It felt like Taeyong was never going to come, the hours passing slowly.
They had all packed the clothes and what they thought would be essential for a trip that they didn't know how long it would be.
They were all sitting in the living room, anxiously waiting as all of their gazes seemed to flicker to the digital clock that sat on the wall.
Jaemin, Jeno, Renjun, Donghyuck, and Mark were all sitting on the couch, making distracted small talk as their gazes were keep on the clock.
00:53.
Jisung groaned as he sat on the floor, tossing his head back to hit the cushion in frustration.
"Guys, eat something small real quick," Mark said, reaching in his bag to pull out a granola bar, hoping their trip wasn't far.
The others hesitated but relented, pulling out small snacks for them to eat quickly, hoping to calm their nerves.
Chenle sat there, crunching on his chips when he heard the slight knocks on the door.
The others were too busy eating to notice so, while sitting on the floor already, tugged at the pant leg of Mark's pants, making the older look at him with a curious face.
"What's up, Chenle?"
"There's someone at the door," he said, shoving another chip into his mouth.
Mark laughed lightly, but decided to get up, looking at the time once more.
00:59.
Renjun hopped off the couch after detangling himself from Jaemin and Jeno, who each let out a whine at the loss of contact, and quickly held Mark's wrist, keeping the older from answering the door.
Renjun looked at Mark, not having to say any words while Mark nodded at him, letting him go before him.
Renjun jogged slightly to the door, nerves taking over his body, and touched the intercom, speaking to the person outside.
"Hello. Who is this?" he said clearly, no emotion to his words.
"We have a special delivery for Project Dream."
Renjun nodded at Mark, remembering the ethereal timbre of Taeyong's voice.
"I'm opening the door," Renjun said, voice still emotionless.
The others had gathered at the door, where Renjun slowly opened it, and peered out.
What he saw wasn't Taeyong though, at least not at first.
Instead the first man he saw had an incredible mix of lines and softness to his face, seemingly too beautiful.
Another Defect.
"You're not Lee Taeyong," Renjun said, the door still only revealing his face.
"No, but I am here," the strange man answered, voice too sweet on Renjun's ears.
"I'm Jaehyun," he answered, but moved slightly to the side, showing someone.
"I'm here too Renjun," Taeyong's presence made Renjun smile brightly, as he took in the older's appearance.
He had been leaning against the wall outside Renjun's dorm, listening to his and Jaehyun's conversation.
"Do you want to come in, or do we head out now?"
Taeyong laughed lightly, and leaned forward to ruffle the younger boy's hair.
Renjun was confused, feeling a slight shocking sensation from Taeyong's touch but smiled up at the older anyway.
"I need to introduce myself to your friends, they need to know who's helping them," he said, motioning for Jaehyun to follow. Jaehyun shook his head, stealing a glance at Renjun, and stayed rooted to the front porch.
"I should probably stay here," Jaehyun said, tone soft and low, as if not to be heard.
Renjun looked at the man in front of him, hoping that he hadn't upset him by his words, but Renjun couldn't help but to be antsy when they were basically leaving the Inside for all eternity.
"Jaehyun, I'm sorry if I upset you for the tone I had when speaking with you. I'm just a bit nervous to leave," he said, sympathy laced through his tone.
Jaehyun let a small smile grace his lips, and nodded slightly at the youngest of the three.
It was at the moment that Renjun was beginning to open the door to let Taeyong in, when his body was thrown forward, into Taeyong himself, who had caught him in his slender but strong arms.
Gasping, Renjun slightly blushed in embarasment at Taeyong, who's arms around the younger felt like little pinpricks that seemed to make the small hairs on his nape rise.
The door opened in a flash, and the first thing everyone saw was Renjun blushing in a strange man's arms.
Instantly both Jeno and Jaemin rushed to the scene, ripping Renjun out of the man's arms, who was now holding them up in surrender.
"I just caught Renjun, someone hit the door where he was at," he explained, his voice soothing to everyone's ears, making them calm down at the slight intrusion. Chenle tried to quickly look away without looking suspicious, since he was the one who accidentally hit the door.
Renjun was squished between Jeno and Jaemin, who were holding him tightly, caressing his head and holding his small frame close to their bodies.
"Guys," Renjun whispered as Taeyong introduced himself to the others, and Jaehyun as well. The two younger boys looked down at Renjun, immediately making him regret calling them when their height differences were very prominent in their particular position. But then the thoughts were cast away as Jeno brushed a couple strands of hair out from Renjun's eyes, getting the older to pay attention, and silently asking what he wanted with his eyes.
"I'm with you, remember? It was an accident," Renjun said, making Jaemin roll his eyes at Taeyong, but hug Renjun even closer.
"Still doesn't mean we're going to 100% like him," Jeno grumbled, pressing his words into the older's hair.
"O.K., since we have that settled, will you please let go of me?" Renjun said, trying to detangle himself from the others' embrace.
They, hesitantly, let go of him, letting him breathe and closed the door after making Jaehyun come inside the dorm.
"Alright," Taeyong started after the group had settled down. Their bags were still by where they were previously sitting, so Renjun quickly moved his and Jaemin's bags, making room for both Jaehyun and Taeyong, so that they could discuss what they were to do.
"We had a proposal," he looked around at the multitude of bags, "and I assume you guys accepted?"
"Yes, we have," Mark spoke up, taking the position as leader for this exchange they were going to have with Taeyong and Jaehyun.
"This is Jaehyun, as he has already told you, but he is also my right hand with the operation on the Outside, and he knows everything about the project, and about you guys."
Jaehyun just sat, nodding at his leader's words, letting the older begin his information the younger boys would need.
Chenle rose his hand, obviously having a question.
Taeyong looked at the boy with slight amusement, and nodded at him to speak.
"So, I think the question that everyone has right now is, where are we going to go?"
Taeyong nodded, looking down, "That is a great question. We have our base in the forest a little ways from the border separating the Inside and the Outside. We are going to that facility."
"Will it be dangerous?" Chenle asked another question, this time not bothering to actually raise his hand.
Taeyong nodded, nudging Jaehyun to get him to speak up, not wanting the boys to be uncomfortable as well as Jaehyun getting to actually know the boys that they had been reading files about for the past three years.
"Of course. Where there is good, there is always bad. We don't know how long it'll take for Ms. Carthwright to realize you're gone, so we'll have to travel a lot more quicker in order to get you boys to safety. The terrain is not familiar to you, which will be something she will count on to slow us down, but we will situate you guys quickly, and hopefully that'll get us where we need to be quicker."
The boys nodded, remembering that they were fleeing, and that they were technically breaking major rules for the Inside.
"Before we leave, I want to confirm that we are Defects, so we are more than capable in protecting you, and that our facility helps lost Defects," Taeyong pointedly looked at Jeno, who quickly looked away, "and those who may need help controlling themselves."
Jeno went to fire a comeback at the older, before Taeyong cut him off.
"Jeno, I saw what you did at that station."
That shut Jeno up.
"I think it's time to go now."
The boys gathered all of their stuff, making sure everything was there with no doubt of something falling off to leave a clue for Carthwright.
Taeyong and everyone was at Renjun's back door, then they started their journey in the dark, wondering what this place was going to be like.
I hope it's better than the Inside.