Hiatus

Obviously this hasn’t been edited in any way

POST BACK JOB : AUGUST 2014

“I still cannot believe you did that,” Howon tells him with a massive grin as they sit in the living room of their shared house. Well Myungsoo is sitting, Howon is lying sprawled with his head in Myungsoo’s lap and his injured ankle elevated on the edge of the couch.

“You say that like you had nothing to do with it,” Myungsoo huffs, trying to ignore the headache pounding behind his eyes, focus on the way that Howon is in one of his bratty moods right now and snark back. It’s harder than it should be, but Myungsoo honestly thinks he’s doing all right

“I’m injured,” Howon says, wiggling his injured (though not nearly as badly injured as it once was) ankle in the air, “I had nothing to do with it.”

“Don’t you dare make me your escape goat,” Myungsoo mutters, flicking Howon on the forehead, “I’m not that kind of boy.”

“Did you just say escape goat?” Howon says sitting up to look at him, “Oh my god Kim Myungsoo you did!”

“Shut up,” Myungsoo says, slapping him on the shoulder and looking away.

“Oh no, no I am never letting this one go,” Howon laughs at him, as he lays back down “Escape goat! In what world does that even make sense?”

“In what world do you even make sense,” Myungsoo mutters petulantly, pulling on Howon’s hair because he’s petty like that.

Thankfully his pride is saved (for now - Howon is right when he says he’s never going to let this go) but Woohyun’s melodramatic ass, as he bursts into the room, “Kim Myungsoo!”

“Yes?” Myungsoo looks up at Woohyun curiously. He looks, not mad exactly, but something. He can’t, he can’t find the word.

“Did you forget?” Woohyun asks with a sweet, totally fake, smile, “You were going to meet me this afternoon.”

“Was I?” Myungsoo says slowly. His memory has been a little bit spotty recently but he’s almost certain he never agreed to do anything with Woohyun specifically.

“Yes, grifter’s business,” Woohyun says, looking at Howon significantly.

Myungsoo says as Howon sits up, apparently not going to have any complaints about Woohyun essentially kidnapping Myungsoo., “Oh? Okay,” he says because no he’s definitely sure there was no ‘grifters business’ to attend to, he had no idea what grifter’s business even meant. Of course Woohyun could be using some sort of ruse but he has no idea what his purpose is.

“Yes, so if you’d please I’m not going to sit around waiting for you any longer,” Woohyun marches over and grabs Myungsoo, yanking him to his feet and pulling him towards the door.

‘Save me’ he mouths to Howon as Woohyun drags him away (he could resist but also Woohyun doesn’t actually look like he’s playing around).

Howon looks like he’s considering it for a second before he grins and shakes his head, “Nah, have fun with whatever secret grifter business you’re up to.”

Myungsoo feels personally betrayed by Howon’s apartment enjoyment of his impending doom but it’s probably warranted.

He’s not looking forward to whatever Woohyun is so grumpy about. Still Woohyun looks serious so he doesn’t put up too much of a fuss when he’s unceremoniously dragged into Woohyun’s room.

“Did you ever go and see a doctor?” Woohyun demands as soon as he’s slammed the door shot.

Myungsoo suddenly knows exactly what this is about, and is very glad that Woohyun respected his wishes enough not to yell at him in front of Howon.

“No,” Myungsoo admits, looking down at his feet.

“Kim Myungsoo,” Woohyun says, sounding angry and worried and [something] all rolled into one.

“What? It’s probably nothing,” Myungsoo says defensively because that’s what he tells himself. That’s what he has to tell himself, after all his brain doctor had told him that it wasn’t uncommon to experience lifelong side effects of a haematoma.

“Myungsoo,” Woohyun says, softening slightly but still so stiff, “You wouldn’t be so concerned about it if you thought it was nothing.”

“Yeah I would,” Myungsoo says, he’s good at over reaction and letting his imagination get away from him - his biggest skill he’s been told.

“You’re having problems with your speech that have gotten worse,” Woohyun says, starting to list off on his fingers. Myungsoo looks away again because that’s true, it feels like recently the harder he tries the more words slip from his grasp, the harder it is to form them, “Weakness in your limbs especially on your right side, you’ve had a headache for days, your exhausted even though we’ve not really done anything exhausting in week,”

“Stop please,” Myungsoo says, cutting him off. He’s on the nose, completely right about everything even the headaches that he’d worked so hard to keep from everyone (except Howon had noticed but he’s just assumed they're a migraine - the conclusion Myungsoo would have arrived at if he didn’t have all the other evidence building up in his mind).

“I’m not going to stop Myungsoo because we both know those are symptoms of a haematoma,” Woohyun says, saying the words Myungsoo has known but not wanted to acknowledge. If he doesn’t acknowledge it then it’s not true.

“It could just be ordinary after effects,” Myungsoo protests, weakly because now that Woohyun has put that out in the world he just, he can’t ignore it, “It’s not like those are a pleasant walk in the park either.”

“Maybe they are but Myungsoo if you’re really worried, and we both know you are, is it not easier to just see a doctor about it, and stop worrying,” Woohyun says imploringly, most of his anger melting away into pure worry now. It makes Myungsoo feel terrible (and assured he made the right decision not to tell Howon).

“I don’t like hospitals,” Myungsoo says, grasping at straws, not really wanting to protest but needing to protest.

“I’m sure you like a bleeding brain even less,” Woohyun says with force nonchalance (his clenched fists give him away), “And I wouldn’t like it if you collapsed again and anyone on this team knew I knew and did nothing.”

Woohyun is telling the truth but Myungsoo also knows he’d never forgive himself for not forcing Myungsoo, knows that’s why is being so insistent right now.

Myungsoo understands that, and it’s Woohyun’s concern that finally tips him over, “Okay,” Myungsoo nods, “But if it’s nothing you’re still now allowed to tell anyone.”

“Especially Hoya, hey?” Woohyun asks with a cocked eyebrow. Myungsoo shrugs because yeah that’s pretty true.

“Alright, do you wanna grab the fake you used in the hospital in Seoul?” Woohyun says, clearly having thought of everything here, “Would Hoya notice?”

Myungsoo smiles just slightly, “I wasn’t a thief for nothing.”

Woohyun smiles back, “Okay, then we’ll go.”

Despite how much Woohyun has been doing for him here he’s still taken off guard and can’t help but question, “We?”

Woohyun looks at him like he’s a little bit slow, “Of course we, I’m not going to let you do this alone.” He scoffs like it’s obvious.

Maybe it should be but Myungsoo is taken so off guard he can’t think of a witty response. Instead he wraps his arms around Woohyun in a huge hug, “Thank you,” He mutters into Woohyun’s shoulder.