Wretches & Kings

Hyun Ae's eyes fluttered open and her body shifted beneath the blanket. Slowly, her foggy consciousness registered the body sitting on the floor, back leaned against her cot. The half-shaved head gave him away.

“G-Dragon...?” she grumbled. “What are you doing here?”

He turned his head to the side to look at her over his shoulder. “Making sure you were alright.” A smile flashed across his youthful face. “How are you feeling?”

“I'm alright,” she said, rubbing at her eyes and sitting up on an elbow. “Did you sleep?”

“A little,” he shrugged. “Daesung's going to come check on you in a little bit.”

He straightened his head, but Hyun Ae continued to watch the back of the half-shaven, raven hair. Another round of questions began to infiltrate her mind unwillingly. The silence that followed didn't help.

“Hyun Ae, can I ask you a question?” GD asked after awhile.

“Of course.”

“Why don't you talk about what happened to you?”

The question took her by surprise; it seemed like an obvious answer should follow, but when she spoke, even she found it a shaky reply. “Because I can't.”

He turned to the side so he could look her full in the eye. “Let me tell you something.” Her face was open, ready to listen. “For years after my parents' death and my escape, I wouldn't talk about what I saw in there. No one else at the time were slaves, just misfortune kids without parents. So I figured they wouldn't understand, they'd never been what I went through, and, to me, talking about it was opening myself up and showing weakness. But that's not it at all.” Hyun Ae continued to stare at him and the look proved he'd struck her inner thoughts.

“Hyun Ae, you can tell me anything you need to,” GD went on. “I've been there; I know what its like. There's no reason you can't tell me what you're feeling.” Her eyes finally averted his, shamefaced. His hand reached out for her shoulder and he felt the muscles flinch under his touch. “I'm telling you this because the longer I held it in, the more it ruined me. I was so burdened with a past because I had no one to share it with,” he said. “But when I finally told someone, let them in to see what it was that haunted me...There was someone to share that burden with and life got easier.”

Pale cheeks flushed with more shame. She felt so hopeless and unfortunate, but compared to GD's story, it was nothing. She was being selfish, feeding on self-pity when this man could get on his feet after all that he saw and lead a whole city of people in secret.

“I'm sorry,” murmured Hyun Ae after his eyes on her face became too much. “It just...”

“It hurts to bring it all back to the surface.” Hyun Ae nodded. “You don't have to talk about it now, but know that you can whenever and I'll listen.”

Her eyes could finally return to him, but she couldn't look into his face. “Thank you...” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I appreciate that.”

His hand touched her wrist, then her hand, squeezing it in reassurance. “No problem,” he smiled.

Daesung entered the room a few minutes later and GD got to his feet. The medic checked over Hyun Ae's vitals and asked her a few questions about how she was feeling which she answered a bit more strongly. She noticed the way he didn't smile as much—if even at all. His eyes, when revealed form under the blonde bangs, were dull with exhaustion, face drawn and pale.

A feeling—worry, perhaps—overcame Hyun Ae and she touched his cheek. “You need to sleep,” she said. He'd already been busy before the swarm of freed slaves came in, barely slept in the last week, and was still on his feet somehow.

Daesung shook his head and stood. “I'm fine. You need to relax; you're off duty today.”

“What?” demanded Hyun Ae, jaw dropping.

“Yah.” G-Dragon grabbed his friend's arm. “Hyun Ae's got a point. You're not going to be any help when you're to beat to move. Get a few hours of sleep.”

“I can't,” Daesung argued quietly. “I've got to tell them what to do.”

“They can function without you for a few hours,” G-Dragon answered, just as calmly. “Don't make me order you around.”

“I'm not going to listen anyway.”

“Daesung.” The two, young men turned to Hyun Ae. “Please, rest,” she pleaded. “G-Dragon's right. You can't work yourself until you can't function anymore. Just take a break for an hour or so. You always said fatigue led to screw ups and screw ups weren't something we could have.”

Daesung grimaced at her using his own words against him. “Fine,” he growled out. “I'll take a break.”

“Make sure he does, G-Dragon. Please?”

GD grinned devilishly at the two of them. “Oh, I'll make sure he does.”

Daesung glared at him before turning softened eyes to Hyun Ae. “I'll rest if you do too. Just stay away for today.” Hyun Ae nodded reluctantly and the two left.

Hyun Ae sighed and laid back on her cot, wincing at the pinching in her chest. Not even a minute after the two had left, the curtain was drawn back again. Hyun Ae rocketed up at the sight of T.O.P. standing in her door. Slowly, he stepped inside, dark eyes latched onto her as he came to stand in the center of the room. Which was still far too close for Hyun Ae's comfort.

“What are you doing here?” She was surprised by the steadiness, the lack of fear in her voice.

He looked around the room before steely eyes returned to her. “Why are the Dakeu Jeon-won after you?” His voice was colder than his eyes, the low vibrations making Hyun Ae cringe away.

“I don't know,” she answered. “You don't even know if they're looking for m—”

“Its a well-supported theory,” he said.

Hyun Ae watched him, narrowing eyes in order to mask her fear. “So what do you want?”

“Nothing in particular,” he said. “Only to let you know that I'll be keeping an eye on you.” He began to back out of the room, eyes on hers.

“Are you threatening me?” asked Hyun Ae.

“Not exactly,” he said. “But if you threaten this place, I'll have to take matters into my own hands.”

“And you can't do that unless I permit it.” Hyun jumped at the new voice, but T.O.P. simply turned his head as G-Dragon ducked through the curtain, eyes narrowed and jaw set. “Threatening someone won't make things better.”

“Of course,” the assassin drawled. “I understand.”

“Good,” GD said. “And don't threaten her again.”