Kyungsoo is working on finishing his charting so he and Baekhyun can go home. He’s typing up a report on one of his patients when he feels a presence behind him and thinking it’s Baekhyun, he starts saying something about his day when the person behind him speaks up.

    “Kyungsoo,” Kris says quietly and Kyungsoo nearly falls out of his chair. He grabs his heart and spins around in his chair to come face to face with the man who said he loved him but still beat him up everyday. “It’s so good to see you.”

    Kyungsoo doesn’t answer, instead looking at him briefly before spinning around and finishing the sentence on his report before closing out everything. He hops off his chair and starts to walk away, but Kris follows him.

    “Kyungsoo, please. Can we talk?” Kyungsoo ignores him until they’ve rounded a corner that is a hidden and when Kris asks again, Kyungsoo interrupts him.

    “About what, Kris? What could we possibly have to talk about?” Kyungsoo hisses and Kris looks pained but Kyungsoo doesn’t care.

    “I miss you, Soo. I think about you day and night. Please, I want you back.”

    Kyungsoo clenches his fist and says, “I can’t sleep most nights because I wake up remembering what you put me through. All the pain, all the crying, all of the empty promises.”

    “I’ve changed, Kyungsoo.”

    Kyungsoo scoffs. “Where have I heard that before, Kris? I’m not falling for that again.”

    “I’ve been going to counseling and church and and….I’m so sorry for what I did to you. You were the best thing that ever happened to me and I took you for granted and let my anger get the best of me. Please, I’m so sorry.”

    “You expect me to believe you and come back? Just like that?” Kyungsoo shakes his head and when he opens his mouth to say something else, Baekhyun pops around the corner and freezes when he sees Kris.

    “Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo breathes out. “You remember Kris, Right?”

    Baekhyun nods shortly and says, “I also remember telling him that the next time I saw him, I’d rip his head off.” He takes a step closer and Kyungsoo grabs his arm to stop him.

    “I think it’s better if we don’t even talk to each other again, Kris,” Kyungsoo says and walks away with Baekhyun.

    He wakes up that night with a cold sweat and a scream that sends his heart racing. He clutches his chest and looks around the room quickly before diving into his drawer and pulling out the pills that he’s been so good about not touching. There’s only two left but he doesn’t care as he shakes them out of the bottle and swallows them dry. He lets himself calm down enough to try and go back to sleep before there’s a knock on his door and Jongin peeks his head into the room.

    “Sorry, did I wake you?” Kyungsoo asks softly and he can faintly see Jongin shaking his head.

    “I was already awake, setting things up for when I get back to France,” Jongin explains and Kyungsoo feels disappointed. “But I heard a scream and got scared and didn’t want to come out of my room in case someone was in here, but then I remembered that twenty-eight and I should make sure you’re okay.”

    Kyungsoo laughs softly. “I just had a bad dream,” he answers but when Jongin doesn’t leave, he asks, “Did you need something?”

    Jongin hesitates before just walking into the room fully, leaving the door cracked. “It’s just,” he starts, “I know what it’s like waking up from a bad dream. It’s hard to go back to sleep alone and I can’t really sleep either, so,” he drags out so and waits for Kyungsoo to invite him in.

    “Are you suggesting I give him my own comfortable bed to share with you?” Kyungsoo asks and he can see Jongin grin. “Fine,” he gives in and Jongin quickly races out of the room to do whatever and in seconds is back and closes the door, hoping into the bed and snuggling up in the blankets.

    “Just like old times, huh?” Jongin asks. Kyungsoo thinks about it and he’s right. This is one of the old times that he loved. When they’d stay up late or one couldn’t sleep and the other would hop into their bed and they just fell asleep in each other’s body heat. Nothing could touch them. Not scary exams, not rude boyfriends, not life.

    “Yeah,” Kyungsoo whispers, smiling to himself as he slides down into a lying position. “Just like old times.”

    He’s never slept better.

    Jongin leaves in three days and Kyungsoo has taken them all off to help Jongin with packing and whatever else he needs done before he leaves the country. Not only that, but he took all the weeks they lived together for granted and now he’s regretting it because his best friend is leaving and he doesn’t know the next time they’ll see each other.

