace and quiet to do so. He set the tablet down, letting the process continue to run as he picked up his cane to make his way down to the base floor of his labs.
The lift groaned to a stop and he limped off, waving off several of the mechanical birds that flew around in greeting. He’d have a few hours at least before the next step, and then the final installations would be all that remained. Hongjoong sunk into a comfortable chair that Seonghwa had bought some years ago, sighing as his joints hissed and he came to a rest. It really had been awhile since he felt like he could slow down even the slightest. He rubbed at his temple, flashes of Seonghwa and the boy's faces flickering in his field of vision causing him to wince.
That had been happening more often, bits and pieces of memories flashing into his current field of vision. If he wasn’t a man of science he’d think it was his conscious projecting feelings of guilt or longing. But after a while he’d realized they were not visions, but instead memories superimposed by his aging cybertech. It was a minor inconvenience, but he’d be lying if during the long late nights they didn’t unsettle him to some degree.
He’d see images of Hyunjin in the small garden he’d planted some years back. Scenes of the boys working together on some project he’d set to distract them. Seonghwa cooking him something with a gentle smile on his face that was like the one from their childhood. Over and over the ghosts of the past would run around him, and if he didn’t ignore them he knew he’d be overwhelmed with feelings of doubt of the path he was walking.
Hongjoong was resolved in his goal, he knew that to do this would be the cumulation of all his life’s work. Just a little more, then he could bestow his greatest accomplishment to the one who deserved it the most.
⋆ ☠︎︎༒︎𓆩⚝𓆪༒︎⋆
Mingi cursed over and over as he made his way through the city. He’d been unable to take any of Utopia’s cars out, and had to resort to using one of the bikes. He wasn’t a fan of the motorcycles that were common in the city, and tended to avoid them when he could. But time wasn’t a luxury; he couldn’t be picky and so here he was carefully trying to navigate the streets in a way that he knew stuck out like a sore thumb in the fast paced city life.
He had just turned into the final stretch of the drive, one that would take him unfortunately through G-boy territory. Mingi really detested being outside his labs, but he needed to do this for Seonghwa. He wasn’t sure how much longer the Widow had with the poison running so strongly through him.
So he pressed forward, still not quite speeding like he could on the bike, but moving fast enough. It was because of this that he caught sight of what looked like an altercation ahead and a bit off the road. He slowed down more, unsure if it would be safe to pass just yet.
Mingi frowned as the sound of gunshots reached him, and he pulled the bike to a crawl as he was now hyperfocused on the group ahead of him. As he watched he was able to make out several people who seemed to all be focused on one, who was ducked behind debris and holding them off with several well placed shots.
Mingi knew he should keep moving, it wasn’t any of his business, and nothing good came from sticking your nose where it didn’t belong. But something pulled his gaze to the lone figure making a stand and he felt his blood run cold. It was Yunho firing off shot after shot in response to the shouts of the group that surrounded him.
Mingi strained his ear to make out what they said between the deafening shots.
“Bastard!! Fucking cop asshole!”
“You think you’re gonna get outta this alive, traitor?!”
“Knew there was something off about you! Fucking liar!”
They continued their assault on the other, and Yunho would soon be overwhelmed. That much was clear. Mingi didn’t even really have the time to consider what they were saying, he just acted before really thinking it over. He shot forward, reaching to his belt and unhooking a smoke grenade and launching it with as much force as possible.
It landed with a dull thunk, briefly startling the gangsters and then rocking them with an explosion as a thick wave of smoke shot out and obstructed their eyesight. Usually Mingi preferred flashbangs, but he needed to be able to see from his point of view to get to Yunho without them noticing. His bike revved forward and he pulled up to where Yunho sat panting against the burned out corpse of what was once a car.
“Get the fuck on Yunho, hurry up!”
Yunho scrambled up, jumping on without a word and soon Mingi turned the bike just as the smoke cleared enough for the members of the G-boys to catch sight of them. He cursed, having to turn away from the direction of Hongjoong’s labs and return the way he came if he wanted to use the rubble as cover. Bullets rained on them, and he was cursing so loud he nearly drowned them out as they sped back into the city.
It was nearly thirty minutes before they had lost them and Mingi was able to slow down to catch his breath. He was shaking, and could feel the vice grip Yunho had on him as he finally pulled up to the back door of Utopia. He collapsed forward onto the handle bars, feeling his heart racing as Yunho slid from the bike to lean against the wall. He could feel the sticky press of blood on his back, and that drew his gaze down to where Yungo had slumped onto the wall.
