Mino had no idea how he reached his hostel room, his mind whirling as he entered the dorm. He must have boarded the bus, he must have changed buses too because that was the only way to get back to college from Taehyun's apartment.

Taehyun.

He sat on the battered couch in their shared living space, his head between his palms, trying to think, trying to put his thoughts in order. He had decisions to make, he had things to do, Taehyun was waiting for him to say something, he had to do... things. But what?

He wondered if it was okay for him to take a little time to himself, to pretend he was in a vacuum, away from the world so he could properly let the hurt get to him. A little time before he was required to do or say something, a little time, just a little bit, to allow his feelings to get the best of him. Just a little bit of time to properly feel sorry for himself, a little bit of space where no one would judge him for taking it hard, that he could allow the hurt to seep through him without anyone telling him he was being stupid, that he was making a big deal of a small situation. At the back of his mind, that thought lingered there, that he was probably overreacting. But is it overreacting when he couldn't control the sharp jabs in his chest, and that overwhelming urge to rage clawing its way up to his throat? He thought he deserved to feel whatever he was feeling.

Just a little time.

"Mino!" A hand touched him on his shoulder, making him jerk out of his thoughts. He had to focus his eyes, blink a few times to be able to tell who was talking to him. He realised belatedly that it was unshed tears clouding his eyes, blinding him. He quickly wiped it away.

"Damn you look like ," he could tell it was Zico now, back from the holidays. He had thought he was going to be alone. "What happened?" his voice was full of concern, his face looked pained. If Zico looked at him like that he must look pretty awful.

"The economy, bro," he said attempting a smile, the way they always did when talking about their feelings, hiding it behind humour. It was easier that way, it made it easier to talk.

"Ah," Zico took a seat on a beanbag, looking mock-thoughtful, fingers on his chin. "The economy is not going well is it?"

Mino shook his head to say no, it's not going well at all and then make a humorous quip. However, his mouth wouldn't move. He couldn't do this. "Taehyun..." he started and stopped. Should he continue? This was going to create a shift in their friendship, from a relationship akin to frat bros into something more. Then he thought, it, he was always the all or nothing kind of guy. "Taehyun... I think... well something happened."

"Okay," Zico looked at him, confusion etched in his features. "That was insightful."

Mino could muster a rueful smile then, knowing he wasn't really making sense. He didn't know where to start though. Maybe he could start from the very beginning, yes, that would be good. That will allow him to arrange his thoughts better. So he started talking about the time Taehyun told him he was supposed to go to Yale, about their first bump in the relationship when he was told he was supposed to be just a college fling, about the time he overheard Taehyun's mother, Taehyun's reaction to the flipbook, and then finally the phone calls along with the events of today.   

GROUP

Zico: Guys, Mino code BLUE!!!

Krystal: What?

Seunghoon: I am coming, 5 minutes

P.O.: 104?

Zico: Yes

Kyung: I have a presentation endingin 15 minutes. Coming straight after

Sulli: ! I had just left the campus. Telling the cab to drive straight around. Will reach in about 10

Minzy: On my way

Jinwoo: I am heading to the store for some soul food, Seungyoon will be coming from the cafeteria

Taehyun: What's happening?

Krystal: Zico? >: You stupid...

Zico: I forgot he was here

Taehyun: Are you talking about me? What i shappening? Is Mino okay? Somebody ing answer me!

Taehyun was stunned looking at the messages on the group chat. Nobody was replying to him, as if they had all decided unanimously to avoid him. Taehyun would not stand for that. He figured maybe it was not a life or death situation, if Mino was in any trouble he was sure they would tell him, whether they were angry or not. Which led him to assume that whatever they were talking about, would probably have to do with their relationship.

He stared at his screen, willing someone to talk to him, tell him what was going on. But what was he expecting? He wasn't their friend. Not really. This was history repeating itself all over again. If anything happened between him and Mino, of course, they were going to choose Mino's side. But that was not the issue here, the issue was what Mino was going through right now. Why were his friends worried about him, forgoing their lectures to go to his room? What was happening over there? Taehyun needed to know. He decided to call Seunghoon, the one person who knew the truth.

