14: 23

From the moment Junhyung opened his eyes, he knew something was wrong. Something was absolutely wrong.

First; he had a headache, and it was a damn bad one. There were many possible explanations for it and the most plausible was alcohol.

Second; he was in a room that he was 100% sure wasn’t neither his nor any other that he knew (meaning any room at the dorm or his parents house). That would leave him with only an option: a hotel room.

Third; he was . Well, he still had his boxers and socks on so he wasn’t completely . But that was it; the rest was gone. GONE! As if they had been stolen, which wouldn’t be the most rational explanation either, because it wouldn’t be good to say that BEAST’s joker had been drugged —because that’s the only way it could happen— and got his clothes stolen.

And the final fourth; he wasn’t alone in bed. There, lying on his side with torso and a sheet covering his lower half, God’s most beautiful creation slept beside him. It wasn’t actually bad to wake up to that amazing view —his cute little nose; his pretty doe eyes; his half parted lips, rosy, soft and so inviting— neither it was to feel the heat radiating from his body as they were really close.

However, although he was delighted by the view, the rational part of his brain wondered how he, they, got there. He tried to remember how, but soon he realised he had no memory of the previous night. Whenever he tried to focus his mind in the previous night, blurry images of shimmering lights, really loud music, a blinding smile —a frown might be included too— and a lot of alcohol confused him more. What happened?

Looking at the bed again, Junhyung wondered how Hyunseung would react to sight of him when he wakes up. Being sincere, he had no idea. Confused, scared, perhaps mad? But, mad about what? Confused was the most likely. But, what if confused wasn’t something good either? What if he thought Junhyung had done something to him? But then again, why would Hyunseung have to think that way?

Perhaps, Junhyung decided, it was best to pretend he slept on the couch while Hyunseung took the bed. Yep, that was the best.

And so he decided to slide off the bed, trying to make the less sound possible. However, nothing ever goes as he plans. As he was sliding off bed, his feet got caught on the sheets making him fall unceremoniously and hard on the floor. While trying to get up, Junhyung realized he had pulled the entire sheet to the floor. The same sheet that had been covering him and Hyunseung’s lower half, which meant he was...

“Junhyung?” Hyunseung called with sleepy voice making Junhyung startled.

“H-hyunseung!” he stammered/shouted as he jumped to his feet, closing his eyes as remembered that he had pulled the sheet. However, it didn’t matter how fast he was, he still saw... pants?

“Could you please shut it down?” Junhyung opened his eyes and saw Hyunseung —with pants— “Some people are still trying to sleep here” and saying that he turned to his side to continue sleeping.

Ok, so Hyunseung didn’t freak out. That was a good sign, right? And he had pants! That meant nothing happened, right? And what would have happened anyway? He would never take advantage of Hyunseung! Junhyung was probably freaking out for nothing!

“Don’t be stupid, Junhyung! You didn’t take advantage of him! You didn’t!” He thought, trying to convince himself.

But that didn’t satisfy his needs of answers. The fact that he now knew he hadn’t done anything to Hyunseung just made it safer to ask.

“H-hyun... Hyunseung...” he called softly from where he was still standing, but there was no sign that said man was reacting to his voice. But he needed answers and Hyunseung was the only one who could give him those. Gathering all his courage, Junhyung climbed on the bed again and shook Hyunseung’s body in attempt to wake up the pretty boy.

“Seung, Seungie wake up... Seung!!” he called again, shaking the boy with more force now

“What?” the other growled in response —obviously annoyed at his band mate whom didn’t seem to respect his beauty sleep. When the younger didn’t answer him, he turned to Junhyung, who was on his knees beside him “What?” he said though greeted teeth.

“Seung... morning?” to be safer didn’t meant it was easier. Junhyung felt like an idiot.

“You woke me up for that?” Hyunseung asked frowning, lifting himself to his elbows.

This little action made Junhyung realize how close they were. Again.

“Yes, no! I mean... what... you and… you know, this… where exactly... not that I don’t trust you… not, I just… how…” Junhyung tried to ask, but only incoherent words came from his mouth.

Luckily for him, Hyunseung got what he was trying to say... or ask.

With a heavy sight he let himself fall on the mattress again —much to Junhyung’s relieve— before speaking.

“We are at my house because I dragged you here yesterday after you decided to empty the bar’s storage completely”

Listening to that, Junhyung kind of recalled entering a bar.

