Beomgyu ran through the house, a distraught Soobin trailing after him.

"C'mon Beom, talk to me," Soobin pleaded, coming to an abrupt stop outside the bathroom door. Beomgyu slammed it shut in his face, "I don't wanna talk about it."

The older sighed and headed for the kitchen instead. "I'll make us a snack."

Soobin opened the fridge and grabbed yogurt and fruit; his lips set in a frown. To say Soobin was livid would be an understatement. He had to exercise a great deal of self-restraint. Otherwise, Songmin would be bleeding out underneath the wheels of his car right now. 

Soobin heard the hot water turn on and assumed Beomgyu was showering. Busying himself in the kitchen kept the worry gnawing at his mind subdued. Once he finished preparing the snack, he set everything on the table and leaned against the counter, glancing toward the bathroom door. "Are you okay, Beom?" he said softly, hoping Beomgyu could hear the sincerity in his voice. No response came, only the steady sound of water splashing against porcelain. Soobin sighed, feeling the frustration bubble up again. 

When the water did stop, the silence that followed felt heavy. There was a loud crack like bones snapping that bounced off the walls of the bathroom. No. Beomgyu was not okay.

After what felt like an eternity, he heard a soft rustle, and then the door creaked open just enough for Beomgyu to peek out, his expression a mixture of hurt and anger, gaping slits drawling down his face. "What do you want?"

"To talk."

Beomgyu hesitated, the tension in his shoulders visibly relaxing just a fraction. Finally, he stepped back, allowing Soobin to enter. The bathroom was steamy, the scent of soap lingering in the air, and Beomgyu stood there wrapped in a towel, looking small and vulnerable.

Soobin's heart ached at the sight. Black cracks draped over his collar bones, snaking across his torso and down his arms. "You okay?" he asked softly, moving closer. Dumb question, Soobin told himself.

Beomgyu shrugged, his eyes cast down, tiny splinters emerging from under them. The blonde reached out, brushing a few damp strands of hair from Beomgyu's forehead. "I know today was awful. I can't even begin to imagine how you feel about everything that happened. But I'm here. I'm so fucking sorry for letting him get to you."

Beomgyu's gaze flickered to Soobin's, the fight slowly fading from his eyes. "It just hurts, Soob. I can't shake off what happened. I keep replaying it in my head, and I feel so helpless. It's like... before all over again."

"I get that," Soobin said, stepping closer until he could wrap his arms around the latter, pulling him into a comforting embrace. "You're not helpless. You're strong, and I'm strong so if you want me to go after him..."

He could feel Beomgyu chuckling into his shoulder. The faint sound of his skin patching itself up met the older's ears, reminding him of just how damaged this lost boy was. 

"I swear, if I see Songmin again, I don't know what I'll do, but it won't be pretty."

And Soobin meant that.

With every single part of him. 

The dinner incident had shaken him to the core. Seeing someone as precious as Beomgyu treated like that right in front of him, and then be completely brushed off by his family no less, was more than he could be fucked dealing with. The anger, the helplessness, the inability to protect Beomgyu—it all swirled together inside Soobin until he thought he might burst. So he did the only thing he could think of—distanced himself entirely from his family.

This wasn't a rational decision, not really. It was more of a knee-jerk reaction, a flight impulse when faced with the trauma of that evening. Soobin cut off all contact, ignored their calls and texts, pretended his family didn't even exist for a time. Anything to not have to feel the sickening knot of emotions tied up in his stomach whenever he thought of them. He needed time, he told himself. Time and space to process it all. But Beomgyu needed it more than him. To be honest, Beomgyu needed a shit tonne of therapy too but he was ready for that discussion yet. No "trusted health professional" would be allowed near that boy unless Soobin had vetted them to the nines.

It had been a week since Beomgyu's episode—a week since he locked himself in the bathroom, trembling and choking on the weight of memories that belonged to the past and the present.  The days following had been calm, almost deceptively so. Beomgyu had stayed close to Soobin, and Soobin had done everything he could to keep things light and easy. It wasn't much, but it was something.

This morning was quiet but heavy, the kind of stillness that carried remnants of a storm that had passed. Beomgyu was curled up in bed, his head on Soobin's arm, blankets kicked halfway onto the floor. The younger boy had still thrashed a little in his sleep, but the restless movements weren't as frantic as before. Eventually, Soobin managed to coax him into a deep sleep, holding him tight until Beomgyu's breathing evened out.

The blonde awoke first and ran a hand gently through Beomgyu's hair, tousling the mop of brunette strands until sleepy eyes fluttered open. "Soob?"