"What the is code blue?" he asked without preamble as soon as Seunghoon picked up the phone.

"Hello to you too Taehyun," Seunghoon sighed into his phone, sounding none too happy.

"What is going on over there? Are you with Mino right now? What is code blue."

"I am on my way to his room, yes. And code blue is usually used when someone has gone through a breakup and they need to be comforted..."

Taehyun did not hear the rest of the words because he dropped his phone.

Break-up.

Mino was breaking up with him. His knees suddenly felt weak and found he couldn't stand. He sat down on his bed, head hung low as he tried to process what he had heard.

Mino is breaking up with me.

"Taehyun?" a tentative voice came from the door.

Taehyun looked where the sound was coming from and saw Bobby standing there, face crumpled in sympathy. He wondered what he looked like to Bobby, his pain must be evident on his face, because Bobby has never looked at him like that, like something pathetic that needed to be helped. Bobby rushed across the room in long strides and reached the foot of the bed. "What happened. I heard shouting."

The kindness of the voice and the unnaturalness of it, coming out from his cousin-brother who had only ever traded insults with him instead of heartfelt sentiments, broke something in Taehyun. He felt a prickling in his eyes as he croaked out the words. "Mino's breaking up with me."

"No!" Bobby denied vehemently, a little too loud because Taehyun flinched from the anger laced in it. As if his denial would shift the universe back in its rightful place so that Taehyun and Mino will still be together. Taehyun felt too weak to argue.

"What do I do, Jiwon," Taehyun asked, and noticed Bobby flinching as if struck. Taehyun realised it was because he had used Bobby's real name, the name he used to address him by as a child.

"I'll call Mino okay, there must be a mistake," Bobby said standing up. Taehyun did not miss the crestfallen look on his cousin's face when he called him Jiwon. That was reserved for real talk.

"The group chat..." Taehyun gestured to his phone on the ground, which looks like it is broken from the fall. "They said..." he's trying to explain, how everyone was meeting up with Mino because of the code, but his throat was constricted because of unshed tears, he couldn't get the words out right. "Code blue... everyone... he left. No one... he didn't say."

"It'll be alright," Bobby started rubbing circles on his back to comfort him, probably to help him choke the words out. He couldn't. "It will be alright. You just... lie down okay. Lie here a bit, I will get you something to drink and we will sort this out okay. I will call Mino. I am sure this is all a big misunderstanding."

Taehyun slumped on the bed, resting his head against the headboard as his mind whirred, thinking of nothing but everything at the same time.

"I made tea," Bobby said as he came back to the room. "They say it helps because it felt like you were panicking just now. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Taehyun croaked out. His throat still felt like there's a frog lodged there because he refused to cry. He took the offered cup carefully in both hands and allowed the warmth to seep into his cold hands, taking a grateful sip.

"I tried calling Mino but his phone is switched off. Can you tell me why you're suddenly telling me you've broken up? Was that him you were talking to just now?"

Taehyun shook his head. "That was Seunghoon," he answered automatically, as if he is on auto-pilot, sipping tea and answering questions with his mind carefully blank. "He... if you check your group chat..."

"I did. So code blue..."

"Means a breakup."

"But... but Mino didn't say anything. He was here, he didn't break up with you before he left did he?"

Taehyun shook his head again. "He didn't say anything."

"The dickhead! does this mean he broke up with you in group text?"

Taehyun almost laughed out loud, the absurdity of the situation. The one time, the only time he had allowed himself to get attached and this is what he got. He rested his cup on the nightstand, half-finished, feeling like he didn't even have the strength to lift it anymore. Bobby was talking to him in his soothing voice again, Taehyun couldn't tell exactly what he was saying

He knew he was being laid down on the bed, and he wanted to argue. He didn't want to lie down. He wanted to do something rash, go speed racing, anything at all because this room was stifling him. But he didn't have the energy to move, and allowed Bobby to cover him with a blanket. He wouldn't cry, he told himself. He wouldn't. He will not cry for a guy who did not even have the decency to break up with him properly, that he had to hear it from someone else's mouth. He will not cry. He curled into his body, wrapping the blankets around him as if it could shield him from the harsh reality, burrowing himself in the familiar warmth that was filled with the scent of Mino, because he had been there last night, slept here next to him and woke up with him this morning. Maybe he'll sleep, and then wake up to realise everything had only been a nasty nightmare.

