He hadn’t hidden it too well. Frankly, he never had.

It was surprising how long she had taken to finally put the pieces together.

He never cared.

She was only a distraction, a mere pushover.

He grew careless over time, there was nothing else he could do.

She’d been in denial for the longest time, but it all had to end now. There was no going back.

-------

The ear-piercing crash of the ceramic flower vase striking the wall beside him with such force was enough to entirely reveal the vicious fury that boiled through her veins at the sight of the man in front of her. Never before had he seen her emotions completely overtake her with such fierceness nor had she ever displayed such pure hatred toward another human being such as himself. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she allowed the feeling to empower her judgment. Nothing could halt the rampaging bull that she had set loose that night and all he could do was recoil in defense. She took a few more steps forward shakily as her eyes scanned for more weapons to use in her fit of rage.

"Why would you do this? How could you? I LOVED YOU!" The last part came out as a shriek of infuriation and the hard twist of her wrist as she angrily flung her handcrafted wooden clock at him with all her strenght, missing his head by mere inches. He dove behind the table right before it crashed into a hundred pieces, some of which he felt beneath his hand as he forced himself upright and dashed toward the front door. He hastily unlocked it and swung it open, making his way into the front lawn before slipping on the grass and sending a jolt of pain running through his right ankle. His eyes darkened in the moonlight and looked up one last time to see her shaking figure standing in the doorway. Brunette wiry hair, teeth flaring like a female wolf eyeing her prey but the look of fury fell to one of deep remorse and most importantly hurt and betrayal. Betrayal over what he had done.

Her voice softened as she spoke to a quiver. "I trusted you." She sniffed the frigid air and brought a smooth pale hand to her face. "I can't deal with this anymore, Nichkhun. Just...leave."

Nothing more could have been said. He withdrew a set of keys and she watched with a pang of disappointment and pity as the man she had devoted two years of her life to, now vanished down the street in a blue tearful haze forever.

The soft rustle of bed sheets and silent breaths of a deep slumber quietly grazed the air as Wooyoung slept soundly in his shared bed. Not wanting to be disturbed yet making sure he was readily available for an emergency, he had set his phone on vibrate the night before as he always did. He didn't receive many alerts or calls during the night but tonight was far from an average night.

A low hum pulsed from his phone on the nightstand and slowly shook him awake. His eyelids heavy and unable to open all the way revealed the blurred text of a familiar name as he groggily pulled the phone close to his face.

"Hello?" he grumbled while rubbing his dark brown hair with his right hand.

"Hey-" Nichkhun squeaked then cleared his throat, starting over. "Hey Wooyoung."

"Hyung?" he asked a little more concerned. He sat up in his bed and glanced at the clock. "It's three in the morning…"

"I know…" Nichkhun guiltily answered back. "I'm sorry. I-I wouldn't be calling you this late at night though unless it was important…" Nichkhun trailed off allowing Wooyoung more time to take in what he was saying. He heard Wooyoung grunt as he stretched and scratched the back of his head.

"No, no. It's fine. What's wrong?" Wooyoung tried to fight back the sluggish feeling without showing he was slightly bothered about being awoken after just falling asleep.

Nichkhun hesitated then answered back. "I need to talk to you about something. Can you meet me at the house?"

"What house? Your house?" Wooyoung asked, his mind still foggy.

"No, our house. Please, Wooyoung. I-I just don't know… I need to talk to-" He sounded like he was on the verge of a breakdown and Wooyoung quickly interrupted.

"Okay, okay. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." He hung up and sighed, turning to his slumbering partner beside him and watching her for a moment. He closed his eyes and turned away, heaving his tired body out of the bed and out the front door in minutes.

When he arrived at his home, which he often found himself calling work, he walked in to find Nichkhun sitting on the sofa staring blankly ahead of him. The older man held an arm to his chest as though feeling a wound yet his sharp eyes seemed devoid of pain whatsoever.

"Nichkhun?" He asked in a calm but steady voice. Nichkhun's mouth hung slightly open and he turned his head in acknowledgement towards the shorter dark haired man approaching. He opened his mouth a little wider to reply but no sound came out.

