The door opened with a thunderous bang and there was a breathy David whose whole features were covered with tiny, glistening beads of sweat — some lazily flowing down on the nape of his neck. His red cheeks were slowly starting to become pale whilst on the other side, his hands trembled as if they had just come out of ice cold water. With legs that were so numb and unwilling to obey all the orders of his mind, David shuffled towards the first basin that his bloodshot eyes landed upon soon when he threw himself in the bathroom.“No! No! No!” The boy growled and released a cry filled with pity. He cupped water with his quivering hands and without ever thinking, splashed it on his sweating face. Right there, he felt cold air as it was biting into his lungs and in that brief moment, he realised that his breathing was uneven — he could not breathe. His lips quickly became black and blue just when he closed his eyes and the only thing he saw was Sean's tattooed, naked body. “Damn you!” Da
{AFTER AND BEFORE HOURS}“Be careful!” Travis, whose face was pale, aired a rumbling warning through his clenched teeth as he was helping David out of the taxi. David, who could barely stand on his feet, vigorously nodded his head, a shaky smile across his red features. He had almost lost his step but fortunately, Travis held him tight. A hiccup came between his lazy laughter as he was dragged towards a gigantic building. Travis closed his eyes for a brief moment and then shifted his hands from David's shoulder to his tiny waist and gently kept him close to himself. “Is this where you live?” As soon as his eyes landed on a terribly tall and hideous building, Travis released a question through his slightly trembling lips. A frown deepened across his forehead and for obvious reasons, his heart unintentionally missed its rhythm. What a strange sight! Travis’s eyes followed the shadows as they were ominously dancing around, while some shyly hid behind the huge trunks of the trees. The s
BEAT — A heart beats wildly against a shaking wall of ribs and there, air is temporarily cut off. Eyes glisten with innocence as they search for stars into the eyes of another. The world had stopped and there wasn't a single sound but their hearts jingling against their chests. “Look at me…!” He said quietly, his eyebrows trembling. David slowly snaked out of the bed and limped in front of Travis whose chest was heaving with anxiety. His hands were already clenched into fists while he followed every awkward movement that David made and the dangling smile on his face. “Please…don't go, Travis!” David spoke in a whisper soon after placing his hands on Travis's wrists. He took another step closer to Travis and bit his lip while examining his nervous expression. “Will you leave me…Travis?” David asked once again, this time slowly moving his hands on Travis's chest and they stopped to curl around his neck. At that point, Travis's heart had missed a beat or two but that did not seem to b
Author's Note![WARNING, THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS FAIRLY STRONG LANGUAGE AND THE DESCRIPTION OF HOMOPHOBIC SLURS. THEY HAD TO BE THERE TO INTERTWINE WITH THE CHAPTER. READER DESCRIPTION IS ADVISED] ——“EW! What on earth are they doing?”“These are two dudes right? I bet their parents are regretting their decision to give birth to them!” “They must be CANCELLED from our world. This is a disgrace!” “”Travis quietly read the comments on a video he had just watched. His heart sank into the depths of his stomach, breaking more whilst his hands began to tremble. He slowly zipped his pants and leaned back on his chair while releasing a depressed sigh that lingered in the air. His eyelids trembled while hiding his tears away back into his eyes. He felt a tight knot within the depths of his stomach and he could not breathe. His hands kept shaking until he tossed the phone on his bed. His chest tightened as he struggled to get air into his lungs. Thunder roared somewhere between the
Right there, the blushing sun threw and washed itself all over his pale skin, sucking all the small energy that was last left inside of him. He exhaled air through his clenched teeth and let his eyes wander on the azure sky, dotted by a huge family of fluffy clouds that helplessly danced as if their “lives” depended on it. Does the sun have a life? That was the question Travis always asked himself and his answer was, “Yes” — a ‘yes’ filled with doubt but that was not the problem. The boy was quietly sitting by a crocked bush of white roses while his eyes tried to catch a glimpse of the red eye, but of course, that was not an easy job. From the red eye, his eyes moved and followed the nearest beams that mightily blew their kisses on everything they touched. Tilting his head to his right, Travis’s eyes slightly protruded with surprise while staring at the little flowers that gently swirled with the gentle breeze, clearly flirting with each other. The boy smirked and shook his head. H
[IF IT IS LOVE, I AM WILLING TO FORGET AND FEED ON THIS FOREIGN, SWEET EMOTION. SO STRANGE BUT LET ME LINGER FOR A MOMENT]Cars whisked past David, rudely making his heart tremble deeper into an abyss of fear that strangled him until he could not breathe. Shameless! Fear traveled through his veins, mercilessly poisoning them. David gritted his teeth and looked up in a silent prayer, his hands shuddering as if they had just come out of ice. His eyelids were trembling as the wind mischievously bit onto his skin, leaving its kisses everywhere, and making him shudder. He could feel his legs working, each was numb but of course, it was not because of the cold. The boy was simply terrified, and his heart ensured to remind him of this, every second he told himself that everything was ‘okay’. He paced back and forth on the pavement while he permitted his brain to be cluttered by thoughts and a series of unending questions that lacked answers. His eyes impatiently followed the cars whisk pas