A doorbell ringing woke Taehyun from his stupor, but before he could get out of bed to answer, it seemed Bobby beat him to it. He heard familiar voices coming from the living room, Taehyun wanted to hide, refusing to face reality but the voices came louder, and he stood rooted at his spot.

"That's what we came to clarify," Seunghoon said as he pushed open the door with a flourish.

"How exactly do you want to clarify a break-up?" Bobby seemed to be in a strop. Bless him! he was trying so hard to protect Taehyun.

Instead of answering, Seunghoon faced Taehyun instead. "Why didn't you answer your phone? I called like a million times!"

"More like a dozen," Sulli piped up, waving a little awkward hello to Taehyun. Taehyun had no idea what these people were doing here.

"Um... this might be the reason why," Krystal said as she picked up Taehyun's phone from the foot of the bed with ginger hands. Its screen was cracked. Taehyun had forgotten about the phone.

"I knew it!" Seunghoon said, looking at the rumpled bed and the broken phone.

"Knew what exactly?"

"I knew you misunderstood my words, threw a tantrum and refused to listen to what I was trying to say and you were too busy feeling sorry for yourself."

Taehyun was offended. "How dare you!"

Before he could continue speaking and throw these three unwanted guests out of his apartment, Seunghoon shushed him with a hand in his direction. "I said code blue usually meant a breakup but it is also used for those moments when someone is going through a hard time and needed to be comforted. And you're wallowing here thinking Mino has broken up with you, aren't you?"

It took all of Taehyun's self-restraint to not nod his head in affirmation. He was still the hurt party here, and he did not deserve to be talked at like this. However, if what Seunghoon said was true then... "So Mino has not broken up with me."

"No," Sulli and Krystal cried out in unison.

"Not yet," Seunghoon spat.

"Hey, don't be mean Seunghoon," Krystal slapped Seunghoon's arm to scold him. "Look at how hurt he looks," she said gesturing towards Taehyun. Taehyun tried to look affronted at being talked about like he was not there in the room but found he couldn't find the energy to do so.

"Serves him right," Seunghoon was undaunted as he made his way to sit on Taehyun's unmade bed, flinging his feet up carelessly. "I told you to tell him, didn't I? You didn't listen to me," he addressed Taehyun.

Sulli spoke up before Taehyun could. "This is so not the time for 'I told you so's'," she huffed, making her way to the nearest chair to make herself comfortable. Taehyun had no idea what was going on. Were they mad at him, or were they trying to comfort him? He couldn't tell. He was not quite sure if he wanted to throw them out anymore though.

"Come on," Krystal held his hand and led him back to the bed, patting the mattress asking him to sit. "Mino told us what happened, and that he left you without any word. So we thought we'd come see how you were doing."

Taehyun's nasty side flared up inside him. What do you care? he wanted to ask and verbally berate them. He quickly tamped the thoughts down. They were actually worried about him. This was a strange development. He didn't know how to feel about these people still caring about him. He would have thought he lost them for good after hearing the things he had kept from them.

"I'm sure Mino will be fine soon enough, and everything can go back to normal. You guys can definitely get through this," Sulli offered from her place at his desk.

"So does that mean I don't have to break Mino's neck?" Bobby asked as he came in with drinks to offer the intruders.

"Hey! If anything, I should be the one trying to break Taehyun's neck," Seunghoon grumbled, taking the drink.

"I wasn't going to leave," Taehyun exclaimed, finally finding his voice again.

"I guess your father barging in ruined it all, huh."

"Is Mino very mad at me?"

"I think he is just trying to process what he found out."