“Seriously, Jun. What the hell happened with you? I thought I had seen you in your worst state, but yesterday I was proved wrong”

As Hyunseung kept talking, one by one, memories of the previous night started to flash Junhyung’s mind. A lot clearer now.

After what he had witnessed at the dance studio, Junhyung had been thinking about it over and over again, trying to find a way to reveal the real Natsuki to Hyunseung and the others. But to do that he first needed to know what she was up to, and, again, even thought he had been thinking about it, he just didn’t know what it could be. He didn’t have a single clue.

That had been eating him alive for days. He couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t eat, he couldn’t concentrate; he couldn’t watch TV without thinking about it. It was tiresome, too stressing; to know something and not being able to do anything about it. At least their busy schedule for December had kept him and his mind occupied, but it didn’t work that well.

So that night he decided he’s had enough. He used his date with Hara as an excuse and went to a bar and drunk. He drank until he felt his body going numb. But that wasn’t enough because he still thought about Natsuki. He drank more and more. He remembers calling Hyunseung —he was with someone, male— and told him to come and drink with him. What happened after that call, he has no idea.

“We were too far from the dorm” Hyunseung was saying, still half awake “and it would have been too risky to go to a hotel” which made Junhyung wonder how the hell he got drunk in a bar without being recognized “so I brought you to my house”

“oh... I… sorry” it must have been really tiresome for Hyunseung to drag him here since he was a bit chubby (a bit, just a little bit!) while Hyunseung was so thin (with muscles and all, but he was thin). “Did I cause you too much trouble?”

“When you don’t?” Hyuseung said matter of fact as he glared at him. He rarely glares. That was a clear sign of how sleep deprived he was.

“Sorry” Junhyung mumbled, really meaning it and, unconsciously looking at his body and then at Hyunseung’s topless chest. He had an idea of what might have happened and he felt ashamed “Seung… did I… erm… puke on you?”

He must have made an hilarious face, or maybe it was just the redness that he was sure was spread across his face that made Hyunseung laugh that freaking crazy —and somehow contagious— laugh of his.

“Don’t laugh!” he said trying to hide a chuckle “Did I?”

Oh, how he loved the shine in Hyunseung’s eyes when he laughed or the way his threw his head backwards making his silky hair —now, dark brown silky hair— move graciously while his white neck was left to tempt him.

“God, no!” Hyunseung said when he finally calmed down. A shy Junhyung was definitely hilarious “I would have killed you if you ruined my jacket with your half digested dinner”

“Then, where are our clothes?” yep, the clothes, it’s better to concentrate on his clothes whereabouts instead of Hyunseung’s luscious looking neck, chest, abs…

“Oh, your clothes were reeking of alcohol and you just passed the smell to me while I dragged you here”

“Oh… so nothing happened”

Of course nothing happened!! Hyunseung wouldn’t let something like that happen even if Junhyung threw himself at him. But that still didn’t explain where his clothes were.

“What’s with that face?” suddenly Hyunseung asked, pulling Junhyung from his thoughts

“Ah… I nothing… just glad nothing happened”

Who was Junhyung lying to? Of course he wanted something to happen, but he was too of a coward to admit it. He couldn’t admit it. What if Hyunseung hated him? He would never be able to deal with his hatred.

“Because nothing happened, right?” he asked again with crocked eyebrow

“What do you mean?” Hyunseung asked with confused face, not getting the hidden meaning of Junhyung’s words.  

“You... and I.... nothing happened?” he asked again, a playful smirk in his lips.

“M-mwo...?” that seemed to catch Hyunseung off guard

“I mean, for what I know you could have taken advantage of me”

Really, how did he even joke with that??!! Junhyung himself didn’t know. He was already risking too much.

“What?! No! Of course not!” Hyunseung shouted as a shy blush adorned his cheeks.

“Really? Then why are you blushing” he said getting closer to Hyunseung’s reddening cheeks, only to cause the older to blush a deeper red.

“B-because of your stupid assumptions! That’s why!”

Oh, poor Hyunseung was so easy to tease. And Junhyung loved to see him blushing like that. A wide grin spread on his face.

“You idiot! Stop making fun of me!”

Hyunseung, now fully awake, threw his pillow at Junhyung, hitting him right in the face, which started a pillow war.

Although Hyunseung was thin and looked fragile, Junhyung had to admit that he was strong, or so proved the many pillows he got in his face. However, Junhyung was stronger —chubbier, but stronger. And he proved it when he tackled the older to the bed.

“I’m stronger than you” said Junhyung as he held Hyunseung’s hands at each side of his head.

