“Watch your head, watch your head, WATCH YOUR STEP! Oh my god, Kyungsoo are you okay?! Yeah, yeah, I just don't want 'the Sehun incident' to happen again.” Eve stood by the side of van’s, carefully reminding the boys to not forget that there was a 5 centimeters gap between the van’s floor and the concrete of the hotel’s parking lot. 

The tour was coming to an end. After they had a quick detour to McDonalds because Jongin was hungry, they went on their merry ways back to their hotel. She was anxious the whole ride through, uneasily shifting around on her seat beside Joonmyeon. He was also unusually quiet on the ride back, casting occasional glances on Eve when he was sure that she wasn’t looking. She knew that he was looking. She could feel all the fleeting glances with terrifying clarity. They were like drill bits boring deep into her peripheral vision.

They hadn’t said a word ever since Eve asked if he wanted anything from McDonalds.

And now, the pack of boys were busy giving her farewells that for a moment she could set her mind aside from the dreading thought that had been haunting her.

“Miss Chen, Thankyou, Thanyou, Thankyou!” Chanyeol held her hands firmly and looked her straight in the eyes, “This is the best day ever, in my life, until now, like… EVER.”

He pulled her into a quick hug before he was off running toward the hotel entrance.

Next, there was Kyungsoo, and he was looking very content holding a large cup of coke. He gave her a wide grin before ceremoniously bowing down, “Thankyou for today, Miss Chen.”

Sehun came limping in after him with his back in a slight hunch. There was a smile on his face that said 'well, look at silly me'.
"Sehun, Sehun, Sehun," Eve took his hands and rubbed it softly. Indeed, he looked a bit pitiful. With that bandage over his swollen nose and scrapped up chin, Eve couldn't help but give in to the maternal urge that kicked in.
"Poor boy," she clucked her tongue, only for Sehun to shyly shrug his shoulders. She leaned in, with her toes on the maximum tippy mode, and gave his cheek a quick peck before sending him off to his needed rest, "get well soon." 

It was Jongin who stood behind Sehun, and he gave her the quaintest shy smile she ever saw in her life. He gave Eve a quick handshake and said, in the most sincere and apologetic tone, “I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable earlier.”

He also gave her a few gestures to show that the person behind him was the mastermind of all the weird events that happened that day.

Baekhyun. There he was.

“Hi Eve.” He waved at her awkwardly.

“Hi Baekhyun.”

“I’m so sorry for today but I mean… Uh…” He shifted his feet around, looking nervously on the ground, before he was caught off guard when he felt her hand on his shoulder.

“I know, I understand," she gave him a wink, “thankyou.”

His previously ashen face began to lit up with a bright smile, then he suddenly jumped on her with a big hug. He then, out of the blue, dropped a whisper of wisdom. She could feel the grin on his face. The grin of excitement as he said, "good luck."

Yes, luck. She really felt the need of it when she finally saw the last person that she had to bid farewell on that night.

“Joonmyeon.”

They both gave each other awkward nods and dances as they fumbled around thinking, should I give her a hug? Should I give him a handshake? Should I go for a high five? Should I? Should I not?

They finally decided on a really unfitting firm handshake. Because maybe, maybe, deep in the back of their brain where that little light of sanity shined, something told them that anything more would only lead to misery.

“I’m going to miss you,” he was trying his best to not look her in the eyes.

“Yeah. Me too," she was trying her best to not look him in the eyes.

They jerked their hands back, and even though it felt like they weighed a ton, Joonmyeon managed to turn his feet around and placed one in front of the other to make his way back into the hotel.

He looked up to her face before he fully turned his body around. One last time, he thought. Joonmyeon was greeted by the expression that he had grown to be so fond of throughout the course of the day.

Of course, he was unable to see how quick that smile disappeared from Eve’s face once she was sure he couldn’t see anything of her anymore. She quickly turned her back toward him, and as soon as she did, as soon as the gravity of the moment struck her, a drop of tear slowly make its way down her cheek.

‘No,’ she thought, ‘No, no, no, no. You knew this’s coming, you knew this is coming.’

But the more she tried to wipe it off her face, the more wet patches appeared on her sleeves. It was no use, wiping the tears, they just wouldn't stop falling.

“Hey.”

Suddenly, she could faintly hear a familiar voice over her muffled sobs. But she didn’t want to turn around. She couldn’t turn around. She didn’t want anyone, especially him, to see her in such vulnerable position.

“Hey.” The second calling sounded much closer than the one before. By the third one, there was no turning back.

Just like that, Joonmyeon got ahold of her arm and spun her around. So quick did it happen that Eve haven't got time to set up an appropriate response. She wanted to push him away, to shade her red, tear streaked face from his eyes. But his hands found their place on the nooks of her neck, tilting it up with ease. She refused to gave into the temptation to return his stare. Her eyes answered in a frantic left-right dart, trying to find a way to escape from the scrutiny. But she realized that Joonmyeon wasn't going anywhere. That person stayed put in his place and his hands were still sitting nicely on her shoulders. So what the heck, she looked up.

Up to meet Joonmyeon's face who was also red and streaked with tears. Up to see the concern in his eyes. Up, to feel the kiss that they had craved throughout the night.
The kiss that tasted salty from all the tears that rolled down to their mouths. The kiss that wasn’t soft, nor was it tender, as it was filled with hidden urges, hidden desires, hidden fears of the chill that would come once it was over.

When they do part, they did it slowly. Eve still could feel the heat from Joonmyeon's lips lingering on hers, the sensation that burned like a flickering ember. Joonmyeon who couldn’t get his mind off her fingers that raked through his hair, the tugging she gave him that really mirrored their desires. They wanted more, they needed more. Time. Place. Another chance to be together. But the light in their mind told them that it wouldn’t be a great idea. You had breached my wisdom once, youngsters, listen to me now or it won’t end in a peaceful manner.

So Eve forced a smile, and used her thumb to wipe the wet patch from under his eyes. Joonmyeon was the one who couldn’t really supress himself, as he immediately latched his arms around her waist, pulling herself in on one last hug.

“Wait. Just, wait.” He muttered under his breath.

And so she waited. She could feel his chest rise and fall when he took a deep breath and sighed. The motion that was hypnotic and calming in nature, Eve felt like she was being lulled to a sleep. But her senses sprang back to life when she felt his mouth hovering above her ear, his silenced words softly filled her with a newfound light. She gave him a small nod to show that yes, all was understood, all was fine. 

There was finally a genuine smile on her face after she heard his words. A serene smile that lingered even after he ended his embrace and led her carefully back to the van.
Joonmyeon slid the door close and didn’t let his hand go from the handle until it gave an assuring click of a locked car. And so, he just stood there unmoving, silently watching while the van took a sharp turn and disappeared around the corner.

'One last look', he told himself, before he walked back toward the brightly lit hotel.

“Are you okay Eve?” Tris kept stealing worried glances from the rear mirror.

“I’m okay.”

It was silent for a while before Tris asked, “What did he tell you, in the end? What was it?”

He waited for an answer, but heard nothing. A last glance from the rear mirror showed Eve to be looking out from the window with a bright smile on her lips, and a glistening jump from under her eyes as it reflected the lights from the traffic outside.

Despite everything, however bizarre it might sound, Eve just knew, that everything is going to be all right. 

A/N: Um... I guess that's it? Yep... That's it guysss. I hope you've liked it all this time? Well... thankyou :)