The weird change in Zelos behavior he had sensed during their hug remained.
It wasn’t really a weird change after all; as he was just turning back to how he had been before all the happened but it was utterly weird and confusing for Yong Guk.
He was happy about it; indeed he was, because Zelo was more open all of a sudden.
Not that he was all rainbows and cotton candy but the times he wore a sad expression decreased steadily.
And they were able to talk again, not only carefully or just about random things and not only with others around.
They just talked normally whether they were alone or not and Yong Guk felt more and more at ease with every new word the maknae addressed to him.
Zelo was back to being calm around him and the mere fact that he behaved natural around him again made his inner battles die out as well.
The other night he had sat in the living room scribbling random words onto his notebook when Jongup and Zelo rushed into the room.
The maknae threw himself in front of the TV with Jongup following him a little less energetic.
“Can we play on here?” Jongup had asked him nicely, considering the fact that the leader had sat on the couch before while Zelo already pushed the power button on the console.
Yong Guk only nodded, a little flabbergasted by the fact that Zelo didn’t mind being around him anymore.
He had gotten so used to it, to Zelo being cautious and uneasy that it was rather hard to accept the fact that now it was different again.

Youngjae had noticed too.

The other day when they had breakfast together and Zelo sat beside the leader without any restraint, shoveling his cereals into his mouth and smiling brightly when Jongup choked on his toast after Daehyun had made an unexpected and rare joke.  
The blond boys eyes had wandered from Zelo to Yong Guk and back until Yong Guk raised his head from his coffee to meet his gaze.
Youngjae had smiled at him, a happy and satisfied smile and Yong Guk wasn’t sure how to react to that so he just smiled back before his brows furrowed on the fact that he’d been watched continuously.

Even Daehyun seemed to smile at him just a little when Zelo stole the last bit of milk that he was about to pour into his cup and he was left to drink black coffee again.
His lips crinkled in disgust on the thought.
It was unspeakably confusing how everyone around him was suddenly all smiles.
Except one certain person though who kept avoiding him, who was avoiding all of them now and he knew it was keeping Youngjae worried when he saw him gazing over to the empty chair.
Matter of fact it was worrying him too in a way but then again he was glad he didn’t have to face him now that everything had started to feel normal again.
The pure thought of encountering Himchan had his belly cramp painfully.
He didn’t want to see his face; he didn’t want to hear his voice as long as he could avoid it.
Because it would bring back all those feelings he tried to erase at the moment, the thoughts and memories he tried to lock in the far back of his mind.
And he knew he was just making believe but he would keep that bubble of lies and suppression alive as long as possible.

He was more than just a little taken aback when Zelo suddenly asked him to join him for dance practice that night.
He agreed to though.
And to his amazement there was barely any noticeable tension between them, only occasionally he felt Zelo gazing over when he thought he wouldn’t notice and then Yong Guk met his gaze and smiled at him, just a little.
They kept practicing for about two hours straight, focusing on the routine rather than each other until Zelo turned off the music and grabbed two bottles of water from the table.
He handed one of them to Yong Guk and unscrewed his own, emptying almost the whole bottle in one go.
Yong Guk watched his adams apple bumped up and down, as he swallowed the cold liquid, his own bottle still closed in his hand.

“How did you end up so composed?” He blurted out the question that had kept rotating in his head.  He just couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer.
Zelo smiled at him.
“It’s thanks to your little argument.”
Yong Guks eyes furrowed and he bit down on his lips at the memory of his argument with Himchan a few days ago.
However he couldn’t find the link between the argument and Zelos calm behavior.
He looked at the maknae waiting for him to elaborate his explanation a little further.
“I got to talk to Jongup a lot afterwards.”
Yong Guk tiled his head to the side, brows still furrowed.
“Sometimes talking really helps a lot hyung.” Zelo said with a little smile.
The leader could clearly tell the hint in his maknaes voice.
“I only wish you had talked sooner.” His voice was less than a whisper and Yong Guks chest tightened when he saw sights of sadness crawling onto Zelos face again.
“I was stupid.” He replied, knowing Zelo didn’t want to hear another apology leaving his lips.
Zelo chuckled a little, his eyes still taken by a sad expression as he probably remembered the way Yong Guk had treated him.

Yong Guk sank down in front of the mirror his back resting on the cold surface, the bottle of water still in his hand.
Zelo dropped down next to him.
The maknae shifted closer and Yong Guk held his breath for a second when he felt him lay his head down on his shoulder.

Zelo grabbed hold of his hand and intertwined their fingers.
Yong Guk swallowed hard, his body tensed and he didn’t dare to look at the other.
He felt Zelos breath on his neck, tingling over his skin how it had done before.
It made his heart pound just that little bit harder a notch louder and it was amazing.