    He’s waiting for him outside of a dressing room when he hears someone clear their throat. Thinking he’s in the way, he quickly moves to the side and apologizes but when they don’t move, he looks up and Kris is right in front of his face. He’s so close that Kyungsoo actually jumps and takes a step back out of habit.

    “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Kris says and Kyungsoo takes a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

    “It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?” Kyungsoo asks and he really isn’t sure when he got the courage to talk so rudely to him, especially after all those days of walking on eggshells.

    “I’m really trying here, Kyungsoo,” Kris whines and Kyungsoo wants to roll his eyes.

    “Try with someone whose life you haven’t already ruined, Kris, because I’m not buying any of this.” Kyungsoo hopes that’s the last of the conversation and Kris will understand that he should probably leave, but he doesn’t and instead sits down in a chair next to them and puts his head in his hands.

    “Just hear me out. Please,” Kris begs, looking up hopelessly and Kyungsoo bites his lip. He’s almost about to nod when he hears Jongin call out, “Kyungsoo, babe, I need your opinion on this shirt!”

    He’s guessing that Jongin has heard all of what they’ve just said is sensing that this isn’t someone Kyungsoo wants to be around. Kyungsoo gives a look to Kris before heading over to Jongin’s stall and knocking on it. Jongin opens it, quickly pulls him inside, and shuts it.

    “I don’t know who he is, but I can guess you don’t like him, so here’s what we’re going to do.”

    When they’re done plotting out their next actions quietly, Jongin pulls off the shirt he was trying on and pulls on his white v-neck and opens the door. He doesn’t notice Kyungsoo’s blush though and wraps his arm around Kyungsoo’s neck and walks them out of the dressing room aisle and over to where Kris is still sitting.

    Just like they rehearsed in the dressing room, Kyungsoo introduces Jongin as his boyfriend and just like they rehearsed, Jongin shakes his hand all buddy buddy until Kris mumbles something about Kyungsoo under his breath and not like they rehearsed, Jongin swoops in and smacks a big kiss on Kyungsoo’s lips. Kris looks shocked and Kyungsoo can imagine they’re both wearing the same expression. Jongin winks at Kris and drags Kyungsoo along with him until they’re far away from the men’s section and in the shoe department where Jongin causally shops for shoes, unlike Kyungsoo who is sitting with his jaw on the floor, staring off into the lingerie department across the way.

    “Keep looking like that and people are going to believe this is the first time you’ve seen women’s underwear,” Jongin jokes, sliding out a box of Nikes.

    Kyungsoo shakes his head and whips it to look at Jongin. “You’re not going to say anything?” he asks and Jongin gives him a curious look.

    “About what? Bras?”

    “No! About-about what just happened. Do you even know who that guy was?”

    “No,” Jongin says simply, opening the lid and examining the shoes. “, was that your boss?” Kyungsoo shakes his head and Jongin grins. “Then looks like we’re in the clear.”

    “Jongin,” Kyungsoo sighs out, rubbing his forehead. “That was Kris.”

    Kyungsoo watches Jongin and expects him to know what he’s talking about, but he doesn’t and just stares at Kyungsoo blankly until Kyungsoo finishes with, “He’s the reason I woke up screaming last night.”

    Kyungsoo is glad that Jongin has dropped the box because otherwise he’d be tearing it apart and throwing the shows across the room from the looks of his face. “That’s him?” Jongin all but shouts. “Why didn’t you tell me, I would have ripped his head off-”

    “That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you back there.”

    “I’m going to go back there and-”

    Kyungsoo jumps up and grabs Jongin’s shoulders and shakes his head. “Don’t. Please don’t.”

    “Kyungsoo he hurt you. He made you cry-”

    “So have you,” Kyungsoo says and Jongin’s face turns sad quickly as he looks down at Kyungsoo.

    “Let me make it up to you, then.”

    “By what? Pounding his face into the ground?” Kyungsoo asks and Jongin nods. “Just leave it alone.”

    “Give me one good reason.”

    “People like him won’t let you beat him up without him coming back for revenge. I’ve seen it before, Jongin. He’ll come looking for you but he won’t find you and I’ll be the closest thing there is.” This seems to get Jongin and his anger slowly fade until he lets out a breath and lets Kyungsoo lead them out of the store.