“Josh” Your voice trembling as you spoke. “Your shirt…b-blood!” You pointed at the the splotches of blood splattered around his collar and over his shoulder.

            Joshua blinked as few times before looking down at himself. His eyes trying to adjust to the fabric you were now lifting to his face. He tried to smile, his teeth tinged a rude red. “Don’t worry. That’s not mine.”

            “WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT’S NOT YOURS?” You screamed, your heart racing faster now. The fabric you were holding, now shaking in your trembling hand. You dropped the fabric hastily, and pressed two fingers to your temples, pressing your eyes shut and trying to control your breathing.

            Why? Why did things like these keep coming back to you?

           He opened his mouth but you silenced him by holding up a unsteady finger.

           “You know what? I don’t want to hear it right now. Because-” You squatted next to him in the chair, and slid your arm under his armpit, wrapped it over his back and grabbed him firmly by his other side. You pulled him tight against your side. “-first, we are getting you checked out.”

            “No! I can’t go to the hospital.” Joshua protested, his eyelids drooping over his widened eyes. He put a hand on your shoulder, too weak to push you away. You stood up, and was able to use your strength to pull him up with you.

            He put his feet underneath him self and was able to withstand the weight. He was wobbled a bit from the pressure, and he shifted most of his weight onto you. Once he did that, his shaking dulled. He wrapped his arm around you to grasp the shoulder that was not pressed into his chest.

            “You’re not going to the hospital.” You grunted, adjusting your footing in reaction to the sudden weight that Joshua had given you. After, the initial wariness, you straightened your back and could hold him up entirely with ease.

            You held onto him tighter, half leading, half dragging him upright out of the bedroom. “I have a first aid kid in the bathroom.”

            You led him across the hall into the bathroom, and set him down on the closed toilet seat.  His arm dropping from around your shoulder. You rummaged through the cupboard underneath the sink and recovered a red tub with the words FIRST AIDE printed on the sides. You set it on the sink counter as Joshua groaned in the background.

            Joshua laid his head back on the wall behind the toilet, his face crunched up. He pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead, his teeth gritting together. His eyes pressed tight as he moaned. The movement to the bathroom had taken a toll on his already exhausted body.

            You pulled out the bottle rubbing alcohol, and applied some of it on a cotton ball.

            You gently lifted his palm away from the cut on his forehead, and extended the cotton ball towards it. Just before it could touch, he leaned his head back, dodging your attempt.

           Joshua looked at the cotton ball, his brows furrowed, biting his lip. “How badly is this going to hurt?” He asked, worry flooding his exhausted eyes.

            “Not as much as the fight probably did.” You shrugged with a flicker of a sad smile “You’ve never been in a fight before, have you?” You pushed past his hand and pressed it to the cut.

            Joshua hissed, and gripped the sides of the toilet. His face tensing up at the contact. “Okay, okay!” He hissed sharply, looking at you through one squinted eye. “You don’t have to press too hard.”

            “Do you want it to get infected like mine did?” You asked him brashly, pressing it harder. Another quick hiss escaping him.

            You rubbed it across the cut that ran all the way down his forehead and to his ear, Joshua wincing the whole time.  You pulled out the antibiotic cream out of the tub. Squeezing it onto a Q-tip, you applied it to the cut. Having to reapply it every so often, making sure that every inch of the wound was lathered in the stuff.

            “What other injuries do you have?” You demanded harshly, lifting up his arms. Scanning him mechanically with your eyes, as if you could see past his clothes.

The sense of emergency made you completely focused. Determined to first evaluate the situation before doing anything else.

            “No.” He applied hastily, sliding his hands out of your grip and subconsciously crossing his arms over a particular part of his stomach. The fabric folding up in his grip.

            Your eyes followed his hands as they grasped at the fabric covering on his lower abdomen “It sure seems like it.” You drawled in a low voice, your eyes locked in on his hand.

            Joshua looked from you and followed your gaze down to his hand. He shifted a bit on the seat.

            “Really.” He quickly disregarded, rolling his heavily-lidded eyes. “All this is unnecessary. I just came here because-“

            “I don’t care why you came here.” You spat, dabbing a fresh cotton ball on the top of the rubbing alcohol bottle, preparing yourself for something worse. “Now let me see.” You demanded.

