Let Me Hold You //Apply Fic//

//chapter. 27//

The door clicked open.

Juno flinched, just slightly, not really sure why. It wasn't as if the presence of Corben was unexpected, after all, this was his room. Perhaps it was his appearance, worn and tired with the black roots just barely visible beneath his white hair. Juno blinked, the realization startling for some unknown reason. Of course, it would be unnatural for any person to have naturally white hair, but the knowledge had always seemed far away, like a concept always grasped, but never remembered.

"Hi." The greeting was short, but not unfriendly. Perhaps, Juno pondered, Corben was lonely, more out of place than anyone of them here in this space. There was a beat of silence, and then Juno realized he was expected to respond. "Oh, hi." He gave him a tentative grin. "Can I come in?"

Corben stepped away from the door, a soundless invitation, and Juno accepted, walking into the room. Books had taken over most of the flat spaces, and the curtains that covered the face window were flung open, flooding the room with that artificial sunlight, displaying a scene of fields and hills that stretched on and on. Corben started grabbing stacks from the bed, piling them higher until his arms were full, and he carefully slid them onto the dresser that sat across from the foot of the bed.

"There's a spot, if you want." He gestured at the newly open place to sit, and Juno took it, awkwardness building as Corben proceeded to do everything but look at him.

Finally, Juno rolled his eyes and stood, catching Corben as he made his way to grab more books. "Dude. You need to stop. Just, sit, breathe, whatever. Quit running around like that."

Corben stiffened, and his signature hardness flared in his blue eyes, so familiar, before he sagged. "Fine." He sat on the floor, leaning against the frame of the bed, eyes closed.

Juno settled next to him, making sure not to sit too close. This person sitting beside him, so quiet, so willing to give in, seemed so unlike the Corben that Juno had known before that it was starting to make him anxious. "So..." He trailed off, searching for anything to find a way to edge into conversation. Why did small talk have to be so hard? "Read any good books lately?"

"Trying" was the only response.

Juno sighed and reached out, tentatively, before patting Corben on the shoulder. The other boy lurched at the contact, body flailing for a brief moment before he stopped, but the damage was done.

Creased eyebrows. Open mouth. Shuddering breaths, heaving chest, trembling hands. The hardness in his eyes long ago traded for the brittle fragility of someone words away from breaking. Juno's hand was still hovering in the air, and he exhaled slowly, letting it lower on to Corben's shoulder once more, not breaking eye contact, trying to press as much comfort and concern as he could into his gaze. "Corben, talk to me."

But he didn't talk to him. Corben stood up swiftly, a stiffness in his posture as he dragged his fingers through his hair, standing away from Juno. "I'm getting us out of here."

These were not the words Juno had expected. "What?" He couldn't help the disbelief in his voice.

"There has to be a way out of here. I'm getting us out of here."

Juno stood too, though significantly slower than Corben had. "Where did this come from? Like, I know this was always the goal, but why now? Why is now so important to get out."

"It was always important." Corben folded his arms. "But I can't be stuck in here any longer than I have to. I do anything to get out."

"Even if it kills you?" Juno stepped closer.

"I can live with that."

The words knocked the air out of Juno's chest, his lungs spasming as he struggled to process. I can live with that. Live with what? The option of death? Was this place truly so terrible? "You don't mean that."