"What if Mino decides he wants you to go."

"But it's my decision."

"Your father made it seem like Mino is holding you back."

"My father doesn't know anything."

"Is it true though? If it were not for Mino, you would have gone, right?"

Taehyun couldn't answer that. Not truly. He knew Mino was one of the reasons he wanted to stay, but his family was also another reason. He wanted Donghyun to come back to Korea so they could be a family, and not spend so much time apart that they hardly knew each other. He didn't want them to grow apart. If he leaves then what was the whole point of him standing up to his mother about Donghyun in the first place. However, it was also true that before he met Mino, he was fully prepared to leave Korea for good.

His silence seemed to be enough answer for Seunghoon, who commented dryly. "So Mino has every bit of right to feel like he is keeping you from doing the right thing." Taehyun didn't have an answer to that, yet again. He remembered what Seunghoon had asked him the last time they were alone together. What Seunghoon feared for Mino had come true. He knew Seunghoon was not happy with him, however, he still came and made sure Taehyun was alright. He couldn't figure the older boy out.

"What should I do?" he asked the people in his room. "What can I do to make this all right again?"

"I don't think there's anything you can do except wait," Sulli offered. "Mino told you he needed time to think, right?"

"But how long would that be?" he wailed, frustrated. He had never wanted to get back someone's affection so badly before. How long does someone need to think before they decide whether they want to stay in the relationship or break up? A month? A few weeks?

"I dunno," Krystal shrugged. "That depends on Mino isn't it?"

"But if he doesn't even bother to talk to Taehyun for weeks then what does that mean?" Bobby piped up.

"Well, if it's more than a week then doesn't that mean they're broken up?" Krystal put the idea out there.

"What?" Taehyun could not believe they threw that word around so carelessly.

"Maybe wait a week before you try and talk to him, yeah?" Sulli suggested.

A week. Okay. Taehyun could do that. He could be patient for Minho's sake. At least he wouldn't have to wait weeks for Minho to make his mind about them. A week was doable. He would just have to trust Mino to make the right decision. If not, then, well...

.

.

.

A week was not as easy as Taehyun thought. Taehyun tried to go about his days as normal as he could. He still had to go to classes, he still had assignments to do and books to read. He could push his personal problems at the back of his head and focus on his studies while he waited. However, it was difficult because everything reminded him of Mino. His bed smelled like Mino. His entire house reminded him of Mino's presence. It seemed as if Mino had poured his essence everywhere.

Going to college was even more difficult. He looked for Mino everywhere, hoping to see him, wishing they could run into each other prompting them to talk things through. He went home every evening dejected at not seeing the smiling face of his boyfriend. Why didn't he take similar classes with the guy this semester? That would have put them in the same classroom and Minho would have to see him, he would have to talk to him then.

Minho woke up to the sound of pounding on his door. "It's been a week," someone was shouting. "A whole ing week." He was annoyed and his head hurt. He clutched his head between his palms and willed the pounding to go away, squeezing his eyes shut. He briefly wondered why his head was throbbing and realised he had drunk too much last night trying to stop himself from thinking. He groaned out loud when the pounding wouldn’t stop, hoping whoever was on the other side of the door could hear his frustration and leave him alone.

"Song ing Minho. Open this door right now."

Minho could hear the words clearly now, and it was Taehyun's voice. Taehyun was at his door sounding like he was ready to break down the door to his bedroom. No. He was not ready to face the guy. He hadn't come to terms with the situation yet. He still needed more time.

"I swear to god Mino if you don't open this door right now I am kicking it down."

Mino tried to hide under his blankets, wishing the current scenario to be just a dream. The pounding stopped for a bit but kicking ensued. He knew the flimsy lock he had installed himself on the door would not hold much longer. He had to think fast.

"Mino." Now that was the sound of Zico's voice. "Are you okay in there?"

Kyung also seemed to be there with Zico. "If you're fine please just come out. We can't get him to stop." He sounded scared.

"Yeah Mino. Before he hurts himself." That was Seunghoon's voice.