[THIS PLACE IS NOT MY HOME!]The rosy sun spread its wings that stretched far in the sky, allowing its beams stealthily fall onto the boy’s figure but unfortunately his skin remained cold and pale. “My…my heart aches so much…why? I thought…I won over it!” Travis silently said to himself while his heart violently hit against the unsteady walls of his chest. His eyes glistened with tears, but never did they make an escape for it, not that they promised they wouldn’t. His eyes lazily fell onto David’s figure and watched him as he spoke; surprisingly, he could not understand the words flowing out of his lips. He frowned and did not realize that his lips and the back of his throat were dry. “Travis, are you okay?” In a whisper, David called out to him, but Travis’s ears were concentrated on only one sound, and that was his unruly heart that was hissing loudly in the depths of his ears. Every inch of his body was shivering like a signal flame held up high. His forehead frowned deeply as b
{WARNING! HOMOPHOB*C SLURS AND CHILD ABUSE WHICH I DON’T CONDONE & SUPPORT. DEAR READER, PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION.} “”There was nothing but the poisonous, belittling waves of silence butchering through his heart _ feeding on it as if it were a delicacy. He wanted to take a step back, he wanted to run away, he wished for the ground to open up so he could bury himself and never come out but…that was not possible, and he knew it very well. He closed his eyes and begged his ears to pretend like they did not hear the words that were now stuck in his brain. DANGEROUS — The words were so dangerous that they made his heart feel like retiring this instant. Every letter was stuck at the base of his ears. He remembered the sharp sound that came with every word and the murderous melody that flew out of her lips as she expressed every letter as if her life depended on it. “Same-sex, don’t even think about it. He knows I am against it!” The phrase made a mischievous jump in the back of his hea
——The golden rays of the rising sun slowly floated into the room and landed on Travis’s face whose sleep was quickly chased away. With a frown across his forehead, Travis unhurriedly opened his eyes and let out a groan. He got up and stood straight on the bed before reaching for his phone. “Nine? I’m late for breakfast!” Travis growled as he sprinted to the bathroom. He quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, and raced downstairs when he was done. He found his grandmother and cousin, Arthur, already seated for breakfast. Jiyeon was absent from the table, something Travis quickly understood. “Sorry…for being late.” He apologised as he sat down on his chair. His grandmother only nodded, while Arthur smiled. “How did you sleep?” Arthur investigated and smiled widely as he sipped his apple juice. “Well, I…slept like a baby,” Travis replied shortly after clearing his throat. He instantly began to recall last night — his hand’s job and then a conversation with Jiyeon. His heart slo
——Lips painted by a red gloss carefully pressed against each other immediately after withdrawing from the white cup. “How are you feeling now, dear?” Mrs Park investigated shortly after placing the empty cup on the table. Her eyes gently fell on Jiyeon who had been nervously staring at the plaster cast around her arm. She bit her lower lip and nodded, “I am…fine.” Jiyeon replied in a voice that had dropped to a whisper. She slowly raised her head and turned her eyes to her left, where Travis was sitting. The boy had been quiet as he asked himself questions as to how Jiyeon got the big bruise on her face. The bruise decorated itself across the left side of Jiyeon’s face like a big wing of a butterfly. Travis wanted to let his eyes linger on Jiyeon’s face, but he couldn’t, he averted his eyes away from her face to his grandmother who seemed to have a lot to say. “It is late, you guys go to sleep, and we will have a talk tomorrow.” Mrs Park suggested instantly after getting up. The t
Silence — it was absolutely hushed. The wind released a soft cry that left a hole of embarrassment in the two boys' hearts. Their eyes nervously darted from one place to the other. Travis shifted from foot to foot, wearing a glowing, sparkling smile that magnificently decorated his face. David silently fought with his heart, urging to gain control over it, but he continued to fail over and over again. No words could describe the amount of jingling in the depths of Travis’s heart as he was fishing for words to spew, but none came forth. “One, two, three...” He counted as he tried to wipe his smile, but he had no control over it. His eyes gently landed on David’s pale face for a brief while and then they quickly flew away from his face to the dusty nightstand. “S-so…how are —!?” “I need to use the bathroom,” David whispered with a hiss when Travis was speaking. The boy quietly nodded and carefully watched David as he hurried into his bathroom. “Calm down, breathe!” Immediately after
