Wooyoung felt his entire body tremble as he waited for Seonghwa to respond. He knew he was risking everything by confessing his feelings, but he just couldn't stand it anymore. If Mercer was going to continue treating him like this, then he had to speak his mind at least once.

While he still had the chance...

Seonghwa opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, then lifted a hand to place it over Wooyoung's on his chest. "I... I don't..."

The younger felt his heart sink as the feeling of rejection started to fill him. He looked down and took a step back, pulling his hand away and letting it fall to his side. "It's ok... I just needed to say it. I've loved you for a long time, even before you even gave me the time of day or really noticed I was here. But I know you could never love me back..."

He started to turn around and walk away but suddenly he didn't know what to do. If he left the room hat meant going back to Mercer. If he stayed... that meant having to face Seonghwa and the humiliating moment he had just created.

Tears formed at the corner of his eyes. Wooyoung continued to twist the hem of Seonghwa's shirt in his hands and before he knew it, he had fallen to his knees.

It was hopeless.

He knew he was nothing. A nobody that would never know what it was like to be free from Mercer's control. He would always be a prisoner here.

Sobs tore from Wooyoung's throat once more, just like when he had been in the shower.

What had he done to deserve this?

"Wooyoung?" Seonghwa's voice cracked behind him and Wooyoung flinched at the sound.

"Just l-leave... I c-ca—" Wooyoung hiccuped and hid his face in his hands. "I can't do this anymore!"

Arms wrapped around him from behind and in a matter of seconds Seonghwa had pulled Wooyoung back into his chest. "It's ok." His voice still sounded strained and his arms were shaking too.

Part of Wooyoung wanted to push the older away and either yell at him or just run, but the other part is what had him readjusting his arms so that they were looped around Seonghwa's from the outside. He pressed his face forward so that Seonghwa's arm was covering his eyes and he continued to just bawl.

Right now he didn't know what else to do.

Everything had suddenly collapsed on him at once and it felt like there was no escape.

"It's going to be ok." Seonghwa kept whispering. He started to gently rock Wooyoung back and forth in a comforting motion. "We are going to figure this out."

Wooyoung wanted to believe him. He wanted to believe more than anything. But he knew that Seonghwa loved and looked up to his father... There was no way he would go against the man... He knew everything. He had grown up watching Mercer and Seonghwa train together, bonding, laughing, the proud looks Mercer would give him...

Mercer loved his son more than anything else, even if he had a hard time showing it sometimes. And Wooyoung knew the love was mutual.

So he stayed silent after getting control of himself and just tried to enjoy the moment. Although he couldn't even do that as much as he wanted to...

He could feel Seonghwa resting his forehead between his shoulder blades and every once in awhile the older would tighten his grip for a moment before relaxing again. It was obvious he was thinking about things, and Wooyoung longed to ask him about it.

But he couldn't...

He half expected Mercer to come storming in to resume beating him and blaming him for something he didn't do.

Wooyoung got the feeling that Mercer blamed him for something that wasn't actually his fault, but for whatever reason Mercer had decided to take it out on him.

After several long minutes of silence, Seonghwa lifted his head up. Wooyoung followed the motion and pulled his eyes away from the older's arm and moved away so they could both stand.

Guilt was written all over Seonghwa's face as he studied Wooyoung. His forehead creased a little, like he was thinking about something, but he didn't say anything, so Wooyoung turned and started walking toward the door.

"W-Wait..." Seonghwa grabbed his wrist. The younger paused, but didn't look back. "I— Don't go back..."

Wooyoung's heart started to pound and he could feel goosebumps covering his arms and back.

"I can never apologize enough for what I let slide. I know that... I guess I tried to tell myself that it wasn't as bad as I now realize it was... But I'm going to try and fix it, if you'll give me a chance."

"Why?" Wooyoung couldn't help asking. "Why now?"

"I don't know." Seonghwa choked on his words and let out a little whimper. "But... When you said..."

Now Wooyoung turned to look at him. He could see the conflict written across Seonghwa's face, almost like he was searching for something.

Seonghwa's eyes flicked up. "I can't explain in. But I... I want to earn that statement from you. Even if I can never return it. I... I..." His words caught in his throat and he shook his head.

It might not have been what Wooyoung had wanted to hear, but it was enough. He walked back so he could be embraced by Seonghwa once more.

And a single thought flitted through his mind. It was too powerful for him to want to grab right now, but he would allow it to tease him for now.

Safe.

Wooyoung felt safe.

Especially when Seonghwa tilted his head just enough to press his lips and nose to the side of his head.

He didn't know what was going to happen now, but Wooyoung know that he needed to keep his guard up to be safe. Even if this was a moment he had been dreaming of for years...

.

.

.

.

San came to a stop outside the large warehouse.

He recognized it, of course. It was the one he had just broken into and placed a bug. Had he known that he would be returning here so soon, he would have set up other cameras or bugs so he could hear what was going on inside.

Be careful. Everyone inside that building is dangerous.

"Kill on sight?"

Yes. Kill them all. Especially the red head. He is your number one priority. Do not fail us.

