Author's Note: Don't read this until you've read the previous chapter or else you'll be confused as to why I jumped to this!!

Leo's POV:

            Trembling from both fear and anticipation, I reached for the door knob of the practice room. I had finally been accepted as trainee after months and months of auditions. There had never been an idol group from this company, so I hadn't heard much about the trainees here, if there were any. But who cared about that anyway? They were all going to misunderstand me anyway. They were probably going to be obnoxious and irritating...loud. They wouldn't understand my quiet nature -- my need to keep to himself. Like everyone else around me, they would be intimidated.

            I exhaled and entered.

            It was silence as the boys fooling around froze to stare at me. I bowed, too nervous to smile. Plus my close friends always teased me that I looked scarier when I smiled and I didn't want to terrify everyone. There was an awkward silence that I was all too familiar with. No one knew whether to approach me or run away, so they just did neither. Soon, everyone returned to dancing, warming up, or singing obnoxiously. I breathed in relief. Maybe I'd be able to go through today without someone talking to me and finding me rude because of my shyness.

            As soon as the thought ran through my mind though, a lean, golden brown-skinned male approached me brightly. I stepped back nervously and stared at him, hoping that my assumed angry face would make him turn around. He didn't falter at all. He actually grinned wider and outstretched his hand. He was tall too, a little shorter than me, but at least I was able to see his face without bending down too much.

            "Hi I'm Cha Hakyeon. I'm the oldest trainee here. I've been here for a while." he greeted.

            "J-jung T-taekwoon." I murmured, hoping he didn't catch it or wouldn't care enough to ask for me to repeat it. I shook his hand timidly.

            Hakyeon surprised me once again though. He giggled and firmly kept my hand in his grasp. "I know. I heard a lot about you. You really impressed everyone at auditions! Especially since you were originally a Youth National soccer player. No one expected you could sing too!"

            I bowed again, slipping my hand out of his friendly grasp. I didn't know what else to say and I was never good at keeping up conversation. It seemed this Hakyeon guy was the total opposite -- chatty, bright, outgoing. He would get bored in a few seconds. He'd leave me alone soon enough. He wouldn't want anything to do with me. That's how it always happened anyway.

            "Wanna do splits??" Hakyeon grinned warmly.

            I simply stared at him, surprised at his question.

            "Now?" I questioned. He must've been joking.

            "Oh. Wait. Before, we do splits, when's your birthday?" he asked seriously.

            What a weird question.

            "I'm a 90 liner."

            "Oh?" his eyes widened and twinkled. "Me too! Chingu, chingu!"

            He was so ecstatic that I couldn't help but blush out of embarrassment. It wasn't something to be enthusiastic about.

            "What month and date though? We have to establish who's the technical hyung." he squinted at me playfully. "I was born the end of June."

            "Beginning of November." I exhaled.

            "Oh? Good, so I'm still older." he chuckled. "That would've been awkward if I was the self-claimed leader and younger than you."

            "I would've given it to you regardless." I chuckled, whispering it more to myself. It was ridiculous to think that Hakyeon was threatened about me wanting the leadership position.

            Hakyeon smiled at me warmly, as if he was really trying to memorize my face. It made me feel weird. Only my mother really looked at me with such kind eyes.

            "Well come on then, let's do splits! Ravi is tall enough but not as flexible so he's not a good partner." he pouted and grabbed my wrist, dragging me to the middle of the practice room.

            I scoffed in disbelief. He was really serious about splits.

            "Yah!" another tall trainee wearing cut off sleeves and beanie whined in the corner. I assume that was Ravi then.

            Hakyeon sat down quietly and gestured firmly for me to join him. There was such a demanding presence behind that kind face that I had no choice but to do what he said. He reached for my hands to pull him forward, but he formed a straight line with his legs and fell forward so easily, I wondered if he really needed me to help him.

            My eyes widened in awe and I raised my eyebrow questioningly. Hakyeon laughed out loud at my reaction.

