"hyungie, wait up!", he called out, giggling like the innocent five year old he was as he ran after his older brother in attempts to catch him. the small boy's short legs and frail body proved to be a huge disadvantage as he watched the older slip away further and further with each step he took. feeling himself grow short of breath and way too tired to continue, he shouted at his brother to stop.
"i give up!", he yelled, letting out an exasparated and overly dramatic sigh before dropping to the ground and plopping himself on his back. the older boy held back a chuckle as he watched his younger brother sprawled out on the grass like a starfish, the 5 year old complaining about the grass being "itchy and stingy" to his poor skin.
"get up, brat. giving up means you're dead.", the older spoke, now standing above the smaller as he spoke with authority. despite only being ten years old, the boy had a knack for leadership and didn't take too kindly to quitters. even if the quitter in question was his spoiled, bratty and overly cute little brother. "but it's just a game, silly! why would i be dead?", the smaller questioned, breathing finally coming back to normal as he struggled to form the words correctly which resulted in him sounding like a five year old drunk.
the little giggles that followed the younger's every word didn't help much either.
out of no where, the small boy felt something cold and sharp poke at his neck. his giggles ceased immediatly, big doe eyes peering up in confusion only to find his big brother stare back at him in silence. the older's eyes were void of any emotion and— from what the smaller could tell— he appeared to be angry with him. the five year old tilted his head like a curious puppy, leaning down on his elbows as he continued to innocently stare back at his brother.
"what are you doing, hyung? is this a new game?", he giggled, attempting to sit up but letting out a yelp of pain as he felt his small body being pushed down harshly against the stingy grass. "ow! hyung!", he called out, face contorting in discomfort as he felt his brother place his leg on top of his chest and press down. hard. unable to move, the younger desperately tried to remove the leg from his body, kicking and punching it as hard as he could but to no avail.
his big brother was stronger than an average ten year old. and he was pretty much harmless compared to him.
"i told you what happens to quitters, jeno. you didn't listen. you never listen.", jeno grew more and more confused and scared with each passing second as he felt the older glare down at him, voice full of venom as he spoke. "s-stop it!", the younger attempted to fight back, returning his brother's intimidating gaze but all he got in return was a sour laugh.
"you think you're gonna live by telling your attacker to just stop? you think saying 'please don't hurt me.' is actually gonna have any fucking effect on someone who wants you dead, jeno? is that what you honestly fucking believe?!"
at this point the older was screaming and jeno felt his eyes well up with tears.
his small body started to shake, hiccups already errupting as he felt himself grow out of breath every moment the older's foot pressed down on his chest. he felt trapped, panic arising inside his little mind as he struggled to get out of this predicament. the older only stared at him in silence, growing more and more disappointed as he watched his younger brother squirm like a fish on land.
"fight, jeno. you gotta fight it."
he ordered, pressing down harder. at this point jeno was full blown crying, unable to breathe as he felt his lungs start to burn. it was like someone lit a match inside his body and just let the flames lick up every fiber of it. he yelled, screamed, kicked. hell, he even begged, but it was of no avail.
the older wouldn't budge until jeno made him.
"please..."
jeno cried, the heartbreaking sound filling the large clearance yet there was no one there to come save him.
that was the first time lee jeno felt truly alone.
"stop begging and fight."
the older demanded.
"no, please-"
"I SAID FIGHT!"
jeno only continued to cry.
"FIGHT OR YOU'RE DEAD!"
cries, screams, heaves of despair.
the younger was growing lighheaded.
only a couple more seconds and he-
"jeno, wake up!"
the male gasped, sitting up in a flash as he felt someone's presence next to him, shaking his body back and forth. on instinct, he threw a punch at the person, mind going into overdrive as he felt his fist collide with a hard cheekbone. "ah, fuck!", the person exclaimed, bringing him out of his daze as he looked to the side to notice the red headed leader clutching the side of his face.
"fuck, i'm sorry.", he spoke, eyes blown wide as saucers as realisation of what just happened began to set in. he closed his eyes for a moment, becoming painfully aware of the sweat covering his entire body as he felt his white tank top stick to his wet skin. "it's fine." he heard the gruff voice speak once again, opening his eyes to meet the older's as he attempted to catch his breath.
jeno breathed in and out, panic rising in his chest as he felt his lungs contract under the crippling preassure of his thoughts. he couldn't breathe properly and he felt himself grow lightheaded. "what's wrong?", taeyong called out, stretching his hand out and placing it on jeno's shoulder as he watched the younger with an unreadable expression.
if it weren't for the fact that he felt like he was suffocating, jeno would've probably pounced on the guy immediatly for touching him.
he didn't forget what the red head asshole said about his sister.
but in this very moment, he needed someone.
and taeyong just so happened to be that someone.
"i-i can't-", he attempted to speak properly, heaving and wheezing in pain as the words just wouldn't come out. taeyong immediatly shot up, placing both hands on his shoulders as he sat himself down on the bed right in front of jeno. his eyes flicked up and down the younger's face, watching it shine with an iridescent glow as the moonlight seeping in through the window peppered kisses on his pale skin.
"i need you to breathe, okay? slowly." taeyong spoke, voice surprisingly soft and calm as he tried to soothe the younger. "i-i", jeno attempted to speak again but the leader cut him off, telling him to sit back and just breathe. "don't talk.", taeyong said, taking jeno's hand into his own before placing in top of his beating heart. "just focus on my heart, okay? can you do that for me?" the ravenette tilted his head in confusion but nonetheless nodded, closing his eyes until all he could hear was his shallow breaths and the loud beating of the psychotic leader's cold heart.
surprisingly enough, jeno felt himself slowly but surely finding serenity and stability inside his mind.
his shortage of breath was dissapearing, lungs filling with air and heart begging to slow down its crazy rhythm. his doe eyes remained closed, afraid that if he should open them all the unwanted sounds and triggers would just come rushing back to the surface. so he just sat there, cold hand placed over his own to keep it above a heart he didn't really think could actually beat.
until he finally caught a grip on himself.
snatching his hand away from taeyong, jeno let his eyes finally open. as soon as they did, they immedatly found their way to the leader's cold ones and never once redirected their focus. both males just stayed there for a while, one glaring at the other and the other simply looking at him. taeyong could not quite pinpoint what it was about the boy that made him do all that just now.
lee taeyong was never one to actually care for someone.
sure, he took care of his members, nurtured them, trained them. even raised some of them them for all intents and purposes
but to really, really care for someone beyond that?
not likely.
so why did he find himself worrying about the boy laying in his hospital bed, probably cursing him in his mind?
what was it about lee jeno that made the leader question if he did, in fact, have a heart?
"i need to speak with you."
i guess he was just about to find out for himself.
another day, another slay. perioddddt💅
who do yall think jeno's big brother is? i'm curious
also, completely irrelavant but i am in love w ryujin ^^