            Joshua looked at you, one eyebrow raised, at the forcefulness in your tone. You gave him a stubborn gaze, he looked at you hesitantly before slightly lifting the edge of his own shirt.

            First of all, the boy was skinny. Like ridiculously skinny. You didn’t realize how lanky he was until now.

            And him being skinny was not something that would benefit anyone in a fight. His bruises showed it. There was nothing to cushion the blow of a punch. Everything that Joshua took, hit him hard.

            He was bruised all along on his side. Dark circles splattered around, sometimes overlapping each other in a dark green. As you lifted the shirt up more, all you saw was more bruises. You were able to see his ribs, fleshed out against the darkening skin.

            With each bruise you looked at, a echoing thud hit you in the pit of your stomach. You gritted your teeth at the sight.

            “There’s nothing must I can do about the bruising-” You reported, your voice giving way.

            “I told you.” He mumbled, pushing his shirt back down. “This is unnecessary.” He ran his hands through his hair as he slumped back on against the tank of the toilet. One hand rubbing a clean temple, his expression crunched up.

            “Don’t be snippy with me.” You said dully. “I’m just trying to help.”

             “I know.” He squinted open one eye to glance at you.

            You stood up and Joshua looked up at you. His face contorted in discomfort, as he rested his head back on the toilet, teeth gritted from the ache. His pale face was completely bashed in. His eyes puffy. One arm completely limp at his side.

            The sight set a fire in your chest. You let out a silent growl, flashing your teeth. Your hands curling up into fists as your eyes circled around the bruises. You felt your throat tighten, as your head began to pound. Your eyebrows lowering down on your already narrowed eyes. The veins in your neck popping out slightly.

           You wanted to kill them. Whoever did this to Joshua, you wanted to tear them apart. For every bruise they gave him, you wanted to give them ten.

           Joshua let out another groan as he now pressed his  other whole palm to his forehead, beads of sweat glistening under the yellowing light.

           You clenched your fists harder, your hands completely white now. Your arms shaking from the pressure.

            You didn’t care if you went to jail for it, they deserved it. No, going to jail for it might make it worth more in a sense. That way, you would have proof of how much damage you did.

           You would tear their hair out. Beat them until someone physically tore you off of them. Probably until the police came.

           Whoever did this needed to get justice. They would deserve what you did to them. They would have earned everything they were going to get. Who would even do this? Who would even dare?

           Seriously, Joshua was tentative even when it came to raising his voice. He would never to anything to hurt anyone. Joshua is the kindest, most-

           You stopped yourself before you got too far.

           You gripped  the collar of his t-shirt and lifted it up in front of his eyes. “Explaining time.” Joshua laid his eyes on the blood splattered collar, inches away from his face. “What did you mean that this isn’t your blood?” You demanded.

            Joshua looked at you weakly. “This is so stupid.” He moaned, squinting one of his eyes open to look at you.

             “Tell me, or so help me God you will be spending the night outside, freezing your broken little off.” This, of course, was an empty threat, but you made it sound realistic all the same.

            “I didn’t kill anyone, if that is what your thinking.”

           You grabbed him by the collar, and shook the blood stained fabric in front of his face. Joshua leaned his head back to avoid the stains from touching him and pried your fingers off of it.  His fingers were dirty, his knuckles crisp with an eerie shade of purple and red.

            “There was a guy holding me from behind. I accidentally smashed his nose with my head. He got a nosebleed. That’s all.” He sat up straight in the seat, wiping his nose at the memory and sitting back on the seat.

            “So you did get in a fight!”

            “Didn’t think I had to spell that one out for you.” He droned, trying to chuckle, but he slid into another one of his coughing fits. The coughs thick, and textured.

            “And what it this? Don’t tell me you have internal damage.” Your forehead creasing more as you looked at his chest. As if the answer was some how written on top of his dirtyT-shirt.

            “No, just one of my teeth, was bashed out.” He spoke in a hoarse voice that cracked every so often. “It won’t stop bleeding. Blood keeps sliding down the back of my throat. It’s disgusting.” He leaned over with slouched shoulders and wiped the corner of his mouth with a piece of toilet paper slowly.  And then flicked it in the trash.

            He dropped his head to his hands, groaning even more. You knelt down next to the toilet, your back hunched slightly as you rubbed his back. Trying to ignore the voice in your head that screamed for you to stop touching him.

