Chapter Text
Look, if people were to tell him that he met his soulmate under the staircase of a worn-down apartment two weeks ago, he would’ve laughed. It was simply absurd that someone that plays basketball, parties every Friday, is in a band and ride the motorcycle would end up with someone like him. Call it cliché, but he was the neighbourhood’s bad boy. He made sure he was the neighbourhood’s bad boy. Wearing expensive cologne, leather jacket and always has a pack of cigarettes in his back pocket. That’s what the girls like.
So enlighten him, why on earth would he end up with him out of all the girls pining after him? He would rather be with pick-me Jessica than him.
The story started on an empty note really, he had just spent the day hanging out with his group of bandmates, when the urge to smoke hits him. Although he was the bad boy, he still had decent tendency, and went to the run-down apartment instead of doing it in a public space, with kids.
As soon as he got there, he heard whimpering, no- not whimpering, it was full on sobs. Usually he would care less about some child crying under the staircase, but that day- it had to be that day, he decided to become a decent human-being and check on the noise.
That was when he met him. He didn’t know him, well, at least he thought he didn’t. He had crouched down and made himself seem small. There were bruises and cuts all over him, and he could spot dried up blood too. He had shield his face from the world. Sobs cut through the silence, and he knew it was a red-flag. He should have left right then and there, but instead he had crouched down in front of him. His cigarette pack falling out of his back pocket.
“Are you alright?” He had asked, but there was no answer. He somehow stopped sobbing- no, it seemed like he stopped breathing altogether. Lowering one finger off his eye, he peeked at him, and that’s when they heard a bang. Someone kicking something. At that, he seemed more scared than he was, mumbling about how “he found me”.
Now, let’s be honest, he was reckless, but this was on a whole other level. Without thinking twice, he grabbed his hand (one that didn’t seem too hurt) and ran. Ignoring the shouts of the man, or his stumbling. He just ran, not knowing where to go. He turned left and right, hoping it would lose the man who was in no doubt chasing after them.
They stopped in front of a convenience store. Under the street light. That was when he got a good look at him, and the soulmate mark on his wrist, mirroring the one on his own.
-
Choi Yeonjun is not a bad guy. Even though that’s his nickname around the neighbourhood. He wanted it to be that way. It all started from a stupid book really. He had bought a novel on sale, and read it. He also found out that day that most girls loved bad boys, the ones who ride the motorcycle, smokes and all that shit.
That was exactly who he became. Oh, and not to mention the fact that he also was a hopeless romantic. He thought the chances of him getting a small petite girl who also liked reading was high if he became one.
He didn’t realise how wrong he was. Not until he met him anyway.
Back to under the street light.
“Dude, are you okay?” Yeonjun asks the boy. They were both gasping for air, hands still grasping one another. The boy looks up to him through glossy eyes. A clear sign that he had been crying, and probably for a while though. Judging by his red eyes, and nose.
He’s a mess.
“Not really,” the boy whispers. Afraid to tell the stranger in front of him what had actually happen.
“Look, let’s go grab a bandaid or something. You’re a mess.” Yeonjun sighs, before dropping his gaze to their intertwined hand. There, on his wrist was a mark that mirrored Yeonjun’s own. A small full moon. Yeonjun’s grip on him falters. “What?” He whispers to himself. The boy looks up, letting go of their hands.
Yeonjun shakes his head, grabbing the hand again before walking into the convenience store. “Sit here,” he orders, placing the boy on one of the chairs before walking towards the medical isle. Yeonjun browses through the bandaids, before picking out one that has little bears on it.
Not because he’s being a sap, but because it’s the cheapest one. (Also because he thought it would look cute on the boy, but no one needs to know that)
He also grabbed one of the alcohol for wounds, contemplating whether he should just take the hand sanitizer. It’s cheaper, and also contains alcohol. Oh, and lavender scent too. Wait, does it work though?
Fuck it, Yeonjun thought and took it instead. If that boy dies, then…
Sighing, he decides that the extra dollar is worth it. Better than a trip to the hospital anyway.
Yeonjun quickly paid for the items, before walking back towards the boy. Who now seems a bit calmer than before. Taking a seat in front of him, Yeonjun dropped all the things in his arm. He should’ve gotten a plastic bag. But oh, to save those cute turtles.
“Here, clean yourself.” Yeonjun pushed the stuff over to the boy. He picks up the bear bandaid and looks at Yeonjun questionably.
“I’m just gonna take a smoke, be done when I come back.” Yeonjun sighs, standing up and walking out of the store.
He looks up to the sky, noticing the full moon. “You’ve got to be shitting me,” Yeonjun let out a humourless chuckle. He reached for his pack of cigarette in his back pocket, only to touch his ass instead. “Wha…” Yeonjun patted around. “Fuck, must’ve dropped it back there.”
