Grounded and Wounded

Christian [Barom] Yu is a mechanic, living in Seoul, South Korea. As a single father he struggles to make ends meat to provide for his young daughter. Due to his work hours, he barely has any friends, spending most of his free time at the gym or at the...

[celxbarom]

Is it time to start again, yet?

[celxbarom]

“I have nothing to do. I don’t even know if I should bother with trying to make friends. That never works out for me and I’m not interested and getting feelings crushed.”

[celxsungjong-deactivated2016080]

tipping point / lsj + b

[celxbarom]

@celxsungjong

[X]

Barom’s eyes widen as Sungjong’s expression changed. Quickly he began to shake his head, reaching out to hold the man’s shoulders. “No! No! I didn’t mean to make you upset. That was a terrible choice of words. I’m so sorry....” He chewed on his bottom lip, rubbing Sungjong’s shoulder’s slowly. “No, you didn’t take advantage of me. I’m gay. I just..haven’t had sexy with anyone in years. You are the second person I have had sex with.” 

The mechanic took a small step back, his bottom lip still between his teeth. He was beginning to feel like a crappy person for what he had said to the smaller male. Conversing was something he genuinely needed to work on before he got himself into any more trouble. Maybe staying quiet was the best way to do things. Awkwardly, he reached out and patted Sungjong’s head. The whole time his expression was twisted in uncertainty. 

Patting someone’s head was like treating him or her like a child. Sungjong was not a child and Barom felt like he messed up again. “You aren’t a kid,” he mumbled out loud, feeling even dumber than he had before. “I....” Again he sighed, stepping away completely to hop up on the counter. Barom sat there, staring at the ground as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. “I’m really bad with conversations. I should probably just shut up and let you go, right?” He looked up, bangs in his eyes. 

Besides being completely closed off, Barom had a terrible track record for keeping friends because of how he communicated. He was surprised that he had been able to raise his daughter so well, but Isabella was his little girl. She wasn’t like anyone else. Barom actually liked making an effort to speak will with his daughter so she didn’t turn out like him. The mechanic wanted his little girl to be smart and go places, do things he never could and wouldn’t be able to do. If he treated Sungjong as important as Isabella maybe he could converse better. “Let’s start again? Yeah?”

[kpopinstagrampictures-blog]

christianyu_: Smiley day ㅎ #smile #baromyu #christianyu #imorange #웃자 #재밌냐

[celxbarom]

" You can do it!"

Barom stared down at the roller skates tied to his feet. Instantly he began to think about how he had attempted to skate briefly when he was a child. Other things got in the way and he had quickly stopped. Skating had never been something Barom was good at or interested in. Sungjong had somehow managed to get the mechanic out to  roller rink. Now he was standing there, staring at his feet as he struggled to stay balanced. “You..could have picked something easier…like hiking or zip lining, Sungjong….” he muttered, slowly shuffling his feet to get over to his friend. “Oh god this is going to kill me…”

[celxsungjong-deactivated2016080]

Sungjong smiled up, he finished putting on pair of skates himself. 

“Come on. Would I allow you to get hurt? I am very responsible person. Plus, whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.” He skated towards the doubtful looking Barom. A small girl, no older than 8 years old, zoomed past them.

“See - even kids can do that. Come on. It is for your daughter, you will be her skating hero.” There was a laughter in his voice. “I will hold your hand, if anything goes wrong, we’re going down together.” Barom was towering a good few inches over him, and in all honesty, Sungjong had no chance in preventing the other fall. “I’ll soften the fall” He added with a wink, laughing.

[celxbarom]

@celxsungjong

[X]

“I have to be able to work to walk...” he mumbled, clinging to the smaller male for dear life. Sungjong was much tinier than him, but he still felt more comfortable knowing the boy was there to help him. “I’m...sorry that I....cannot...skate...I’m ruining our outing.” Barom holding the boy firmly, tucking Sungjong’s head underneath his chin. 

“What made you ask me out to do this anyway. Did our awkward after sex morning somehow charm you into wanting to be my friend?” He smiled softly, allowing himself to chuckle. “Even if you soften the fall I still wouldn’t want you to. I don’t want to hurt you.” 

[celxbarom]

The Unexpected Road Trip [Barom//Shinwoo]

[celxbarom]

@kwonxcnu

[X]

“This isn’t a good idea, Shinwoo,” the mechanic hissed. Something was telling that there was something wrong.  There was something sinister jut beyond the last group of trees. He didn’t like it and he didn’t want the young child anywhere near it. 

“Something is wrong, Shinwoo. Sheis better off with you. I don’t...I don’t know what you are, but I know YOU can protect her. She is happy with you...Do you really want to uproot her from everything she knows?” He did his best not to sound like he was pleading, but he was.  Barom had never been good with words and even know he was failing to convey what he was feeling. 