            He looked through the crack in his fingers at you. “Don’t give me that face.” He dropped his hands to his lap.

            “What face?”

            “That face. The one that-“

            “Who did this to you?” You interrupted hastily. You tried to sound casual, acting as if this piece of information wasn’t important at all. Trying to conceal your ulterior motives.

            “Like I’m going to tell you.” He glared at you sideways from one of his swollen eyes. “I came here because I knew you wouldn’t ask questions. So why are you asking questions?”

            “What you mean I won’t ask questions? I come home and your entire body is covered with bruises, and you look like death, you reek of blood. What am I, crazy? Who wouldn’t ask questions?!” You half yelled getting annoyed now, your eyebrows still tilted in concern.

            “Your rules.” He rested his head on the sink ledge next to the toilet. His body now leaning. Squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his hand over his left side. “Remember?”

            “Oh.” You whispered, feeling a pang in your stomach. You had completely forgotten about those. You were forgetting about those a lot nowadays. “Well I think there is an exception when it comes to bleeding men in my room.” You said trying to cover up your lapse in judgment.

            Joshua’s eyebrows shot up at your words. You replayed the last sentence in your mind.

           You flashed him an uneasy grin.

            “Do you ever think things through before you say them?” Joshua tried smile, but it just looked pathetic when he did it. Blood cracking in the corner of his mouth, the other side he really wasn’t able to move. The bruise on that side had swollen, his mouth barely even lifting up. It looked less like a smile and more like a grimace.

            Seeing him try to smile like made your stomach ache. “How can you still have a sense of humor? You look like .” You scanned him once more, flicker of a smile on your face. The edges of which weren’t as upturned as a normal smile should be.

            “I’m Joshua Hong.” He replied with a fake sense of grandiosely. “Beat me or kill me, I still have my humor.”

             “Not funny, Josh.” You deadpanned.

            “Listen, I would love to talk right now.” Joshua moaned, rubbing his forehead. His teeth in a constant state of grinding against each other from the pain. “But right now everything feels like it’s on fire. And my head hurts, and my teeth-“

            “Come on-” You stopped him before he could explain any further. You helped him up. He stumbled a bit in place, looking at the ceiling with glazed over eyes. You guided him into your bedroom. “Here take my bed.” You  set him on the edge of the bed.

            “Normally, I would object.” He mumbled, his voice still coarse from the coughing. He pointed a finger at you. “But right now, I don’t care.” He flung his back on the bed, his legs still hanging off the end.

            “Sure thing, Gentleman.” You said as your pushed his legs onto the bed.

            Joshua didn’t even get under the covers. “Don’t call me that.” He complained face first into your pillow. “Don’t tell the guys about this.” He pleaded, turning his face over so he could look at you face to face. “Promise me?” His swollen eye twitched as he looked at you with dropping eyes. You stood next to the high bed and bent down over him.

            “I promise.” You reassured him softly, running his fingers through his hair.

            Joshua hissed when you hit a particular spot on his skull, and he jerked away from your touch. “Sorry.” You whispered.

            It didn’t take his exhausted body long to fall asleep. And before long he was snoring loudly. You sat in your chair tucked into your desk that was parallel, facing your bed.

            You didn’t want to ask him to many questions. You were afraid that would scare him off. He seemed hesitant at best to answer any questions you had, but at the same time you needed to know.  The curiosity was eating you up inside.

            You slipped into your pajamas and tossed a big light blanket over Joshua. The droplets of sweat on his forehead stopped you from putting another one on him.

 You reached over Joshua’s still form, and grabbed an extra pillow resting behind him. You set it down on the desk and tried to make due there. But you found it difficult to sleep bending over. You resigned yourself to sleep on the floor.

            You awoke the next morning with an aching back, to find that Joshua was still knocked out. Curled up in the blanket that he wrapped around himself. The large blanket twisted around every inch of him, only a glimpse of his forehead and a tuff of brown hair visible.  

            You stretched, and groaned as you stood up. Your limbs feeling sore from sleeping on the ground.

You dragged your feet to the kitchen to get yourself a morning glass of water.  Woozi, Hoshi and DK  were already there, huddled around together in a circle conversation. Talking avidly about something in hushed tones.