            "Guess I don't need much work on my splits huh?"

            I felt my lips turn up slightly. This Cha Hakyeon was a very interesting guy.

~

            Naturally, we just were drawn together as the eldest two out of the trainees, and our opposing personalities balanced each other out within the team. He was a fantastic dancer. I was a skilled singer. I was quiet; he was obnoxiously loud. I was introverted; he was extroverted. He took care of the public image of VIXX, while I tended to the members to ease that burden from him too. I cooked and cleaned with the help of Hongbin. He was the leader and I was his eyes and ears. While the members fooled around, I always kept a close eye. We made a fantastic pair.

            Outside of the team, we were close friends and roommates. Since the beginning, he had always been there to translate for me when I was too shy or just plain too tired to speak in front of the cameras. His constant presence by my side also allowed the other trainees and the current members to approach me with ease. He would instruct them about how I was right away. But it was never with a tired or sarcastic voice, it was tone full of accomplishment and pride that he understood me. In a way, it reminded me of a mother explaining to other children to treat his son well. Strangely, it warmed my heart. He always looked at me with the same gentle expression as he did when we first met. He never got tired of having to translate. He never got tired of my silence. He seemed to just get me, without needing me to say anything. He knew when I was okay with the children's teasing, but he also knew when I was almost to my breaking point. He knew what I really hated and what I pretended to hate because of my shy nature.

            Looking back on it, it was really easy to fall in love with someone like Cha Hakyeon. Someone who had all the amazing qualities that I could only dream of possessing. He was everything I couldn't be. I truly admired him. He was bright and people naturally were drawn to his extroverted personality, charm, and overflowing confidence. He was a strong leader, a warm and caring friend, and passionate, outspoken person. He put me at ease and just having him by my side, calling me his "life-long" friend... it made me feel more confident that someone like him saw value in befriend someone like me.

            When did I fall for him? Well honestly... I think I fell for him slowly. As we got to know each other better, got to see more sides of each other, I fell deeper and deeper. I guess you can say there were different moments where I realized the depth of my feelings over and over again.

~

            It was one of the days where we had been practicing for hours with no debut in sight. Everyone relieved their stress by fooling around and conversing while I sat in the corner and listened to music to recharge. I could see them all murmuring and cackling from where I was so I just closed my eyes to really escape from the noise. After a few minutes, I felt something hit me and I was brought back to reality. I glared at the curious eyes across the room. My gaze fell on Hakyeon who was looking bashful for once, an uncommon expression for him. Ravi was gesturing behind him to take my earphones out, so I did. The others nudged Hakyeon forward a little and he tilted his feet on its sides, a nervous tic of his that I figured out.

            I looked at him questioningly, wondering what was happening now.

            "T-taekwoonie..." he mumbled

            I blinked twice, confused if I had heard him correctly.

            "C-can I call you Taekwoonie?" he muttered, now twiddling his fingers together and looking at me pleadingly.

            My cheeks warmed a bit and my heartbeat quickened. He knew I had a soft spot when he used that look. I averted my gaze, trying to keep my composure.

            "Mm." I vocalized my consent. I liked the nickname. It was cute, and I felt closer to him.

            "Really??" his voice louder and coming back to life.

            I glanced over and nodded. He grinned widely and clapped his hands excitedly. "Yayy Taekwoonie~"

            I hurriedly pushed my earphones back into my ears to avoid being embarrassed more than I already was. My cheeks were on fire. I closed my eyes, trying to regain my inner peace. What was Cha Hakyeon anyway??

~

            I always tried hard not to smile or laugh around the others. I thought I had gotten the hang of it. But this new trainee, Lee Jaehwan entered the practice room looking like he came out of a manhwa book and started blabbering about things that didn't add up. I couldn't hold it in and just immediately burst out laughing at his lame impressions of animals. Jaehwan grinned at me, probably proud that someone found him amusing albeit for different reasons. All my fellow trainees turned to gawk at me and I quickly turned my head towards the wall and covered my face to hide my fits of laughter.

