As Hongbin turned the knob and stepped inside, he was immediately aware of how warm the room was. He didn't realize he had been cold in his room until now.

Ravi was standing on the other side of the room. He was ruffling for clothes in his duffel bag beside the bed facing the window. "Eh. Are you guys all ready?" Ravi remarked raising his eyes to meet Hongbin's wandering gaze.  

"Yeah." Hongbin answered mildly, putting a hand in his jeans pocket. He leaned himself down on the opposite bed. His gaze was distracted.  

It wasn't the shower running in the bathroom, which drifted steam under the door into the bedroom, it was the presence of the person beyond the door which gave the room it's warmth.  

"N-hyung is in the shower." 

"Hm." Hongbin was still absentminded.  

He didn't know why he came in here. Somehow like a breeze he drifted where his mood took him. It wasn't so much that he was having a hard time lately, these days he just felt like he depended on N-hyung more. 

Their flight was in two hours, and all the members were scrambling about their rooms packing up. Hongbin had already organized all his things the night before. He had woken up this morning from a vague dream which had him feeling a bit melancholy.  

 He had unconsciously then starting to seek out N-hyung's presence.  

He knew it was the right decision when he stepped into Ravi's room and air around him felt sweeter than usual.  

"So why is N-hyung here" Hongbin asked. "I ran into Hyuk who said he was here. I thought you didn't like sharing a room with him."  

Ravi groaned as if experiencing the annoyance of the situation all over again. His gruff voice answered leisurely, his hand jabbing in the direction of the bathroom. "He's been in there for at least an hour and a half. He came knocking this morning, and I wouldn't have opened it, hyuk answered the door. He said the shower in his room was crappy." Ravi shrugged like he couldn't be bothered anymore. "We're leaving in a little bit so we let him in."  

Hongbin gave a small smile.  

Ravi's frown renewed. "I didn't know he'd take so long." 

"Why? You don't need much time."  

Ravi grunted as if he was going to reply in full to the suggestion that he didn't clean himself properly, but he got distracted by a missing item, and as his mind usually did, he tuned out everyone else in the room when he focused on an objective. He didn't reply to Hongbin's next words. It wasn't sure if he heard them or he pretended not to, which was not something new.  

"Where is it. I literally put the ipod on the nightstand next to the window when I was going to bed.." Ravi muttered quietly to himself.  

"Do you know which airport we're taking off at?"  

"…..." 

"Ravi?..Ravi?" Hongbin gave a sigh of exasperation. He wasn't in the mood to call the rapper ten times before he realized he was speaking. Hongbin squinted his eyes at Ravi who was opening Hyuk's suitcase to see if he had accidently put his missing item in there.  

Hongbin rolled his eyes. He sometimes suspected Ravi didn't put too much effort into changing his ways when it came to being more attentive when Hongbin was talking. On days when he was particularly irked, he would tell him blankly that he was 99% sure Ravi was intentful about his selective hearing.  

This morning, Hongbin didn't care if Ravi heard or was even listening.  

His ears listened to the water droplets hitting the shower tiles in hundreds upon hundreds of pings that resonated the sound of rainfall across the room.   

In the other side of the room, Ravi had found what he was looking for and when he turned again, jolted with awareness of the guest in his room. "Ah, Hongbin." He chuckled " I almost forgot you were there." This time it was Ravi who got no response. He curiously tipped his head to see a vacant, almost dreamy expression across the handsome young man's features.  

It looked some parts like a child lost in the wilderness, and some parts of longing and sadness.  

 Hongbin pictured those eyes and what came to mind was the feeling of being under an umbrella.  

Why did he become small and dream of a tan hand over his own, reassuringly.  

Hyuk and Ravi would exchange glances, or make a joke or two about his feelings for N.  

It was nothing like they said—it was just a need. Hongbin reasoned to himself. 

It was hard to realize you needed another. It was hard to admit it to yourself, but the feeling got stronger the more you denied it. 

And so he was sitting on the bed letting himself become enveloped in the familiar comfort of a certain presence, although that person wasn't directly in front of him, being in the same room was enough.  

The sound of the running shower reminiscent of N's laughter, was enough.  

The steam that floated up to his nostrils and made the small room foggy and carried his scent was enough.  