Mingi squinted at him then, seeing the absolute miserable state he was in. His clothes were dirty and torn, there were several places he was bleeding from and the dark circle and sunken features on his face showed that he most likely hadn’t slept in days.
Without another word Mingi got off the bike and grabbed Yunho’s arm to pull him inside Utopia, doing his best to ignore the blood trail they left behind. They moved quietly into his personal rooms of his wing, the only sound being Yunho’s labored breaths and Mingi’s continued quiet curses. He pushed Yunho down to sit on his bed, then moved to the monitors on the wall to make sure that they hadn’t been followed. The last thing any of them needed was a gang laying siege on Utopia while Seonghwa was down.
Once he was sure that there wouldn’t be a raid anytime soon, he turned to get the first aid kit and slammed it down on the ground at Yunho’s feet. He glared up at him. “Strip. And don’t say a word.”
Yunho nodded, clearly too exhausted to protest as he slowly peeled his shirt off, revealing several clear hits he had taken before Mingi arrived. Bruises were already forming, and there were wounds that seemed to be either from knives or some other sharp weapon. Even some that were clearly bullet wounds. Mingi felt his eyes widen at the sheer amount, and he was unsure how Yunho was even still upright. He fought down the panic welling up, shaking hands grabbing the cloth and began cleaning what he could reach. They sat in silence as he worked, and it took all his concentration to make sure he didn’t miss anything as Yunho let himself be moved around, eyes distant but not a sound of pain slipping through.
After looking over his legs and arms he had only one more area of concern, so he moved quickly to stem the bleeding and used some bandages once cleaned to keep it covered. With a glance up he saw how pale Yunho had become, and Mingi chewed his lip a moment before standing to wash his hands of the blood. He watched the red pour down the drain, and it hit him that it was the blood of Yunho - his once best friend.
Again his hands shook, and his vision blurred as tears pricked at his eyes. He tried to stifle the sounds, but was too overwhelmed with everything that seemed to be falling in around him. He felt his shoulders shake, and despite covering his mouth with his hands a sob slipped through.
Yunho’s head shot up, attention grabbed by the sound. He looked on in alarm as Mingi seemed to crumple. “Min..?” He called out, voice horse from the shouting from earlier.
Mingi turned, eyes filled with tears as he looked forlornly at Yunho. They watched one another in silence, then suddenly Mingi was crossing the room and dropping down to his knees to hug Yunho about the waist, the only place on him that wasn’t bandaged. Yunho stared down at him in shock, hands hovering over the other, unsure if he could touch him.
“You absolute idiot. You gonk.” Mingi ground out, tears soaking into his skin. “You know how bad the streets are, you know how dangerous people here are. And you ran around like a short-circed moron.” He squeezed him harder, and Yunho bore it with only a grunt. “An undercover cop? Really? What were you trying to do out here by yourself, you idiot?” Mingi did not look up at him, and Yunho didn’t really want him to pull away. He slowly lowered his hands onto Mingi’s shoulder and one resting gently on the back of his head to play with the orange strands at the base of his neck to try and sooth him like in their youth.
“I’m sorry Min min. I am an idiot. I don’t… I don’t know what I was trying to do.” He sighed, feeling all the tension bleed out of him with the warmth of Mingi pressed against his lap. “They ... .headquarters left me out here. Sent out some kind of message that was easily intercepted. It’s like… like they were trying to get me caught.” His voice tapered off, sounding more and more like the small boy he used to be.
Mingi finally pulled back enough to look up at him. “You aren’t going back to them. I don’t give a fuck what you were sent out here to do, but they don’t deserve you after that.”
Yunho swallowed thickly, nodding. “Y-yeah… yeah I can’t…I’m…” He felt himself choke up, the pain of the betrayal and all his fear crashing down on him at once. He fell forward and Mingi was there to catch him, holding him as he broke down. “I’m sorry Min…..I’m so sorry…” He choked out between sobs, and Mingi only held him as carefully as he could with his injuries. Time passed, and soon Mingi found himself lying flat on his bed with Yunho sprawled into his side, head on his shoulder. He’d fallen asleep some time ago, and Mingi didn’t have the heart to wake him. He clearly needed the rest, and it gave Mingi time to think.