            Later on, Hakyeon approached me as we were packing up for the day. He nudged my hip with his and patted my back gently as he usually did.

            "You should smile more often." he smiled warmly.

            I blushed and burned my eyes into my backpack, trying to avoid those kind eyes.

             "My close friends said I looked scary when I did..." I murmured.

             "Ey... you know why they said that?" he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

            "Why?" I glanced over at him.

             "Cause you're even more attractive when you smile. They probably compete with that or they were afraid they were going to fall for you!"

            "What nonsense..." I blushed and bent my head forward to hide my red face. Hakyeon's laughter filled my stomach with butterflies.

~

            "Taekwoonie?" Hakyeon whispered from two trainees away. It was lights out but I was scrolling through my Ipod, picking my lullaby playlist for the night.

            "Hm?" I answered.

            "I can't sleep." he sat up.

            I chuckled. "Cause of the horror movie?"

            Even if it was dark, I could see his eyes glisten from the tears he just shed. I couldn't sleep because he had been clinging onto my arm and using my shoulder as a shield the entire time.

            I exhaled and stood up.

            "Where are you going?" he sounded nervous as I marched to the door.

            "I'm going to get you warm milk."

            "Don't leave me alonee." he whined.

            I sighed. "Don't be a baby."

            He pouted and stood up, covering himself in his blankets still.

            "Cute." I whispered to myself.

            "Hm?" he questioned as he tiptoed to me.

            "Nothing." I quickly replied. "Come on then."

            He smiled and reached for my wrist to guide him through the darkness. My heart once again thumped against my chest at the contact. I warmed him milk in a mug and then we sat in our empty living room in silence. I wasn't sure how to comfort him. I didn't even pay attention to half of the movie because of him and the other half was hysterical because of Jaehwan's pterodactyl screams.

            "You think we'll ever debut?" Hakyeon broke the silence with the daunting question that had been constantly on our minds these days.

            "I don't know." I answered honestly.

            Hakyeon glanced at his mug.

            "Sorry." I muttered. Maybe I should've lied.

            "It's okay." he smiled. "I like your honesty. And I'm glad we're on the same page."

            I hesitated then spoke, "Are you happy?"

            "Hm?" he glanced at me.

            "Right now, pursuing this. Are you happy?" I repeated.

            He smiled and nodded. "Mhm. I'm happy."

            "Then that's all that matters." I stated. "I'm chasing the dream of singing on stage. I'm learning new skills that take me one step closer to it. I'm going to keep improving and working hard so that there'll be no doubt I'm going to stand on stage."

            Hakyeon grinned and nudged me with his elbow. "Will I be on stage with you in your dream?"

            I nodded. "Of course."

            He glanced at me, expecting me to refuse or deny it. I looked over at his silence.

            "What?"

            He studied my face and I averted my eyes shyly.

            "What." I stated again more seriously.

            He smiled and slid closer to me so that our shoulders were touching.

            "Taekwoonie~ let's stand on stage together okay?"

            I nodded and smiled slightly. That night, I wished so much that Hakyeon and I would be able to debut together.

~

            "Taekwoonie!!" Hakyeon burst into tears after the 6 members were chosen to debut together.

            He ran into my arms and sobbed. I relaxed and patted his back softly, afraid of smacking his lean body too hard.

            "We did it." he cried, finally relieving the stress of the past few months.

            "I don't know why you were so nervous, you were a shoo-in." I chuckled.

            He smacked my arm but kept his head in my chest. "I know that! I was worried about you!"

            I grumbled and tried to shove him off me, irritated. He tightened his grip around my waist and sniffled.

            "I'm so happy Taekwoonie. I'm so happy."

            I smiled and glanced around at the other four that would be my team.

            I was happy too. Hakyeon and I were guaranteed to be together for a long time now. We would continue to chase our dreams side by side as we've been doing. I was so grateful and relieved.

