Meanwhile. . .
Hobi left the Art Room like a kicked puppy. He walked through the hallway and down the stairs to the basement with his head low. He almost killed his victim. He wasn't guilty that he hurt the guy, but he felt guilty because he stepped across the line that Fox drew for him. He could see the anger and disappointment in the elder's eyes and that hurt him. The was the last thing he would ever want, yet there it was. He sighed heavily as he reached the door.
Skull opened the door to the basement for him. He entered the room dejected, not really in the mood to work anymore. But he had to, atleast as an apology to Fox.
He lazily searched for the switches on the wall, in the dark room. All the lights flickered on, brightening every corner of the storage, along with the guy tied up in the middle, on an iron chair, with only his briefs on. Just like Jimin. Just like the guy he almost killed.
"Wake him up, Skull." J hope ordered lightly. He wasn't even allowed to touch. He wanted to go back to Jin hyung and hug him and apologize. Kneel and beg if that's what it would take for hyung to forgive him for his mistake.
He watched as Skull poured a bucket of cold water and the man sitting on the chair woke up, chocking and gasping for air, shocked at the sudden water assault.
However, all air left J hope's body as he laid his eyes on the familiar face from years ago. Big dark eyes, same brown hair, thick eyebrows, now chiseled jaw, cute nose. Beautiful face.
"Moonie." J hope whispered, unable to move from his place. His body too heavy to move, heart beating too fast, lungs too tight to breathe. Blood froze in his veins.
"I'm Choi Minho. Moonie died seven years ago." the guy spoke, in a tone that would sound cold and stoic to others. But Hobi knew the broken notes in the voice.
"Please." J hope didn't know what he was asking for. Silence, forgiveness, acceptance, punishment?
Tears rolled down involuntarily as he stood still, too afraid to lose the person in front of him again, if he moved.
"Is Jimin alright?" Minho asked, ignoring the teary face of the younger one. Ignoring his constricted lungs and the lump in his throat. He was here to save someone. His Chimmy.
"I-I'm sorry Moonie." Hobi cried, his legs gave up and he kneeled in front of the intruder they captured. Yet again, he didn't know what he was pleading for. For almost killing Jimin or for the mistakes he made in the past.
"Hoseok, You did not kill him, did you?" Minho asked urgently. His tone, laced with so much worry and fear.
Hobi looked up to the elder, not trying to stop his tears. "No. He's alive." Hobi managed, but didn't dare spill the truth about his near death. He didn't dare to put it out how he almost messed up, again.
"You love him?" The words left Hobi's mouth before he could even think about them. His curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to know why Minho was so worried about Jimin, why he came alone, without backup, for Jimin, why was he scared that Jimin might be dead.
Minho furrowed his eyebrows at the sudden question, yet he nodded, "Yes. I do love him." Minho didn't know what the younger was insinuating. He loved Jimin. He has seen Jimin go through everything. He taught Jimin things he needed to know, in order to survive. He comforted Jimin in his darkest time. Jimin was his a little brother he needed to protect. The only family.
Hobi stood up to his feet and took small steps towards Minho. He sat on the floor, in front of Minho. He looked towards Skull, who was standing near the door.
"Please leave us alone for some time, Skull." Hobi pleaded.
Skull nodded, "Don't get in trouble, boss." He softly said as he left the room. Even Skull's heart cracked at the sight of Hoseok being in such an emotional state. He understood that his boss was going through something very personal. No one has ever seen Hoseok in such a vulnerable state.
"Moonie. Please." Hobi placed his forehead on Minho's knee as he sobbed. He wanted to hold the elder in his arms and never let go. Never again.
"Please what, Hoseok? What do you want?" Minho spoke. A single tear spilled from his eyes. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hold his strong facade, he was always weak for the younger.
Hoseok looked up to meet the elder's eyes. He immediately wiped the tears off of Minho's cheek with his thumb.
"Forgive me. Forgive me for ruining everything." Fresh tears pooled in his own eyes as he untied the elders hands and took them in his own and brought them to his chest, near his heart.
"Moonie, please. Punish me, kill me. Anything you want. But don't throw me away again." Hobi sobbed as he buried his face in the elder's hands. His shoulders shaking in the agony he's been feeling for the past seven years. The pain never faded away.
