A soft groan emitted from Changmin’s mouth. He scrunched his eyes tightly before starting to open them slowly. The sudden light made him blink continuously to adjust his vision. After that, Changmin stared at the ceiling for a while before deciding the bed under him felt too comfortable and his eyelids threatened to drop. He closed his eyes once again as he snuggled deeper under the cover.

…

Changmin sat up with a start when he remembered what had happened and his eyes started to roam wildly, trying to identify where he was. The room was not his as it was more spacious and he didn’t remember his bed being this comfortable. His eyes dropped to his body and he sighed in relief when he saw he still had his clothes on but then frowned when the situation dawned on him.

He was obviously taken here against his will when he thought back to the moment before he fainted. Where was he?

Changmin slipped his legs to the side of the bed and stood up. He stretched and decided to look around.

He started from one of the corners of the room where a long dresser was situated. He frowned at the weird looking things that were lined up on top of the dresser and promptly backed off in a rush when he realized what they were made of.

Pure gold.

He took cautious steps toward the weird looking antiques and gaped in amazement. His fingers twitched involuntarily and he looked away, shutting his eyes tightly against the onslaught of gold.

Changmin took a deep breath and moved on.

Within 15 minutes he was confined in the mysterious room, he had ventured into an adjoined bathroom –it had a Jacuzzi in it- where once again he was left to gape for another 5 minutes, the walk-in wardrobe, and an adjoined study with a small library. Amidst his exciting venture, Changmin realized the owner of the room had a bit of a freakish taste in decorations –he was going to have nightmares now about scary looking golden tortoise-.

Now that there were no more exciting things to uncover, Changmin finally made the decision to brace the door to the outside world, to make it simple, he was going to escape. He started towards the door, reached out to turn the knob…

 And was promptly smacked on the face when the door opened abruptly in front of him.

He squeaked and staggered back, raising his left hand to cover his stinging nose. A dark head popped in from behind the open door, “Oh, sorry.”

Changmin looked up and a muffled gasp was let out. “It’s you!”

It was the older boy that he had confessed his problems to near his usual resting place. The said boy smiled apologetically and made to enter the room, closing the door behind him.

“Are you okay? I’m really sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

Changmin shook his head and lowered his hand that was covering his stinging nose. It doesn’t feel broken, just stung. He then realized what was it that he had been trying to do before he was smacked in the nose. Changmin eyed the boy in front of him warily.

“Wha-what am I doing here?”

The boy smiled benignly and stepped forward, “Why, since you’re being kidnapped right now, I don’t think it’s good for me to tell you our location right now.”

Changmin’s heart thundered and he took a step back from the slowly approaching boy, “Kidnapped? Wha-why?”

The boy didn’t response but kept moving towards him until he got Changmin pinned to the wall, his wrists in the older male’s grasp. Changmin felt an oncoming panic attack as the boy leaned in, their faces an inch away.

He reached the second floor in record time before taking off down the hallway. Getting desperate, he kept slamming the doors that lined the hallway every time he came in contact with one with each step he took down the hallway. Kyuhyun peeked into the sitting room before gritting his teeth in aggravation.

He’s not here too.

“Let me go!!!”

Kyuhyun halted. That voice…

He bolted towards his bedroom and burst through the door only to stop in his tracks.

Changmin looked up when he heard the door being slammed open roughly and his already weak knees trembled on the verge of collapsing as he felt relief surged thorough him when he laid his eyes on Kyuhyun.

“K-Kyuhyun.” Changmin choked, blinking hard against the onslaught of tears that were threatening to fall.

Kyuhyun saw red.

Changmin’s shirt was open at the three top buttons, revealing his pale skin and his hair was messy from all the struggling. He was obviously on the verge of tears judging from his red-rimmed eyes but that was not what had Kyuhyun snapping out from his shock. The broken whisper of his name that came out of Changmin’s mouth was his undoing.

Kyuhyun hurtled forward before landing his fist against the jaw of the male that had been pinning Changmin to the wall. The blow had the male staggering back, releasing his hold on Changmin’s wrists.

