The rain cascaded down on the world with explosive force, filling every crevice of silence with a noise like a thoroughly impressed full-house audience. It washed away the salt that had kept the cities moving during the icy months, leaving odd lumps of grit in slowly dissolving heaps on the side of roads. Everything was greys and browns but for the few green buds where life poked its head up to make sure the winter was over. For miles around there was a layer of umbrellas keeping the people of the cities mostly dry.

Youngjae grumbled and pulled his coat tighter over his arm cast. He hadn't even bothered to try to get it on properly after weeks of wrestling with sweaters and t shirts, he just let it drape across his shoulders like a cloak. It didn't matter too much, now he was under the shelter of the train station, but he'd struggled to keep the cast try when he'd headed off to catch his train.

The crowds of people that surged everywhere during the late months had dissipated and by this point it didn't matter which train he caught. But he had to wait. He had to get this train.

The train slowed to a stop, screeching over the sound of rain on metal and filling his nostrils with the familiar stench of hot engines and oil. His hair ruffled about his face and he had to cling on to his coat to stop the tail wind from blowing it off. The doors opened with that same click-hiss and he stepped on.

“Youngjae?”

“Dae-” Youngjae began as he spotted the familiar face, before he was cut off by a suffocating hug that squeezed his bruised ribs and crushed his arm between their chests. “Daehyun! My arm! My ribs! Please let go!” He managed to wheeze out.

The older stood back immediately, eyes wide and shining where tears were building up. “Youngjae. Oh my God, Youngjae, you're back. I didn't think I'd see you again. I thought you'd...” He didn't finish, instead gulping down his words. A frown creased his brow. “What happened to you? Are you okay.”

“I'll be fine in a minute once my horrendous injuries recover from your attack. Move over, let me sit down.”

Daehyun guided the injured boy to a chair, who sat down with a relieved expression. On closer inspection, Daehyun realised, Youngjae was sitting slightly askew as though worried about leaning on one side too much. His leg, on the same side as the arm, was stretched out before him like it couldn't bend easily.

“Youngjae, what the hell happened? You look awful.”

“Wow, I must bad considering you look like you haven't slept in weeks.”

“Youngjae.” Daehyun frowned a little.

The younger opened his mouth to make another remark, but at Daehyun's stern watery-eyed look he decided to give it a miss. “We got together during results day and went out to celebrate. There was ice everywhere and we kept falling over, and it didn't help we were kinda tipsy. Anyway, we go to cross a road and all my friends run ahead, and I'm just behind them and I slip up on this huge sheet of ice I didn't even see. I just...” He mimed walking along a street and falling over with his hands.

“You got these injuries from falling over?”

“No, let me finish.” Youngjae gave Daehyun's head a playful flick, knocking some of the hair from his eyes. “So I'm lying there on the floor and this car comes around the corner. The driver doesn't see me because I'm on the ground and I'm trying to stand up but I can't because it's so slippery. My friends rush over trying to warn the guy in the car but by the time he's hitting the breaks it's too late and his wheels are all on the ice and...” Youngjae gestured to his injured side. “I was in hospital for ages because they thought I might have taken a bad hit to the head, but I was okay in the end.”

“Yeah, there's not much a hit to the head could do to you that hadn't already been done,” Daehyun teased before he could stop himself.

“I nearly die and this is what I get? This mistreatment?” Youngjae huffed and tried to cross his arms, then winced.

“All right, you're right. I mean, you're left- considering your right side is-” He cut himself off at Youngjae's glare, “Okay, I'm stopping!”

“You're unbelievable.”

“Hey, I'm sorry for being an . I'm glad you're okay. It didn't even occur to me that you might have got hurt. Ah, I'm such an idiot. But you can't have been in hospital this entire time?”

“Nah, puppy boy convinced diva guy to drive me home until I was good to walk longer distances. He's not so annoying once you get to know him, the diva guy I mean. Honestly once he dropped the whole 'better-than-you' thing it was like having my mother dote on me every five minutes. Puppy boy gets a better deal than I thought, turns out once the diva likes you he'll do whatever just to make sure you're happy.”

Daehyun smiled a little, imagining the younger being carried around on a throne. “It's good to know you were being looked after.”

Youngjae glanced at him on hearing his soft tone. “If you didn't think I'd been hurt or something, where did you think I was all this time?”

Daehyun dropped his eyes down to his lap and fiddled with his hands. “I don't know... I just...” He shifted nervously, before a thought struck him. “Oh! I, um, I got you the gift like I said I would, but...”

Youngjae raised an eyebrow as Daehyun rummaged in his pocket and produced a filthy, battered envelope. His gaze settled on the words on the front.

“To Youngjae, well done, Daehyun.” he read, and he left a pause as his gaze lingered on the 'x'. “Wow, you really have a way with words. What a speech.”

“Shut up,” Daehyun grumbled, “It doesn't matter any more, the date's passed.”

“The date? What are you talking about?” Youngjae reached over and snapped the envelope from Daehyun's hands, fumbling for a moment as he broke through the seal with only one set of fingers free. Two crumpled pieces of card slid out and onto his lap. He picked one up and stared.

“Yeah, like I said, they're not really... in effect any more.”

“You bought two tickets to see Starlight Express as a gift for me?”

“Yeah... I figured since it was about trains and... You do musical theatre...”

“This was for a performance weeks ago!”

“Yeah. I didn't get them to you on time...”