“In your dreams” the doe eye man was definitely unwilling to lose that easily. He tried to push Junhyung off of him, but with the other being heavier than him it became really difficult. He pushed one last time, but all he had already used all his strength “Oh fine, fine, you win!” he said, dropping himself in the bed.

However, even though Junhyung did soften the hold in Hyunseung’s hands, he didn’t let go.

“Yah, I said you win” Hyunseung tried to get off Junhyung’s hold “Junhyung, let go!” but that just caused to Junhyung’s hold to tighten “Yah!”

“Seung... We are best friends, right?” suddenly Junhyung asked while looking right into Hyunseung’s eyes and the hold in his hands tightening a bit more.

By the look in Hyunseung’s eyes, he was wondering where that question came from and, honestly speaking, that was something that Junhyung himself didn’t know. He knew they were friends; and he didn’t need a reassurance of it. But for some reason, unexplainable for him, he wanted, he needed Hyunseung to say it out loud. He needed him to mean it, to believe it and not be the only one who thought so.

“Of course, we are Jun. Why are you suddenly asking?”

Not answering him, Junhyung let go of Hyunseung’s wrists and made himself comfortable on top of the older boy, resting his head in the other’s chest.

“Junhyung? What are you doing?” Hyunseung finally asked after few seconds.

“You’re comfy” Junhyung really had no intention of moving to another surface.

“Yeah? Well, you’re heavy. Move!” but Hyunseung didn’t think the same and using all his strength, he pushed Junhyung aside.

“Yah! I let you used me as a pillow and now you can’t do the same for me?” he said with accusing voice.

“Yeah, whatever” Hyunseung said rolling his eyes at Junhyung “I’m going to prepare something for breakfast. You better take a shower” saying that, Hyunseung got up from bed and left the room without giving Junhyung the chance to make a comeback.

It actually made Junhyung feel kind of bad that Hyunseung had to wake up to prepare a breakfast for him, because, he and everybody knew how the dancer loved his beauty sleep. Not really wanting to bother Hyunseung anymore, Junhyung did as he was told and dragged himself to the shower —which he luckily found without needing Hyunseung to tell him.

A warm shower after the tiresome night he had —or he felt like he had— was really nice. It was almost magic how it made his muscles relax or how his headache was now practically gone. Really, magic. And he didn’t know if it was really the hot water or the fact that he hadn’t done anything to ruin his friendship with Hyunseung. That, aside of BEAST, was the only thing that they shared and Junhyung really treasured it. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself in peace if he knew Hyunseung hated him.

But then again, he didn’t know if what was going to happen with Natsuki would make their friendship stronger or it would totally break them apart. It was a 50/50 situation. That’s why he needed to know what she was up to. He needed to find a way and getting totally wasted was certainly not the brightest way to do it. His principal card was Hyuna. And, although he knew that he was risking her safety, he needed her to tell him what she knew. Yep, that was it. He was going to do it secretly, without Natsuki knowing about it.

As soon as he stepped out of the shower and started drying himself, Junhyung realised he didn’t have any clothes to wear.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, he went into Hyunseung’s room once again and looked for something into his closet. They were practically the same size, anyway and he was kind of used to wear Hyunseung’s clothes. Well, the ones he had at the dorm. After inspecting the closet, Junhyung realized three things: first, Hyunseung had always been a weird fashion freak; second, he hadn’t grown much since high school; and finally —and sadly— he hadn’t wore these in a long time; his smell in the clothes wasn’t as strong as it was in his clothes at the dorm.

Just as he was smelling a t-shirt, the door flew open and Junhyung immediately backed away from the closet, as if he was found doing something ert weird.

“Hey, Jun, do you...” it was Hyunseung, of course.

Suddenly, Junhyung felt self-conscious as Hyunseung was looking at him and his bare torso. It was stupid actually because they have seen each others’ topless countless times. But then again, the situation they were now in wasn’t like any other of those before, and they weren’t at the dorms neither at the changing rooms, and Junhyung had been working out —because his diet had been showing off in his belly— and he was sure there had been some results —or so said his mother— and it’s Kikwang who has been training him, so unconsciously he let his bare chest face Hyunseung.

“What are you doing? Wear something before you catch a cold”

But of course, it didn’t mean that Hyunseung was going to notice something.