~

            I gawked as I stepped into the dance practice room and Hakyeon was wearing a loose shirt that rose up as he danced to reveal his flat, neatly toned stomach. Sweat trickled down his face slowly as he stared at his own reflection with his y, confident charisma. He was practicing his solo dance performance for our first concert and he was not sparing any of his dance skills. His body moved elegantly and fiercely all at once. This was the Cha Hakyeon that no one had seen yet. He was always marking the dance steps lightly (albeit accurately) during practice and the members were too focused on their own parts to watch anyone else. This was the Cha Hakyeon that demanded everyone's eyes to be on him, to be mesmerized, to be seduced, to truly see that he belonged up on stage, performing. There was never a doubt for me that he was born to shine and what I witnessed confirmed that belief even more. I didn't notice that I was standing at the doorway with my mouth gaping as I watched him dance intently. The song ended and Hakyeon's eyes soon found me through the mirror. The way his eyes lit up, the way he turned around excitedly even though he had seen me just a few hours ago, and the way he called my name, all excited my body. This was when I finally came to terms with myself that I was madly in love with my best friend, my "life-long" friend, my leader, and the person that was most out of my reach.

~

            Hakyeon sobbed as he entered the hospital room. I rolled my eyes at his dramatic reaction.

            "Taekwoonie." he wailed as he ran to my bedside.

            "I'm just in a leg cast Hakyeon-ah." I stated and showed him. "I'm not dying."

            "B-but..." he blubbered. "Does it hurt? Can I do something?"

            I chuckled and ruffled his hair, "Just stay still."

            "Do you want food? I bought food? Do you need your pillows fluffed?" He rambled anxiously.

            I grabbed his hand to calm him down. "I'm fine. Just sit still."

            He frowned and I squeezed his hand firmly to show I was serious. He sighed and nodded. I gestured for him to sit at the end of my feet on the bed. He simply smiled and sat on the edge of the bed beside me, placing his hand on top of mine as I had done to him a few seconds before.

~

            There were many times where I wanted to confess, but I never had any confidence in myself. I was never good with words in the first place and I didn't want to ruin something good by being selfish.

            Hakyeon's other dream was to have his own radio show to DJ. When that came true, I had rushed home at his text telling me he had urgent news. I was out that day drinking with BTOB's Eunkwang so I tipsily stumbled into the kitchen, wondering if Hakyeon was okay. But first, I needed water. Hakyeon burst into the kitchen at the sound of my footstep. All the kids were out so it was comfortably just us two. "I HAVE MY OWN RADIO SHOW!" he exclaimed and began talking about the details at the speed of light. My mind wasn't processing everything as fast as it should've and it was getting overwhelmed.

            "Hakyeon-ah." I exhaled and reached for him. "Slow. Down."

            But Hakyeon was too hyper and elated that he slowed for a split second then took off with his story again. I closed my eyes. I wanted to understand. I wanted to hear his story. Gosh, he looked so adorable when he was excited. Why couldn't he just slow down? I reached my breaking point and was completely overwhelmed so my body acted before my mind had a time to encourage or reprimand it. I roughly leaned forward and kissed him square on the lips to shut him up. A second later, my brain sent an SOS signal, realizing what it had done.

            I hurriedly stepped back, terrified. "I-I'm sorry!"

            Then I ran to my room, jumping under my covers, wishing I had a deeper hole to crawl into. Should I hide underneath my bed?

            Soon after, Hakyeon slipped into the room.

            I felt my bed dip as he sat down next to my huddled body, full of fear and embarrassment.

             "Do it again." Hakyeon stated.

            I froze. Was I hearing things? Was I dreaming?

            "What?" I murmured from under my covers.

            "I want you to kiss me again. I wasn't ready."

            "What?" I sat up, surprised. It shouldn't surprise me anymore that Hakyeon's responses were never what I expected them to be.