"Mornin' princess," Soobin said, forcing a smirk as he carefully slid his arm out from under Beomgyu's head. His muscles screamed in protest, but he didn't care. The younger boy blinked up at him, face soft and unguarded. For a moment, he looked like any other twenty-something who had just woken up, rather than someone who had been treated like a test subject in some inhumane experiment. 

"What are we doing today?" Beomgyu asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. His voice was lighter now, almost hopeful.

Soobin hesitated. "I've got work for a bit, but after... we can do whatever you want."

Beomgyu perked up at that, throwing the blankets off and darting downstairs before Soobin could even blink. Soobin almost smiled. Almost. He was just happy that the latter had returned to his twisted normal and wanted to go outside again. So, after breakfast, the two braved the morning cold and wandered to the convenience store where they'd spend the next eight hours.

The shift flew by faster than Soobin expected. Yet, it dragged on for Beomgyu who was tasked with counting the money in the register. He was not impressed when Soobin told him that he "couldn't try all the different ice creams in the freezer because that's illegal without paying."

He was even less impressed when he came to Soobin, a few coins from the register cupped in his small palms asking to pay for the ice cream, only to be told that "that's also illegal. My dear friend."

He folded his arms dramatically and scuffled away. As the clock ticked on, Beomgyu’s patience waned. When the end of the shift finally arrived, he was waiting eagerly outside the store, bouncing on his feet like a child before Christmas. Soobin could see the anticipation radiating from him, a reminder of the joy Beomgyu found in life’s simplest pleasures. With a flourish, Soobin appeared from the store, two mango ice creams in hand.

"Ta-da!" he proclaimed, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.

"Oh my god," Beomgyu exclaimed, eyes lighting up in sheer delight. "Thank you, Soob!"

The pair wandered from the alley to the street and down the pavement in search of something to do.

"Let’s sit over there," the younger suggested, pointing toward a nearby bench under a blooming cherry blossom tree.

As they finished eating, a comfortable silence enveloped them, only punctuated by the distant sounds of music and laughter from the nearby park. The atmosphere felt alive, vibrant, and carefree—a sharp contrast to the shadows that occasionally flickered in Beomgyu’s heart. Memories, dark and heavy, sometimes crept in, and the brunette found himself slipping into a haze, the laughter of children echoing like distant chimes of a clock, counting down to something he couldn't quite place.

"Beomgyu?" Soobin’s voice broke through the fog, gentle and probing. "You okay?"

The concern in Soobin's voice pulled Beomgyu back to the present, and he forced a smile, the corners of his mouth lifting in a way that felt almost mechanical. "Yeah, just… thinking," he replied, his eyes lingering on the ground, avoiding the warmth of Soobin's gaze.

"About what?" Soobin prodded, his voice soft yet persistent.

Beomgyu hesitated, the memories swirling like leaves caught in a gust of wind. He took a deep breath, recalling times when laughter felt like an echo of something unattainable. "Sometimes I just… wonder if I’ll ever feel okay," he confessed, the words spilling out before he could hold them back.

Soobin’s expression shifted from casual concern to deep empathy. "You know, it’s okay to not be okay sometimes," he said, glancing at the sky.

He wanted to kick himself. It felt wrong to speak words like that to someone like Beomgyu. The boy could and would never be okay. He certainly would never be normal. And Soobin knew his words weren't ever going to change that. They might offer some peace of mind but they couldn't take the pain away nor the mental tole and they damn well could not glue Beomgyu's porcelain skin back together like some inanimate vase.

"I guess so," the latter said, looking down. Small jagged lines crept out from the arms of the sweater he wore, weaving down his wrists to his fingers. His skin just kept splintering more and more.

"Hey," Soobin said, breaking the silence, his tone shifting to something lighter, "How about we go do something fun? Something to get your mind off everything."

Beomgyu blinked, the confusion evident in his expression. His mind has visibly switched over and the breaking stopped. "Fun?" he echoed as if the word itself was foreign to him.

"Yeah," the blonde said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "There’s this arcade nearby."

Beomgyu's gaze softened as he thought it over. A moment passed before he sighed, his lips curving into a small, reluctant smile. "I guess it couldn’t hurt," he muttered, looking away bashfully. "I’m not really good at games, though."

Soobin chuckled, nudging him playfully with his elbow. "I dunno, you were pretty good at Cluedo. We’re going for the fun, though. Besides, I’m probably gonna beat you at everything anyway."

The latter rolled his eyes. "Thanks."