"No, no wait!" I protested.
We were standing outside Onew's house and he was unlocking the gate.

"What are we doing here?" I was horrified.

"We're going to talk." He gives me a weird look.
"Stop being surprised. You're acting like my house is haunted." He laughed and opened the gate.
"After you." He said gallantly.

But I stood frozen in place.
"Why here, Onew?" I whispered.

"So we can talk properly." He raised his eyebrows at me.
"Don't worry, nobody's home."

WHAT?!

"No. No way." I shook my head.
"I don't want to."

"Why?" He looks confused. "We're just going to talk. You didn't like it at the diner because there were people. Well, there's no one here now." He pouted.
I glanced at him warily.
"Come on. I won't do anything to you." He pulled my arm and I reluctantly went in.

This house still embarrasses me so much!

"Is there really no one else here?" I whispered again.

"Yeah!" He started to go up the stairs.
Wait! Why is he going UP?

"Where are you going?!"

"My room. Aren't you coming?" He looked down at me.
"Come on!"

I followed him up slowly.
"Why does it have to be in your room? We can talk downstairs. In your living room." I complained.

He shrugged. "It's better here. Besides," he flashed me a smile. "I have aircon!"

I snorted. "You're kidding me, right?" It's already cold outside. Onew can be such a weirdo sometimes.

"No way." He shook his head.

"Let me get this straight, we're going to talk in your room because you have airconditioner."

"Uh-huh." He nods and opens the door.

Instantly, memories of our first kiss came back to flood my mind and I blushed furiously.
Onew set both our bags down on the floor and started to arrange his desk.
But I couldn't move. I couldn't even get my feet to enter his room.
"Are you okay?" He looks at me strangely.

"Can we go downstairs now?" I asked in a strangled voice.

"Oh come on." He went near me and pouted.
"I know why you're like this." He sighed.
"But I'm not going to do anything, I swear!"

"That's what you said the last time I was here." I muttered.

"Look, I'm not going to...do anything weird. I promise. Even though I'm a guy and I have my guy hormones and all, I don't force girls into those kind of things." He tilted his head at me and he tugged my hand gently.
"Especially to you." He murmured.

I looked at him worriedly.
Then I stepped in hesitantly.

"Yay!" He said happily and fixed the table.
"You can sit on the bed!" He said, excited.

He closed the door and I sat on his bed gingerly, still feeling weird.
"So..." I said, looking around. His room was still the same as I've seen it the last time I was here.
Suddenly he started to his uniform.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I asked in horror and quickly stood up.

"I'm just going to change!" He explained quickly and then he buttoned up his uniform again.
"Sorry." He muttered.

I shook my head. "No. I'm sorry. I'm acting so weird, right now." But I can't help it.
I'm so nervous!

"I understand. You're very conservative." He observed. "But it's no big deal." He smiled kindly.
"I'll just change in the washroom, okay?" He  grabbed his clothes and went to his bathroom.

I sighed and leaned on his pillows.
Hey, he has a really soft bed!
I laid down, whew! Am I tired.
But I thought about what he said.

I'm conservative?
Is that a bad thing?!

I mean, it's the first time I've been with a boy and I really don't know how to act if he suddenly changes his clothes infront of you or something.
In his room.

Maybe there's a self-help book about these things?
Must look at the bookstore tomorrow. I noted to myself.

Onew came out of the washroom and this time, thank goodness, he was wearing a shirt and not a sleeveless one like he did before.

He laid beside me and smiled.

I looked down.
"So what are we going to talk about?"
I wanted to sit back up but these pillows are so nice and soft...

He looked at me thoughtfully. "I'm not sure."

"What are we going to do here then?"

"We're going to...uhm.." He looked up at the ceiling for a while, thinking.

"Going to..?" I prompted him.
He just looked at me, smiling.

I stared back, puzzled.
"We're going to continue what we were doing in the chicken shop."

"What? We're going to eat? Again? I'm kind of full already." I looked at him apologetically.

He laughed. "No..." He inched closer to me and cleared his throat.

"Then what..?" I shifted further from him.

He inched closer again.
And I inched further, almost to the edge of his bed.

"Stop doing that." He frowned.

"Doing what?" I asked nervously.

"Inching away. Do you want to fall off the bed or what?" He stared at me.

"It's kind of your fault." I said lamely, embarassed to let him know that I was nervous.

"How is it my fault?" He looked a little confused.

"Well..--"

"Here. I'll protect you." And in a flash, he had pulled me closer to him in a tight hug.

"Onew!" I gasped in surprise.

"I just don't want you to fall." He murmured.  

"I-I won't. You can let go now." I said nervously.

He looked down at me. "Are you serious? Do you honestly think I'll do that? Let you go?"

"Yes..?"

He laughed. "Wrong answer."

"But I promise I won't fall anymore."

Just as long as he stops inching closer.
"Oh no." He smiled.
"You can fall." He looked at me intently.
"Just as long as it's with me."

SERIOUSLY?!

I just stared back at him, openmouthed.
That almost sounded like a confession.

But then, he broke into a big smile.
"So...Can I hug you?" He tightened his arms around me.

"No." I mumbled. What a stupid question! He was hugging me already.

"Okay." But he didn't release me.

"Onew!" I said nervously.

"Just this." He went nearer and buried his face in my hair.
"Do you know what I want to do right now?"
I didn't answer.
"I want to hug you like you can't breathe anymore." He laughed.
"Twisted?" He looked at me, smiling.
I avoided his gaze.
"I'm sorry. I just really miss you. And don't worry, I won't really hug you till you can't breathe." He smiled. "Losing you would be the only thing that would break me apart."

