Aron was still angry over the whole apartment incident, and embarrassed when he found out that Minhyun paid for a replacement window. The two of them argued a bit over it, with Aron being adamant that he was just wouldn't let the workmen in and Minhyun steadfast in that it was already paid, he couldn't take it back. JR sat back and let them bicker about it: he didn't think there was going to be any changing Minhyun's mind, and he figured Aron would cave sooner or later.

He had told them the story, about how Dongho had knocked on the door and gotten Aron to open it by saying he had a postal package: apparently he had been dressed as a worker and Aron was embarrassed to say he had fallen for it. It hadn't been much of a fight, he admitted: Dongho had simply grabbed his shirt, Aron punched him, and then he was on the floor with Dongho on his back. He didn't remember much after that and JR could assume he had been knocked out.

Even throughout order-in pizza and ice cream, JR couldn't take his mind off of their captive and what he had said to him. Finally, after listening to the bickering between the others, he excused himself to the bathroom... and continued past it, to the gym.

Pushing open the door, he found Dongho awake and looking right at him with barely concealed anger. "Oh ho, the pretty boy," he groused as JR closed the door behind him, but JR didn't rise to the taunt. Instead he crossed to sit on the floor in front of Dongho, being sure to stay out of reach of the other's thick legs.

They sat in the silence and studied one another for a long moment before JR's gaze dropped to Dongho's broken leg. Or at least, formerly broken: it had obviously healed though JR thought it would probably be like his shoulder had been the day prior, and still sore. "I'm sorry," he began, but before he could elaborate, Dongho cut him off.

"Oh please, like I wouldn't break both your legs and your face if I could get free!" He flexed once as if to try and pull free of the cables, but JR could see red sore spots on his wrists where he had obviously been trying for a while - and failing.

JR leveled him a steady look. "I'm sorry for what I said. I shouldn't have been baiting you like that. I know how it feels and I... I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

A flash of surprise showed on Dongho's face before he buried it under uncaring, but JR had seen it. "Whatever. I don't care what you say, words don't hurt."

JR's lips twisted in a small smile and he shook his head slowly. "'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.' You know, I always thought that was backwards. Words hurt the most. People, especially us, can heal from broken bones, but words stay in our minds for a long time." When Dongho didn't respond right off, JR continued, hopeful that the other man was listening. "The very last thing my father said to me was that he loved me. That's one of those things that will stick with me forever." He ducked his head and scrunched his nose in an effort to keep from crying, and when he looked back up, he found Dongho watching him closely now. "And so I'm sorry for what I said. I don't know you, I didn't know your family. It's not my right to bring them up. But... if you ever want to talk, I'm a pretty good listener."

"Ha," Dongho said humorlessly, letting his head fall back against the wall. "You ought to be a cop, you're good at playing the good one. What do you have, a recorder in your pocket to tape everything I say/ You're not getting a confession out of me."

JR shook his head, a frown making it's unfamiliar way onto his face. "No, I - forget it," he said, scrambling to his feet and turning toward the door.

"I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt," Dongho called as JR's hand fell on the handle. "I really didn't."

Uncertain of why he felt the need to be kind, JR lowered his hand and turned back toward Dongho to study him. His parents had always told him that people only live up to the expectations set for them; if they were low expectations, then why bother trying to outdo tho