Work Text:
~☀️❄️~
The building exploded.
Khun had gotten flung against the crumbling inner walls of the house, he frantically searched the room with his eyes, ignoring the pain, looking for Bam while being wedged in between the broken couch and wall.
Crack.
The ceiling fell onto Khun, and everything went black.
—
Khun slowly opened his eyes, his head hurting, I mean he did just get smacked by a slab of concrete. He saw red.
Khun touched his face, it was bloodied, the blood seems to be coming from his head. Khun looked around, the living room was trashed, the couch flung into a wall, TV broken, the potted plant Shibisu thought was a good idea to put on the coffee table shattered, dirt everywhere.
Amongst the rubble, Khun saw a body.
“Bam?” Khun ran closer to the motionless body in front of him, unable to really tell who it was due to blood dripping down from his head injury, until he moved closer. “Bam!” The body was covered in blood, a pole stabbed right through his stomach with debris everywhere.
“Hey, wake up, we need to get out of here.” Khun tried to shake Bam awake but he wouldn’t wake up.
“Bam? Come on, there’s no time for jokes, wake up” Khun started getting more impatient, Bam wasn’t waking up.
‘ wait, wasn’t I stuck in between the wall and couch?’ Khun looked around, how long was he out for?-
Khun jolted awake and holy shit- his head hurts like he was hit by a speeding lighthouse!
“Khun! You’re awake! Thank god. “ Shibisu ran to his bedside.
“What..’ he placed a hand on his head, it was covered in bandages, ‘ where’s Bam?”
“How are you feeling? Any discomfort or pain?” Shibisu tried to change the topic.
Khun was having none of this, they were under attack and if Bam was alright he would be here..unless..
“Where.Is.Bam.” He grabbed Shibisu’s tracksuit, if he wasn't going to bring him, he'll find out where Bam is himself.
Shibisu sighed, he knew this would happen, especially after they announced their relationship a while ago to the team. They are inseparable after all “He’s in a different room, under close observation, we barely got Bam out alive..” Khun’s eyes widened, he told Shibisu to bring him to Bam despite his aching body and Shibisu’s protests. As they got closer to the room, his traitorous thoughts came back.
No. Bam can’t be like what he saw in his nightmares, Bam is okay and when he goes to the room, he’s going to be awake and smiling, asking if he’s okay, and they- the door opened, he tried to imagine Bam smiling but all he could see was Bam being attached to tubes with a heart monitor beeping.
Khun stood there, unable to talk or move. Shibisu tried talking to him but nothing could get through his mind.
“I’ll let you two be.” Shibisu walked out of the room, leaving Khun and the unconscious Bam alone.
Khun continued to stare at his beloved on the bed, his legs brought him forward until he hit the hospital bed frame. Khun reached out a shaky hand and placed it on Bam’s cheek.
Warm. Good.
“Hey…”
Silence.
He sighed, what happened then? Who was the one who caused the explosion? We’re they the targets or bad luck? Can-
An idea popped up in Khun's head.
The firefish. It can heal Bam.
‘ Firefish.” He called both in his mind and out loud.
A red orange glow appeared in the form of a fish, ‘You called?’ It spoke in his mind.
‘Heal Bam.’
‘No.’
‘I said heal him.’
‘No.’ The firefish disappeared.
“I said. Heal. Him.” Khun, losing his temper, forcing the firefish out with his ice shinsu, dropping his body temperature low.
Khun knew it was annoyed with him but he didn't care, he just needed to heal Bam and everything will be okay-
The room burst into flames, the bandages Bam had started to turn red and burn.
The firefish was trying to kill Bam.
" What are you doing! You stupid fish stop! You’re hurting him!" Khun tried to get rid of the flames surrounding them, the further he got from Bam's bedside, the higher the flames grew there. Bam's injuries were getting worse by the second, if he doesn't get the firefish to heal him-
The heart monitor let out a long beep.
Khun turn his head to the monitor, it went flat.
