“R-Ryeowook, can we meet at the playground?”

Ryeowook runs through the snow, his anxiety rising by the second. None of it makes sense. He doesn’t understand what’s going on, and he still doesn’t.  Especially, not after hearing Kyuhyun whimper softly over the phone, begging to see him.

“Kyu…my curfew, I can’t-”

“Please, I need you.”

Ryeowook’s frantic eyes spot his best friend trembling underneath a tree; his body hunched over, legs folded close to his body, with his arms wrapped around them. His forehead is resting against his knees, hiding his face, as he continues to shudder at the wind.

“Kyuhyun!” Ryeowook shouts out, panting as he rushes to close the distance between them. He takes off his scarf to wrap it around Kyuhyun, noticing his best friend isn’t even wearing a coat – just a thin long sleeve shirt. “Kyuhyun, what’s going on? What’s happening?” He frantically blurts out, speaking so fast that he nearly bites his tongue. “Kyu-”

And Ryeowook gasps –his eyes watering up as Kyuhyun finally looks at him with tears already streaming down his face. Ryeowook stares at him, kneeling down in shock because who could possibly hurt his friend? Why would someone hurt Kyuhyunnie?

Kyuhyun’s face is bruised, his lips are swollen, his cheeks are marked with long, thin cuts and a large purple bruise surrounds his left eye. He’s pale, a ghostly pale from the cold and Ryeowook tentatively reaches his hand out to touch him, but Kyuhyun instinctively flinches away from him.

“S-sorry.” Kyuhyun mumbles, slowly reaching out for Ryeowook’s hand. Ryeowook squeezes his hands tightly, at a complete loss of what to do. So he does the only thing he can think of – he leans forward and wraps his arms around Kyuhyun in a tight hug.

And something about the hug causes Kyuhyun to cry, wailing loudly as he holds onto Ryeowook for dear life.  The tears drop faster, soaking Ryeowook’s winter coat and he tries to tell Ryeowook everything, but the words keep getting lodged in his throat. “I-it hurts. It hurt so much…”

Ryeowook cries with him, because he hates seeing Kyuhyun so hurt, so broken.

“M-my Dad hits me…all the time…” He continues to cry. “…It hurts…”

“Your Dad…?” Ryeowook mumbles slowly, confused as to why Kyuhyun’s Father would do such a thing. Kyuhyun’s Father was always so nice to him, whenever he would come over to play with Kyuhyun.

“Y-yes,” Kyuhyun nods, burying his head in Ryeowook’s shoulder, crying even harder. “He h-hits my mom t-too.”

Kyuhyun immediately gasps at a sudden realization, abruptly pulling away to look Ryeowook in the eyes. “P-please, don’t tell anyone, Ryeowook! My mom said no one is supposed know!”

Ryeowook nods, pulling Kyuhyun back into his arms, because he’s imaging the horror of it all.

They cry together, clinging onto to each other until it’s too hard to breath. They separate when Kyuhyun sneezes, his tears slowing down to mere sniffles and Ryeowook realizes he’s stayed out too long (way past his curfew). So he slowly moves to stand up, his knees soaked wet from the snow but he doesn’t mind – his only worry is Kyuhyun right now.

“Kyuhyunnie, let’s go.” Ryeowook offers his hand, but Kyuhyun only stares at him, still sniffling.

“W-where?”

“To my house,” Ryeowook murmurs, “We should ask my Mom if you can sleepover…then maybe, if she says yes, we can ask if you can sleepover forever. So you won’t have to see your Dad ever again…”

Kyuhyun wipes the rest of his tears with his sleeve, before standing up to hold Ryeowook’s hand and together, they quietly walk back to Ryeowook’s house.

“Do you really think your mom will say yes?” Kyuhyun whispers anxiously. “To sleeping over your house forever?”

Ryeowook nods, despite being uncertain, and holds Kyuhyun’s hand even tighter. “I think she will.”

The second they arrive at his house, his Mother rushes out of the living room, ready to scold Ryeowook (because he’s way past his curfew, and she’s been worried sick for hours now). However, the lecture she’s prepared is gone in an instant at the sight of how incredibly injured Kyuhyun is – the very same boy she sees almost like her second son.

His Mother immediately rushes to his side, instructing Ryeowook to bring the first aid kit. Ryeowook nods eagerly, grabbing it from the kitchen, before following his Mother and Kyuhyun to the living room.

Ryeowook spends the next few minutes watching his Mother take care of Kyuhyun, attending to every bruise and every cut with such gentle care; she even wipes away a few of his stray tears before sending him to take a warm bath.

After preparing a set of spare pajamas, a towel and a toothbrush for Kyuhyun, his Mother turns to look at Ryeowook. She squats down to his eye-level, caressing his cheeks before her fingers glide to tuck his bangs behind his ears.

“Ryeowook, honey,” She says so slowly, so carefully. “I…I need to know who did this to Kyuhyun. I’m sure he told you, but he won’t tell me. So, please, tell me…”

Ryeowook’s eyes widen upon seeing his Mother’s teary eyes. “...Mommy?”

“We need to protect him, Ryeowook-ah.” His Mother tries to smile reassuringly, but it falters almost immediately. “Some bad person is hurting Kyuhyunnie…and we need to stop them. But I can’t do anything, if I don’t know everything…do you understand?”

Ryeowook stares at her, nodding slowly before he confesses everything Kyuhyun’s told him. He manages to finish his story just before Kyuhyun leaves the bathroom, looking a lot less pale than he was before. (His eyes were still puffy and red.)

“Kyuhyun-ah,” Ryeowook’s Mother flashes him a small, warm smile. “Do you feel a little bit better now?”

Kyuhyun glances warily between Ryeowook’s Mother and Ryeowook, before sheepishly nodding.

“That’s good.” Ryeowook’s Mother smiles wider, standing up to softly pat Kyuhyun’s hair.  “You’ve had a pretty long day, huh? You must be so tired. Do you want to sleep in Ryeowook’s room, Kyuhyun-ah, or…?”

Kyuhyun’s eyes widen, but this time in delight and so does Ryeowook's. “I can sleepover?!”