If Yunho’s cover was blown, that meant that the higher ups wanted him dead. For whatever reason that was, Mingi knew that Yunho would be in danger as long as he was alive. It wasn’t a secret that every cop in the city had cyberware installed to track and monitor them. Mingi let his fingers trace down Yunho’s cheek to trace along the side of his neck. When he felt the slight indent, he paused before pressing gently causing a small tray to slide out with a slight hiss. Just as he suspected, there was a small disc there that would hold all of Yunho’s data that concerned his work with the police force, and acted as a trace for his ‘safety’.
Mingi knew that the scrambler he’d installed in half the district would at least make Yunho’s exact location impossible to pin down while here, so he could at least be sure that they didn’t know he was in Utopia right away. But he would need to do something about it soon. He closed the slot, using his free hand to pull over a tablet to begin working on the code he’d need, all thoughts of his pressing need for Hongjoong long gone in favor of the fear for his friend.
⋆ ☠︎︎༒︎𓆩⚝𓆪༒︎⋆
Seungmin finished debriefing the gathered staff, ensuring that each and every person understood their roles in the upcoming gala. He really needed everything to go without a hitch to ensure that the necessary people crossed paths without incident. He was reviewing the plans once more to ensure nothing had escaped his notice when he felt someone enter his office, taking the seat across from him with a sigh.
He didn’t look up, an eyebrow slowly rising as the other remained quiet for several long moments and soon he couldn’t take it anymore. “What brings you here Jongho-ssi?”
“I told you to just call me Jongho when we are alone. We are way past formalities at this point, don’t you think?”
Seungmin felt his brow twitch. “What do you want, Jongho?”
Jongho was silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts and nearly pushing Seungmin to snap again before he finally spoke. “What do you know about Utopia? You came from the district near there, didn’t you?”
Seungmin slowly closed the book with the gala details, sitting back in his chair as he regarded the other. “I did. What do you want to know about it?”
“I’ve heard the rumors of course. The Widow maker who hunts down the worse of the worst and takes justice on them. The strange BDs they produce. What else is there to know about what happens there? What does a boy called Snow White gain by working at a dollhouse?”
Seungmin felt the slight migraine he had worsened with each question. “I’m sorry, but why does that Dollhouse matter exactly?”
Jongho shifted, his knee bouncing as he hummed in thought. “The corrupted BDs originated from there. And they all feature someone called Snow White. I can’t be blamed for being curious about him.”
Seungmin stared at him for a long suspicious moment before groaning softly, his head thumping down onto his desk. “You can’t be serious. With everything going on right now, you have a crush on some doll?”
Jongho pursed his lips, glaring at the other. “Who says I don’t suspect him of being the one behind all of this?”
“Because I know you, and you wouldn’t pursue anything outside your self assigned mission that wasn’t absolutely crucial.”
Jongho raised a brow. “That only proves my point.”
“Let me finish. You wouldn’t do so, unless you had a personal vested interest in whatever it is. And I know from you and San-ssi talking that the BDs are corrupted later, after they’ve left Utopia. Which means you are asking about this guy just because you are personally interested in him.”
Jongho’s gaze narrowed the more he spoke. But Seungmin didn’t stop. “And you rarely ever take an interest in anything outside family business. In fact, when you just asked me you had this look on your face I’ve only seen once before.”
“See, this is why I like you Seungmin, you don’t bullshit. Straight to the point.” Jongho surprisingly relaxed back into the chair, regarding the other.
“So you don’t deny it?”
“I’m not usually one to shy away from what I want.” Jongho sent him a smile that would have been cute in any other situation. “So what do you know about Utopia?”
Seungmin wanted to shout in frustration. What was with everyone around him being unable to focus on the literal life and death situations they were facing? He took a deep breath. “This Snow White is most likely one of the Widow’s jewels. One hundred percent Ganics that he keeps as his pseudo children. He protects them with extreme violence and prejudice. Like he will kill if anyone even thinks the wrong thing about them. Did I mention that it is the Widow? The one famous for using poison and tearing his victims apart?”
Jongho hummed. “Yes, you may have mentioned it. You talk like you’re afraid of him. Have you committed some great sin I should know about?” He teased the other, knowing that Seungmin was about as straight-laced as they came.
Seungmin scowled. “Anyone in their right mind should be afraid of him. Next to the god of Neo Seoul, he’s the strongest person in the city.”
“Quite the claim to make when you sit in front of one of the Chois.”
Seungmin scoffed at that, rubbing his temple to stave off the headache. “You lot hold power in your money, but at the end of the day - it is the Widow that comes to collect. No amount of money in the world can stop him.”