Rage took over him as he summoned his ice shinsu and tried to freeze Bam's killer, the firefish.
It was able to dodge his attacks and disappeared right before Khun could grab it.
Shibisu along with a few others ran into the room, all they saw was the flat line and the room covered in frost with Khun standing on the middle, breathing hard.
The person who brought them all together has moved on without them.
'He promised he wouldn't leave me behind..'
—
A funeral was held, however the body was nowhere to be found and Khun had also disappeared.
‘Please Khun, whatever you’re doing, don’t be foolish.’ Shibisu stared at the fake sky and stars, praying that anyone above who is willing to listen, to protect Khun from his stupid ideas when it comes to Bam.
—
“Where are you going with his body?” Hwaryun called out, leaning against the corridor wall as Khun was walking to the living room.
“Good, I was going to look for you. There has to be a place where I can revive him right?” Khun turn to face Hwaryun, eyes red.
Hwaryun pushed herself off from the wall, “yes there is a way however it comes with a price”
“How much? I’ll figure out something to get the amount of points needed.” Khun was already forming ideas in his head, “The price isn’t points, it depends on how big of a change your wish has.”
Khun was silent, if he were to revive Bam, he might have to trade his life for it..
“I’ll bring Bam back to life, even if it means I have to trade my life for his.”
Hwaryun stared at Khun for a minute, before sighing. “Fine, its on floor…”
—
This felt familiar..
Like when Bam was taken from them the first time, back on the floor of tests. They all thought Bam had died.
This time however, they knew Bam was dead, and Khun was nowhere to be found.
Just like last time.
—
Months passed, many floors were climbed and the jahad forces had lessened their efforts of finding them due to Bam being gone. They were still traitors to the king for siding with Bam but they were just regulars and rankers can be quite cocky.
The room was silent, aside from the heavy breathing of Khun as he tried to calm himself down, he had just barely escaped from the soldiers. Khun summoned his lighthouse and walked to a room, stopping beside the bed and carefully took Bam from his lighthouse to place his cold body on the bed. His shinsu keeping Bam’s body from rotting. Like what his shinsu did for him when he was in the coma when the bomb exploded.
“Bam, this is our new house for now,” Khun sat on the bed beside Bam. “ two more floors.”
He placed their foreheads together. He’ll get bam back. No matter what.
—
“Welcome to the floor of wishes, where all your wishes come true.”
The voice appeared the moment Khun had teleported onto the floor.
Khun went straight to a hotel where he had already booked a room prior to arriving on the floor.
“Reservation under the name Agri” Khun pulled his hood to cover his eyes, Jahad forces were still looking for him as he is-…was..Bam’s light bearer and strategist.
The receptionist placed a card on the counter, “ Room 321, enjoy your stay.”
Khun grabbed the card and went to the room.
—
It was nothing special. just a normal hotel room. Though there was something that Khun disliked with the room, there was only one bed. He had placed a request for two beds right? Whatever, In normal circumstances he would be able to share the bed with Bam, but he doesn't want to do anything which might lessen the chances of Bam being able to be revived.
He was the reason why Bam died after all. He always was. In the bubble on the floor of tests, it was his plan which made Bam lose the innocent shine in his eyes and go through harsh FUG conditions, his idea to use the firefish to heal Bam. Instead of healing him, it worsened his condition and killed him instead.
Khun's vision blurred, he tried to blink the tears away.
Khun laughed, he doesn't know why but he was laughing.
He took a deep breath before summoning his lighthouse which held Bam in, walking to the bed, he placed Bam on the mattress gently. Brushing his bangs out of his face, his hair still the same length as that day.
Bam looked so peaceful. Like he was sleeping and not dead. Was this how he looked like when he was in a coma?
Khun sat on the floor, leaning his head against the mattress. He doesn't deserve sleeping on the same bed as Bam, not after what he did to him. Going down and getting an extra bed will be too suspicious, plus he’s exhausted.