**
Hoseok and Minho were in love since the younger was in middle school. Their families were part of the Wolves gang and friends for a very long time.
Hoseok, the impatient hot head he was, on his eighteenth birthday proposed Minho to be his husband. Of Course Minho agreed. They've always dreamt of their future together. They've always dreamt themselves getting married to each other, adopting a beautiful boy child, living in a beach house. There was no one for them other than each other. So much love and the rings on their fingers only added to their happiness.
But, the happiness didn't last longer as things started to turn sour. Hoseok's impatience grew bigger with each passing day. His hunger for the elder in his life, permanently turned their relationship upside-down. Fights, arguments, disagreement, you name it. Everything tarnished the beautiful bond they shared since their young age. Hoseok never physically hurt Minho, yet the emotional and mental pressure that the elder felt was immense. Overwhelming.
Minho being the elder, endured every ill behavior the younger projected towards him. All he wanted was for them to have a footing before marriage, for Hoseok to complete his degree, for himself to have a stable position in the gang. This continued for three years, until one day everything they had vanished like smokes in thin air.
Minho was out in a cafe, handing over money for the package they received from the Spades. He sat there with the girl that was supposed to receive the money. The transaction was going smoothly under the facade of a date, until Hoseok burst in through the front door. He accused Minho of cheating. He assumed Minho was stalling their marriage for that girl. So he beat the girl to death. Not caring about the consequences. He left without sparing a second glance to his fiance, who was broken at his behavior but more worried of what was to come for them after one of the Lee's was killed.
Soon enough, Minho was captured by them. But fortunately or unfortunately, for Minho, they found out it wasn't him who killed the girl, but the other boy. They spared his life under the condition that he work for them as the girl's replacement, which he had to agreed to. What other option did he have? He wasn't going to give up.
While Minho stayed trapped in the Spades, he managed to warn Hoseok about the danger and asked him to hide somewhere safe. Minho also mentioned that he would never want to see the younger's face again. It wasn't easy, it never could be, but Minho had enough at that point. He was tired of everything.
Hoseok fled from the Spades and met Soekjin in a convenient store while trying to lose the tail of the Lee dogs. That's how he ended up where he was now. In the inner circle of the Snakes.
**
Minho laughed bitterly at Hobi's words. Every tiny detail from their happiness still fresh in his memories. He wasn't the one who threw Hobi away. Hobi threw him away, accused him of things he never dreamt of.
"You're still accusing me? I threw you away?" Minho asked through clenched jaw, even though his tears didn't cease to flow. "YOU THREW AWAY EVERYTHING. YOU RUINED US. YOU RUINED ME." Minho screamed in agony that was suppressed in the deepest corner of his heart for the past seven years.
"No.. no no no. Moonie no. Nothing was your fault. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ruined everything. I know, I'm in no place to ask for forgiveness, after I got you trapped in the Spades, after I broke our engagement. But it doesn't let me sleep at night, Moonie. I lost my peace along with you. I'm so so sorry." Hobi tried again between sobs and hiccups.
"Your Moonie died the moment you called him a cheater, Hoseok. He died at that moment when you killed a girl, assuming her to be my affair." Minho muttered, shoulders shaking, he cried as the memory of that day flashed like a film in his eyes along with the broken pieces of heart which he never could glue back together.
They both held each other's hands as they relived that dreadful day together. They cried without saying anything anymore. Just basking in the feeling of having one another close after so many years of pain. Just being there, acknowledging each other's pain.
No, Minho did not forgive Hobi yet for the damage he did. He would need more than a apology to forgive his mistake. But for now, he could just pretend that everything was fine between them. He could pretend that it was just a lover's quarrel.
As for Hobi, he would do anything to earn Minho's forgiveness. The elder may have moved on, but at least they could be on good terms. He was determined as he sat there, crying and praying to the unknown to give him a chance to redeem himself, to make things right, for once, to let him gather his broken heart although he knew he could never fix them back.
He never stopped loving his Moonie.
𝙰/𝙽
𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙷𝙾 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙷𝙾𝙱𝙸. :))
𝚂𝙿𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴. 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚂𝙴𝙻𝙵.