•••The rays of the rising sun flooded into the space, gently landing on the black island table that separated the two individuals — one wearing a smirk that was carefully spreading across his face and the other with eyes that were dilated with shock. It was very quiet — so hushed, making it easy for Sean to hear how loud and demanding David’s heart was throbbing. “Remember it, David. Remember well how you tightly clenched the sheets, endlessly moaning my name. I did not force you; you were the one who jumped on me even when I was asking you to stop. You were not drunk; we both know that.” Sean murmured, leaning forward and allowing the sunbeams to expose his green gleaming eyes. The man ensured that his gaze strictly fell on David’s face, studying its movements and the change of colour — from pale to red. David closed his eyes and gritted his teeth so hard that an unbearable pain kept his gums hostage for a short period. He did not want to react to Sean’s words, but his body diso
–“Falling deep into blue…! I wish I did not, but I ended up doing it. It is painful and it hurts so much.” A boy who whispered through his clenched teeth lay on a king-sized bed whose sheets were wrinkled. The beams of the rising sun floated into the huge room through the naked window and landed kisses on his pale, nude body. His eyelids trembled when he felt every warm touch from the sun. A smile faintly spread across his dry, chapped lips immediately when his eyes slowly opened and collided with a white, vaulted ceiling. He bit his lip and closed his eyes again. “How many times have I been looking at you? It is still the same and I hate it. Maybe he should change the design…!” David breathed instantly after clearing his throat and never dared himself to move his body, not even an inch. “Maybe we should do it somewhere else. In another room so that I don’t always look at the ceiling. I had to look at it all night.” The boy added with a loud, rough sigh, ignoring the sun’s beams th
DAVID CHWE’S POV CONTINUED…[ I REMEMBER…ALL OF IT!] WARNING: AGE GAP! “Are you willing to do anything, boy?” An unfamiliar deep, slightly husky voice investigated. I vigorously nodded, breathing heavily as I stared at the green eyes that were shamelessly following every movement I made. I stood in the same spot and listened to footsteps walk out of the dark towards me. My hands were shaking but I did not intend to run away because I needed a job. I helplessly narrowed my eyes to catch a glimpse of the owner of the voice that made my heart tighten with fear. A step and another, I saw a tall, pale-skinned man in a very black suit looking down at me. His eyes were mysteriously gleaming with glee as they hovered over my trembling, slim figure.I unconsciously took a careful step back, my eyes still glued onto his, as if under a spell. The unknown man scowled at me with amusement and for some reason, I felt like he was looking directly into my soul — I felt all my secrets, fears, and
[ A PAST AND IMAGES ENGRAVED IN MY HEART; NEVER WILL THEY LEAVE!]DAVID CHWE’S POV: I REMEMBER….“There we go! It started again! The fucken unruly thing!” A dry hiss made a rough escape through my shrivelled lips that I had been trying so hard to keep wet with my tongue until I had no patience anymore. My eyes hastily flew up at the vivid blue sky that was covered by clouds that I instantly caught retiring into an intimate dance with the gentle breeze. I released an oppressed sigh quickly when I felt the sun lay its warm kisses on my red skin. “Another torture,” I whispered to myself, my forehead frowning deeper than it already had. During that moment, I had averted my gaze from the sky to two girls that I shamelessly witnessed as they were burying their heads into an idle talk. Something bothered me or rather, influenced a feeling of envy within me. I know many boys would have widened their eyes with admiration at the sight of the girls, but instead, my eyes widened with envy as I
A clap of thunder rumbled immediately when his now veiny eyes collided with those harvested by treachery — poison and cold darkness. David felt his chest tightening and he could not breathe. The papers in his hands trembled, some falling on the floor with a silenced, pitiful whine. “This…!” “Your new job!”Mr M intruded on David who could not release words from his quivering, dry mouth. The man’s voice rumbled throughout the dining room, making David’s muscles tighten with fear — afraid to even land his eyes on the one speaking. “New job? W-what…why are Travis’s…pictures…?”David calculated and investigated quietly, his trembling voice dropping into a whisper. He was paralyzed to the spot and could not move his body — he felt cold air bite into his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. His tear-filled eyes darted around, landing on anything possible — from his shaking hands to Mr Sok whose face showed no emotions. Confused, David felt his world start to shake — he felt like he
[CHAINS AROUND MY NECK; DELIVER ME FROM HELL]The wind firmly cried as David stood there, his eyes filled with burning fear while he stared at the gigantic house that was covered by pulsating, crimson-red lights — each blinking as if warning him to go back where he came from and if he were to enter, he’d not come out alive. “RUN!” A sonorous voice in the chambers of his head whispered but he could not move an inch of his body. He stood still as he continuously exhaled deeply. His hands were shuddering deep in his pockets — he was now counting past 51. “RUN!” The same voice advised but once again, David dared not to move — he felt his hands heavy and could not lift any of them. He did want to turn around and leave, and never come back but the longer he looked at the lights blinking in his direction, the sweeter the spell became as it travelled through his head and to the back of his skull. He could take a step back and walk away but he knew the consequences that would come with tha