He stared at him, hoping for a sudden movement which would tell Khun that Bam was just in a deep sleep, like the cartoon Misseng loved to watch.
Khun stared until his eyes started to droop, bringing him into the land of dreams.
—
" Hello Khun child, what have you come to wish for?" the wish granter spoked through a speaker.
"Can you revive someone?"
"I can grant anyone's wish, though it comes with a price "
"I'll do anything "
Khun told the wish granter what he wished for and left, he couldn't see it but the wish granter smiled and said " ah young love, I miss those days.."
—
It took 7 years to know that Bam was alive.
two years for Shibisu and the rest to wake Khun up.
a few seconds for him to kill Bam
Months to climb to the floor of wishes.
and now, a day for Bam to wake up.
—
Khun was done with the floor of wishes, and so he left with Bam in his lighthouse again, he still hasn't woken up yet.
There was a hut in the forest up for rent, it was perfect. Secluded and no one would be able to find them easily. Khun bought the hut.
He had gotten supplies to last for a long time on the previous floor, not that he ate much either way, in the past Bam was the one reminding Khun to eat proper meals.
Before he knew it, memories of the brunette flooded his mind.
Memories of his lover before he killed him…
Khun held on strong for a long time, almost slipping a few times and almost joined Bam in the afterlife.
He let the tears fall.
—
Golden eyes opened.
‘ It’s cold..’ Bam tried to cover himself more with the blanket.
He hears someone outside, Khun? Is he okay? That explosion knocked him out..the door opened.
Khun froze, “ Bam! You’re awake!” He quickly went to Bam’s bedside, frantically checking if he was alright.
He’saliveHe’saliveHe’saliveHe’saliveHe’saliveHe’saliveHe’saliveHe’saliveHe’saliveHe’salive
“Khun, I’m fine, how about you-“ Bam was brought into a hug.
And of course, Bam hugs back, though he does feel that something happened. Khun rarely initiates physical contact. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He looked up.
Khun smiled, “I missed you,” he said softly.
They stayed like that for a few minutes before parting.
“It's cold. “ Khun got off the bed and tucked Bam under the blanket like he had done it multiple times.
“I’ll heat up some soup for you” Khun placed a kiss on Bam’s forehead before leaving the room.
‘He’s awake…finally.’
Khun sneezed, must be from holding Bam’s cold body for too long, he has always been sensitive to temperatures.
He walked to the kitchen, leftover soup he was planning to drink for dinner later was almost done defrosting on the counter. Khun grabbed the container and chucked its contents into a pot and set the fire to high. Throughout the entire thing Khun couldn’t stop sneezing, was it affecting him that bad? Bam needs to quickly get back to his usual body temperature so he can cuddle into the warmth that is Bam.
The place they were in was small, Khun left the door opened and Bam could see Khun in the kitchen, a rare sight since everyone had already decided together that the people who came from the ten families should really stay out of the kitchen to avoid something burning, the only exception is when Khun bakes, he can’t cook but damn he makes good cookies.
Khun places the soup in a bowl and walks back to the room.
“Since when were you able to be in the kitchen without burning something?” Khun scooped a spoonful of soup.
“Few months ago’ he blew onto the spoon, ‘after the attack.” Bam drank the soup before comprehending what Khun said, months? He had no recollection of it, unless..
“Khun- ‘ He got interrupted by a spoonful of soup. ‘Khun,-" Another spoonful, then the moment he opened his mouth, another spoon was in front of him, hand on Khun’s wrist in case Khun decides to stuff the spoon in his mouth, he spoke. “Aguero, how long was I out?”
Khun lowered his hand, counting how long Bam was dead, not that he was going to tell him.
“You were out for months.” He left out the part where he killed Bam,”I went alone to find how to wake you up, the Jahad Forces think you’re dead.”
Oh.
He was out for such a long time.
Bam looked at Khun, asking if he was alright.
Khun smiled softly, "I'm alright Bam,you're back now aren't you?" Khun placed the spoon down and ran a hand through Bam's hair.
