runaway kids - harbour
a lively tune blasted through the speakers of the car along with junhui's off-key singing, minghao simply smiling throughout it all while he captured the landscape around them by snapping photo's with his phone. the windows were rolled down, the late summer breeze blowing through their hair.
"i love this song!" junhui yelled at the top his lungs to rise over the obnoxiously loud sound of the radio playing. even when usually noisy surroundings could be a little overwhelming for minghao, the boy seemed to have the time of his life.
minghao had his right arm leaning out of the window, tapping along with the rhythm against the outer side of the car door. occasionally, he stuck his head out of the window to sing along with parts of the lyrics he recognized, a sight that junhui secretly admired.
after driving like this for about twenty minutes, junhui turned the volume a little down so they were able to have a proper conversation. "you like this, don't you?" he asked, eyeing minghao who wore the most heartwarming smile ever, visibly savoring the moment they could spend together.
"once we get out of here we're making a road trip!" minghao planned, excitement sparkling in his eyes. "i will get my drivers license as well and we can take turns on driving. we will visit so many places and see so much of the nature across the country!"
"wait i have a good idea! we can buy those little magnets for on your refrigerator in every town we visit, so we have a lot of memories when we get back!" junhui exclaimed, forgetting about his condition for a minute and all the empty promises he was making.
"you know what would be even better?" minghao thought junhui's idea further through. "we should make a photo of ourselves in every town where we buy a magnet so we can print them all out and stick them underneath the magnets on the refrigerator!"
"so, you've been thinking about the thing we talked about when we were stargazing i assume?" junhui occasionally glanced beside him, addicted to minghao's current state of pure happiness.
"i don't think there's any other place i'd rather be once we get out of the lake house." the thought of junhui's sickness suddenly stroke the driver, guilt filling his chest upon the sudden realization.
"hey, but have you thought about what would happen when you're fired from the lake house before i am? where would you go then?" junhui wanted to make sure minghao had a second plan up his sleeve, just incase things would end up like how junhui feared them to.
minghao remained silent for a split second, staring through the windshield as he was preoccupied with the thoughts that filled his head out of nowhere. junhui sensed his sudden rush of worries, feeling the immense need to do something about it. careless about the consequences, junhui moved his right hand to relax on minghao's knee, gripping onto the wheel with his other free hand.
yet to his surprise, minghao seemed to have no problems with it at all as his gentle touch and the rubbing of his thumb only seemed to calm him further. "i think i would ask doc to stay longer to wait for you. i really don't want to return to the idol industry."
sometimes junhui entirely forgot about minghao's previous life as a quite well-known idol. he didn't know if it was because he preferred to see minghao as someone of his own range or if he hated the fact that it had scarred the boy so severely. perhaps it was because minghao didn't act all out of his league and seemed fairly normal to begin with.
"junhui, would you ever consider hitting me?" the question came so out of the blue, junhui had to tighten his grip around the steering wheel a little to not let them both crash. though he was certain that it had most likely something to do with minghao's previous life, which he regretted bringing up as it seemed to make minghao insecure.
"i'm pulling over." was the only thing junhui said, focussing on doc's car that was already far ahead of them. a five minute break could do no harm, right? no other cars occupied the road, making it easier for junhui to pull over in the grass right next to them.
minghao anxiously started fiddling with the hem of his sweater once junhui turned the radio all the way down, the only sound filling the car being their disturbed breathing patterns. with a concerned look clouding his eyes, junhui glanced at minghao beside him who refused to look back. he averted his hand from up his knee to his nervously fiddling fingers, guiding them away from his knitted sweater.
"you're going to ruin your sweater if you keep doing that." junhui spoke in a soft yet gentle tone, patiently studying minghao's facial expression. "but to answer your question, no. the thought of ever hitting you has never came across my mind and i can assure you that it never will."
minghao finally dared to look up, his eyes big. "minghao, you don't need to answer me with actual words but please at least give me a sign. i want to be able to help you get over your fears." the shorter boy nodded, remaining eye contact with junhui. "did he hurt you, physically?"
no actual name needed to be spoke out loud for both boys to understand junhui pointed out minghao's manager, who seemed the one that mentally tortured him even if his presence wasn't around. "he did." minghao murmured, remaining comfortably calm. this simple conversation had brought him more than all the sessions he had received through his time in the lake house, finally finding the actual urge to open up as long as junhui was around.
"can i hug you?" junhui questioned, wanting to give minghao all the safety he had to offer. minghao nodded with a content small and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around him equally as tight as junhui did. "it's okay now, minghao. he's nowhere near here and you don't ever need to return to that place."
"you won't hurt me, right?" minghao asked for a little extra reassurance.
junhui pressed his body slightly closer against minghao's in the small and rather uncomfortable space they had to share. the couch and junhui's windowsill provided a lot more space, yet this was just perfect and held enough comfort.
"never in my life i would even think of it. i promise."
