Sangwoo X Yoonbum slice of life AU

Day 17

I don't know how long I've been asleep, maybe a few hours? Can't be more than a day.

I better get up to help Granny with the chores and make those dolls or Uncle will be angry.

I try to sit up but something heavy is keeping me pinned down.

Is it Uncle?

D-did he sneak into my bed?

My heart starts to beat fast as all the thoughts in my head stampede in fear of what having Uncle in bed could mean.

I try to open my eyes.

...
...
...

I can't open them.

My eyelids are too heavy.

I try to move around

...
...
..
....!

A hand, smaller than Uncle's but it has rough calluses. I know this hand, this is Sangwoo. He always has calluses from guitar playing, does this mean I'm safe?

I feel his hand grab mine and squeeze, I try to squeeze back but...

My hand is so weak.

Just flexing my fingers is tiring.

What happened to me?

I try to open my mouth to speak but I can't move my mouth.

Have I always been this weak?

I try to listen for anything.

....
.....
.....

Snoring? Yep that's Sangwoo snores, hasn't changed since he was a kid. I remember I wouldn't be able to get any of my homework done when I babysat him because of his horrendous snoring. "You...sound...like...a bear." My voice comes out raspy and rough like I've been chugging sand and haven't drank any water in years. It's such a disgusting voice.

The snoring abruptly stops and he squeezes my hand tightly "Yoonbum...?"

He sounds scared, why would he be scared? For as long as I've known him he's never been scared of anything. Reason why I would have to pick him from school because he was always getting into fights.

I try to open my eyes again but they're so heavy so I try speaking again just to show that I'm here. "Sang...woo."

I feel him squeeze my hand and then something is slipped between my lips "Drink, it'll help you speak."

I inhale and feel the cool liquid soothe my parched throat, it feels so nice. After a few gulps I'm able to speak.

I feel what I guess is the straw being gently pulled away. "Bum, I have to know. How long has this been going on? Who has been doing this to you?" His voice sounds so broken and betrayed.

I struggle again to open my eyes and this time, this time I'm able to open them and see my friend's face come into focus.

His hair is messy, eyes red rimmed from crying as he holds my hand tightly. He's wearing a button up plaid shirt that is red and black that I remember his father giving him.  "Sangwoo?"

He scoots his chair impossibly closer "Please, Bum. Tell me. What-what the hell happened to you?"

I try to understand what he means and look around with my eyes, I'm not at home. I'm not in any house, I'm at the hospital.

My heartbeat picks up as I remember what had happened, I got sick and Sangwoo took him to his house and he saw-

"You saw." I whimpered "You saw it all."

He takes my hand in his "Please, Bum."

I'm suddenly reminded of the little boy I had first started babysitting when I was eight, Sangwoo had that same pleading look on his face when he really wanted something.

Back then it was wanting to play or me to stay longer.

Right now, it's my story.

The one no one had ever asked and simply skimped over.

"It started when my parents died, my uncle on my father's side took me in. He hated me for what my mother had done, leaving my uncle for my father. His brother.

It had started with beatings, simple hits to my face and body.

Then he started to starve me and when I did eat, I would throw it all up.

He wouldn't let me shower unless he said so which became once a week. "

The words flowed easily from my mouth, flash flooding from inside me because I had never spoken before.

It was like breaking the knob off a faucet and letting the water run free. Once I started I couldn't stop.

"Then Uncle got worse, he became angrier and angrier because of different things. He started hitting me more and more to vent out his anger.

Then one day he said something really strange 'You look like her, you know? Same slim frame and fragile looking legs.'

I didn't know what he meant at first but one night he crept into my futon and put his thing between my legs."

I choked on a sob as I forced the next bits out.

"He got worse after that! He-he started coming into my futon more frequently, going from rubbing it between my legs to putting it in my underwear!

One night he slipped something inside my ass while I was pretending to sleep because I was so afraid, it made me feel hot and uncomfortable as something oozed out.

That's when he started violating me at night, slipping a suppository in first to loosen me up before he-"

I screamed in frustration "I tried to tell Granny while he was out but she didn't do anything! I tried to sleep outside or somewhere else but the cops always dragged me home where he would hit me before raping me!

I tried to tell anyone but no one believed me for years! He got more confident and started doing it during the day! Doing it in front of Granny or during dinner!

I tried to get him to stop but that only made it worse and one time he called me by mother's name and asked why I was rejecting him again!"

I suddenly found myself smashed into something hard face first "That's enough, you're okay now Bum. We won't let him get anywhere near you."

I hadn't even noticed I had started crying till I felt Sangwoo's shirt get wet under my face.

I clunk onto him for dear life, not wanting to ever let go.

"I love you, Bum."

***

I was discharged from the hospital after that, put on a strict fattening diet that Sangwoo was going to hold me to right to the letter.

I had spent fifteen days asleep but it feels longer than that, it feels like I've been asleep for years trapped in a nightmare.

I've been asleep since my parent's death.

For the first time in my life, I'm awake.

My uncle has been arrested along with Granny.

My nightmare is over.

So now what do I do? I'm not sure but Sangwoo insists that he's not going anywhere.

That he's going to help me with anything and everything I need.

My nightmare is over, so what does reality hold for me?