“So what I’m hearing is that the only obstacle between me and the jewels is the Widow?”
Seungmin stared at him, truly stunned. “Y-you… you’re insane.”
Jongho grinned, leaning forward. “No, I’m just resolved. Have a good day Seungmin, I’ll see you later.”
And like that he was gone. Seungmin stared blankly ahead of him, not even knowing where to start. He let out a long and deep sigh, someone was going to at least warn San that his brother was heading into the lion’s den.
Or was it the spider’s nest in this case?
⋆ ☠︎︎༒︎𓆩⚝𓆪༒︎⋆
Jisung frowned, the screens on the wall flashing with reports and text that he found perplexing. Since the outbreak had started he’d been tracking all info on those infected, how long each case took before death, what the symptoms were. Really anything that could be gathered. Which initially had been few and far between, but since the announcement from the Choi’s more and more people had been taking precautions and noticing when the signs started to show up.
But that led to a new trend emerging that Jisung had not anticipated. It seemed that now the infected were no longer dying. There seemed to be a change in how the virus was interacting with the hosts, and he wasn’t sure it was a good thing.
He only had two fully reported cases to reference, but they were new and as far as he knew they were the most recent victims. They’d each been infected for about a week now and had been able to check themselves into the hospital. It was easy for Jisung to access the records there, and he even had a live feed he hacked from the hospital security to reference the current condition of the patients. They were still responsive, but reported having migraines that nearly crippled their eyesight. They had no appetite and were extremely dehydrated no matter how much fluids were put into them. It was strange.
And that wasn’t even taking into consideration how their cyberware was responding. They had episodes of it acting on its own, and both had to be restrained in order to keep them from randomly striking out at staff who worked around them. It was as if their bodies weren’t their own.
“As if…something else was trying to control them….no that’s not right. It’s like it's ... .learning to control them.” Jisung murmured to himself, watching the recordings again to note once more how their limbs moved erratically.
“What’s that?” Minho leaned over the counter to peer over at the wall of screens in the back of the cafe. He’d convinced Jisung that he would need to bring his work with him and spend time in the cafe. He wasn’t sure when he’d next be called out, but his gut was saying that he should keep the other close for now.
Jisung hummed softly to himself, eyes fixated once more on the reports that were being put in by the nursing staff. “It’s the two most recent virus victims. They aren’t dying like the others did.”
Minho made a sound of surprise as he turned back to the menus he was cleaning. “So it’s getting better then? Did someone work out an antidote or something?”
“No… they are still sick. Or corrupted? It’s strange.” Jisung sighed, sitting back and rubbing his burning eyes. “It’s like the cyber half of them is no longer in their control. And the human half is either fighting it or rejecting it. It’s hard to tell without being there.”
Minho frowned, pausing in his actions to look at the other. “Do you want to be there?”
“No, not really. I don’t think I’d learn any more than what I have from here, and the risks are too great.”
“Is it a bad thing that they aren’t dying, though?” Minho wondered, tail lazily swaying behind him and attracting Jisung’s attention. He stood, coming to stand behind his husband and sinking his weight onto his back. Minho scoffed but supported him without complaint.
“It’s not. At least I hope not. But if this becomes a trend then it means it’s being done purposely. And that whatever it is … it's trying to turn into something that doesn’t kill its host.” Jisung rubbed his forehead into the space between Minho’s shoulders. “Which is infinitely more terrifying than a disease that just kills. And it’s working backwards from what we would expect. Normally it’d be infection then eventually death. Not death…then suddenly not death.”
Minho hummed, continuing to work even as Jisung rested more weight on him. “That is strange. What about the infections we have here in our district? Has it been the same for them?”
“We’ve had three deaths in the last week. But there is a new one that isn’t showing symptoms as quickly as the others did. I’ve got them set to go to our district labs so I can get a better look.”
“Be careful Jisung. I know we don’t think it's contagious, but if it’s evolving it could just be a matter of time.”
“Yeah, I’m getting some gear together for the staff and myself. I don’t want us to be caught off guard.”
“Speaking of, when will you be finished with everyone’s tune up? The gala is in two days.”
“All I have left is Wooyoung and Changbin, and they should be here soon. I brought what I needed, don’t worry. I’ll just do it in the back.”
Minho found himself frowning already at the thought of the other Exotic. Jisung felt him tense and stood up, hooking his chin on Minho’s shoulder to nudge his cheek with his nose. “Hey. None of that. We already went over this. You’re the only cat for me.”