San nodded and surveyed the area. It was late enough at night that there wasn't anyone walking around the streets. People had grown smart, it was too dangerous in this part of town with the Pack patrolling for anyone that could be disobeying their orders.

Slowly, San started to move toward the building. He didn't have any of his supplies, so he knew that if they were watching the cameras they could see him, but the last time he looked they were all talking and not paying attention.

Once he was close enough, San kept close to the wall and made his way to the door.

He had to stop from laughing at the fact that the door was unlock.

"Are you sure these people are a threat? If so, they truly are idiots for not taking security seriously."

Don't get cocky. We cannot give them the chance to attack us. They must be dealt with swiftly. Hurry, San.

The voices sounded stressed. It made San anxious and his could feel his mind growing a little fuzzy. It did this sometimes when he started to feel overwhelmed or stressed...

Focus.

San shook his head and slipped into the building.

There was no one on the main floor, so his eyes immediately went to the stairs and he crouched low so he could make his way over to them.

A deep voice came from upstairs that had the voices panicking in his head. They recognized it and were scared...

"Alright, let's try to get some rest tonight and we can get started tomorrow."

"Sounds good." Another deep one said, then he paused. "Oh, I also need some strawberries."

San tilted his head to the side. It didn't seem like they were plotting something, but he knew that he needed to obey the voices. They always knew what was best for him.

"Strawberries?" A lighter voice said. He sounded concerned.

"Yes, strawberries. From in front of the store."

San started to slowly walk up the stairs. He made sure to step lightly so as not to make a sound. He was on the middle platform when the door upstairs slammed open.

His head snapped up when he saw the owner of the fighting ring staring at him with wide eyes. San immediately started running back down the stairs, but from the corner of his eye he saw the boy vault over the railing and grab a length of rope hanging from the ceiling so he could slide down it and block the exit. "Stop right there!" He yelled while squaring his shoulders and raising his fists.

San paused just for a second before seeing if he could run around the ring. He knew he was faster, so if he could just get around it...

"Wait!" One of the deep voices from before said. "Don't hurt him! It's San!"

"You're kidding, right?"

"No! Don't let him get away!"

RUN.

San bolted around the fighting ring and scanned the walls for any other way to escape. He wasn't afraid to fight if he needed to, but he was out numbered.

He did pull out a couple of his knives and gripped them in his hands, however, and eyed the fighter running around the other side of the ring.

His chance was coming up.

When he rounded the next corner, San lifted his arm up and snapped it forward. He felt the knife leave his hand, but he couldn't wait to see if his aim was true.

He found out nearly instantly though when he heard the knife clang against the metal side of the warehouse as the fighter rolled to the side.

San used this opening to put on a burst of speed.

He had to get out. He needed to get away from here. Somehow they had discovered he was there and there was no way he could let them win.

"Stop, please! I just want to talk to you!"

Don't listen to him! KILL HIM!! KILL HIM NOW!!!

San winced when the voices shrieked in his head. His face scrunched in pain, but he switched directions and started charging at the redhead, who was moving to block his exit as well. He raised his hand with another knife and was about to whip it forward when something, no, someone, slammed into him from the side.

He cried out in pain when he was tossed into the side of the building and smashed his hand against it. San thought he heard or felt something snap in his wrist, but he didn't have time to think about it.

Holding another length of rope from the ceiling was a picturesque boy with a birthmark by his right eye. He whipped the rope back and forth in his hand, tying it a noose, then ran forward to wrap it around San's arms.

NO!! DON'T LET THEM GET YOU!! DON'T DISAPPOINT US!!

The pain in his head was getting to be too much. It was so strong it made his vision go white as San tried to pull away from the rope.

Suddenly he was being lifted off the ground and was swinging through the air.

"Yunho, lock the door and barricade it! Sangie hold him there and don't let go. Mingi quick, grab the rope in the corner."

"Let me go!!" San kicked his legs back uselessly in the air. He squirmed in the rope, but for a second he couldn't tell if he wanted the others to let him go, or the voices...

He couldn't see anything anymore. His head felt like it was about to explode with how loud the screaming was getting.

He had failed...

They were so angry with him.

What had he done?

A sob tore from his throat in between his screams.

He could feel that he was still swinging back and forth in the air but the fight was slowly leaving him.

"Please be careful, he's probably not himself right now."

How would this stranger know that?

San whimpered and tried to focus his vision. It almost felt like the voices were leaving him. He had never had this happen before. Why were they leaving him?

"C-Come back!" San whimpered. "Come b-back! Don't leave me!" He started squirming again and whipping his head around as if the voices were a person he could look for.

"San, I need you to calm down. Please." The first deep voice said. "Yunho, can you try?"

"What?! Why? I don't know him!" A fourth voice joined the mix. He sounded scared.

"Please! He's going to hurt himself!"

"I can't hold him much longer." The one, Yeosang he thought, said with a strained voice.

"I—" Yunho hesitated. "San, you need to stop struggling." He called out.

San froze. There was something almost comforting about Yunho's voice...

"Sannie. Please, Sannie."

A final torrent of pain shot through San's head and he let out a gut wrenching scream before seizing up and losing consciousness.