Even as a kid he was terrible as speaking so he just remained mute. Right now the young male was wishing that he had learned how to communicate better. At the moment he was a worried father that was trying to stop a young man from doing something he was going to regret. “Shinwoo, ple-” He paused, eyes darting around the dark scenery.

Something was moving among the trees  ahead of them.  Whatever it was it was large or there was more than one. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he had to fight the urge to grab Yunji and run for the hills. It was horrifying to be standing in the dark in the middle of nowhere with large unknown creatures moving about ahead of you. “Shinwoo, please....something is terribly wrong here.”

[celxbarom]

Hey!

Tomorrow is my last real day of break so that means ALL DAY I will be in the car traveling back to my home. I will do replies either late tomorrow night when I get home or I will do the replies Sunday. I hope everyone had a good holiday. 

@kwonxcnu @celxsungjong

[celxbarom]

http://www.amazon.com/The-Kama-Sutra-Colin-Spencer/dp/0312167539

The book is wrapped in a cute reindeer gift paper. There’s a card attached.

Dear Barom.

I wish you would try at least half of the things proposed. Or at least have a lot of fun trying.

S.

~

He stared down at the book after he opened the gift, eyes widening at the cover. Instantly his throat began to close and his cheeks reddened. Getting something for Sungjong had never occurred to him, but now he knew just want to get him. 

[celxbarom]

" You can do it!"

Barom stared down at the roller skates tied to his feet. Instantly he began to think about how he had attempted to skate briefly when he was a child. Other things got in the way and he had quickly stopped. Skating had never been something Barom was good at or interested in. Sungjong had somehow managed to get the mechanic out to  roller rink. Now he was standing there, staring at his feet as he struggled to stay balanced. “You..could have picked something easier…like hiking or zip lining, Sungjong….” he muttered, slowly shuffling his feet to get over to his friend. “Oh god this is going to kill me…”

[celxsungjong-deactivated2016080]

tipping point / lsj + b

[celxbarom]

@celxsungjong

[X]

Barom felt his fingers twitching and his muscles twitching. In his mind he could picture his hands on Sungjong’s thighs, traveling to caress ever inch of the smaller male’s body. Quickly, the mechanic shook his head as if it would help shake the thought from his brain. Another tense roll of his shoulders then the feeling was gone, temporarily. Sungjong seemed to have a strange power over him. He didn’t know what it was and he was still trying to find out how dangerous it was. 

Obviously it could do some harm or at least motivate Barom to do things he normally would not. Sleeping with Sungjong had been jarring enough, but maybe it wasn’t so bad. The two of them knew nothing about each other. Sungjong didn’t know about his life and that was good enough for Barom. 

“I’m not upset.” He wasn’t upset. Anymore. “I just don’t do this kind of thing. I don’t sleep with anyone. I’m not a people kind of person. I usually just go to the bar to drink...so I can relax a little.” The mechanic rubbed the back of his neck, hopping up on the counter. Standing there like an idiot was making his back hurt. Maybe that was something else though. 

“I didn’t take advantage of you?’ Never in his life had Barom done anything to someone in that nature. The most damage Barom had ever done to someone was steal their car, but only from the rich people that walked on those of lower status. That gave Barom great joy, but if he had in fact taken avantage of Sungjong in a drunken state, he would never forgive himself. “You mind if I eat something?” 

[celxbarom]

Friendship style starters!

" Call my name and I'll come running."

" I have no friends. Besides you."

" Because you are my friend!"

" Where would I be without you?"

" Why wouldn't I go back for you?"

" I don't have friends. Except for you."

" I have one friend. You."

" I can see the good in you."

" We are two sides of the same coin."

" I was so worried!"

" Hey, buddy, you okay there?"

" If you want to kill ___, then you have to kill me!"

" I know you can do it!"

" This is my friend, do you understand?"

" I have to be there, they're my friend!"

" This is why we're best friends."

" You are my friend."

" Good lord, I'd never let you die."

" I went back for you."

" You're all I got."

" You're my friend. My best friend, actually."

" You can do it!"

" The only friends we have are each other."

" I've seen how much you need them. And how much they need you."

" I need you as my friend!"

" You keep me sane."

" I just need a little boost. And you can do that for me."

" Come on, follow me!"

[celxbarom]

The Unexpected Road Trip [Barom//Shinwoo]

[celxbarom]

@kwonxcnu

[X]

He hadn’t been asleep long when he heard it. Silence. Silence buzzed against his eardrums violently. It stung and pinched at him. The only people in the cabin were Isabella and himself. Like the shutter of a camera, Barom’s eyes opened, adjusting to the darkness around him. The clothes he had laid out for Yunji were untouched. The rest of the cabin was undisturbed. Untangling himself from the sheets, the mechanic went to the window to the see the car still sitting there in the dark. 