            You squeezed past them, to get the the sink, their three frames enough to cover the open entrance to the kitchen. You felt their eyes follow you as you slid past, their voices dyeing as you did so.

            Reaching in the cupboard, you got out a clean cup and put it under the tap water. It fell silent as you filled it up. This set you on edge. Quiet was something that you were not used to in this house. Hoshi and DK had the volume control of an air horn.

            You looked up, giving into the temptation of awkwardness.

           All three of them were staring back at you, still wearing their pajamas. Hoshi in a pair of boxers and a paint covered t-shirt. Woozi in gym shorts and a large oversized shirt. And DK, still in the clothes you remembered him wearing yesterday.

They both looked at you wide expectant eyes, a smirk on their faces. Well, except DK, whose eyes were bloodshot and squinted against the light. Swaying slightly as if he was on a boat.

            “How is your day going?” Hoshi sang, taking a step toward you, grinning from ear to ear.

            “Good?” You drew out the word, narrowing your eyes at all of them. Looking at their giddy expression with a growing sense of anxiousness. Anything that could get these three excited couldn’t be good. “Whyy?”

            “Have a fun night last night?” Woozi beamed, a sly look on his face.

            “I mean I gave Dino’s art lessons. If that is what you are referring to?” You asked cautiously, looking at Woozi’s smile with absolute wariness.

           You didn’t know what they wanted to hear, even though it was clear they wanted to hear something. Expecting something.  All three of them were giving you that strange one eyebrow up look that added to the sick feeling in your stomach.

            “No I mean,” Hoshi leaning in closely, nodding his head toward your bedroom. DK tried to wink at you from the background, his mouth agape as he did so. The meaning lost as he swayed slightly, one death grip on his coffee mug, the other on Woozi’s shoulder.  “last night.” Hoshi whispered, nudging you.

            Your mind fell at a blank. What were they even talking about?

            You said nothing, hoping that they would explain further. But Hoshi just raised his hand for a high five. His eyebrows raised with a huge smile of triumph.

            “I don’t even know what you are-“ You didn’t engage him. You just gripped your cup in your hand, staring at his floating high five.

            Woozi came next to you and shook you slightly. DK wobbled in the background, gripping for the countertop for support, spilling his coffee on himself. “The guy in your bed!” Woozi stated bluntly. A strange of pride look on his face, as he beamed down at you.

            You snapped out of your confusion and jumped away from both of them.  “Oh no! I  didn’t sleep with that guy I mean it’s-“ You throat swallowed the words before they could leave your throat.

You couldn’t tell them it was Joshua. You promised him that you wouldn’t let the guys know. But how where you going to keep that promise now? There was no way that Joshua could escape without any of the guys spotting him.

“We are gone for one night. “ Hoshi sighed, dramatically looking out in the distance. “And you decide to just go for it, don’t you?”

            “I mean, if you the need the house for yourself every so often you gotta let us know.” Hoshi winked at you.  “To be honest I was thinking about bringing a girl over myself.”

            “No!” You winced at the thought, trying to repress the growing heat in your cheeks. “That guy was just borrowing my bed. Nothing more happened.”

            “Listen,” Woozi held his hands up in defense, a soft smile on his face. “We aren’t judging. You do you, you know?”

            This was the first time Woozi was trying to be purposefully be kind to you. And you were wishing he wasn’t.

            “So, are we going to meet this guy?” DK said sharply, clinging to the the countertop. Obviously too hung-over to function, but not hammered enough to out of your personal life.

            “ABSOLUTELY NOT!” You yelled, your body becoming tense. “Under no circumstances will you see him.”

            “Oh I see. It was more of a one-night thing.” Hoshi pointed out.

            “No.” You hissed, trying to combat their cheerful faces.

            “Oh was it bad?” Woozi tisked. “Are you trying to get him to leave as soon as possible?” Woozi looked at the bedroom door, one of his feet already starting to a stride.

            “No!” You yelled quickly, stepping in front of him and blocking his exit from the kitchen. “He should just stay in there.”

            “So it wasn’t a one-night thing.” Hoshi grinned.

            Woozi looked at your reddening face. “Listen, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Things happen, people have needs-“
            “Please stop talking, now.” You groaned, not believing what you were hearing. Why did you have to live with three guys?