Minho’s tail thumped against Jisung’s waist, wrapping around it to hold him close. “I don’t like how you look at him.”
Jisung felt a smile tug at his lips. “And I’ve told you, I’m only interested in the tech he has -”
“Because the great god of Neo Seoul made it with his own two hands. Yes I know. Doesn’t mean I like it.”
“Yes my love, I know. I’m sorry. I’ll keep it brief today and be back by your side before you know it. I promised, remember?”
“You did.” His reply is short, but Jisung knows he will hold him to it.
As if on cue, the front door chimes, and in enters a dressed down Wooyoung and Changbin. They are chatting quietly, both unusually somber as they approach the counter. Wooyoung turns to greet them, his normal brashness subdued. “Hey you two. I’m sorry, we won't have long. We really need to get back to where we are staying as soon as we can.”
Minho felt his usual animosity melt away at the expressions on their faces. “What’s going on?”
Changbin frowns, casting his gaze over the two customers that were tucked away in the corner furthest from them. “It’s not something we can really talk about right now. But we didn’t want to get to the gala unprepared. So can this be quick Jisung?”
The tech nodded, waving them back. Mingo watched them go, a sinking feeling dragging behind them as they passed. This certainly didn’t bode well. He knew they were staying at Utopia, and if there was a problem there, it could potentially be a problem for all the lower districts.
He hoped that maybe Jisung could get the issue out of them while they were back there. For now, he would need to focus and make sure the details of their breach of the gala were lined up.
⋆ ☠︎︎༒︎𓆩⚝𓆪༒︎⋆
It’s a groan of pain that alerts Mingi to Yunho waking up. He shifts, trying to peer down at him without jostling the other too much.
“Hey there Yunnie.” Mingi murmurs, waiting until the other finally focuses on him. “Don’t move too much. I’m going to get up and get you something to eat and some water. Then you can have some pain meds, alright?”
Yunho lets out a low groan of assent, before letting Mingi shift him back and onto the bed. He sinks down into the covers that are still warm, letting his eyes close again as the other sneaks from the room.
It could have been minutes or hours before Mingi returns, Yunho isn’t sure. But soon he’s being set up and Mingi is coaxing him awake once more. He has a nice smelling soup and water, and makes sure that Yunho eats it all. Then he has pills pressed to his lips followed by water. Mingi sits him back, sighing as Yunho seems more awake now that he’s eaten.
“Want to tell me exactly what happened, Yunnie?” His voice was soft, coaxing him to speak freely.
Yunho licked his lips, clearing his throat that still hurt from the abuse earlier. “It….it was a setup. I had a message from the chief. I had…thought that maybe the Choi’s had talked to her. She said to come and meet her at the usual drop spot.” He paused, taking another drink of the water Mingi offered. “I got there, a little early as usual. The G-boys were already there. They were tipped off that a mole would show up. It had to be her. There’s no one else that knows. There’s no one else that would be able to get me there.”
Mingi frowned, brows furrowed. “But why? What do they have to gain by compromising one of their own?”
Yunho shrugs his one shoulder that isn’t wrapped in gauze. “I’m moving too slow? I don’t know. They’ve been getting more and more erratic in their orders these last few weeks. Telling me to do things that would take years and whole squads of undercovers to do.”
“Well…I know one way we can find out.”
Yunho looks at him, wincing a bit at the shot of pain up his back at the movement. “W-what’s that?”
“They wanted you dead. So we give that to them.”
Yunho winced now for an entirely different reason. “I know you don’t really like me right now Min, but I’d rather stay alive. Else I wouldn’t have fought those guys so hard.”
Mingi rolls his eyes. “Gonk. We use this.” He held out a drive for Yunho to look at. “This will fry your chip in a way that will report you dead to your superiors. They’ll just think you escaped long enough to be hunted down and eliminated. You do have some survival skills after all, so it’s not entirely unbelievable.”
“That…will work? I was told our chips couldn’t be removed or deactivated unless we had already died.”
Mingi scoffed. “And I learned from the absolute best there is in cybertech.” He picked up Yunho’s hand, accessing the personal link there. “The software the police force uses is laughably simple compared to what comes out of the god. I promise this will work before your next drink.”
He shifts the cable into his hand held and plugs the usb in. There are a few seconds of silence as he works, the lights flashing over his face in mesmerizing patterns that distract Yunho. He lets his gaze rest on Mingi’s features, taking in how his friend had changed so much in the years they had been apart. He was still as beautiful as he remembered. If anything he was more handsome now, more captivating in a way that was dangerous to Yunho’s heart.
