In the past week life had changed dramatically and Kibum did not like it one bit. Ever since Donghae had returned home it was as if a dark cloud was hanging over the house bringing out the constant bitterness in everyone. The sadness that Donghae felt seemed to leak out and take over and everyone’s moods were on the fringe. Heechul and Leeteuk were fighting again, almost constantly. Kibum didn’t know what they were fighting about this time but he could hear the long phone calls that went late into the night, only to end with muffled sobs coming from across the hall. Donghae was no better, always moping around like there was nothing else to live for. Kibum didn’t know what exactly had happened, just that he and Eunhyuk had gotten in a huge fight that didn’t seem amendable.

He felt really bad and it made his heart ache to see his family like this. Knowing the feelings all too well, this had always been something he’d worried about. Kibum never wanted anyone he loved to have to experience any of the pain he’d ever felt, but now that was inevitable. He’d been trying the best he could to make things better, to try and bring the smiles and laughter out. Even when he’d been in his darkest state of depression, Donghae and Heechul always had a way to make him happy. But even so, despite his kindness, neither of them wanted his help. Each day was the excuse that they were fine and then told him to go do something, always pushing away him away. He didn’t blame them, knowing quite well that he’d been the exact same way, but that didn’t stop him from trying. He wanted them to know that he cared and would be there for them.

Kibum was sitting in the living room alone, looking around the room with dull eyes. He was bored and there was nothing to do and no one to talk to; lately it just wasn’t any fun around the house. Sighing softly, he moved off the couch and shuffled out of the room to go upstairs and get a book to read. As he walked past the hall he heard a crash that came from Donghae’s room. Wanting to make sure his brother was okay, Kibum quickly walked over and knocked on the door and pushed it open.

“Donghae, is everything okay?" Kibum asked, walking inside without permission.

“Go away, Kibum!” Donghae snapped, stomping over to him. He kicked something on the floor and Kibum saw that it was his cell phone, which was now broken in several pieces.

“Please, just talk to me! I understand how you must be feeling -" He tried to say, reaching out to console his best friend.

“For the love of God, shut up, Kibum! Stop making everything about you. I just got my ing heart broken! In case you hadn't noticed, no one in this house wants to deal with your constant need for attention. Just go away and leave me alone!" Donghae exclaimed angrily, roughly grabbing Kibum by the arm and pulling him over to the door, throwing him out of the room before slamming the door shut.

Kibum crashed into the wall, his head bouncing off painfully. He cried out in pain, bringing his hands to his head instantly. His forehead was throbbing and he had no doubt that a knot would form in a couple hours with a bruise to go with it. He looked at Donghae's door with a hurt expression before walking away, tenderly rubbing his head along the way. He felt sorry that Donghae was going through his first heart break and all but that didn't justify shoving him into a wall. Even he had never touched any of his family members when he had his break downs and fits of rage. There was no excuse for violence and after all the things he'd been through, he wouldn't stand for it. He didn't want to be a tattle tale, but Donghae had crossed a line.

He slowly walked back upstairs, feeling guilty for what he was about to do even though he knew that he wasn't doing anything wrong. Heechul's door was open when he got there, but he paused for a moment before he went inside. He could see Heechul sitting on the bed, facing the window. His head head was bowed and his shoulders were shaking slightly. Kibum knew instantly that he was crying, which made him feel terrible. Telling on Donghae could wait for now, but in the mean time he needed to do something to make Heechul feel better. He entered the room, quietly shuffling over to Heechul. He sat next to him, placing his hand on Heechul's arm comfortingly.

"Are you okay, Heechul?" He asked in a gentle voice, tilting his head to the side.

Heechul reached up and wiped his eyes, turning away so that Kibum couldn't see him crying. "Please leave, Kibum. I want to be alone right now."

“Can I just sit with you for awhile, hyung?” Kibum asked hopefully, not wanting to leave him while he was feeling so down. He knew how much he wanted someone to be with him when he was upset, so surely Heechul would appreciate some company right now.

“No, Kibum. Go find something to do,” Heechul replied irritably, his eyes narrowing slightly. It didn’t have to be said that he was in a bad mood, and Kibum already knew that because this morning he’d woken up to Heechul’s angry voice, on the phone with Leeteuk having yet another fight.

“I want to be here for you,” Kibum told him earnestly, feeling a pang in his heart that he was being pushed away again.

“I’m an adult, I can handle it. Go play with Donghae or something, Kibum. Now,” Heechul said, his patience wearing thin.

“Donghae doesn't want me around either, but I just want to help. Maybe we could all watch a movie together, just to take your minds off - " His plea was cut short when Heechul whirled around, slapping him across the face. He brought his hand to his cheek, staring at Heechul in shock.

