Jinki POV:

I tugged at the edge of the fingerless glove I was wearing, and I meant only on one hand. I rolled down the sleeve of it to form a cuff around my wrist, and I sighed in relief as the tight leather peeled away from most of my arm.

I caught the reflection of myself in the metal side of the equalizer. I laughed a little. Minho was right. I did look pretty good when I dressed up. Or at least, when people dressed me up. I pushed up the cuff of the jacket.

I didn’t even know I had this kind of dog collar leather jackets. Much less the pants. I wore this loose, grey. slightly low cut shirt before, and the glove.

“Hyung! Like c’mon! I got this for you like, last year for you birthday?”

“Erm...”

“Stop the loose thread on the cuff, you’re going to take it apart.”

“Fine fine...”

“Please don’t tell me you didn’t realize I’ve been giving you clothesthat matched each other so that you would have an easier time dressing up, WITHOUT me.”

“Hm..No?”

“Oh god.”

“I don’t get why almost everything is leather though.”

“Just wear it, hyung.”

I smiled at his helpless exasperation as I centered the necklace that hung the evil eye, which I honestly was skeptical about.

Minho was seriously pushing the time. I checked my phone for the time, realizing he had gone over his promise of 5 mins. He was supposed to just go look for Eunhyuk hyung before coming back. I huffed lightly.

I shuffled my feet around, before realizing it was as stupid idea the moment I stumbled over the wires.

I looked down, cursing at the wire that had miraculously winded itself around my ankle. I recognized it as the pairing wire, courtesy of taking Broadcasting Music as a major, and I groaned. I just had to get one of the more important wires. If I screwed this up... the whole event’s management crew is going to screw me over for killing the sound system.

I crouched down cautiously, swallowing hard as the wire went slightly taut. My fingers gently worked to pull off my shoe, moving incrementally, inch by inch. The shoe fell off with a gentle tap, and let go of the breath I didn’t even know I was holding.

“Do you need help?” a cheery voice questioned from above me. I looked up to see a familiar face staring down at me.

“Oh I crashed into you the other day!” I yelped.

His face froze up, and a smile crookedly came to his lips. I smiled at his surprise that was evident in his eyes, the way it adorably widened just barely.

“Er, erm yeah. No, erm, worries. Here, let me, erm, help.” he stuttered.

He crouched down infront of me, closer than ever. A light scent followed him, and I inhaled it involuntarily.

Oh. Oh. Musky. Sweet. Addictive. Intoxicating.

The words came in bursts to my mind, my whole body reacting without my will. Again.

Why does he do this to me. This stranger. This person who knew me from before.

“Hyung...Jin hyung?” My heartbeat sped up.

“What did you just call me?” I hesitantly whispered, warmth filling me, like the first sip of a hot drink on the winter’s day. The moment you curl up under a blanket. I never had... a nickname...or remembered it.

“Erm. Jin hyung.” his fingers came to rest on the wire wrapped my ankle.

“Why?”

“I used to call you that...when we were in high school...I had a mulitude of nicknames for you, like I even called you Jinki hyung. Which isn’t very special, but you liked to introduce yourself as ‘Onew’ or ‘Jin’ which I didn’t really, like so I..I was the only one who could call you Jinki hyung. I’m sorry, I mean, I shouldn’t assume it’d be the same especially now that you don’t remember anything, I’ll just...go.” he sputtered out in a rush, getting up almost as if he needed to disappear then and there.

“Wait!” I got up, grabbing his shirt by the sleeve, forgetting what position I currently was in.

He froze as I grabbed his hand in search of a more secure hold.

I felt the wire, that had been momentarily forgotten, tighten and then loosen almost instantly as it was pulled out of its jack. And suddenly the previously booming music had crashed into absolute silence.

I could have sworn that my heart stopped right there.

“Did you just..” he looked down, hair flopping in the most attractive way possible. There was a hidden smile, I couldn't tear my eyes away. The plain beauty. How could I not. It blurred my thoughts, it was that exquisite. 

Why am I noticing the most ridiculous things in this moment of panic.

The sound of rushed footsteps heading our way came suddenly, and his head snapped up, his eyes meeting mine.

He sighed lightly, almost as if he was used to this occurence happening daily.

“Come.” his hand twisted, and suddenly he was gripping mine.

I let myself follow this person, this guy that makes my heart race, makes my head go dizzy, and leaves me intoxicated, all for reasons I don't even know. 

Jonghyun POV:

He grabbed me. It should have been forgotten. But it seems to just have been locked away.

The familiar curves of his hand. The impossibly soft skin. 

I could have sworn the whole world crashed around me.

A snapping sound came, and then there was this suffocating silence, and I remembered the wire that was twined around his ankle. Looking down, I smiled slowly to myself, not letting him see the smile.

"Did you just..." I asked.

These situations were so familiar. 

It happened. Again.

Sighing in amusement, I willed my heart to slow to a calm steady beat. I turned my hand to grab onto his.

"Come."

And like a miracle, he followed.

I couldn’t push away the smile that was on my face, the nervous fluttering in my stomach as I darted into the mess of the crowd.

I tightened my grip on his hand, afraid as the crowd surged past us, pushing at our only connection.

I can’t afford to lose him. Again.