“yeah, well, I was about to do that,” he explained, magically not stammering and turning to Hyunseung’s closet once again “but I don’t know where my clothes are so I was looking for something to borrow”

“Sorry, I forgot to tell you mom washed them earlier and they’re drying now”

Pushing Junhyung slightly to the side, Hyunseung choose some clothes from his closet and gave them to Junhyung.

After changing into the clothes Hyunseung had given him, Junhyung decided to go downstairs. Once there, he noticed something green handing on the doorframe, but decided to ignore it and followed the nice smell that guided him to the kitchen where he found Hyunseung setting the table for their breakfast.

“No apron?” Junhyung said as he leaned on the doorframe.

“No apron” Hyunseung didn’t turn to him and continued setting the table.

“You’re a cliché breaker”

“Well, I’m not here to accomplish your fantasies. You have Hara for that. She’s a man’s dream come true, right?” Hyunseung said with teasing tone, but it sounded bitter to Junyung’s ears.

“She’s not” came Junhyung’s answer before he could stop himself.

Even though Hara was supposed to be his girlfriend, and her was indeed many men’s dream come true —as many have told him— Junhyung didn’t want Hyunseung, him out of all the people he knew, to think the same. Junhyung wanted Hyunseung to believe she was just another girl, because she was nothing else to him. She wasn’t Junhyung’s dream come true because she wasn’t Hyunseung.

From the corner of his eye, Junhyung could see Hyunseung peeking at him before looking down while mumbling a soft ‘sorry’ with guilty face. And Junhyung absolutely regretted what he said.

“So, are burned pancakes in the menu?” he asked pretty much wanting to change the mood again.

Hyunseung looked at him with a confused look in his face —and looking so cute in Junhyung’s eyes— not getting what Junhyung meant. As a cue, he followed Junhyung’s gaze at the space in front of the joker. There was a pile of really dark pancakes.

Finally getting what he meant, Hyunseung looked at Junhyung with a frown, slight pout in his lips and puffy cheeks (or just another cute face)

“They’re not burned!” He defended “They’re chocolate pancakes! Can’t you make the difference?” he crossed his arms over his chest and made his pout more evident.

“Chocolate?” Junhyung mumbled taking the fork to lift one of the chocolate pancakes “their dark colour tells me otherwise”

“Their— dark colour is from coffee” Hyunseung explained uncrossing his arms and advancing towards him.

“Coffee? Was it in the recipe?”

Hyunseung averted his eyes from Junhyung and looked at anything else but him; not a single word came from his mouth. With this, Junhyung knew he had made his own recipe. He didn’t say anything and waited for Hyunseung to speak first.

“No” he finally confessed. There was no use lying, it was way too obvious if he did anyway. “But I thought you might like it” he added in small voice.

It was so low and soft, almost a whisper, that Junhyung barely caught it.

Something deep inside him rose up. It was a strange feeling, something he had barely felt in his life; like when it was finally decided that BEAST would debut; like the first time they won at MCountdown or like when they won three times in a row with Fiction; like the time Hyunseung hugged him in front of everyone after they won… and he almost couldn’t hold himself. (I’m, of course, referring to the time when Junhyung pulled Hyunseung by the shirt, as if he didn’t want to let go)

“But if you don’t want them, it’s fine”

Hyunseung took few steps forward and tried to take the plate with coffee pancakes away. However, Junhyung was faster and lifted the plate before Hyunseung could reach it. As result of it, they stood very close to each other; Hyunseung with his eyes glued to the plate Junhyung was holding out of his reach.

The distance between them was so short, that Junhyung could almost feel Hyunseung’s heat and smell that singular fragrance that drove him nuts and made his heart race. And the thought of Hyunseung preparing something special —although he doubted it tasted that good— just for him was more than Junhyung could ever dream of.

Junhyung was in cloud nine, at the end of the rainbow, so damn happy that he couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“Can I kiss you?”

At this, Hyunseung stopped trying to reach the plate and turned to Junhyung with an blank expression. He blinked twice cutely in confusion and then placed his palm over Junhyung’s forehead.

“You don’t have fever. Then what’s wrong?” he wondered out loud with a cute confused expression “Oh! It’s probably the hangover” and saying that he walked back to the kitchen just to come back few seconds later with a glass of orange juice in his hand.

Junhyung laughed internally at the cuteness and innocence of his bandmate but took the glass of orange juice anyway.

