"Help me getting him to stand up in the shower box!" Kyuhyun hissed, evidently losing what few strands of patience were still lingering in him.

He had to do the biggest of the work ever since the car was parked back in the Kims' courtyard, that meant: make sure that freezing Ryeowook was sufficiently covered with the jacket he had lent him; try to wake him up to some sense (with no result); after failing to wake him up then piggy-back carrying him inside the house and up to his bedroom floor.

Sungmin was strangely too silent all the while, which irritated Kyuhyun very much.

Why are you - supposed best friend - standing like a helpless idiot behind, watching my efforts without ever getting closer to lend a hand? This were pretty much Kyuhyun's thoughts while trying to balance Ryeowook's not-so-feather-like-as-he-thought weight on his back and climb the stairs, scared to tumble behind any time soon at the first wrong step.

If it were for Sungmin, then Ryeowook would be likely abandoned on to his bed to get plenty of needed rest, but Sungmin didn't know the actual reason Ryeowook didn't feel well, thus the reason of his selfish thought. It wasn't just a too strong hangover, however Kyuhyun didn't feel like telling him too many details when it was evident that Sungmin himself was a little bit dizzy and was in a state of mind that made him not care any less about the surrounding world.

The taller one was about to repeat his question after successfully reaching the shower, still holding Ryeowook firmly around the waist, when he noticed that the little man was stirring in his hold, nonsensical mumbles filling the awkward silence of the house as his back slowly straightened and his head bent backwards. Eyes scrunched up in evident discomfort and maybe a little bit of pain, Ryeowook tried to escape from Kyuhyun's arms, his own hands pressing strongly against his stomach to relieve the whirlpool of nausea blocking him like an iron fist.

"Get away, now" he slurred at that point, moving away from Kyuhyun as he tried to safely reach the toilet. Ryeowook fell on his knees and almost hugged the white, cold ceramic, while burying his face inside it and finally give in to his only way to free himself of all that strange discomfort stuffed in his stomach. He cried while trying to throw up the disgusting taste that still lingered within himself, he mumbled whines and begged for help as he watched his miserable reflection on what was once clean, stagnant water, and thought he wouldn't be able to handle it without someone that reassured him.

Usually, whenever he felt that bad, Heechul was always by his side to check up on him, but that night he was out, it was probably only the first of another long series of lonely nights, as the elder brother prepared himself to move in with his future husband. Ryeowook would have had to deal with stupid problems like a hangover on his own from now on.

However, it was just when his tears had become to get another meaning, behind the one of pain due to the efforts while literally throwing up all his soul, that he almost changed his mind. A soft hand patted on his back and began to move in a circular motion to spread some warmth, another one was gently pressing on his cold forehead, under sweaty strands of his charcoal black bangs.

"Go home Sungmin" he heard Kyuhyun right beside him murmur. It was a very detached and firm tone of voice what Kyuhyun used to tell the blond one to finally vanish. He was useless, if he really wanted to just stand up and watch the scene with arms crossed on the chest.

"What?"

"You heard me. Go home, I can handle it from here. Thanks for driving" Kyuhyun continued, eyes worriedly fixed on Ryeowook's cheeks getting of a light shade of pink. Was it embarassment, gratitude, or simply a bit of heat coloring his features, Kyuhyun didn't know, but was determined to help that unlucky man for the night. After all, though with a totally questionable method, Ryeowook too had suggested to give his help to Kyuhyun in his silly attempts to forget his now unrequited love.

Sungmin walked to where Ryeowook was crouching on himself and playfully messed his hair: "Get well soon from your hangover, mhm?" he innocently let out a small laugh "See you next time, Kyuhyun" he greeted the other one too, moving his hand on the taller man's shoulder and squeezing it in a friendly, yet a bit too intimate, way.

Kyuhyun didn't spend any word to send him away. He simply went back to focus his attention on to Ryeowook and his back to help him soothe the pain a little bit. 

"Are you okay?"

"You...ask?" Ryeowook's hoarse voice hit him and Kyuhyun noticed the shocking difference between stubborn and hurt Ryeowook, which was something he would have never imagined he could witness in the span of two days. Ryeowook's head shyly lifted from the toilet and turned to look at Kyuhyun's confused expression: the way he had answered just some seconds before would have definitely conveyed all the annoyance he could gather after hearing the stupid question, however his slightly pink cheeks, his lashes beaded with teardrops and skin damp in perspiration was making him look a complete mess. A kind of cute mess, if Kyuhyun had to admit, that screamed please, save me out loud.