Bam leaned into the touch and smiled back, if Khun says he's alright, he guessed it's fine.
"Okay that's enough, you should finish your soup. "
—
it took a while for Bam to get better and no longer feeling cold, and so they started to climb the tower again. Both under disguises and fake names.
The two had just finished a floor test, both exhausted and watching a movie while cuddling on the sofa.
"Aguero, it's been awhile since we've seen Rak and the rest." Khun sighed, he could tell what Bam was trying to imply.
"I'll call isu."
—
Shibisu's ringtone went off, he had expected either Hatz or someone else to call him. Not the person who had basically disappeared with their dead friend's body to call him. So when the words "Khun my love ❤" appeared on his pocket, he had to rub his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
He wasn’t. Khun was really calling him. After months of no contact, why would he call him? Did something happen?
Shibisu answered the call, filled with worry.
“ Hello?”
“Isu.” A familiar voice.
“It’s been a while Khun, how are you?”
“Fine.” The short, one-worded answers made Shibisu worry even more.
“Which floor are you on right now?” Khun asked.
“We just finished floor 79’s test”
“Good, we’re at floor 80, call me when you guys reach here, I’ll come pick you guys up.”
“Why so sudden Khun? And ‘we’ ? Who’s with you?”
“It’s better if I show you guys instead, see you soon isu.”
And Khun ended the call.
—
“So you’re saying that earrings will meet us here?” Hatz stared into the deserted forest around them, there were only trees.
Endorsi sighed, “ are you sure this wasn’t a trap? “
“I’m pretty sure it wasn’t..” He’s starting to believe it was a trap. To gather them and attack the team in a secluded area with no witnesses to find their body-
Leaves rustling. Someone’s here.
Hatz drew his sword and Endorsi readied her needle. Anak was already ready to attack the moment they entered the forest. Laure is still sleeping soundly, somehow. But they know if needed, he would help them. Rak was..surprisingly quiet, usually he was the loudest. Guess the trio being separated again had a bug impact on him.
The vines moved.
Hatz, by instinct, slashed through the vines.
“Woah there, swordsman. trying to kill me already?” The person chuckled.
The familiar voice, it was Khun. Their Khun.
—
The cabin in the forest they were staying at was something he found while chasing a bunny for lunch. He had stumbled upon an enchanted forest. The plants, responding to his words, showed them the pathways back to the cabin if he or Bam ever got lost, and provided them with fresh fruits and vegetables for food. All they wanted back was leftovers, waste products to be turned into fertilisers.
He had asked Shibisu and the others to meet him in the forest, the question is, where are they?
Khun had already asked the trees and plants to find them, but they haven’t gotten back to him yet, so he just went around, gathering fruits and vegetables ready for harvest, and some bananas for Rak. A leaf from a plant tickled his cheek.
“Yes?” The leaf pointed to the vines which were making a path.
“Oh? You guys found them?” Khun dusted his pants before getting up with his basket in hand and followed the vines and leaves showing him the way.
He walked and walked, were they that far into the forest? He counts the people he sees through the vines, perfect. All of them are here.
The vines move out of his way revealing a sword about to cut him in half. The branches quickly formed a barrier to protect him.
“ Woah there, swordsman. Trying to kill me already?”
—
“Hey, it's been a while”
“By a while you meant almost a year. What were you doing all this time” Endorsi crossed her arms.
“I’ve been busy, follow me, it's not safe to stay out here for long” The forest parts their branches and vines for them to walk.
Shibisu jumped. “Holy shit, what’s..”
“It’s an enchanted forest,” a tree dropped some apples into Khun’s basket.” Thank you” Khun grabbed some fertilisers Bam made and spread them around the tree.
—
Bam wandered around the cabin, making sure everything was alright.
" Okay fruit tea, cookies..Khun is coming back with more fruits and vegetables for dinner.." Bam tensed, he heard footsteps coming closer to the door.