“Daehyun you can't just buy people tickets without asking them! What if I had been busy? What if I hated that musical? What if I was going with someone else already, like my family? What if, as it actually did, something unexpected happened and I couldn't go?” Daehyun squirmed under Youngjae's critical gaze and the younger's expression softened. “That was really sweet of you, Daehyun. Thanks for the thought, even though it didn't work out.”

“You mean that?”

“Of course I mean it. It would have been really nice.” He looked down at the tickets, running his fingers around the battered corners, “But, why didn't you go? You could have taken someone else with you?”

Daehyun glanced away, not able to meet Youngjae's eyes. “It wouldn't have been the same. If it wasn't with you, I mean. It wouldn't have the same meaning.”

“Oh...”

They both fell quiet, neither sure what to say next. The journey continued on while Daehyun fiddled with his over-grown hair and Youngjae fiddled with the expired tickets.

“Did you do it?” Daehyun eventually asked.

“Do what?”

“Your resolution?” There was a silence between them and Daehyun gave in to turn his head towards Youngjae. “Did you confess?”

Youngjae's expression was something Daehyun couldn't quite fathom. He blinked at Daehyun in confusion, brow creased a little and looking at him like he'd asked if he'd asked him if he'd taken up surgery as a hobby.

“No, Daehyun. I didn't confess,” he answered slowly, as though Daehyun would know this.

“Oh. Why?” Daehyun tried to keep his tone light, and failed miserably.

“Because... You asked me not to. So... I figured it wasn't what you wanted...” Youngjae continued to look at him like he'd sprouted a second head.

“So... Has anyone confessed to you?”

“No...”

“Okay...”

They both sat in silence for some time. The train trundled on and the sky got darker. The last passenger got off at the stop before Youngjae's, leaving the two boys alone. It's now or never, Daehyun told himself and took a deep breath, before turning to the younger.

“Youngjae, there's something I need to tell you,” He said quickly, gripping onto his nerve before it slipped away.

“Um, okay?” Youngjae blinked at him.

Daehyun took a deep breath. “I didn't want you to confess because it scared me too much,” Youngjae was frowning at him disapprovingly but he kept on, “I know we only know each other from catching the train home and I know that we technically haven't known each other that long and this is the only time we're ever spending time together but,” he paused and clenched his hands in his lap, then reached out and put one hand on Youngjae's as he looked the younger in the eyes. “Listen, Youngjae, I really like you. A lot. More than I thought I did. And this time without you I couldn't bare to think of never seeing you again. I was miserable when I didn't have you to look forward to at the end of the day. Please... Please accept my feelings.”

Youngjae stared at him in stunned silence before saying, “You told me not to confess, just so you could confess first?”

Daehyun dropped his gaze, “I couldn't bear the thought of you confessing to someone else.” Just as he moved to pull his hand away, Youngjae was grabbing hold of it like it was the only thing keeping him alive.

“Daehyun, you idiot! I wasn't going to confess to someone else!”

Daehyun looked up at him, confused. “What?”

“I was going to confess to you!”

“You... You were?” Daehyun asked, face heating up.

“Yes.” Youngjae replied awkwardly, face reddening as well.

“Oh.” Daehyun's voice was quiet, then, “Oh! I understand now! When I said you shouldn't confess-”

“I thought you were rejecting me!”

“Oh, Oh God I'm so stupid. I'm so stupid, Youngjae, I'm so sorry. I thought I was better at understanding people than this.”

“You're not stupid. I should've made it more clear.” He laced their fingers together, a small smile playing around his mouth.

Daehyun could have melted like the ice earlier that year. “S-so... So we're good, yeah?”

“I think we're a little bit more than good,” Youngjae laughed, and shifted to rest himself against Daehyun, head on his shoulder. The musky smell of the older boy brought him back to the time he'd fallen asleep on him.

Daehyun let himself relax against the other, resting his head on top of Youngjae's and quietly revelling in the softness of his hair and the sweet smell of the product he'd used. He'd never felt more whole in his entire life.

“Daehyun?” Youngjae asked, voice soft and cradling the name like he'd never done before.

“Yeah?” He replied, still thoroughly immersed in the warmth of the other.

“What happened to the undercut?”

“Huh?”

“Your new years resolution was to cut your hair. But your hair looks... Well, it's grown.”

Daehyun snorted a little, “It looks awful, I know. But.. I don't know why, but I thought if I didn't cut my hair and do my resolution, then somehow you wouldn't do your resolution either.”

“That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.”

“Harsh.” Daehyun frowned a little.

“But I guess it worked, in some way. But please, get it cut soon. It looks terrible and I miss seeing your face properly.”

Daehyun laughed a little and nuzzled the younger, “Okay, I'll get it cut.”

As they laughed together and cuddled, the train began to slow down.

“Ah, this is my stop.” Youngjae placed a quick kiss on Daehyun's cheek and stood up, not noticing the way the older's face went pink in surprise. “I'll see you tomorrow. Please see if you can get those tickets refunded, and please for the love of God get a hair cut.”

“Wow, less than an hour in and you're already demanding these things.”

“Shut up.” Youngjae grinned as he said it, and stepped off the train. He stood on the station and waved to Daehyun who waved back, and blew a kiss the train pulled away. They continued to watch each other until they were out of view.

Daehyun leaned back in his chair and let out a long content sigh. He pulled at his coat and inhaled, the faint smell of Youngjae coming back to him. His hand was still warm where Youngjae's fingers had been. His cheek tingled with the lingering feeling of the kiss.

His expression dropped and he hit himself on the forehead. I didn't ask for his number! He shook his head at his own mistake and ran a hand through his hair. Tomorrow he would definitely nt mess up.

Tomorrow.