A Little Bit Longer || YeonBin

7

The street lights, the tall buildings, the different types of cars passing by, the people, just the whole new foreign surroundings.

It all feels surreal.

It looks like its own kind of paradise under the two boys's gazes.

After being trapped inside the same old facility for years without any access to the outside world, anywhere would be considered a paradise.

They were standing on the sidewalk with trees standing proud and dancing on their left side, decorated with pretty fairy lights that blinks occasionally underneath the dark sky.

Soobin looks up, his tired eyes traveling its vision towards the midnight sky. He takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh, finding the blank canvas above to be too blank and empty.

Unfortunately, there weren't any stars present tonight.

He thinks, does the sky ever think of giving up? Are there times when it feels like it had enough? Times when it feels like losing all hopes?

Maybe it does.

And maybe, tonight is one of those times.

Must have been the reason why the stars aren't showing themselves— the sky is losing its hope.

Just before he loses himself completely to his thoughts, he feels a sudden tug onto his right arm. He shifts his eyes towards it and witnesses what could've been the source of brightness in this almost velvet abyss.

Yeonjun has his hands securely wrapped around Soobin's arm, clinging on it like it's the only thing keeping him on his feet. He offers him a small smile, the one that could speak volumes without having to open your mouth.

And Soobin heard all of it.

He heard the sound of his heart when it skipped a beat.

He heard the ringing inside his ears when he saw that sight.

He heard the screams and whispers inside his head, telling him to step back before it gets too late.

And he heard the spark of something inside himself. He isn't so sure what it is, but he knows it's there.

It's there, where it wasn't before.

"Shall we go?" Yeonjun asked, his voice sounds soft and soothing. The one you crave to hear after having a terrible nightmare. The one that lulls you back to sleep without any fear you'll have another frightening dream.

With his lips that's starting to get chapped and dry because of the winter air, Soobin answers with a nod. "Come on."

And off their way they go.

___

The two boys spent their night walking around the city, trying out foods they know they weren't allowed to eat but they still did anyways. They went against the system that were engraved on them for years and they were fully aware of their bad decisions and the inevitable consequences they were sure to face once this moment ends but they chose to ignore it.

How could they stop now when it's the happiest they've been for a while?

Is it too much to ask for just a little time?

Is it a sin to try and get back what the world keeps on stealing from them?

With grins decorating both of their faces as they walk over the path of the building up snow, Soobin offered his hand to Yeonjun who's way more than glad to take it. Their footsteps created a trail behind them, silently being an evidence of this wonderful event. They stand to be witnesses of what could only be described as an escape.

An escape from the crawling pit of darkness inside their beings which slowly sucks up all the lights they have left.

An escape from reality.

An escape they knew damn well that is meant to be temporary.

And unfortunately, their time is up.

The two boys were in the middle of their stroll when Soobin felt Yeonjun's grip tightened on his hand. He halts his steps, confused as to why the other stops talking mid-sentence when he was just enthusiastically discussing about this one cartoon he likes.

Soobin turns to face the other boy to ask what's wrong but what he did not expect was to witness exactly what is wrong.

Concern and worry immediately take over the taller male's expression when he saw his company clutching his chest with his other hand and struggling to breathe.

He doesn't understand why he feels a sudden pang on his heart. It isn't him who's having a hard time right now, but why is it that he feels the pain too?

It's not the usual physical kind of pain, but Soobin knows it appeared when he sighted Yeonjun's struggle.

He doesn't like it.

"Hey, hey," he tries to call the boy's attention, removing their interlocked hands to hold and support the latter. "Yeonjun, can you hear me? Please don't panic and take your time to breathe, okay? I'll be right here, I'm beside you. You can feel me, right?"

Although it's obvious that he's in deep struggle, Yeonjun still tried his best to croaked out an answer. However, before he could even utter a word, a coughing fit abruptly left his mouth.

Yeonjun feels like being set on fire despite the cold weather by how much his chest hurts and the lack of air is starting to suffocate him in the most agonizing way possible.

Just why does it have to occur right now?

Couldn't it wait until their night's over?

Is it that eager to ruin everything for him?

Can't he even have this moment to enjoy for himself?

"Can you still hold on? I'll sit you down over that bench and call a cab for us. We'll head back but please, please, endure it for now. I'm sorry I can't do anything to help ease the pain, fuck. Why didn't I bring any medicine out of all times? I'm so stupid." The words flew out of Soobin's mouth on their own as he's too worried about the other guy.

Just as what he said, they moved over into the nearby bench and he sat Yeonjun down. The boy still trying to catch his breath so hard, tears falling their way out of his eyes without his control, cheeks flushing red while he keeps a strong hold on Soobin's left arm.

With his mind going haywire, Soobin went ahead to go call for a cab to bring them back.