            “If it’s serious, I need to meet this guy.” Hoshi exclaimed, pointing a thumb at himself. “Roommate’s approval is required.”

            “Ditto.” Woozi agreed. “He has to come out sometime.”

            “Just out!” You half yelled, feeling all the blood rush to your face, pounding in your head as each one of them spoke. You groaned. “Just drop it, okay?”

            “We will.” Woozi scoffed at your outburst. Hoshi’s gleeful face fell, looking at you in confusion.

“But just to be clear…” Hoshi gave you a uneasy smile, his eyebrows lifting up in the middle. “Where did you meet him? Was it at the bar or at class?”

           “Seriously I-“

            “We placed bets already, so you have to let us know.” Woozi added importantly.

            “You guys are impossible.” You yelled.

            “Woah, why are you yelling?” Hoshi said, wide-eyed at your sudden harsh tone.

            “Just shut up.” You yelled, your hands curling into fists. Why was it that whenever you talked to them as a whole, you always felt as if you were talking to a brick wall? No one ever seemed to listen to what you were saying.

            “What’s your problem? We’re just joking.” Hoshi tried to laugh, but his face fell into a look of seriousness. There was a pause before he added with a whisper. “But seriously, I have fifty dollars riding on-“

            “Listen up. Because I am tired of repeating myself. I did not, I repeat did not sleep with that guy in there.”

            “Its not a bad thing if you did.” Woozi reassured in a half apathetic tone.

            “But I’m saying I didn’t.” You snapped back.

            “Why didn’t he sleep on the couch then?” Hoshi asked, nudging DK. DK looked at him through squinted eyes.  A strained smile trying to make an appearance on DK’s face.

            “Good point.” Woozi added.

            “Can you guys stop yelling?” A voice groaned, you turned around to see Joshua standing there, in his hoodie. The neckline of it resting on his nose. The hood of the sweatshirt pulled down over his forehead. Making only his eyes and the bridge of his nose visible.

             He was leaning up against the entranceway to the kitchen casually as you stood, surrounded by your interrogating roommates. Joshua wasn’t putting any weight on one of his feet. You wondered if that was just coincidence, or if there was some other injury that you were oblivious to.

            All three boys jumped at the appearance of the sudden newcomer.  They whipped around to face him.

            “Sup?” Hoshi said, trying to seem casual. Flashing the supposed stranger a thumb up, that he quickly tried to hide from you.

            “Sup?” Joshua’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat, one eyebrow raised at the strange atmosphere. The boys were looking at him with their full attention, giving him sly smiles.

            “Joshua?” DK was the first once to recognize him, squinting at Joshua as he clung to the countertop.

            Woozi and Hoshi took a step and  leaned into get a closer look at Joshua, almost cornering him.  Joshua leaned back, “What is wrong with you guys?”

            Woozi and Hoshi took a step back, letting out a heavy sigh. Both of them relaxing immediately after confirming Joshua’s identify. Hoshi dropped the cool bravado and leaned up against the counter.

 “We thought you were-“ Woozi looked past Joshua and glanced at your bedroom door. “Never mind.” He dismissed. “When did you get here?”

            Joshua’s eyes crinkled and lifted, evidence of a smile that you couldn’t see. “Last night. You guys weren’t here but I just crashed here anyway.” He explained easily.

            “When did you get here last night?” Hoshi rubbed his head a bit, his eyes glazing over.

            “Oh, you guys were gone when I got here.”

            You tried to give him a signal to stop talking but Joshua wasn’t even paying attention to you.

            “But when we came in here last night we didn’t see-“

            Hoshi let a loud gasp escape out from his fallen jaw, that interrupted his words. In his shock, he flung his arms out. One of which hit Woozi in the chest.

            Woozi touched his chest and glared at Hoshi, who was now pointing at Joshua and was bouncing slightly as he jogged in place. “What?” Woozi asked.

            “Wait, y-you mean to say-” Hoshi stuttered, looking at you and Joshua and then back again. Now shaking the finger at you.

            Woozi looked at Hoshi’s finger fixed on your now. “Dude, what the hell is-“  His words slowly died in this throat as he looked between you and Joshua and then and Hoshi, who was doing a little jig in the tiny kitchen.