I blinked, and suddenly I realize that I’ve dragged him to the carpark. It was quiet and just slightly cold, enough to make our cheeks flush.

I watch him pant slightly as he bends over, tired. I jolted a little when I realized our hands were still entwined, out arms just hung loosely between us.

“Sorry, did I move too fast?” I murmur tentatively.

He looks up, eyes shining in the dim light of the moon, a sheepish grin on his face.

“I doubt so. It’s probably just my lousy stamina.”

“I know.” I blurted out unknowingly, and I winced, squeezing my eyes shut at the embarrassment of it.

He laughed, its sweet sound of it carrying through the air. He released my hand to scratch at his hair, casual, as if holding my hand was something natural. Which it probably was. I stared at the slight redness of his skin, the bob of his adam’s apple, the tongue that occasionally slipped out to moisten the chapped lips.

“Hey...What’s your name?”

I jolted out of my reverie, stepping backwards. I felt the ground beneath that foot shake, and I threw myself forward to break the fall on my hands instead. I felt the air brush past me, and I shut my eyes reflexively. The next thing I knew, I had hit a warm body.

We both hit the brick wall of the carpark, his back hitting the wall with a dull thud.

“Are you okay?!” I spluttered out, looking up before staring dumbly at him giggling.

“Your face when you fell. Your face. It’s so adorable. I can’t... and I realized I left my shoe back there...“

The words passed me by, as I realized I was in his arms. Again. 

My heart thudded against my chest, and I was suddenly very aware.

I my lips nervously as I felt the small, comfortable pressure of his arms that were encircled around my waist, the solid beat of his heart against my shoulder, the scent that he had used then, and still used now, that sweet light mint-vanilla scent. 

His laughter stopped ringing in the silent air, and now he was staring back down at me.

"You..."

"Jonghyun. Kim Jonghyun." I inserted quickly.

"Jonghyun...such a familiar name..." he murmured, lips barely moving.

"I'm..." I lightly pushed away from him, regretting it instantly. 

"Wait." he reached out a hand, still leaning against the wall. 

He left the question hanging in the air, knowing it was unncessary to complete it.

"You said that the second time we met in high school. You couldn't remember me at all. Only you." I smiled in spite of myself as his eyes widened in pleasant surprise.

"Did we have alot of..'only's? After all, right now..you know me better than myself, Jong..Jonghyun" he teased lightly, trying out my name for size.

I nodded shyly. Only if he knew. He was saying something as my eyes roamed over him.

He was the same. Oh. So much the same yet still so different.

His eyes still creased into those crescents as he smiled, his eyes glittered regardless of the light, his hair still flopped slightly no matter how much gel he has used, visible from the shine on his hair. He had more muscles now, the smooth flex of the muscles on his forearms as he waved his arms around was new to me, the confidence he had gained from his memory loss. But he was still Lee Jinki. 

The clothes he wore only made him more exquisite, the tanktop, under the jacket that hid more than I wanted it to, fell into the cave of his stomach and onto his sides, the glove on his left hand making his fingers only look so much longer.

"Jonghyunnn~ Helllloooooo~" I blinked as a hand passed right infront of me.

"What." 

It must have came out harsher than I intended it to, because he flinched, before retracting his hand and he fiddled with his jacket zipper, looking off to the side.

Wrong. Still shy.

"I'm.. sorry.." he bit his lip, and guilt welled up in me.

"I mean, no wait. Don't feel bad, I was just thinking about yo-, erm I mean, something. It's just that you... look..." 

"Ah.. you mean... this? Minho picked it out. Apparently I was dumb enough to not notice he was stealthily matching a whole outfit for me." he chuckled awkwardly, tugging at the pants and the necklace. 

"But you.." I was distracted by a running figure, and in the blink of an eye, suddenly his attention wasn't on me anymore.

"Minho?!" he yelped, his voice muffled as he was tackled by a irritatingly tall person. I frowned at the familiarity of the silhouette, before it dawned on me.

The guy with the weird hand. 

"I thought I lost you." his voice rumbled. I tilted my head to the side slowly, puzzled.

"You didn't silly." Jinki hyung's voice came out bright yet panicked, as if something bad was imminient. 

"It's like you disappeared and left me alone, like they all did. I left you alone for like 5mins..." his voice got smaller and smaller, and his arms grew tighter around Jinki hyung.

"Jin.. " I stopped myself.

Minho POV:

I shut my eyes tight, just glad that I'd found him.

The fear curled tight in my heart, that was probably beating a mile a minute.

"I can't lose you, not when they disappeared and you stayed. You promised." I murmured, the empty feeling in me slowly replaced with prescence, as I feel the warmth emitted from Jinki hyung.

"You've said this before, Minho." his worried voice was paired with a hand slowly patting my back. 

I revelled in that worry, something that lacked from my life since that day. I never had care, not as far as I could remember. It was never love, it was just need. My loss erased that need, that necessity for me, and I was thrown away, as easy as throwing away that piece of scrap paper. I felt the darkness fading in, the shadow of grey that turns to black, the storm that will burst. 

My legs weakened.

"Don't Minho, you told me you'd try not to." I felt Jinki hyung's hand grip onto my jacket, tugging. 

"What's happening?" a strange voice rang out, I don't know who. 

"He's blacki- MINHO." Jinki hyung's voice came fuzzy and blurred.

And the storm burst.