With another painful groan, he lifted himself out of bed and approached the door that was shaking under Taehyun's forceful kicks. "I'm coming," he shouted for the other side to hear him.

The kicking stopped and Minho opened the door to reveal all of his friends had gathered outside his door. Zico and Seunghoon were holding back a struggling Taehyun by the arms while everyone averted their eyes from him, looking like they wished to be anywhere but there.

"Let go of me!" Taehyun struggled against his captors.

"Are you planning to hurt him?" Zico had to make sure.

"You think I would deliberately hurt him?" There was pain in Taehyun's voice, Minho could hear it so clearly. He could also see the red-rimmed eyes and the bruised knuckles. The others must have heard the hurt in Taehyun's voice too because they let go of him. Taehyun shrugged off their grasp. Everyone's eyes were on Taehyun now, warily watching if he would do something to Minho.

"I called you," Taehyun forced Mino to look at him, holding his gaze. Mino wanted to look away, anywhere away from the eyes that were threatening to fill with tears. "I called you a hundred times and you didn't pick up," he accused with a wavering voice. Minho didn't know what to say. He knew he had ignored a few messages, he didn't hear any calls. He must have been blindly drunk last night.

When it looked like Taehyun was no longer violently rampaging, his friends stood one by one and left the room. "We'll give you two some time alone," Kyung said, giving him a signal that they would all be outside if Mino needed them.

"Look at me," Taehyun demanded when Mino watched his friends leave. He tried to look at Taehyun's face, but seeing the hurt there made him feel too guilty. He knew he had taken time on his own without talking to Taehyun, without letting his boyfriend know what was going through his mind. He couldn't tell how many days it had been because his days and nights all meshed together the past few days. He hadn't even been going to his classes.

Taehyun choked out a sob, piercing Mino's heart with the sound and causing him to look up. The tears had spilled out of his boyfriend's eyes now. "Are... are you really breaking up with me?"

No! Minho wanted to scream as he shook his head, but no words came out. Where was his tongue when he needed it most? He didn't want to break up with Taehyun. He just didn't know how to be okay with Taehyun either.

"You," Taehyun growled out with renewed vigour. "You're not allowed to break up with me," he stepped closer and closed the distance between them. "Tell me! say it. You're not breaking up with me," he whispered as he got to Mino's face, his arms wrapped around Mino, pulling him close and kissing him desperately with wet cheeks.

Mino had missed this body so much. Instinct kicked in and he held that warm pliant body closer, kissing him back with all he got because he missed this. Missed Taehyun's taste and his lips and his tongue and his fingers and... He realised he must have smelled horrible considering how much he drank last night, however, Taehyun didn't seem to care, didn't mind the smell of his stale alcohol breath as he drank from him like a man on the brink of dehydration.

They had to come up for air, Mino whimpered at the loss as Taehyun pulled away from his lips, breathing harshly against his cheeks as he pressed their foreheads closer together, his hands gripping Mino's hair almost desperately. Mino couldn't help squeezing him back for all he's worth. "I missed you so much!"

Taehyun pushed him away harshly, a light fist landing on his chest. "Then why did you leave me?" he accused, new tears threatening to fall. "I thought you were done with me. You didn't even say a word, not even a message telling me you needed time alone. It would have made it a tiny bit easier to get through this past week."

"I'm sorry," Mino said the first words that came to his mind. He never wanted to hurt Taehyun.

"Don't apologise," Taehyun was quick to argue. "I know I should be the one apologising please don't. Just... just take me back already, please," Taehyun closed the distance between them again as he begged, leaving desperate kisses all over Minho's face and neck, a thousand supplications planted on his skin.

"Taehyun," he whispered, gently removing his boyfriend's hands from his body and holding them together in front of him, effectively stopping the butterfly kisses on his face. "Taehyun, please, let's sit and talk huh? You're making it impossible to think."

"What's there to think about?" Taehyun's tone had a nervous edge to it. "I love you. I love you so so much. And you love me, right? What else do we need?"