            Woozi’s forehead pulled back for a second and then it crinkled up again. And he slapped himself in the face. Woozi gasping as he looked at you with widened eyes.

            Woozi slapped himself again “You did not!” He gasped, his look of shock slowly dwindling away. His fiery gaze now locked on Joshua. His eyes were squinted, one side of his lips pulled back into a sneer.

            Joshua raised an eyebrow up, eyeing Hoshi, unable to stand still. “What?”

            DK was still clutching the counter. Straightened up instantly, threw his head back and let out a horrific scream to signalize that he had now caught on as well.

            You covered your ears at his screech. All of the people in the kitchen flinched at the sound. Hoshi stopped his movement at the painfully high pitched notes.

            “What the ?” Woozi yelled, in complete bewilderment, after recovering from what you assumed had to be eardrum damage. “What the !”

            “Don’t use that word.” Hoshi whispered, looking uncomfortable. He turned to Joshua “So you sleep…there?” Hoshi asked Joshua. Joshua looked at you in complete confusion. The chaotic conversation lacked context for him.

            “What’s going on?” Joshua asked, pressing one hand against his ear that was nearest DK.

            “Why didn’t you tell me?” Woozi bellowed. His elbows were pulled back and bent slightly. Wrinkles creasing his forehead and on the bridge of his nose. His eyebrows attracting each other like magnets, lowering down on his eyes.

            “Tell you what?” Joshua said, a look of worry covering his face.

            Hoshi’s look of shock seemed to melt. Hoshi looked at you smiled. “Finally got one? Huh?” Hoshi winked at Joshua, and patted you on the back.   

            Woozi punched Hoshi in the arm forcefully, turning his ignited gaze on him. “Don’t encourage this!” He yelled, gesturing forcefully at you.

            “Hey, don’t it me-“ Hoshi started.

             Joshua turned to you while Hoshi and Woozi were distracted with the bickering. “What happened?” Joshua whispered frantically, his already hoarse voice muffled through the fabric on his sweatshirt. “Did I do something?”

            “They think we, uh. You know.” You nodded your head to the bedroom. “They saw a guy in my bed and assumed the worse.”

            A look of disgust flashed in Joshua’s eyes. “They think that we-? Oh God, no.”

            “I know.” You returned the look of displeasure.

            “Listen guys!” You yelled over Woozi, who was yelling at Hoshi. “Unlike what you guys are assuming, nothing happened.”

            Joshua waved his hands at them, desperately. “Nothing!” He repeated, wincing as if the very idea was painful to him.

            “Don’t pull that on me!” Woozi exclaimed, his face turning red. “You were in her bed!”

            “Dude, you have to trust me that- “

            “You promised me nothing was going on between you two!” Woozi yelled, taking an intimidating step toward him. “I can’t believe you lied to me!”

            “He didn’t lie” You were yelling back now, “Just calm down.”

            Woozi was anything but calm. “You lied to me!” He repeated. “I even asked you-“

            You didn’t see an end to his conversation. Hoshi and DK were standing off to the side. Hoshi was looking at you with a slight hint of pride. While you assumed that DK was too hung-over to care that much. DK grabbed onto Hoshi’s shoulder as he swayed slide to side.

            “If you would just be quiet for one second we can explain it to you.” You yelled.

            “What is there to explain?” Woozi yelled. “You guys were doing it behind closed doors and lying to everyone’s faces about it.” He pulled on his hair, stomping one foot down. “To our faces!”

            You turned to Joshua abruptly. You gave him an apologetic look before you tried to tug on the back of his hoodie. But Joshua’s hand snapped up to hold the front in place, glaring at you with wide eyes. “What are you doing?” Joshua hissed so that only you could hear, panic flooding his eyes.

           You leaned in, your cheek pressing against his, so that you could whisper in his ear. “They need to see.”

            “No, they don’t” He whispered back. Struggling as you jerked on the back of his hoodie trying to reveal, what you assumed was the obvious. But Joshua was stronger, and he was able to successful hold it in place.

            “If you don’t show them, they’ll just continue to think that we are… you know.” You pleaded.

            “I would rather them think that, then see this.” He whispered back stubbornly, a cold look in his eyes. “You promised.” Joshua’s hand snapped to grab onto yours, and pulled them away from his hoodie.