Looking through the window of the convenience store, he watches the boy dab on one of the wounds on his arm. Sighing, he walks back into the store and heads straight for the boy. Scraping the chair loudly, startling him. “The fuck happened to you, man?” He asks, reaching out to grab for the boy’s hand. Only to watch him flinch instead. “Damn, sorry. I’m not going to hurt you.”
The boy slowly held out his hand, and Yeonjun took it carefully. Trying not to hurt him. “Your wrist is swollen.” Yeonjun says, lightly rubbing at the part. The boy hisses in pain, trying to pull his hand away. “You need to go to the hospital. It might be fractured.”
It looks like it is fractured. Yeonjun is sure of it. The visual compared to his own fractured hand, during the time he fell of his bike was uncanny.
“I can’t.” The boy shakes his head quickly. “Why not?” Yeonjun looks at him. “I-“ The boy stops, trying to find an excuse. “If you don’t do anything about it, it’ll get worse.” Yeonjun tries explaining.
“I can’t,” the boy says again, this time the voice wavers. “I’m scared of the hospital.”
“Oh,” Yeonjun leans back, trying to think of another way. “It’s alright, I’ll be there.”
The boy looks at his wrist for a while, long enough to make Yeonjun rethink his life decisions. “Okay,” He says quietly. Yeonjun immediately looks back at him, trying to make sure what he heard was not just his head. “Okay, come on.” Yeonjun immediately picks up all of the things scattered on the table.
They both began walking back towards the run-down apartment, where Yeonjun had left his bike there. The boy walks a few steps behind him.
“You should walk beside me, you know.” Yeonjun spoke up after a while. The boy quickened his steps. “It’s dangerous out here at night.”
“I know,” the boy answers quietly. “I go here a lot.”
“You live here?” Yeonjun asks, looking at the battered building. It isn’t a shocker, honestly. Considering the boy’s conditions.
“No,” He looks up at Yeonjun. His eyes glistening, reflecting the moonlight. “My boyfriend does.”
Yeonjun stops in his steps, looking at the boy in bewilderment. “Don’t tell me…”
“Yeah,” the boy nods in confirmation. Knowing already what Yeonjun was about to say. “He was the one chasing after us- me, actually.”
“Shit,” Yeonjun curses, his gaze flickering towards the boy’s wrist. Remembering the moon mark on it. “He doesn’t abuse me, don’t worry.” The boy says, hiding his hand behind him. Yeonjun looks back into the boy’s eyes, finding nothing but the truth.
“He- he’s never hurt me, it was just…” The boy bit his lower lip, his eyes looking at the floor instead. Yeonjun notices that the boy began shaking. “You don’t need to explain anything. Come on, we have to go to the hospital.” Yeonjun immediately grabs his sleeve, walking towards his bike. Trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.
He doesn’t realise it was anger.
-
“I need your name,” Yeonjun spoke immediately. The boy, sitting in the waiting room next to him looks at him in confusion. “I need to fill this form, and I don’t know your name.”
“Oh,” the boy nods. “It’s Choi Beomgyu.”
“We have the same surname,” Yeonjun chuckles. “Hmm?” The boy- Beomgyu looks at him in confusion. “I’m a Choi too,” Yeonjun can’t believe he has to explain this too. How did he end up with a stupid soulmate- get yourself together Choi Yeonjun.
“Age?”
“16.”
Yeonjun turns to look at him, eyeing him up and down. “What?” The boy asks, stifling a yawn. “Nothing, you can sleep first. I’ll wake you up when the doctor calls.”
The boy nods before leaning back and closing his eyes, immediately falling asleep. That earns a chuckle from Yeonjun, finding him like a small child. He immediately finishes up on the form, leaving a majority of it blank. Such as allergies or such. A fractured wrist doesn’t need to have allergies right? And if the boy happens to have a lot of allergies, then it was simply not Yeonjun’s fault.
He left the form at the front desk, before taking a seat and taking out his phone. Noticing a lot of messages from his friends, and his mum. Shit.
Yeonjun turns off his phone quickly, knowing that his mum would most definitely spam him with calls when she realises that he had read her messages. He turns to take another look at Beomgyu, out of curiosity.
He notices the way Beomgyu’s lashes fan against his cheeks, and the soft rising and falling of his chest every time he takes a breath. Beomgyu was, in no doubt beautiful. Even with the scars and wounds.
Hell, he was cute too. Especially with the bear bandaid across his nose. Like a small and fragile chi-
Get yourself together, Choi Yeonjun.
He snaps out of it, looking everywhere but the boy. He sighs, raising a hand to swipe his hair back, noticing the moon on his wrist. He held up his wrist up to his eyesight, making sure Beomgyu hadn’t woken up first. Another sigh escapes his lips, tracing across the full moon.
The same exact one as Choi Beomgyu.
The boy under the staircase.
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