            "I've been wanting to kiss you for so long and I wasn't ready! I want a do-over!" he complained.

            "What in the wor--" I started but was cut off by his soft lips pressing against mine.

            I stiffened, wondering if this was a hallucination, but Hakyeon slid a gentle hand onto the side of my face. Naturally my body relaxed, and deepened the kiss. When we parted, I was dizzy and giddy. I chuckled and bent my head down shyly. Hakyeon grinned widely and slid under my sheets beside me.

            "Now you can't get rid of me easily ~" he hummed as he forced my arm around his shoulder and he embraced my waist, resting his head on my chest.

            I smiled contently, "Chukahe."

            Hakyeon closed his eyes and fell asleep, but I stayed awake too high off of our shared kisses. I rubbed his arm, feeling his tender skin and tracing every vein that jumped out to ruin the smoothness.

            "Sleep Taekwoonie~" he murmured as he tightened his hug around me.

            "Hm." I closed my eyes and listened to his light breathing, studied his heartbeat, and memorized the way his body fit perfectly underneath my arm.

             I was deeply and madly in love with Cha Hakyeon.

~

            But neither of us confessed. I thought my actions spoke clearly, and I had thought similarly of Hakyeon's, but doubts surfaced when we saw less and less of each other. Hakyeon was busy with a drama, being a MuCore emcee, a radio DJ, and another DJ for Sukira. So I agreed to promoting as VIXX LR, not wanting to sit idly by while he worked so hard. What I thought was a romantic tale of us working towards our dreams side by side, turned out to be a nightmare filled with confusion and doubts. Whenever one of us were stressed, whenever we briefly saw each other, we would be physically intimate. Sometimes he'd slip into my bed after his late night DJ recordings and pass out. Sometimes, when I had to wake up early to produce or go to the gym, I'd steal a kiss and make him smile. I'd make him breakfast and lay it out in the room. Sometimes he'd come visit me in my producing studio and kiss me deeply. He'd say he missed me and that he wished we weren't so busy. I really hoped the same, but the seed of doubt had been planted. Did Hakyeon really feel the same? Or was he just doing this to relieve stress? Was he confused? How could such an amazing man fall in love with a boring one full of depressing lyrics?

            When I started promoting with Ravi as VIXX LR, naturally we became close. Since Hakyeon wasn't at the dorm as often, the kids looked to me as their caretaker and guidance. I got closer with them. I also prepared hard so that I would be bolder during interviews. I wanted to show Hakyeon that there was more to me, so maybe he would fall for me as much as I had fallen for him.  I spoke up more, played around with the others more, and spent more time doing what Hakyeon would've done if he was there. I missed him dearly.

            His load lightened up and I had hoped things could go back to how they used to. But he accepted the CEO's offer to be the dance instructor to the new female trainees. Then one night, he came home and started talking about this adorable trainee who would become his prodigy. The first day of the trainees' dance practice, I made sure to get to Jellyfish early so I could check this girl out. With my luck, I bumped into her accidentally in the hallway and immediately, I felt a pang of jealousy at her beauty and her quirkiness. She seemed sweet as well, and seemed to be Hakyeon's type as per his interview answers.

            At that moment, I regretted never asking Hakyeon about his real feelings and whether he was straight, gay, or bi-ual. Was what we had just out of curiosity? Was it just a fling? A stress relief? Was I the only one who felt it was something more?

Author's Note: Finally ~ This was a pretty lengthy update :) as I said, I wanted to really take the time to do justice for Neo's love story flashback! Sorry it took awhile though >< I hope you enjoyed! Writing this made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside (at least until the end lol) As always thank you for subscribing and awaiting my updates.

Also - VIXX COMEBACK APRIL 19TH GAHHH! Will it be a dark or cute concept? Dundundun... I for one think (and hope) it'll be a Dark concept XP What do you guys think? And who else is happy about seeing VIXX OT6 back together again? T_T