            “Oh God.” Woozi groaned in the background. “What the hell are you-“

            Joshua was pulled off to the side. You stumbled for a minute, missing your support that had been there a second before.

            Woozi had Joshua to his side, one hand clutched into the side of his hoodie. Joshua stood tense at his side, his shoulders slumped. Joshua eyed Woozi’s rapidly rising and falling chest. The veins in Woozi’s neck were popping out now, his face almost completely red.

            You realized how it must’ve looked, a few seconds ago. You standing extremely close to Joshua. The sides of your faces pressed against each other, as you exchanged quick words. You, standing in your tippy toes with both of your arms wrapped around him to rest on the back of his head.  Joshua’s hands then sliding back on top of your yours.

            Everything was going to hell.

            “YOU!” Woozi growled at you , slicing his hand through the air, as if to draw an imaginary barrier.  “Stay away from him!” Woozi shook Joshua by his sleeve.

            Joshua wrangled out of Woozi’s grip.

            “Listen, you are all misunderstanding-“ You started slowly, trying to regain your composure. But your heart was still pulsing in your head.

            “There is no misunderstanding!” Woozi exclaimed, “You two are liars.”

            “Joshua came here last night because he needed help.” You explained desperately. “Nothing else happened.”

            “Josh-”Hoshi droned, looking at Joshua honestly. “Don’t lie to us.”

            Joshua just pulled the fabric of the sweatshirt tighter around his face. His expression dead.

            “I mean I thought you would tell me least! I can’t believe you lied to my face! To my face!” Woozi yelled, glaring at Joshua. In turn, Joshua staring at you to avoid Woozi’s deadly gaze. “We don’t lie to each other, man!”

            “We aren’t lying to you, I promise.” You reassured them, it taking every sense it your body to refrain from yelling at Woozi. “Tell them Joshua.” You nudged him, your eyes locked on Woozi.

           Joshua said nothing.

           You turned to him. “Joshua?”

            Joshua was looking at the ground, now even avoiding your gaze. And you understood. He obviously didn’t want to reinsure your point and inform the guys of the fight he had gotten into. But on the other hand he didn’t want to lie.

            “Josh!” You whispered, tugging at his arm. You knew that your word didn’t carry nearly as much weight with these boys as Joshua’s did. “Say something.” The more time passed, the more suspicious the boys got.

            Joshua didn’t say anything, and silence feel over the kitchen

            “Well, congratulations. I think. “ Hoshi said, giving you the thumbs up, not smiling. But instead looking at Woozi with caution.

            “Why are you congratulating them?” Woozi yelled.

            “Why shouldn’t I?” Hoshi defended himself.

            “Because Joshua has been lying to us the whole time! How many times have we asked him if there was anything going on between them?  How many times? And what? Every time he just lied?” Woozi exclaimed. “And you’re just okay with that?”

            “I mean,” Hoshi shrugged his shoulders looking at Joshua. “I guess? He must’ve had his reasons.” Hoshi patted Joshua on the back. “Whatever has been going on between you two, I trust that-“

            Joshua had too much of this. He walked out the door before Hoshi could finish or  before Woozi could yell at him more. You followed him after him.

            “Why didn’t you tell them?”  You reached him halfway down the hallway, grabbing him by  the end of his shirt and tugging him around.

            “If they knew things would be complicated.” He made an excuse, tearing his arm from your grasp, and continued to power walk. You jogged after him, trying to keep up with his wide legged pace.

            “Things are already complicated whether you tell them or not.” You said loudly as you followed him down the stairs. “You got into a fight Josh!”

            “Yea, and I discovered I’m not very good at them apparently.” He spat bitterly, grabbing at his lower abdomen. With every step down, he let out a grunt. His face getting more and more tense with each step.  But he didn’t slow down his pace.

            “Who did you get in a fight with? And why?” You begged, trying to squeeze any information out of him. “I never thought you were the type to get into fights.”

            “I’m not.” He said, shooting you a disappointed look. “I was jumped.”

            “By who?!” You half yelled, wrinkles forming in the middle of your forehead.

            “It doesn’t matter.” He dismissed, reaching the end of the steps and approaching the front door. He yanked on the back of his hoodie, and the hood fell off. The collar of it dropping off of his nose.

            “Well it does to me! Come on, tell me.”

            “What happened to your rules?” He spat your words at you.