He heard Khun's voice, along with a few other voices he hadn't heard in a long time.
The team is going to be reunited again.
—
The door opened and the team expected a nice looking cabin in the middle of the woods, fit for the team to spend their time catching up- oh who are we kidding it's Khun. Their beloved Khun who would do anything to be with the love of his life.
"Black turtle? is that really you?" Rak was the first to say something, the rest was too jaw dropped to speak (other than Khun of course).
"Hey, long time no see Rak" Bam smiled.
Good thing Bam wasn't carrying anything as Rak tackled him to the ground, like the first time they thought Bam was dead.
"Blue turtle! What did you do! I thought-"
"Don't tackle him like that! Bam is still recovering." Khun grabbed Rak and forcefully pulled the gator off Bam.
"It's okay Khun, he just misses us."
Rak grabbed Khun’s shirt in his claws and dragged him down onto them. Fruits and vegetables scattered across the floor.
—
Bam had gone back to the kitchen to wash thoroughly all the dropped food and chop up the fruits Khun had brought in.
Shibisu leaned towards Khun and whispered, "Khun. What did you do? I'm pretty sure he was-"
"Dead? Yeah, he was. " Khun turned to look at him, "The floor of wishes, I revived him there" he elaborated, seeing the confusion on the scout's face.
'Wasn't there a price to pay when you ask for something on the floor of wishes?' Shibisu questioned himself, Khun seems to be healthy, not losing a limb or organ like what he had heard of the others giving away while doing research. That's the reason why they skipped that floor, there wasn't a test to be taken. They needed to catch up to Khun and find him then.
Everything went normal, the team caught up with everything and nobody mentioned about Bam's death, they have caught onto the fact that Bam didn't know he had died and Khun may have given away something to revive him. Even Rak never mentioned it.
"Heyyyy'—Shibisu placed an arm over Khun's shoulders—' Are you going to share the alcohol you have in your lighthouse? Unless you drank all of it.."
"I have a few." Khun reached into his lighthouse to grab two big bottles of whiskey.
Shibisu was glad internally that Khun didn't relapse into using alcohol to cope, he's seen Khun get alcohol poisoning from drinking too much when Bam "died" years ago .
'I need to clear these..at least isu doesn’t seem to know that I just bought them' Khun did use alcohol to cope, just not as bad as last time. Khun knew he could revive Bam and that he would be beside him again, both alive. maybe . That's what kept him going after all.
—
The night was filled with laughter and joy, they were glad that their wave controller and friend was back.
"I'm going to bed early." Khun told Bam as he stood up.
"Goodnight Khun."
"Night"
—
Khun closes the door behind him and leaned against it, his shaky hand slowly reaching up to grab at his shirt, wheezing. Air isn’t entering his lungs, Was this part of the price like they said? It started as a small cough, a cold, then a high fever which he thought was caused by firefish. It wasn't.
He recalled the conversation he had with the wish granter.
“ This is a big wish, are you sure? The price may be deadly..”
“ I don’t care, as long as you can revive him I’ll give whatever you want”
He knew something was off, whenever he helped Bam with something, he would become unwell. Does it become worse with every assistance he gives Bam or just how big of an impact it would have?
Soon the wheezing stopped, Khun could breathe again. Exhausted, he quickly got ready for bed and under the blanket before falling into the arms of sleep.
—
Bam walked into their room, the others passed out in the living room.
He opened the door and saw Khun already in deep sleep,Bam quietly laughed as he saw that the burrito had already formed. Guess he won't be having the blanket tonight.
Bam tied his hair up and changed into a shirt and shorts before getting onto the bed and wrapping his arms around the Khun burrito, cuddling him.
"mm Bam?" Khun turned to face Bam, eyes barely open.
"Sorry, did I wake you up?" Bam couldn't resist placing a kiss on his forehead,eyelids, everywhere. His love looked too adorable.
Khun pushed his face away, "it tickles." He unravelled himself from the burrito and covered Bam with the blanket, climbing on top of him in the process, making Bam lie on his back instead.