"You...are a mess" for the first time ever, Kyuhyun decided to let out a heartily laugh, not to make fun of Ryeowook but because under layers of arrogance and smartass lines, he noticed Ryeowook's fragility and humanity...and he didn't know about what was to come, yet.

"Oh...shut up!" Ryeowook whined, flashing him a bad glare and hitting him with a rather weak fist on the chest.

Kyuhyun sniggered as he tore some toilet paper and proceeded to clean his pouting mouth: "I can do it alone!" Ryeowook protested, backing off with his head, refusing the lingering attention.

"Then you can shower on your own, I suppose" said that, Kyuhyun tried to get up, but Ryeowook moved a hand towards him and squeezed his arm, gripping hard on the sleeve "...lp...me..." he mumbled at a very low volume, eyes cast down or anywhere else but on Kyuhyun's amused face.

"Sorry?" he asked, and Ryeowook had to repeat himself: "Help me, please. Stay here while I take a shower, I don't feel..." 

Kyuhyun interrupted him then, already knowing what Ryeowook wanted to say: "Okay, I know"

"I fear to collapse" Ryeowook explained, grabbing as best as he could Kyuhyun's hands and supporting himself to him while getting up.

"Good thing is that you look much better than before. You slept all the way to here, while now you even found your strength to fight me back. I guess you threw up great part of the disgusting stuff you were forced to drink" Kyuhyun pointed out as he followed Ryeowook to the other corner of the wide room only to stand up and guard him like an armor, while the petite one slowly took his clothes off piece after piece.

The shower ran hot and the jet of water covered the little hiss from Ryeowook, who soon disappeared behind the steamy glass door and carefully got drenched: "Don't move!" he ordered, noticing that Kyuhyun's shadow against the glass had gotten smaller and lighter "Don't go, I said!" 

"I'm still here!" Kyuhyun exclaimed, his shadow getting once again bigger and darker as he rested his back against the shower box door. His phone rested in his hands and he looked at the thin device with uncertain eyes. Fingers selecting his cousin's contact from the list, he wasn't entirely sure of what to do, but left a message to Siwon nevertheless, asking him to tell Heechul to call him back.

If he was about to catch hell for sleeping with Ryeowook, then who tried to have him by force and drugged him in order to do so was likely to get a far worse treatment for sure. But he was no one to judge now, since things might have gone in a totally different way, he was almost glad to think that Heechul was likely to unleash his famous fury and avenge Ryeowook's pride. Kyuhyun kept on thinking of Heechul and his protectiveness towards his little brother, which was very peculiar and made him think that there was possibly no strongest bond between two sibiling than the one Ryeowook and Heechul shared.

"My robe..." he heard at a certain point "I want you to pass me the bathrobe" Kyuhyun snapped out of his thoughts and listened to Ryeowook's voice telling him for the second time to fetch the bathrobe hung right in front of him. 

"Here" Kyuhyun turned around and opened the door so that a little crack allowed him to hand the garment to Ryeowook. A delicate scent of almond milk wrapped Ryeowook as if in a tender hug and Kyuhyun couldn't help but stop a little bit to get himself together, while holding Ryeowook's hand and helping him out of the bathroom and back inside his bedroom.

"You better dry that hair or..." Kyuhyun started as he sat on the bed and kept his stare fixed on the decorated, full length mirror right at the entrance of the walk-in closet. Ryeowook's slender, cream tanned figure reflected after the bathrobe had slipped down his shoulders and pooled at his feet. He moved taking small steps between his shelves and drawers to get underwear, flannel pants and a long-sleeved top to wear. The sight that hadn't wanted to abandon Kyuhyun's eyes vanished and made the younger one snap out of whatever thought still haunted him from the naughty night. 

Ryeowook came in view with a towel on his hair and a little smile on his pale lips: "You sleep with me tonight" it was supposed to sound like a question to Kyuhyun, but it was rather another order, though pronounced with soft voice that time, probably because as soon as he had entered the room again, Kyuhyun promptly stood up from the bed and tried to walk away, scared to end up in the same tricky situation from a couple of nights before.