"Taehyun," he pleaded, guiding him to the couch. He took a seat but Taehyun pounced on him, seated on his lap and his lips latched onto his again. Minho couldn't resist. He couldn't find it in himself to make Taehyun stop. His body betrayed him as he accepted all of his boyfriend's kisses and gave his own in return.

Out of breath, Taehyun stopped his fervent attack but refused to allow any distance between them as he kept their foreheads pressed together. Mino took the time to regain his senses, reminding himself that they needed to talk. He tried to pull Taehyun off him, make him sit on the sofa but the boy refused to budge, clinging on to him even tighter. "I want you," Taehyun whispered, fingers digging into Mino's shoulder blades to keep Mino from extricating him, his grinding onto Mino's crotch.

"Taehyun," he tried again. "Let's talk first, okay."

Taehyun looked at him in the eyes, confusion written all over them.

"Can you do that for me, babe?" he begged. "Just... talk for a bit?" he pleaded.

An almost imperceptible nod, and Taehyun was finally letting go of him, albeit with the utmost reluctance. They were finally both seated on the couch. Mino put some distance and crossed his legs under him, facing Taehyun directly.

"Can you tell me," he started with the most obvious question. "How long you have dreamt about going to an Ivy league school?"

"No," Taehyun shook his head and tried to pounce on Mino again. Mino finally understood what was happening. Taehyun was actively using physical proximity to avoid talking about the difficult things. Mino had to be stronger than that. He gently pushed Taehyun back.

"Please, just answer me honestly? No more lies?"

That seemed to change something in Taehyun. His cloudy eyes shifted and they looked focussed again, no longer deranged. He bit his fingernails as he made Mino wait for an answer. "As long as I have known about their existence."

Minho knew evasion when he saw it, so he prompted again. "And how old were you then?"

"Maybe 12... 11," Taehyun reluctantly answered.

"And why are you refusing to go now?"

"Dreams change, Mino," Taehyun snapped, no longer looking him in the eye.

"Can you tell me, honestly, that I am not the one keeping you here and following the dream you had just a few months back?"

"That's easy. Yes. You are not the only reason I chose to stay."

"Alright," Mino breathed a sigh of relief. The tension in his shoulders dissipating. "But will you go if I ask you to?"

"What? You can't make me go."

"What if I wanted the best for you and I wanted you to take back your dreams, and I tell you I would wait for you. Then are your other reasons still keeping you from going?"

Taehyun kept quiet for a bit, Mino can almost see the gears turning in his head. The pause was all Mino needed though because it made him realise Taehyun was putting him foremost in his mind. Mino knew how much Yale meant to Taehyun, although he hadn't known Taehyun dreamt about it since he was a kid, he knew how hurt and angry he was that he didn't get to go. When Taehyun said on Halloween that he didn't have any particular dream, had he already given up on Yale at that point? He didn't want to be the reason Taehyun is stuck in a mediocre college and ruin his future. He loved him too much to do that to him.

"Taehyun, you need to go."

"No. I don't. I told you, you're not the only reason I am staying."

"Then what are the other reasons?"

"You know that already, Mino. You know I wanted my family together."

"But your family wants you to go and I..."

"I am not going to listen to this. Mino, I am so sorry you had to hear the vile words from my father's mouth. But I assure you, you are not at fault by me staying here."

"If we break up, will you regret your decision."

"Don't say that word. We are never doing that!"

"You don't know how things will change in the future, Taehyun."

"You don't love me enough, is what you're saying? Because I know I love you and I am sure I will not let anything come between us."

"Love is not always enough. You may resent me later..."

"Shut up. I love you. It should be enough."

"Taehyun."

"No. I am done talking about this. Please, let's just go back to the way things are," his eyes were shiny and his eyebrows drooped so low Mino was tempted to run his fingers through them and clear the creases.

"I don't know if..."

"Please," Taehyun begged, trying hard to restrain himself from clinging onto Mino again. Mino couldn't say no to the beautiful boy. He still had problems with the situation they were in, however, the truth was that he loves Taehyun, he couldn't let go of him, not just yet.

