HIS BRIDE + s.cb + l.fl

II. the second chapter

the clock struck one not too long ago, and while the minimal people in the quiet neighbourhood were fast asleep amidst the calmness that the midnight sky brings, a car parks around the corner, cutting through that serene ambient with two very awoken people inside.

"wear this," changbin gently hands a dark grey hat to the boy next to him, wearing a similar one after he does the same, in hopes of concealing their identities until they reach the house.

felix, with many questions now gathered in his mind, starts to tense up at the change of atmosphere, yet still, oddly, a part of him is eager to see the house.

while he's too busy staring out the window at the empty road they've parked alongside only lit by tall street lamps, changbin has made his way around the car, making a stop to retrieve both his and felix' backpacks from the backseat before opening the door up for the boy in the passenger's seat, "when you get out, don't look up, and if you see anyone, don't look at them."

the younger male could've decided to go completely against the older's strict orders once he stepped out of the vehicle, but it didn't feel optional with the way be had already been threatened previously. one wrong move, he tells himself once again, and you die.

even without weighing out the consequences, felix was prone to following orders given by anyone. even if it was his kidnapper, it would still be difficult for his submissive nature to fail him. so he leaves his hands open for changbin to see as the older closes the door behind them, locking the vehicle right after, then stays close to him as they walk down to a certain structure.

"why'd you park so far away?" the boy in the yellow hoodie asks after they've walked for about some thirty seconds.

changbin ignores him, as everything he's done is only for the safety of both him and felix—mostly himself—and he didn't feel the need to write out his steps one by one. the younger was honestly starting to get a bit tired of it, but he thought maybe his kidnapper was a quiet person and he would just have to bear with the fact until he left his company.

they were already just at their location when he asked his question, and felix realizes that by the time the man is halfway up the steps, that small, chipped, off-white and beige house with a picket fence that now has stumps of broken wood in replacement of its pickets, weeds instead of flowers, and windows missing glass was the house he was being taken to.

he started to assume that they had parked on another street because nobody was supposed to be residing in that home.

averting his gaze from the house itself, felix finds his kidnapper's eyes on him.

changbin is glaring at him from the door for standing outside too long, observing the house as if its for sale.

the younger boy jogs up the stairs and walks inside for the man to once again close and lock the door behind him before switching on a light, "what do you think?" changbin asks.

felix glances at the dimly lit area to see the small living room with two aging couches covered in patterns of pink flowers and a tiny tv at the front, then the kitchen behind it with a rusty silver sink and beige microwave, dark oak countertops and an island with a small dining table for two on the other side by the same material, all lined on glazed honey oak planks, "it... it looks like my house."

"what?"

felix turns to look at him, holding onto his left bicep with his right hand.

"are you... po—low income?" changbin scratches his head slowly.

"yeah," the boy looks down, "my extended family help pay for my house. my grandma's retired and her savings go to other important things like her health and insurance."