While having breakfast they were talking as they haven’t done in months; about anything and everything; their tired schedules, things they have found on the net, letters fans wrote them, among other things. They also talked about Junhyung’s family who had been so glad with the news of his relationship with Hara —though, Junhyung didn’t mentioned this— and who cared about the rest of BEAST members as part of their family; about Hyunseung’s parents, his sister who Junhyung hadn’t seen since the dancer’s birthday. And while talking about birthdays Junhyung remembered that Hyunseung had not gotten him anything for his birthday.

“I did give you one!” the dancer retorted. He had indeed given him a new helmet; and a cool one at that.

They had already finished their breakfast and were now washing the dishes. Hyunseung was doing the washing while Junhyung dried them.

“No, you just joined manager-hyung when you saw the other guys had got me something” Junhyung said remembering the printed birthday card on the present with Hyunseung’s name in handwriting.

“Well, how was I going to get you something? We were in the middle of a tour!”

At that time, just few days ago, they were at Brazil for Cube fantasy concert. They had barely enough time for their schedule there, but that didn’t stop the guys from buying his presents —actually, they had foreseen they wouldn’t have time to buy anything, so they took the presents to Brazil, since Junhyung’s birthday was going to be there anyway.

“What a lame friend you are”

Hyunseung scoffed at that and turned to Junhyung, pointing at him with soaped gloved hands.

“You’re the one who forgot my birthday”

“Ouch, so it’s revenge then?”

“It might as well be”

 “Should I make it up, then?” although he had already done it before, Junhyung was ready to do it again. If Hyunseung wanted to have fun that day, it would be something like their second date —even if Hyunseung didn’t know it was.

“If anything it should be me making it up for you” Hyunseung turned again to the dishes and finished with the last one. “So, what do you want?”

What did he want? He wanted Hyunseung to break up with Natsuki and Hara to break up with him; for gay marriage to be allowed in Korea; to have enough guts to confess to Hyunseung; but more than anything what Junhyung really wanted was…

You, he said silently.

He wanted Hyunseung to love him back, to be with him, to care for him. What Junhyung wanted was to wake up to his voice and his doe eyes; he wanted to have breakfast with him and share their daily routines; he wanted to cuddle in the couch while watching a movie and then move to bed to…

He stopped his track of thoughts before they went too far.

Actually, if he thought about it, what they had done until now, with little differences here and there, was exactly what Junhyung wanted. It was the best he could dream of.

“I’m fine with anything you give me, Seung” he said finally, and he meant it, but the pout in Hyunseung’s lips made Junhyung think the other wanted a solid answer.

Well, if that was the case, he could always ask for a second date to the amusement park.

“But if you ask me I—” just when he was about to actually ask Hyunseung on a date —as friends, of course— Hyunseung’s phone went off.

He answered it and then held as far as he could from his ear. Junhyung didn’t need to ask who it was; their manager’s voice was kind of unique. And he sounded mad.

After the shout call ended, Hyunseung informed Junhyung that the rest of the bad were heading to the MBC for the Christmas show. They had forgotten it was supposed to today. In no time their manager arrived —yelled at them some more— and then they jumped into the SUV.  

“You still haven’t told me what you want” Hyunseung insisted once their manager stopped scolding them and concentrated on driving.

“For you to wear a mistletoe hat at home” Junhyung mumbled, remembering the green thing hanging at the end of the stairs at Hyunseung’s house. How is it that he couldn’t recognize it? It was such a waste.

“So?” Hyunseung asked again. Apparently —and luckily— he hadn’t heard what Junhyung had said.

“Fine. Let’s go to the amusement park on Christmas eve”

“But---“ Junhyung was sure he would say something about Hara or Natsuki and he really didn’t want to hear it, so he decided to cut him off.

“Last time I paid everything. This time is your turn”

Hyunseung seemed reluctant, but accepted at the end.

So, although Junhyung didn’t have his birthday present exactly as he wanted, at least he was going to get something really similar. His 23^rd birthday was going to be a really memorable one.

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Oh, I'm back!

T___T I missed you guys, I was about to die for not being able to update. This chapter was pretty fun to write. I actually wrote it on the plane. Well, most of it and the general idea. 

Anyway, although it might not seem like it, the ending is getting close. Five chaters at most. I know I'm not the best writer and that it's hard for me to keep with deadlines but, Stay with me!!! >______< 

Just five more chapters! Please!!! *drops to her knees*

This bad author is doing her best. 

At the end of it I might tell you how a y year 2013 has been for me this months. 

To all my readers, subscribers, those who coment and my top comenters dreaming777 and mrh98 Saranghae! ♥♥♥♥♥♥ for not giving up on me T_T