It was the small things that were comfort.  

The small things hinted of something bigger. Someone bigger. A presence that was large, from a person that was small. A person that was soft, but firm, caring but strict.  

N was such a person. He was the sunshine after the rain. He was the optimistic wind driving the clouds away to bring in the light.  

Amidst his thoughts he felt the distinct feeling of being exasperated with himself.  

But he needed this. If he didn't, would he have floated from his room carried by his heart, because he had a vaguely bad dream and wanted sun-kissed hands to calm him with a touch.  

Was he being recharged? He felt like a used up battery which needed to sit here, near, to become full. Was he becoming full? Or was he feeling more empty with some kind of loss he didn't know he had? 

Hyuk unlocked the room, stepping in, his strong energy pulsing throughout the room as soon as he entered. He was singing a cartoon jingle, a bit screeching as he munched on a granola snack held between his large palms.  

"Yo" Hyuk said playfully to Hongbin. He blinked twice when he didn't get a response, met eyes with Ravi, who gave a 'don't ask me' shrug, and proceeded to change his jacket for a different one.  

Hyuk's fist hit Hongbin on the shoulder lightly, bouncing on his toes. He raised a questioning eyebrow.  

"Hyuk. Oh. Hey. Ravi can't find his ipod." He brushed his hair out of his eyes, shaking himself to attention. 

"I found it already." Ravi called out.  

"Riiight." Hyuk was looking at hongbin, and in two seconds was able to read what he was about. "So N is still here?" He was directing his question at Ravi, but looking at Hongbin.  

The shower facets shut off just then. 

"Oh. He's coming out. Aren't you gonna shower Ravi?" Hyuk commented.  

Ravi made a face. "I'm already clean, I might shower when we get back home."  

Hongbin turned to face him, a mocking expression on his face. "Don't be dirty."  

Hyuk launched into full scale teasing of Ravi, whle at the same time being on his side. It made Hongbin purse his lips in a judging manner.  

A few seconds later, Hakyeon opened the door. His black hair dripping with water beads, dressed in a large gray sweater and pants.  

Why did it feel like slow motion when Hakyeon looked at the occupants in the room, gave off a brilliant smile and joked to Hyuk about something.  

All Hongbin heard was gibberish. All he felt was warmth, happiness and comfort.  

Was he drinking N's presence right now? Was he drinking it up and recharging himself?  

Hongbin stood up as Hakyeon, Hyuk and Ravi argued lightly about something he was too out of it to register.  

He was moving towards the door, when N called out, "Why are you here, hongbinnie?" The way he pronounced the name was soft, full of affection. It made Hongbin's ears twitch.  

Hakyeon gave a small pout and narrowed his eyes at Hongbin, as if he were irked at his neatness, before resuming drying his hair. "I guess your room is all organized and clean. Everything folded and pressed, I bet even the paper cups with drinks have been scrubbed, instead of thrown away." His tone was teasing now. "If only we could get Ravi-ssi to be the same way.  

Hongbin pushed off the bed and stood up, heading towards the door.  

"Hey, where are you going? I didn't even say good morning, yet." Hakyeon called after him.   

Hongbin nodded at Hyuk and Ravi before pulling the door opened, and only just a wave as acknowledgement to N, and then he was gone.  

The three occupants in the room barely lingered on Hongbin's mood. They registered it, and filed it away as early morning behavior.  

If Hakyeon had a chance to look into Hongbin's eyes, he could of read everything there. As close as they were, they could tell each other's mood almost instantly.  

As it were, Hakyeon did perceive a faint air of discomfort, something was bothering Hongbin. It didn't feel urgent, and so Hakyeon made a note to pay attention to him later. He'd squeeze in some time before take-off to annoy him.  

Hakyeon tried to grab Hyuk by the throat playfully. He ended being jabbed in the side harder than intended. N gave the maknae a warning stare, although it was softened by mischief. He was just trying to find a way to punish him effectively, which was hard to do when someone as big as Hyuk especially when you were as small as N.  

Hyuk smiled angelically while threatening. "Next time I'll spin you."  

"You wouldn't." 

 Hakyeon's rippling laughter could be heard outside the room.  

It was healing.