He couldn’t determine what was going on exactly, why Zelo was suddenly so close to him again but he tried to savor the moment and the way his heart raced in his chest.
Still the worries crawled back into his mind.
Zelo was still his dongsaeng after all, Yong Guk wondered when during his inner battles he’d forgotten about that fact.
He was still far from being an adult and Yong Guk wasn’t sure that what he got him into was right.
It probably wasn’t at all.
All the he had gotten him through within the past months, it was something the other shouldn’t have had to go through.
Not at his age, probably never in his life.
And his chest felt heavy again when he thought of Zelos sad and pained eyes and no matter how much he loved to be so close to the other right now he couldn’t stop but worry if it was the right thing to do.
Not after all the pain he’d caused him.

“Are you ok with this?”
His voice was soft as he raised their intertwined hands up a little, looking down on them.
Zelos eyes followed his glance and he pressed his fingers onto his hand just a little tighter.

“Bang Yong Guk, stop talking and stop with the worries for now.”
Zelo said in a harsh but slightly playful tone.
The hint of a chuckle formed on Yong Guks face.
This was the maknae he’d missed so much, one that would speak his thoughts, the one that was confident, that would be able to make him laugh.
“Alright.” He sighed and Zelos nudged his head into his nape.
They sat in silence for a while and Yong Guk couldn’t help but think back on the time they had sat like this before, the time he had denied Zelo from holding his hand and left him in the room all by himself.
He unconsciously tightened the grip on Zelos hand and the younger smiled a little against his shoulder.
“You’re not going to run off on me again are you?” he asked the leader, a little anxiety swinging in his voice that was supposed to sound mocking.
Yong Guk only managed to shake his head lightly, unable to let words pass his lips as he knew they’d end up being more apologies and he didn’t want to taint the moment.

“Are you going to make up with Himchan?” Zelo asked out of the blue.
Yong Guk swallowed hard as the mentioning for Himchans name bought back that uneasy feeling to his stomach once again.

“Why are you so eager to talk about Himchan?” He asked his eyes fixed on the wall opposite of them.
He didn’t want to think about him, not in this moment, not at all.
He wanted to drown himself in the feeling of holding Zelos hand, in the fact that they were alone and none of them was eager to jump up and dash out the room.
“Because he means a lot to you.”  Zelo said quietly.
Yong Guk snorted and his lips formed into a thin line as he thought of his once so called best friend.
“Is that so?” he replied as if what Zelos said wasn’t true.

“Don’t play dumb on me!” Zelo scolded and pulled his hand back from Yong Guks grip.
The olders lips drew a pout and his hand formed a loose fist.
“So what if he does?”  the leader asked, indirectly admitting the facts.
“You mean a lot to him too you know.”
Yong Guks lips crinkled as they drew a bitter smile.
“He has a weird way of showing.”
“As if you are any better.”
Zelos voice was sharp as the words left his lips.
Yong Guk swallowed hard when he saw a flash of sadness on Zelos features before he spoke again.
“He’s just hurt, like really hurt because he’s missing you.”
Zelos words took a while to sink into his system.
And he sighed.
“I know you miss him too.” The younger added, his hand finding its way to Yong Guks again and he squeezed it tightly.
Zelo was right, he did miss his best friend.
He missed hanging with Himchan, missed laughing and joking together.
He deeply missed the times they’d playfully nagged each other.

He sighed again and ran his hand through his hair.
“It doesn’t change the fact that he…” Yong Guk bit his lips, not able to let the words pass his lips.
Zelo rolled his eyes, knowing what Yong Guk wasn’t able to say and obviously stressed out by the fact that the other was still struggling with the idea of the two of them together.
“It’s between him and me hyung. It got nothing to do with you.” He tried to convince him.
“But…” Yong Guk didn’t finish his sentence because Zelo shook his head.
“No buts! It has nothing to do with you and you don’t have to worry about me.”
Yong Guk swallowed hard again and sighed, shaking his head as if he was trying to get the thought to leave his mind.
“Alright I will try.” He said because that was all he could do if that was what Zelo wanted.
Even though he knew he would never really be able to shake off that thought.

Zelo got up beside him and Yong Guks eyes followed him.
The younger reached his hand out for him to grab and smiled.
“Let’s go home. I want you to buy me some pizza tonight.” He said a big smile grazing his lips as he uttered his demand.
Yong Guk smiled back and grabbed his hand.
“That makes it pizza for all of us right?” He said and Zelo laughed.

(Note: I really hope you guys don't feel like things are rushed now...I'm really trying to make this work but I'm not sure if things happen too fast in this chapter...)