You may think, at this point, that our lovely boys were in a relationship so nice and perfect. But that's a mistake.

One day, when Hakyeon was a dance major freshman, and Taekwoon was on the second year of his career, they decided to go for a walk, just chatting and giggling, on the road to Hakyeon's place, where a celebration waited for them. Their parents already knew about their relationship, and yes, they blessed it. So Taekwoon had to be at the family meeting. Or hell would be unleashed, he thought.

"Taekwoon ah, we should call Hongbinnie and Hyukkie. Maybe we could go somewhere else after the dinner." Hakyeon was happy, so so happy. He knew that his nephew was going to be at his place, and a little happy kid means a little happy Taekwoon. His smile was shining, and he felt like floating with the idea. He loved how much Taekwoon loved kids. And puppies. And kittens. Any baby living being, actually. "Or I don't know, just the two of us? It's the first time in years we have the night for ourselves~"

"Hmmm" was the only answer. Hakyeon laughed, and Taekwoon looked at him. Something was off in his expression, but N couldn't said exactly what. "They had a tournament or something."

"Oh, right! They had to play that League-of-I-Don't-Know-What. That means is only us. Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know. Wherever you like".

Taekwoon stopped walking when Hakyeon's face got a weird expression. He cupped his face with his hands, and gently, caressed his lovely cheeks, waiting for a response. A beautiful smile crossed N lips when his eyes closed because of the warmth of Leo's hands. Those touches give him life. Taekwoon wasn't fond of touching, but he would always comfort him kindly.

"Hey, I really don't know" Leo continued. Hakyeon looked at him, feeling that 'something off' a little bit stronger on his voice. "Where do you want to go? We always do what you want, anyway."

They looked each other for a while, quiet, until Hakyeon took the other's hands with his own, and gently, put them down. His face said that he was looking for the exact words, but that seemed to be really hard when Taekwoon looked that... annoyed? No, that was not the word. Exhausted. Yeah, exhausted. Hakyeon was thinking what would made this little kitten get tired and grumpy, and the party popped up in his mind.

"Hey, you know that you don't have to come to my house if you don't want to, right?" Bingo. Taekwoon's expression betrayed him. His eyes opened a little bit more that the usual, before avoiding his gaze; the floor was really interesting, maybe. "You just had to said so, you silly. I know how they are, it's okay. I'll see you when I'm done, at ten I think. I'll go to your house and then we can watch a movie or something."

Hakyeon was awfully calmed. That made Taekwoon anxious. Hakyeon being calm when just a second ago his smile was shining, always made Taekwoon anxious. He just felt a little bit uncomfortable around the family, and Hakyeon never asked him if he wanted to go, in the first place. Leo was still working on overcome his shyness, and it was not easy around the family of someone like N.

"Hakyeon..." he just whispered when the other let go of his hands. His eyes were cold, and his lips formed a little curve. Not a fake one, not a dramatic one. Just a little pout full of sadness. "I'm sorry. You never asked me so I couldn't tell you."

"But--- let's just do as I say. We can talk about this later."

"Hey, hey. If you really want me there I'll go, take it easy." Taekwoon said a little bit agitated. "It's just that I don't want you to be upset if I am not too friendly."

"Don't. Please don't argue with me on this saying that it's about how quiet you are, when I have never asked you or even expected you to get cozy with my aunts and cousins. Don't insult me with a stupid lie." As Hakyeon talked, his expression was dead as he was wearing a mask. Not even his eyes showed what was going on inside his head. "Talk to you later" he resumed and continued his walking.

Leo just stood there for a while, waiting for one single glance and a smile, as usual when they separated their ways. It didn't happened. Hakyeon disappeared from his gaze, and just then Taekwoon knew how important those little things were.

When Hakyeon arrived to Taekwoon's house, he was sitting in the entrance, hugging his own knees. He was like a little child, Hakyeon said to himself, as he just sitted next to him and kissed his hair. He wasn't angry nor sad anymore. The dancer just wanted to talk with his boyfriend. So first comes first, he had to make sure that he was fine. When Taekwoon looked at him, a little bit surprised, he just smiled and caressed his pale chin. He was so pale, or Hakyeon was too dark skinned? He didn't know, but the contrast was perfect. All the contrast between them was perfect.

"The dinner was okay. When I told my parents that you would not come, they were disappointed so I had to lie. You have an stomachache until notice, okay?" Another smile, and Leo was ready to talk, when Hakyeon put a finger on his lips. "No, just listen."

"Yeon. You are cold. Let's go inside." Taekwoon said anyway. His boyfriend nodded, and hand to hand, they entered the place. Of course, Hakyeon took the time to greet Taekwoon's parents and sisters before go upstairs. It was the first time that Taekwoon noticed how hard Hakyeon's hands shaked when talking to his family, by the way.

Once in the bedroom, Hakyeon drop himself on his boyfriend's bed, hugging one of his pillows. The place was so like him, that it made N feels as he was right inside Taekwoon's soul. He was, actually, engraved in that soul, but he didn't know it yet. Taekwoon placed himself on the floor, and rested his chin on the mattress, so he could look N right into his eyes. He was really ashamed of himself, and couldn't find the words to excuse his childish behavior. Not when Hakyeon look at him that way, with so much love.

"I'm not angry, Woonie, I'm just worried. " Hakyeon mumbled, knowing that raise his voice was unnecessary. "If my family has misbehaved with you, you have to tell me. They are a little overprotective with me, you know it, but I won't allow them to be rude with you. You are my partner and they have to respect that."

Taekwoon sighed, and kissed his sun's nose. The chuckle that he heard lifted his spirits a little bit.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." He whispered, his cheeks blushing to Hakyeon's surprise. He only blushed when he was . And now he wasn't... right? "It's not that they were rude or something; actually they are really kind to me. It's just that a thing it's dealing with your parents, and another, with the rest of your family. The last time I saw your uncles they asked me how was gay , who was the woman of the relationship, and how we were supossed to have a family if that meant a male and a female involved. I got so angry. I know that those questions were born from curiosity, no harm, but damn. I don't know how I escaped that time. I didn't know if I could manage it again."

The shining on Hakyeon's eyes was different that time. It only took him a seconds, and he was already crying, so ashamed that he covered his face with his hands. When his parents knew about Taekwoon, they cherished them, and seemed to love that silent guy who always helped in the kitchen or drove their child home when his practices finished too late. But his family was bigger than his parents, and the reactions were really different when he introduced his lover to the rest of them. 

Taekwoon expected that reaction, that's why he didn't say anything before. Hakyeon couldn't control anyone's actions around him, after all, and actually he didn't mind. But if they were treating him as something weird, it meant that they thought of Hakyeon as something weird; that was the thing that he couldn't handle. His arms rounded his boyfriends body, and he patted his back, as he softly kissed his hair. 

He just knew that it was another episode on the long list of homophobic stuff that Hakyeon had to face. Being a gay man, a delicate one, who loved to dance and sing, wasn't easy. And N was already used to. But it really hurt him when his own family remembered him that things were not smooth when you were not what society expected you to be.