"Onew.." I shook my head and gazed up at him, my stomach was filled with butterflies again.

"This is a friendly hug." He explained, mistaking my gaze as panic. "Didn't you read about hugs in chapter 8 of our dating textbook?"

"Seriously?!" I wondered, instantly alert.
There's a chapter on hugs in our textbook?!

"Yeah. We're actually having a lesson right now."

I narrowed my eyes. "Let me see the book!" I tried to stand up.

"Later." He tightened his hug.

"Is that true though?"

"What is?"

"Chapter 8?"

He laughed a little.
"Well...no. I just wanted an excuse to hug you."
I made a face.
"Please? It's just a hug. That's all I'll do. Promise! And friends hug, anyway! You and Mika hug, right?"

"Well, yeah. But...not like this."

"There are many varieties of hugs." He mumbled in my hair.
We laid like that for a while.
Him, hugging me with his face buried in my hair, and me, facing the front, looking up at the ceiling.

"Onew?" I asked, nudging him a little.
It's so cold in his room! Did he turn the a/c up on high?
He didn't answer. I tried to nudge him a few more times.
I finally looked at him.

He's sleeping! Again! He slept on me again!

"Aish." I muttered and stared at him.
He looks so serene just sleeping like that.
And so handsome...almost a little childlike.
I realized that even though he's a leader and everyone looks up to him,
he can be vulnerable too.

Gently though, I inched closer to him and burrowed in his chest.
I felt him shift so that my head was in his chin and then he hugged me again.
Somehow, at this very moment, nothing felt more right.

  --

ONEW'S POV
"Are you awake?" she whispered.

"No." I mumbled.

She laughed a little and looked up at me.
I couldn't resist it though, I've waited so long to hold her again.
I kissed her forehead softly.
"O-On--"

"Sleep. When you wake up, I'll still be here." I promised and held her closer.
She didn't say anything anymore and to my surprise, she puts her arms around me.
I smiled.  

Maybe it won't take long before she falls..
She didn't need to worry though.
After all, she's already in my arms.
I've already caught her.
And I'm not letting her go.

Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.
--

MAKI'S POV
My eyes opened.
I just had the weirdest dream!
I was in Onew's room and he was hug--
Hey, wait!
I took in my surroundings.
Light blue wallpaper.
My wallpaper is purple.

WAIT! THIS ISN'T A DREAM AT ALL!

I looked to my side.
Onew was still asleep and his arm was still around me.
And I was hugging him back!

I quickly took off my arms around him and checked his clock.
7pm.

! My mom's probably looking for me now!
"Onew!" I sat up a little and tried to wake him.
"I need to go home! It's 7pm."

He sat up a little, looking disoriented.
"5 minutes." He mumbled and suddenly buried his head in the pillows again, his arms pulling me down with him.

"ONEW!" I shouted.

"What? What?" He suddenly woke up in a panic and looked around.
"What is it?!"

I sighed.
"Err..." He looked confused so I took that opportunity to take his arm off me.
"I need to go home now."

He rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"Okay. Wait." He stood up and went to the bathroom and I gathered my stuff, re-tied my hair and fixed my uniform which totally looked like I slept on it.
"Ready?" He grabbed my bag.

"I'll do it. You're tired. Go sleep more." I said gently.
He shook his head. "I'm not sleepy anymore."
"No." I said firmly, crossing my arms.
He looked at me, thinking.
"Go sleep now." I said, not backing down.

He suddenly smiled and inched closer to me until my back was on the door.
"If you don't let me walk you home, I'll...kiss you." He threatened, smiling.

I've never seen anyone look so happy while threatening another.

I blushed. "W-what?"

"I'm serious." Then he leaned his face nearer, his hands on either side of me.

My eyes widened and I duck down and out of his arms.
"Okay, okay, let's go." I said quickly.

He turned to look at me and laughed.
"Aw. You were suppose to resist more." He pouted.

"Onew..."

"I just want to maximize our time together." He finally smiled and I moved to open the door.

"Wait." He closed the door and pulled me in.

"What?" I looked up at him.

He smiled, holding up something. "It's cold outside."
Oh. It's a sweater.

"Okay." I shrugged and waited for him to put it on.

But he handed it to me. "Here."

"Eh?"

"It's for you. Wear it."

"But...it's okay." I said weakly.

"Wear it. We won't go until you put it on."

"Fine." I mumbled and wore the sweater.
It was warm and smells like him. <3
"Thanks." I said shyly.

He beamed. "Let's go!" He opened the door.

"Wait! What about you? Aren't you going to wear a sweater?"

"I don't need it."

"Wear one."

"It's okay."

"Wear one." I crossed my arms.

He looked down. "I only have that one. The others are still in the laundry."

"What?!" I made a move to take off the sweater.

He quickly stopped me.
"Don't."

"But...it's yours."

"And you're mine. I'm not going to let my yobo get cold." I heard him mumble.  

"I'm what?" I was surprised.

He sighed. "Let's just go."

"Onew..." I was touched.  

"Come on." He smiled. "I'm a guy. I don't get cold easily."
I rolled my eyes. Being a guy doesn't have anything to do with getting cold easily.

"Please?" He used his puppy eyes. "I can't wait to walk you home again."

How...I wondered, did he ever managed to make puppy eyes ever work on me?