"Alright."

"Thank you," Taehyun practically squealed and jumped on top of him again, crashing their lips together. "I love you, so so much," he declared through their joined mouths.

The sound of footsteps distracted them and they looked in the direction of the door to see Zico creeping in. "Sorry," he whispered when he realised he had been caught. "I forgot my phone and I didn't know how long we were going to be out there so... carry on..." he shooed as he found his phone and walked away backward, out the door again.

Laughter bubbled up at Mino's chest. His friends were super kind to him in the past few days. the name Nam Taehyun had even been banned from the dorm. They had done everything they could to ensure Mino had someone to talk to or vent to whenever he needed, and they were still there, giving him privacy while they were probably numbing their asses outside in the cold. He was filled with warmth in the knowledge that he was loved, including his touchy-feely boyfriend on his lap.

"I think we should allow the others back in, tell them we're fine," he suggested to Taehyun who only whined in return, squirming on Mino's lap to show his displeasure. "They need to come in, babe. We can just lock ourselves in my room."

"Alright," Taehyun pouted, stopping his on Mino's neck. "It's a good thing I didn't break your door."

Mino called the others in and as he suspected, they all came filing in when they heard Mino shout. They had actually been waiting outside in the corridor in the cold. Mino was once again struck by how he came across such a group of loyal friends.

Taehyun settled into a more appropriate seat next to Mino as the group entered, everyone was eyeing him with wary expressions, as if Taehyun would suddenly jump and attack them physically.

"We are so sorry to make you guys wait," Mino apologised for the two of them when he realised everyone looked quite awkward. "What's wrong?"

"We thought he was going to break his leg," Sulli sniffed. She had clearly been crying.

"I..." Taehyun started to get up but did not continue what he was trying to say. Everyone shrunk back as he moved. "Are you guys scared of me or something?" he asked, sheepish.

"You were violent," P.O. accused pointing his finger.

"Our neighbours all came to see what the commotion was about," Zico agreed.

Taehyun ducked his head in embarrassment, not looking at anyone in the eyes. Mino could see the flush at the back of his neck creeping up to his ears.

"We were scared for you," Krystal almost wailed. "Don't scare us like that again."

"Sorry," Taehyun mumbled, shuffling his feet.

"Sorry too, guys. It's probably my fault," Mino apologised again as a chorus of Yes's and Obviously's filled the room. He took Taehyun's hand in his for lack of something else better to do. "We won't make you guys worry again, won't we, babe?"

Taehyun shook his head, biting his lower lip and still unable to look up. He looked so different from the Taehyun who needed to be restrained from knocking down a whole door. Mino felt a surge of protectiveness overwhelming him.

*****

You see, I want that, I want that, 'my friends think I’m crazy’ kind of love.

That 'reckless’ kind of love.

That 'wake up early make you breakfast’ kind of love.

That, 'crack open my life and say look, you gotta see this’ kind of love.

Forget the shallow stuff, I want the deepest kind of love.

That 'I want to stay up late and tell you all my secrets’ kind of love.

That every time I see you I fall to pieces kind of love.

I want that 'stand next to me’ kind of love.

That 'it’s by destiny’ kind of love.

That 'no matter what happens to me, you’ll always get the best of me’ kind of love.

That 'you get my heart and my mind, this world gets the rest of me’ kind of love.

That 'invest in me’ kind of love, because 'you already know that I’m invested in you’ kind of love.

That 'you come home upset, and you don’t have to say nothing, I already know what to do’ kind of love.

I want... love.

I want you to come to me like an afternoon- Come to me slowly as if you were a broken sunset with a lazy sky on your shoulders. If you let me be sunlight, I promise that I will penetrate your darkness until you speak in angel ways. Pull me close to you, tell me that you love me, then scratch your future into my back, so I can be everything that you live for. I promise that I will die for you daily, and then resurrect in your screams. I promise that I will love you. I promise, that I will love you as if it’s the only thing that I’ve ever done correctly.

-Rudy Francisco