"Get out of the shower!" Sungyeol shouts as he bangs his fist against the door, towel draped over his shoulder and clothes bunched up in his arms. 

All he gets is absent-minded humming in return.

"Lee Daeyeol!"

Sungyeol squawks as the door slams open in front of his face abruptly. Sungyeol's younger brother, Daeyeol, snickers before prancing off to his room, not forgetting to toss his damp towel right into Sungyeol's face. 

Sungyeol sputters, "Learn some respect, you rascal!" 

A door slam is the only answer Sungyeol gets. 

Sungyeol groans and peels the wet towel off his face before stepping into the shower. He hears his mother starting to scream for him to hurry his up from downstairs, and he curses Daeyeol again for being such a girl in the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, Sungyeol nearly trips in his hurry to get downstairs and is greeted by the sight of some last-minute packing in the living room. His parents are busy checking for their passports and tickets and locking up the luggages, whereas Daeyeol is fiddling with his phone on the couch. 

Sungyeol walks over to his brother and whacks him across the head, "Your jacket, moron," and tosses Daeyeol his black winter jacket from where he's standing behind the couch. 

Daeyeol tips his head up and flashes Sungyeol an impish grin, and Sungyeol sighs, previous frustration at his brother melting away. He gives Daeyeol's hair a quick ruffle, and his brother bursts into complaints. 

"Girl," Sungyeol rolls his eyes and plonks onto the couch, right on top of Daeyeol's outstretched legs. 

This, of course, sparks a round of kicking and shoving and petty fighting.

Sungyeol hears their mother murmur something about why did I have to have two nonsensical boys before hurrying them out the door.

Their shoes crunch against the ice as they tug all four luggages out the door, heavy with almost three weeks worth of clothes, shoes, scarfs, thick winter jackets and so on. Mr and Mrs Lee busy themselves with calling for a cab just as Sungyeol's hits his luggage. 

"Mrs Lee!" 

The Lees look up at the sound of a chirpy female voice. Sungyeol's mother immediately breaks into a smile and hurries over to the other woman who's coming over from the house opposite their's. 

Sungyeol cranes his neck and looks behind her to see if anyone else is following, and he grins when he sees his best friend step onto their small front lawn, hands stuffed into his thick black jacket and breath coming out in small white puffs. 

"It's freezing!" 

Sungyeol laughs and shifts a little on his luggage, making some space. Myungsoo settles down next to him, thumping his head against Sungyeol's left shoulder. Sungyeol chuckles and nudges him in the ribs, causing Myungsoo to whine.

"You're pathetic," Sungyeol laughs when Myungsoo rolls his eyes. Myungsoo and Sungyeol have been best friends ever since Sungyeol's family moved into the neighbourhood six years ago, when Mrs Kim had come right over and offered them a plate of her homebaked blueberry muffins, her two sons- Myungsoo and Moonsoo- trailing behind her carefully.

The two had hit it off really quickly. Sungyeol was a little awkward at first, as he always is when he meets new people, but Myungsoo had a cute smile and a dorky personality, and soon enough they were best friends, going to school together, pulling pranks together and sleeping over at each other's places. Myungsoo had always been Sungyeol's protector (even though Sungyeol is older), defending him when he got picked on after first joining middle school and snarling back at those who bullied him now in high school. Myungsoo had always been more affectionate and demonstrative, and although physical affection hadn't always come so easy to Sungyeol, Sungyeol is grateful that Myungsoo has stuck by him all these years, and he knows that Myungsoo knows how much he loves him, even if he can't portray it as well. 

And Sungyeol thinks that's what makes their friendship work. While they might be different, they have a thread of understanding and connection that many can never have even after years of trying. 

Mr and Mrs Lee and Mr and Mrs Kim are busy chatting away while they all wait for the cab to arrive, and Daeyeol and Moonsoo are laughing and shoving each other up in front. Sungyeol's so caught up in watching everything that he doesn't notice Myungsoo watching him until gentle, cold fingers are touching his cheek.

"It's still red," Myungsoo murmurs, fingertips softly ghosting over Sungyeol's cheek, before trailing downwards to examine his neck, frowning slightly at the still-visible bruises. 

Sungyeol catches Myungsoo's hand with his and gives it a reassuring squeeze before sighing, tipping his head up towards the dark night sky. 

"I'll kill them the next time. I'm sorry I wasn't there quick enough," Myungsoo frowns as he says this. 

Sungyeol chuckles a little, "Hey," he nudges Myungsoo playfully, "I'm man enough to hold my own!" He thumps his chest jokingly to lighten the atmosphere. 

Myungsoo cracks a small smile, but the sadness lingers in his eyes, "Are you sure you're okay? What about Daeyeol?" 

Sungyeol looks over at his brother, "I'm all right. Come on, I've been tolerating their for what, the past year? Daeyeol's gonna be okay. He's a tough kid. They picked on him that one time only because he bumped into their horse-faced leader. They'll leave him alone, don't worry about it." 

"I worry about you," Myungsoo whispers, "They won't leave you alone."

Mrs Lee hollers at them that the cab is coming soon. Sungyeol punches Myungsoo's arm lightly and stands, "You know I'm okay, Myungsoo. So what if they bother me just because I'm gay?" 

"Because they don't bother me, even though I'm like you, too," Myungsoo counters, rising as well. 

Sungyeol rolls his eyes, "We've been through this, Soo. A, you're much more popular around the school than I am and B, you know martial arts. I, on the other hand, do not, and hence, am unable to smash their faces into a pulp," Sungyeol winks as he says this, pulling up the handle of his luggage. 

Myungsoo knows Sungyeol will never let him worry about him, and he figures that's one problem if your best friend has a slight inferiority complex. 

Yellow headlights shine in the distance and the Kims help the Lees move their luggages to the pavement. Sungyeol messes Moonsoo's hair playfully as a goodbye, and Myungsoo laughs with Daeyeol just as the cab pulls up at the curb. 

Myungsoo pulls Sungyeol into a hug and Sungyeol teases him for being a sap, that we're not moving to the other side of the planet, but Sungyeol is aware of Myungsoo's clinginess and attachment to people (and things) that he values, and he's touched by the love and concern the younger boy has for him with regards to the teasing and bullying in school. 

"Have fun, be safe, try not to fall too much or walk into things, and I really hope you don't ski. And take care of that," Myungsoo gives Sungyeol's injured cheek and neck pointed looks. 

Sungyeol dismisses his worries and promises to text him or call him if he gets service up in the dratted mountains or in the city itself, before sliding into the cab beside his brother and taking off for the airport.

-

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Final exams are here, so updates might not be as frequent, but I'll try. Thank you for reading!