After a few minutes, Mingi looked up, catching his gaze. He flushes before clearing his throat. “Are you sure about this? Once I do it, you’re dead to them and there’s no going back.”
Yunho leans back, feeling the exhaustion that still sank into every bone of his body. “They won’t stop until I’m dead. I don’t really have a choice.”
“I’d like to think you wouldn’t choose to go back after this.” Mingi snarked, unimpressed.
Yunho felt his lips raise in a smile. “No…I don’t think I would. Not that I have you again.”
Mingi looked down to avoid his gaze, flush persisting as he tried to focus on the code in front of him. “Whatever. I’m still mad at you.”
“Then let me make it up to you. Once this blows over. Let me stay with you and make up for lost time.”
Mingi hunched down, doing his best to focus on the tablet. “Stop saying that stuff. Let me focus.”
“I’m serious Mingi. I don’t have anything else worth living for. I want it to be you.” Yunho spoke earnestly, if a bit desperately. He never really had much purpose since he left his side all those years ago. He thought he was going to make a difference, be a change in the city that was so desperately needed. But all that had been a fruitless endeavor. He couldn’t keep doing this. Living a life without Mingi.
Mingi couldn’t keep himself from pouting slightly. “You say that like I’m the last choice.”
Yunho smiled, chuckling despite the pain weighing on him. “You should have been my first choice. But I’m a gonk, remember? Took me a while, but I know that now.”
Mingi couldn’t hide the pleased look at that statement, but he quickly wiped it off to finally focus on the task at hand. “We’ll see. Now hold still. It might actually sting.”
“What? Why would it - Ouch!” Yunho winced as the burning stab in his neck, the slot flying opening and ejecting the chip out onto the floor next to the bed. It smouldered for a moment before fizzling out. They both stared down at it, before Mingi sat back.
“There. All done. That wasn’t so bad.” He unplugged Yunho’s link, setting it back before standing up. He grabbed the first aid kit that he’d restocked while grabbing food earlier. “Now, we need to change your bandages. How are you feeling?”
“Sore. And my side hurts.”
Mingi nodded seriously to his complaint. “A gunshot would hurt a bit, yes.”
Yunho cursed, letting Mingi pull him up to change the bandages with as much care as he could manage. The two bantered for a bit, and it’s like they were back in Mingi’s childhood home all those years ago. They sink into the comfort of one another easily, and time passes quickly before Yunho’s wounds are rebandaged and he’s settled once more on the bed.
Yunho reaches out then, taking Mingi’s hand in his own. “I’m serious Mingi. I’m here to stay. I don’t want to live a life without you.”
Mingi doesn’t shy away this time, staring Yunho down. “You’ll have to prove it, Yunho. You hurt me, you left me alone back then. I really needed you.”
Yunho nods, gaze earnest. “I’m sorry. I’ll live the rest of my life making it up to you.”
Mingi stares at him quietly for several nerve wracking moments. He’d rejected his attempts before, and Yunho honestly expected the same now. But to his surprise Mingi smiles instead. “I’ll hold you to that. I’ve missed you, Yunnie.”
Yunho unleashes the brightest smile he had in years at the other’s words. “I’ve missed you too Min.”
Mingi reaches forward to gently tilt Yunho’s head up as he carefully kneels over him. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
Yunho reaches forward with his good arm to rest on his waist to help him balance. “Please.”
Their lips meet, and Yunho would weather a thousand gunshots if they brought him to this moment. He’d missed Mingi more than he acknowledged over the years, and having him perched in his lap was something out of the dreams he’d occasionally harbor in the long lonely nights on his own. He tugs him a bit closer, groaning at the feeling of the other’s hands on him. He could ignore the pain for this.
They were both shocked out of the kiss by an alarm blaring, the lights dimming and fading into a red color. Mingi sat back, eyes wide in shock at the sound. It was an alarm that could only be activated for two reasons.
Seonghwa either sounded it because there was a threat inside of Utopia, or Seonghwa had succumbed to some outside force that had claimed his life.
“Oh no…Seonghwa!” Mingi felt his world stop, ice in his veins as he remembered what he’d originally set out to do.
“Fuck, I’ve got to get to Seong-” They were both rocked back by a force hitting the door outside his room, the alarm blaring over everything so loudly it drowned out the screams from the hallway.
“Mingi! What’s going on?!”