His lips pressed together firmly as he thought about all the possible things that could have happened. With Shinwoo anything was possible. All of Barom’s worries were on Yunji, not the emotionless rock that was her caretaker. “The fuck is your problem, kid....” Isabella remained asleep as he got dressed. Never would he ever leave her alone, but his daughter was safer in the confines of the cabin. Taking the girl with him would slow him down and put her in even more danger. 

Whatever Shinwoo was up to with the child that he carried with him put a knot in Barom’s stomach. He didn’t know if it was the father in or not but he couldn’t help but want to stop Shinwoo. He was going to stop Shinwoo. 

Without much of a sound, Barom wrote his daughter a note encase she woke up and in the spur of the moment decision he surrounded the cabin with salt. In reality he had no idea how effective or accurate using salt was for protection, but he had seen it in Super Natural once. “I’ll be back, baby...” Barom whispered, kissing his daughter’s head before heading out the door. Now the trouble was just to find which direction Shinwoo had gone. From what Barom knew he didn’t have  flashlight and with the car still there, he had t be walking near the road. Taking a deep breath, Barom rubbed his hands together before breaking into a sprint.   

[celxbarom]

I AM HERE!

[celxbarom]

I will get to all replies by Friday. I am so sorry, guys. I am still around. I just have a lot on my plate right now with trying to finish school. Please don’t give up on me...

[goexjimin-deactivated20190528]

a d r i f t → barom x yoongi

[celxbarom]

@celxyoongi

[X]

When he re-entered the hotel room he noticed more tears were running down Yoongi’s face. “Hey....” he spoke softly, afraid to speak any louder than a whisper. Rabbits ran when they were startled. “What’s wrong? Huh? You don’t need to cry. Things can only get better from here on out. I promise.” The mechanic smiled as he held the boy’s face in his large, rough hands. Yoongi was like a small child and Barom wanted to hold him, soothe his hair, and whisper fairy tales in his ear. Yoongi wasn’t a child and he was not Barom’s child. He was a college student, a stranger that the mechanic was helping out. Acting too friendly would really run him off despite all the help Barom was offering him. 

“You have everything?” Barom glanced over the room and saw all the remaining items in the boy’s grasp. “We are going to go get food now. I want you to eat. Maybe then some color will come back to your cheeks.” He smiled again for what seemed the thousandth time that day. With the same rough, broken hands that he used to steal cars and fix them, Barom lead the boy to his car, putting the rest of his things in the back. “By the end of the day you will be safe...safe and happy.”

[goexjimin-deactivated20190528]

a d r i f t → barom x yoongi

[celxbarom]

@celxyoongi

[X]

Barom frowned when he saw that Yoongi’s face was covered and something in his voice seemed off. Without a word, he stepped in, reaching up to touch the slightly red cheeks, feeling the soft skin. “Were you crying? Did something happen?” The mechanic closed the door to the hotel room with his foot. It was starting to get chilly outside. All the heat would leave the room if they left it open. 

It felt strange to be caring for a complete stranger, but Barom had a certain weakness that once exploited, was hard to control. Yoongi was cute and gentle. In Barom’s mind that translated into a fluffy white bunny. Yoongi was Barom’s bunny now and he was going to take care of the boy. Isabella was going to adore him. She had always wanted a rabbit. 

“Don’t cry, okay?” he pushed back Yoongi’s hood, brushing back the light fringe of hair. “Everything is going to be okay. I’m going to take care of you and you can start focusing on your life more.” The mechanic backed up to grab the few bags and boxes that the younger male had littered on the bed. “I’ll be right back. I’m just going to get these into the car.” 

[goexjimin-deactivated20190528]

a d r i f t → barom x yoongi

[celxbarom]

@celxyoongi

[X]

Barom’s day finished at 1:40 that afternoon. The old man had let him out early so he could get Yoongi all settled. Depending on how much stuff Yoongi had, it would only take a little while. Plus there was the lunch that they had planned. Barom’s favorite pizza was the meat deluxe or the seafood meat one. The seafood pizza was a little more expensive, but if Yoongi wanted it Barom would get it. Yoongi was the one changing his life so this would be Barom’s treat for the college student. 

On his way back to his apartment, Barom grabbed a new heater for the room so Yoongi wouldn’t be cold. It was small enough to fit in the corner; the device would be out of the way so the other male could put his belongings where he wanted within the room. Fifteen minutes later the mechanic was in his car with the heater, headed to the address Yoongi had given him. 

Pulling up, Barom could tell the building was run down, but he didn’t expect much else. There was not a full time student could afford. Once Yoongi was out of there and into the safe, clean shop room fears would dwindle away. His knuckles racked along the wooden door. “Yoongi? I’m here. The car is right out front.”