[ Just imagine ] Changbin-Seungmin

Ch 5. Comfort

Seungmin pov

My body hurt when I woke up. I felt something soft and warm under me. Soft chatter sounds in the background. I saw light, even through my still closed eyelids.

I don't want to open my eyes yet... Because that would mean another day will start... Can't I just stay asleep forever...

I moved my hand a bit and felt fabric wrapped around it. There was a light pressure on my head and I slowly moved my hand up to feel what caused it. More bandages, probably.

What's going on.. Where am I, and who cared for my injuries?

"Jae! Babe he's waking up!" I heard a somewhat familiar voice in the background, and footsteps moved closer. Something touched my arm. I pulled it away, distancing myself from them. "..Don't touch me."

I mumbled a soft "..please don't...". My head moved slightly, shooting a strong sharp pain through my neck and spine. The fingertips moved off my arm "...Seungmin, it's Jinyoung, remember me? Jaebum is next to me."
A slight shuffling of clothes and  another voice sounded. "Hey kid... Can you try opening your eyes?"

I slowly opened my eyes, but closed them right away when the bright light burned on my eyes and shot a stronger headache through my skull. "I dimmed the lights now, sorry about that. Can you try once more? If it hurts too much you can keep them closed for a bit longer and we'll try again later."

I slowly nodded and carefully opened my eyes again. This time it didn't hurt as much and I kept them open. Jaebum and Jinyoung appeared before me. "...I have so many questions right now...." I forced myself to chuckle, but that minimal movement of my stomach  made me clench my jaw and turn my head back in pain, raising my neck off the soft something. I looked at the armrest and pillows and realized I'm on a couch.

"I hope you don't mind, but yesterday night we had to take off your shirt to take care of your wounds and bruises" Jaebum said with his hand on Jinyoung's shoulder. "N-no it's fine... Yesterday...." I hadn't actively thought about anything up until now. Suddenly reality hit me. My dad threw my out of the house after beating me up and then.. Those men... Wait...

"...you... Took off my shirt... Did you..." I looked at them with narrowed, sad eyebrows and slowly moved my left hand around my waist. "We.. We saw a few things that worry us, yes, but we won't ask about that until you feel a bit better." Jinyoung said with a reassuring smile. "Do you think you can sit up? You need to drink something and we have painkillers."

I slowly shrugged and tried to raise my shoulders up but pain shot through my body like lightning and I fell back down on the couch with a sharp inhale. "...fucking-"
"Need assistance kid?" Jaebum moved but I quickly stopped him from helping me.
"No. I'm alright" I tried to sit up again, but failed and fell down, again. "goddam-... I... I might need a bit..."

He nodded and put an arm behind my shoulders, gently helping me lift up. When my back was against the armrest he made sure I sat steady and I felt his eyes on my back. I realized the marks of my father's belt were probably visible and lowered my head a bit out of shame.

"Seungmin? Is it alright if I cool your back a bit? It's... It's bruised and practically glowing" Jaebum asked from behind me while getting up. "...if you feel the need to..." I softly mumbled with my face turned away from both men. "I do. Thank you" he went to get a cold towel, leaving me and Jinyoung alone. He handed me a glass of water and two painkillers. I took them and sipped on the water. "..Thanks..."

"Seungmin... It's not bad to get help you know?... Can you show me your face? Please?" His gentle voice sounded, and I slowly turned towards him. I was met with a small smile. "You're at the moment in our house. Jae told me you woke up a few times while he carried you here and were unconscious for two minutes before waking up the first time." He carefully moved my hair back, out of my face.

"You looked a lot prettier last time, with a more or less unharmed face." He chuckled softly and ran his hand over my cheek. Without realizing I leaned my face toward his hand. Jinyoung's kind touch is something I've only felt from my closest friends, and it feels strange to get it from a man I've only known for two days, but it's comforting. 

My mother hasn't touched my skin in years, and my father never like this. I felt something run down my cheeks. I moved my fingers to my face and traced the line, my fingertips getting wet. I looked at my fingers and saw it didn't have a color.

I was crying. For the first time in seven years, I cried. Jinyoung looked at me with large eyes "Seungminnie..." He leaned forward and extremely carefully wrapped his arms around me. For a moment I just sat there before hesitantly hugging the elder back. I buried my face in his neck and just let the tears flow out.

I heard footsteps coming our way and quickly let go of the man. Jaebum looked at us with a soft smile and sat down behind me "Don't be alarmed.." he said before gently pressing the cold towel against the lines the belt left. I lowered my head and just let him. "...I'm so sorry for being a bother and causing trouble for you both..."

Jinyoung held my, not bandaged, hand. "Don't be like that honey, we don't mind. We're just happy Jb found you. You could've been laying outside on the cold streets right now, you could've been DEAD for god's sake!" He frowned, but he wasn't angry at ME, he just seemed upset. The cold towel pressed against a cut on my back, making me hiss. Jaebum quickly moved the towel "Sorry"
"It's okay Jaebum, don't worry bout it"

Jinyoung sighed and sqeezed my hand softly "Seungmin? While you were asleep Jae and I thought for a bit, and if you want to, you're welcome to come and stay here anytime and as long as you want. Of course we don't know exactly what happened or what your situation is, but just in case. You don't have to feel obligated to do so, and we're not going to make you, but if you ever need a place to stay or just want to hang out, you're more than welcome here."

My mouth was opened slightly and I had wide eyes. They can't actually be this kind, they're probably going to trick me into doing bad things or ask for things I cannot give. "I-.. I can't... I should go home soon.." I already started to move, ignoring the pain running through my entire body. 

Jinyoung softly pushed me back "Seungmin please, at least let us fix your bandages before you run off too soon. We can drive you home? Just think, if we had wanted to do something bad to you, we would've done it already." He smiled widely while I sat back again.

"Hmkay.."
Jaebum gently ran a hand through my hair, careful not to hurt me.
"Thank you for letting us take care of you kiddo"