            “Who cares about the damn rules?” You yelled looking at his battered face, now exposed to the harsh daylight. “Tell me who did this to you!”

            “No.” He denied you bluntly, a cold look on his face.

            “They’re going to find out sooner or later.” You tried to reason with him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

            He brushed your hand off, wincing as you touched him. He looked at you with a serious face, the intensity of his gaze trying to burn a hole through your eyes. “Not if you don’t tell them.” His almost demanded, a touch of pleading in his voice. His eyebrows curving upwards as he said it.

            “You are bruised all over your face, Josh.” You moaned quietly. Looking over his face again. It looked even worse in the daylight. The bruises that were barely visible last night had intensified in their color. The dark purple contrasted harshly against his skin.  The more you looked at it, the  heavier your stomach felt.

            “I’ll tell them I fell.” He made up an excuse.

            “You think they will believe that? Please, they aren’t stupid.” You pleaded again. “Just tell them, Josh! They are your friends!”

            “No.”

            “It will just be worse if don’t tell them. Woozi now thinks that you’ve been lying to him about it for months. And he seems hurt that you lied to him.”

            “He seems angry.” Joshua corrected you.

            “You and I both know that those are one and the same thing when it comes to Woozi.”

            “Just leave me alone.” Joshua spat, pushing on the door and stepping out on to the dirty concrete steps.

           You let him leave. You knew better than anyone that sometimes people just needed to be alone.

           He bounded across the path, jogging quickly. You watched him as he jogged across to the parking lot. When he reached his car, you saw him lean over on the door, forehead pressed up against the side of it, shoulders slumped. One hand pressed painfully to his side, his fingers clutching the fabric. He was breathing heavily. His face contorted in a a grimace, the run to the car apparently too much for him to take in his current state.

            It took him a few moments, to compose himself. Before he got back in the car and drove away. You watched as the car drove away into the mist, hissing at him as he left.

            Why couldn’t he have just told them what was going on? Its just going to made things for difficult later on. And oh God, you didn’t want to face Woozi in this current state.

            Upstairs Woozi was waiting for you. His eyebrows meeting in the center of his forehead, his nose wrinkling up like tin foil. Flashing his teeth at you where he pulled back one side of his mouth, to expose a growl. He stood shoulder width apart, ready to pouch on your as soon as you came back in.

            “What?” You snapped, walking right past him. You didn’t want to get anything from him today. Even though you missed fighting with him, you didn’t want to right now. Your chest still felt heavy at the sight of seeing Joshua’s struggle to the car. You were at a tipping point that you didn’t want to test.

            “I should be the one who is asking the questions.” Woozi said, uncrossing his arms, his hands clenched into tense fists at his sides. The veins popping out from his arms.

            “No, you shouldn’t because I don’t owe you any explanations!.” You spat, spit flying from your mouth.

           “Your defensiveness just shows your guilty!” He sneered. “Just admit you slept with him!” He pointed a accusatory finger at you.

           “If anyone actually cares what I think at this point, I didn’t sleep with him. I don’t even want to! He is my best friend.” You yelled, your composure now cracking. You words kept falling on deaf ears. “Why won’t anyone listen to me?”

           “Because Josh was seen in your bed!”

           “Did anyone notice that I was on the floor? Not in the bed with him.”

           “You could’ve easily fallen off.” Woozi dismissed your argument easily. “I need a smoke.” He hissed, and stormed to the door.

           You yelled after him. “Woozi, please-“

            Woozi stood in the open doorway, he turned himself slightly toward you. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something. But he closed it, a sad smile flickering across his face.

            But a millisecond after it happened it was gone. Woozi sneered at you, grabbed his cigarette pack and slammed the door behind him.           

For all those people who are exicted to see a friendship happen between her and Woozi, don't worry. He doesn't stay mad for long. But this NEEDS to happen in order for that friendship to start...you'll see *wink WINK*

And HOLY CRAP guys this chapter was 13 pages long... and that is on a single spaced doc. So you actaully just read around 26 pages. 

Let me know what you thought in the comments down below, i love to read you're guys reactions! The feedback really drives me.

<3 Author loves you guys!

Fun fact: Whenever the characters are serious about something, or are feeling instense emotions they tend to call Joshua 'Josh' instead.