"I think it'd not be wise..." Kyuhyun's voice tried to sound steady and affirmative to convince Ryeowook he could perfectly be fine without his presence in bed, but soon his cellphone rang in his hands and he was forced to pick up the incessant call: "Hello?"

"Kyuhyun!" Heechul's voice greeted him like a chirping bell, roaring from the speakers and making Ryeowook shift in uneasiness while he was slipping under covers.

"Heechul, hi!" Kyuhyun croaked, still uncertain on what to do now that Ryeowook was flashing him the most deadly glare one could have ever conveyed through eyes scrunched up in two fearful slits.

"You better have a good reason supporting this call, like the house is on fire, someone tried to kill you or harm my brother for example, because I am not usually a very forgiving man, especially if you interrupt my date..." Heechul laughed at the phone as if to decrease the seriousness of his sentence, but in truth he mean each and every word just spoken.

Ryeowook shook his head at a certain point. He saw Kyuhyun wavering at the phone, like in deep analysis of Heechul's words compared to the real reason he wanted to contact him. Those dark, and still too tired, eyes were fixed on him, into his own as in a bare soul scanner and Kyuhyun couldn't help but stop those little climbers in his throat that wanted to bring the truth out loud to light.

"Someone tried to harm Ryeowook, I thought you had to know this" became then "Oh, no...nothing, I think I just chose the wrong moment to ask your number through Siwon. You know, bad things might seriously happen and I don't know anybody here, so if my cousin's not available I need a backup..." he nervously laughed then, filling Heechul's shocked silence.

"Yeah, you're right" Heechul sighed, forgetting his small threat "But don't call anymore tonight unless it's for the reasons I told you before"

"Don't worry, we're home" 

"Perfect. Kiss Ryeowook goodnight from me, okay?" Heechul smirked at the phone and the line went mute.

Kyuhyun stayed still a couple of seconds while dumbly watching his cellphone screen, then, still clutching it in his hand, he knelt on the bed and bent over Ryeowook.

"What are you trying to do, idiot?!" Ryeowook let out a small scream as Kyuhyun was aiming at the man's forehead with his lips, but didn't manage to because Ryeowook had pushed him away.

"Complying to your brother's order" Kyuhyun shrugged as if that were the easiest answer. Pink was spreading on his cheeks too as he realized his foolishness and that he was about to seriously kiss Ryeowook goodnight.

Ryeowook threw one of his giraffe plushies at him, hitting him in the face with the big, fluffly snout of the stuffed toy: "What were you thinking of when you decided to call Heechul?!" he asked, notes of distress easily detected in his voice.

"I...I thought it was for the better!" Kyuhyun felt wronged then. He was simply trying to get things straight after the turbulent night that he didn't expect that lack of gratitude by Ryeowook, who once again was getting back to be the same arrogant, stubborn, full of himself man from the other night "Only a couple of hours ago you were about to be ! Sorry if I wanted to inform your family of the danger you almost went through!" 

"What if I absolutely weren't in danger? What if I actually wanted to..." Ryeowook argued, lifting his knees and pulling the covers up to his chin.

"Bull, Ryeowook!" Kyuhyun fought back, pointing him his accusatory finger "I saw you and you wouldn't have tried your best to push him away, screaming Kyu Kyu as soon as you saw me, as if you were a damsel in distress, if you were really intending to bear with what Troy was doing to you!"

"I called you that way, because I still don't remember your full name! Kyu...Kyu..." Ryeowook explained and tried to guess at the end, to which Kyuhyun emitted a low growl of frustration: "It's Kyuhyun, damn you, Kyuhyun!"

"Don't shout at me! My head...is exploding..." Ryeowook begged, tears pooling again on his lashes and threatening to streak his cheeks.

"Fine" Kyuhyun surrendered with a resigned snort. He gathered his things and turned around on his heels, trying to walk to the door and away from Ryeowook "You need rest..." he said at the end, as a plausible excuse to accompany his exit from that scene.

A rustle sound probably coming from the covers being thrown away and someone crawling on the mattress, making it lightly creak, got him stopping in his track. Curious, Kyuhyun stay