“What the do you think you’re doing?!” Kyuhyun snarled even as he put his arms around Changmin to steady the shaken boy.

The older male righted himself and gave a low chuckle, “I must say, that was quite painful, Kyuhyun-ah. Must you resort to violence?” the boy rubbed his sore jaw, wincing a bit.

Kyuhyun glared and tightened his hold on Changmin, chancing a worried glance at him when he felt him trembled in his arms. This did not go unnoticed by the older male that was watching them both with an amused smile.

“Don’t worry, I’m not that despicable to hurt your cute little Changmin.”

“Then why the hell did you undress him?” Kyuhyun retorted.

“Oh, just trying to gauge your reaction. I know you were coming.” The older boy smiled.

Hearing that, Kyuhyun slumped in defeat and let out a long sigh, one hand subconsciously Changmin’s hair in an act to calm him.

“Why you must always came up with extreme measures, Siwon-hyung?”

Kyuhyun snorted behind his cup.

Changmin gave Siwon a hesitant smile and shook his head, “I-it’s okay.”

“Yeah, right. You almost cry back then.” Kyuhyun muttered.

That managed to bring out a glare from Changmin and a chuckle from Siwon. The three of them were now sitting in the living room after all the chaos that had ensued courtesy of Siwon, with him nursing his sore jaw, Changmin trying to comprehend what had happened during the last few minutes of his life and Kyuhyun acting like his usual self.

"Also, hyung, I told you, don't put weird things in my room. Take the stupid golden tortoise out." Kyuhyun glared apprehensively.

"Eeeeh? Mrs. Shellie is cute!" Siwon whined.

"I don't care."

"Meanie." 

Changmin looked between the two and decided to intervene before things started to heat between them.

“Erm, Siwon-hyung, why was I err…kidnapped?”

“Ah, that. You see, Kyuhyun’s parents keep trying to match him with some hotshot’s daughter and in the midst of a row about this, Kyuhyun had blurted out that he already had a boyfriend, namely you AND! That’s where I came in. Since I’m his cousin that goes to the same school as him, I was entrusted to find out about his so-called boyfriend and bring him home in whatever conceivable ways.”

Changmin pursed his lips and leaned forward to put down his cup of tea on the coffee table that stood between them, “I don’t understand.”

Kyuhyun clucked his teeth in exasperation, “It means, his ‘kidnapping’ is his conceivable ways of getting my parents to meet you. Honestly.”

Changmin’s mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ and-

“WHAAAAT?!! Y-your p-p-parents?”

Kyuhyun sipped his tea calmly before lowering his cup from his lips and smirked at Changmin.

“Why are you worried? Just act like my boyfriend like you always do.”

Siwon keen eyes caught the hurt that flashed across Changmin’s face at Kyuhyun’s words and he sighed internally.

Except it’s not an act.

Changmin looked down at his hands that were folded together on his laps, hiding behind his fringe as he chuckled mirthlessly, “Yeah, you’re right.”

The tension was palpable in the silence that followed Changmin’s words and Siwon glanced at Kyuhyun that was wearing his aloof mask. Siwon let loose a small smile, he spotted it. A crack.

“Changmin-ah, do you like flowers?”

Changmin looked up at the question that Siwon threw at him and nodded.

“How about I take you to the garden for a walk? It’s breath-taking.” Siwon smiled knowingly.

Woooohooo~ I'm back! *avoid flying knives*

Alright, special thanks to MieyFishy for all the reminders that you did relentlessly and flyinn for taking the time to knock on my inbox to get me to write this update. Did you finish the cookie that I gave you? Kekekeke, sorry.

Lastly, thanks and sorry to all the readers and subbies that had to wait long but didn't give up on trying to poke me to work on an update with your coments. You guys rock! Seriously, you guys are ohseeeem I tell ya.

Okay, let's just stop. I'm not good with this kind of thing. I'm feeling cringey already. *grimace*