"Fine! ThEN JUST LEAVE! IT'S WHAT YOU DO BEST!!!!" 

"THEN I WILL!!" 

"FINE!!!!" 

"FINE!!!!!!"  

Kihyun heaves in some much-needed air as he watches his boyfriend of a year stomp out of his house, slamming the door behind him. His throat's sore from screaming, and his face is absolutely burning with rage. He releases an exasperated groan, sinking down into the nearest chair. It creaks under the sudden weight, and he wipes at his face.  

Fighting with Hyungwon always just takes the life out of him.  

"Um... hyung?"  

Kihyun starts, having forgotten there was anyone else in the house. He glances up with a watery gaze, sniffling up the tears once as he tries for a small smile. Changkyun gives him a tentative grin, shuffling from foot to foot in the archway to the kitchen. 

"I'm fine, Kkungie," Kihyun assures him, his voice more air than sound. "Go back to the others, I'll be there in a minute." Changkyun doesn't look like he believes his hyung all that much, but he does as told and heads back to the living room.  

Kihyun releases a shaky breath, leaning forward to hide his head in his lap, just trying to block out this failure of a relationship from his tired mind and broken heart. 

"He okay?" Jooheon asks, his voice hard and guarded. Changkyun shakes his head once as he crawls back onto the couch, or rather, Hoseok's lap which just so happens to be on the couch. Jooheon pouts at this, glaring holes into the television screen. 

Minhyuk watches from his perch in Hyunwoo's arms, the older boy's arm absentmindedly.  

"He will be," Hyunwoo offers to them all, certainty filling his voice. "They will be." The boys all glance to their oldest friend and nod, smiling gratefully for his words of comfort. Jooheon spares one last side-glance towards the kitchen, where Kihyun and Hyungwon had disappeared only ten minutes before. 

They'd all come over to hang out and catch up on a drama they all like to watch, and everything had been going great. All the couples were cuddling, and everyone was having a gay ol' time...  

But, then, during the confession scene they'd been waiting all season for, everything had fallen apart. 

"What a sweet scene..." Kihyun had muttered under his breath as a love ballad began to play. "It must be nice to have it happen like that..." 

Hyungwon had visibly bristled at that, pulling his arm away from Kihyun. Everyone had seen him do it, as such a mysterious comment had caused everyone to turn and look in their direction. 

"Understanding is also nice," Hyungwon grumbled, visibly curling in on himself. "Patience is also nice... Compassion is nice, too." Kihyun whirled around, an indignant fire in his eyes. 

"Do you wanna talk for a minute?" he'd asked, not even waiting for an answer before getting up from the couch and heading towards the kitchen. Hyungwon had followed, and not even a minute later there were sounds of yet another argument beginning between the two. Jooheon couldn't catch everything that was said, as they'd begun with mere whispering, but he was able to get quite a bit. 

"… wasn’t about you, Hyungwon-ah."  

Hyungwon mumbled something Jooheon most definitely couldn't hear, as he'd always been better at whispering than Kihyun. 

There was a sigh, and then a very cold, "Not everything in the world is about you, Chae Hyungwon." 

"… But that was." 

"Why do you keep pressing this?" 

"Why do you keep bringing it up??" 

"I don't!?! I told you I could wait!! I told you to take all the time you needed!!!!!" 

"But you didn't mean it!!!!! You keep trying to get me to say it when I don't mean it!!!!!!" Hyungwon had groaned then, sounding utterly done with it all. "My parents suggested that I go to stay with them for a while in Japan... Maybe... Maybe I should." 

That had been the last thing said before the shouting began, and now here they sit, waiting for Kihyun to get his brave face back on before returning to their hangout.  

Jooheon glances over again, though this time is surprised to see Kihyun walking in. The boy sits down with a heavy breath, his body rigid as he plops down next to Jooheon. His gaze is strained on the TV, even though a commercial is playing now.  

The younger sees the redness in his eyes, a telltale sign that he's just been crying.  

He doesn't even hesitate to set a consoling hand on the boy's shoulder. He feels his hyung relax under his touch, and it's all he has in him to keep from pulling him in tight for a hug he clearly needs. 

At the end of the episode, the others clear out as fast as they can. They give decent excuses, though they're all lies. They know Kihyun needs some time alone, and they don't want to impose on their friend. So, they gather up their things and find themselves walking along the sidewalk only thirty minutes after the fight, a heavy silence hanging above them all. 

"Their fights are worse now than before they started dating..." Changkyun mumbles, his voice heavy with burden. Hoseok pulls the boy close to his side despite the summer heat and grips his shoulders tightly, silently consoling him. 

"All I know is, Jooheonney better keep from making any more moves until after they break up..." Minhyuk interjects, shooting Jooheon an unreadable glance. Jooheon trips over his own feet at that, squiting is already-small eyes in question. 

"What's that supposed to mean??" he demands, very much not liking the older boy's tone. 

"I saw that moment you two had," Minhyuk defends, quirking up a brow. "I also know you've been holding a torch for Kihyunnie ever since you were a freshman, whether you want to admit it or not. And I'm all for you going for it, if you think it'll make you happy... Just do it right and wait until he's single again. Otherwise, it'll be all kinds of messy." 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jooheon grumbles, shoving the snapback he's wearing further down onto his head in silent protest. 

"Sure, Heonney~" Minhyuk snickers, shooting Jooheon a small wink. "Whatever you say." Changkyun glances over to Jooheon questioningly, but Jooheon avoids his gaze. 

He swears, one day he's gonna strangle that lanky gossip of a hyung, no matter how cute he acts...