Wooyoung moved closer and stopped next to the table. "Nichkhun?" he asked again. "What's wrong?"

Nichkhun stared deep into his soul with piercing almond eyes while his lips moved voicelessly. He held in a breath and turned his face down to the white carpet beneath his feet. "W-we b…" He could barely get the words out and he found himself slinking further into the leather sofa until he was finally able to get the words out.

"We broke up."

The words hit him quick and Wooyoung felt a pang of guilt for feeling bothered earlier. He shook his head in remorse. "Oh… God, Nichkhun. I… I don't know what to say. How did it happen?" He wanted to console his broken friend so he sat beside him, placing an uneasy hand on his back and began feeling relieved that Nichkhun seemed to take at least a little bit of comfort from his touch.

"It's all my fault," he said in a hushed voice.

"What do you mean?" Wooyoung worriedly asked. He gently began to his back hoping to calm him down.

"I…cheated on her.” He stayed quiet for a moment, trying the words bitterly caressing his lips. “I ing cheated on her!" his voice grew louder and carried a bit of anger. "I really ed up, man."

Wooyoung didn't know how to reply so he continued to his back soothingly. "Hey, it's okay hyung. It's okay."

"I'm a horrible person."

"No, you're not," Wooyoung quickly replied, hoping his words would reach him. Nichkhun breathed heavily then leaned into Wooyoung closer. The younger man took him in and held him close without question.

After a few moments had passed Nichkhun finally spoke again. "I can't help who I am. She knew that." His words came out through a trembling frame against Wooyoung's chest.

Wooyoung was filled with questions. "She knew what?"

Nichkhun suddenly stopped trembling and his expression became somber. Wooyoung became confused.

"Nothing. It's not important." He suddenly grew distant and moved out of his embrace.

Wooyoung became even more confused at Nichkhun's sudden strange behavior. "Nichkhun, what is it?"

Nichkhun didn't reply. He assumed the same position from before as if nothing had been said. Wooyoung felt as though Nichkhun was shutting him out after he had just allowed him in and he didn't know why.

"It's nothing," He repeated.

Frustration and hurt overcame him. "I wanna help you out hyung, and I can't if you don't open up to me."

Nichkhun looked up at him with an incredible amount of sadness, one he rarely ever saw in his deep crystalline eyes and Wooyoung saw his brow furrow as he tried to form a reply.

"Some things are better left unsaid," Nichkhun whispered. "…for the better."

They said nothing else. Wooyoung couldn't bring himself to go any further knowing the pitiful state Nichkhun was in.

So they stayed together the rest of the night in a painful, desolate silence.

Nichkhun had always fought with his inner demons. The feelings that always overcame him. The feelings that he faced in that exact moment he shared with his friend. He suffered greatly for it to this day.

He never did tell Wooyoung the truth that night. That was one of his biggest regrets and the biggest obstacle he had to conquer. There was no other woman but for all Wooyoung knew there was.

He didn’t worry about his ex coming forth with the truth either. No one would believe her if she did out of spite one bitter hateful day and he held too much credibility to be brought down anyway.

Nichkhun didn't date again either. For months afterward he led a quiet, private life that he barely made public through social media. Wooyoung would think back to that night when he noticed Nichkhun's destitute gaze from across the set. He held regret as well for not pushing him further; for not being able to solve the mystery that is Nichkhun.

In the back of his mind, he now only saw a lonely and lost man behind weary auburn eyes.

------

Nichkhun “cheated” on his girlfriend with other men because he thought he could fill the void that was not having Wooyoung as his lover. He unconsciously wanted her to find out so she could break it off with him. He left clues here and there until one night on a heated argument she lets it all out on him.

He was so distraught over how he handled the break-up that he allowed himself to reveal more than he wanted to Wooyoung, even though it was what he'd desired for the longest time. Lost and confused about how Nichkhun really felt, Wooyoung allowed himself to accept Nichkhun's refusal to divulge any more about what had happened but deep down he knew Nichkhun was never the same. Wooyoung continued to try to reach out in his own way to him but he turned a blind eye as he remembered what Nichkhun had said to him that night.

Some things are better left unsaid. Even if it meant pain, guilt and remorse for the rest of their lives.