They do this almost every night, Khun lies on Bam's chest, head near his heart, listening to the steady beating of Bam's heart as Bam plays with Khun's hair.
'Doesn't matter if I suffer, as long as Bam is alive…
and I can be of use to him
..'
They fall asleep.
—
A month went by, and they advanced a few floors with everyone.
Khun got more sick, he guessed that forming the plans to pass the test counts as helping Bam. The fevers got worse, Khun can’t go a short distance without panting. The firefish? Gone. Except for a few times to heal him, It hasn’t appeared for months.
Khun laid on the bed, he was trying to rest but the pounding headache he has right now was making it impossible.
A small glow of red- no orange? He doesn’t know. It could be just his eyes playing tricks on him, he does hallucinate sometimes. Wait. Never mind it wasn’t a hallucination, it was the firefish. After all this time..
‘You look like shit.’
‘Ugh I know.’ His body heated up even more now that the firefish was around. ‘ put your flames away, it’s making my fever worse’
To his surprise, the firefish actually listened.
‘You do know it's going to get worse right?’
‘I do and I don’t care, I'd rather suffer than let Bam die.’ Khun turned his back to the flame.
He heard the firefish sigh, ‘use me then, i crave destruction but it can’t be done if my host dies.’
‘What..why?’ If this was the way it was apologising for killing Bam he won't accept it, he used-
‘You don’t think that the irregular will do the same if you die? Maybe the price he has to pay is more than this.’ When Khun doesn’t answer, it continues,’ like trading his life for yours to live’
‘Enough, I heard enough. Fine. I’ll use you, how do we do this?’ Khun tries to get up, limbs shaking.
‘Stay down and go to sleep, I’ll do the rest..plus it's easier if your asleep’
Khun huffed and got back down, making himself comfortable before trying to sleep, the headache gone.
—
Something was shaking him.
“Khun? Hey, wake up.”
He opened his eyes, feeling surprisingly alright.
“Hey, sorry to wake you up but what happened, did you somehow dye your hair while I was gone?”
“Huh..no, I was..Bam, help me to the bathroom. I need to see what you mean.” Khun tried to get out of bed, only to fail due to his weak limbs.
"Careful.” Bam gently lifted Khun into a bridal carry and walked to the bathroom in front of the mirror.
Khun turned his head to face the mirror and ignoring the faint blush growing on his cheeks, his hair had red fading to orange stripes, it wasn't that noticeable but the colour was definitely there…and of course his natural blue hair. He touched the stripes of hair, it was warm? He wasn’t touching his scalp so why is it warm?
‘Use me and live.’ The firefish’s voice echoed in his head.
“Fish?” Khun flicked his hand, trying to summon it.
“The Yeon flame? Or are you craving fish?” Bam, still carrying Khun, questioned.
“Huh, the flame..it's gone..i can’t hear its voice anymore Bam” Khun leaned his head against Bam's shoulder.
He already misses its annoying voice.
—
It took a few days for Khun’s fever to subside, slowly his strength came back and the firefish was still gone. It was quiet in Khun’s head, usually the fish would be commenting on things, leaving remarks and keeping him entertained. Now it's gone. Forever, maybe but its traces still remain. Once Khun had accidentally cut himself with a knife from chopping up vegetables and it healed instantly, the red-orange strips in his hair slightly glowing as the healing ability was used.
Khun had somehow absorbed the firefish, all that’s left now is the flame’s ability to heal and destroy.
He lets go sometimes, letting the flames go wild when his team was at a safe distance, it was what the firefish wanted. He could’ve at least fulfilled that much.
—
Bam was found by the Jahad Army, alive and well. This set another hunt for them, again. It was known all around the tower that Jue Viole Grace was alive, their faces plastered everywhere. That meant more attacks and running, lots of running.
Their trial was up, they have to make payment to continue the peace.
And that price will be paid with blood .
~☀️❄️~