“I am not in the mood for your constant cling, Kibum! Get out of my room before I ground you for the rest of the summer," Heechul snapped, pushing Kibum off the bed.

Kibum lowered his head as his eyes watered up and softly apologized before turning to leave. He quickly bounded down the stairs and left the house, knowing that his presence wasn't welcome there. He waited until he was a good distance away from home before he allowed himself to start crying outright. He headed to the park that was nearby, wandering around until he found an empty bunch beneath a large oak tree. He sat down and pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on top of them as he tried to make sense of everything that had just happened to him. He didn't understand what he'd done wrong, but he was sure that he probably deserved it.

Sighing softly, he closed his eyes and listened to the gentle sounds of nature.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed until he quit weeping, but he wiped away the last of his tears just as the sun began to descend upon the horizon. He watched as a dark sheet spread across the sky, bringing the sparkling stars along with it. It truly was a beautiful sight and he felt appreciatve that he was lucky enough to see it. He knew that he couldn't stay in the park for much longer but the thought of returning home was completely unappealing. Thankfully, he found another reason to remain where he was seated when a familiar face appeared in his line of vision.

“Hey. Can I sit here?” Key asked quietly, pointing to the bench. Kibum nodded and shifted over so Key could sit next to him. He gingerly places his fingers on the side of his cheek, wincing slightly because it still stung.

“My dad hits me too,” Key said after a few minutes.

“He does?” Kibum asked, stunned. Key nodded and was silent for a moment before speaking.

“It's not the abuse kind of hitting, but the you're-such-a-disappointment kind," Key confessed, playing with the hem of his shirt.

“Key, I’m really sorry,” Kibum told him, but it explained so much.

“Eh. I don’t really care. I have my friends, and they love me so that’s all that matters to me. But, you know, if you ever want to talk, I’ll listen,” Key said, looking away bashfully. Kibum almost smiled but he knew that it was not the moment because his situation was not like Key’s.

“He’s not my dad and he doesn’t hurt me,” He explained.

“Your cheek says otherwise," Key said, pointing at the red blotch. "So what happened to make him decide to pop you one?"

“I don’t know,” Kibum replied quietly, his eyes watering up again as he thought about it.

“Alright. You don’t have to tell me since we really don’t even know each other. But you were right, you know, what you said? It does feel good to know that someone cares. Anyway, my friend is waiting for me so I have to leave. I'll see you around, Kibum,” Key said, leaning over to give Kibum a quick hug before walking away.

Kibum sighed softly and stared out into the darkness before him, feeling lonely now that Key had left. He wondered why Heechul hadn't called him home yet, but he figured that his presence was still unwelcome. He couldn't return home tonight, so his only other option was to spend the night at Hongki's house. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a quick message to his younger brother.

< Hey. I'm coming over. >

Mir bustled around the living room in a hurry, throwing blankets on the couch and making sure there were enough pillows. There was a variety of snacks laid out on the coffee table and a couple of cold soda's, his dad had just called and ordered a pizza too. Everything was in order for a night of fun with his brother, all that was left was said brother. He glanced at the old grandfather clock on the wall but at the same moment he heard the front door opened and rushed out to greet his brother.

"Kibum, I'm so happy to see you!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms around his older brother and hugging him as tightly as he could.

Kibum smiled softly, a warm feeling washing over him as he hugged Mir back. "I missed you. Thank you for letting me come over, I really appreciate it."

Mir pulled away and nudged his arm. "You're welcome here anytime you want, Kibum. Now, come on. I just finished getting the living room ready for our movie marathon."

Kibum followed him through the house, looking around curiously. He'd been there a couple times before but this would be the first time he spent the night there. He felt a little unsettled about sleeping in an unfamiliar place. "Is your dad home, Mir?" He asked hopefully, since he always felt comforted in Hongki's presence.

"Nah, Jia wanted to go see that new movie so they'll be gone for a couple hours. Oh, if you hear any strange noises tonight just ignore them, it'll most likely be my dad and Jia going at it like rabbits," Mir smirked, flopping onto the couch when the entered the living room. Kibum looked at him incredulously, chuckling under his breath at the blunt comment. Sometimes he found it so strange that Mir could be so open about all things intimate while Henry still blushed when someone said .

The rest of the night was filled with fun, laughter, and a lot of love. Kibum put away all thoughts of home and focused on the one person that wasn't completely irritated with his presence. One of the best things about Mir was he saw the best in everyone, forgave easily, and love his family equally which was just what Kibum needed.