[3216]

Donghyuk was an interesting person when it came to parties. As much as he drank, it just never seemed to affect him at all. You weren’t surprised by that, really. The guy wasn’t your average guy.

“Hey, Donghyuk, having a good time?” you asked as you opened your window and saw him perched on the roof, the wind flicking up a few strands of his hair. He usually hung out with Chanwoo during these times (Chanwoo didn’t drink either) but sometimes he preferred to be alone. Of course you were too drunk to notice, but Donghyuk didn’t seem to mind at all that you were joining him.

“Of course,” Donghyuk replied. If he was being sarcastic, his tone didn’t support it, neither did his expression. He looked over at you as you sat down beside him and he smiled lightly. “Please don’t tell me you’re drunk enough to where I have to worry about you falling off.”

“Of course not,” you said, slightly offended that he’d assume you were so incapable. Beside Donghyuk, you had the highest tolerance in the group. “I’m fine. Just because Junhoe fell off the roof, doesn’t mean I will, too.”

“That’s a relief,” Donghyuk said, smiling small as he looked over at you. You all regarded Chanwoo as the angel of the group, but Donghyuk also had his own serenity and peacefulness about himself to notice. It was no wonder why so many girls liked him.

“I was also wondering if I could sleep over,” Donghyuk continued, looking your way. “My aunt’s boyfriend just dumped her, so she’s not the funnest to be around.”

Donghyuk’s parents skipped out on him as soon as he was born, so he lived instead with an aunt, who, aside from providing the basic necessities, was just as bad as no parent at all. She’d hit the jackpot raising someone as smart and nice as Donghyuk, but of course she never realized that. 

“Of course you can,” you told him, giving him a look that said it was an obvious answer. “You don’t even need to ask. None of the other guys ever do.”

“Thanks,” Donghyuk said with a grin. He pulled his legs up to his chest and threw a curious glance up at the sky. He paused for another moment, looking like he had another thought on his mind, before finally speaking, “You know, judging by how small this town is, the selection is really low, but I hope you find someone who’ll make you happy.”

You snorted slightly, the entire subject catching you off guard. “What are you going on about?”

Instead of being put off by your casual response, Donghyuk was calmer and more detailed in his thoughts. “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I just think that at this rate, you might settle for someone like Hanbin or Bobby. They’re cool guys, they’ve been my friends for ages, don’t get me wrong, but they don’t know how to treat girls, forget girlfriends. You deserve someone who won’t give you such a tough time. It should be easier. I don’t know, just a thought.”

You let the reply toss through your mind before nodding. Donghyuk always knew to say the things you hadn’t been told but needed to hear. He could always talk about the things you couldn’t talk to the others about. He was special in that way. He was special in many ways, really.

“And do you suspect I find someone more like you Donghyuk?” you replied, giving him a slight grin.

Do you suspect I find you Donghyuk?

Donghyuk let out an airy sort of chuckle. “Well I wouldn’t say I don’t know how to treat a girl. I’m not a bad place to begin, no.”

You swore you could’ve kissed him right then and there. Donghyuk was just that kind of guy, and you couldn’t exactly put it into words why you felt a certain way for him, but you did. You were, however, smart enough to know that it was a bad idea to go for him. Just as Donghyuk mentioned you deserved more than Bobby and Hanbin, he deserved more than you.

—

You walked down the stairs just to see Yunhyeong walking your way. It was always a pleasure to see Yunhyeong drunk: he was always so happy, so calm, so stoked on life — in all honesty, you would’ve done everything drunk Yunhyeong asked of you so as to not disrupt his happiness. 

“You having a good time?” you asked as he tugged on your arm and pulled you closer. He leaned his head on your shoulder and you chuckled, letting your palm comb through his soft, chocolate brown locks. You made it a point not to take the “mother” or “girlfriend” role of the group, but sometimes it seemed that way. 

“Just want to stay like this for a little while,” Yunhyeong mumbled into the fiber of your shirt. “It feels nice like this.”

You didn’t mind, really. You had the time. “Yeah, okay.”

Yunhyeong had one palm resting on the small of your back — too low if anyone asked you — but it wasn’t such a bad position to be in. Hardly anyone hugged you (no, Bobby pulling you up against him during didn’t count) so you could say it felt just as nice for you.

Yeah.

Well…

You soon after felt Yunhyeong’s lips against your neck, his tongue not so shy either, and you immediately pulled away because yes, he was kissing your neck. You instinctively put a palm over your neck as you looked at him, mouth falling open. “Yunhyeong?!”

“Seemed like the perfect time to practice,” Yunhyeong calmly replied as he took another sip of his drink. 

—

When the house was finally empty — 3:45 in the a.m. — you walked up to your bedroom, preparing to grab clothes for a shower when-

“Bobby?” you blurted, stopping abruptly at the door. Bobby was leaning against the wall by your window, arms crossed over his chest as he stared at you — more like through you, really. “I thought you were at you grandma’s.”

“My grandma’s gone,” Bobby replied. It was hard to say if he looked sad or had no expression at all, if he sounded sad or had no tone to even decipher. “She died. Just before I got there she died.”

You didn’t know what to say. What could you have possibly said? It was hard to treat him delicately without him getting insulted by it. Instead, you carefully made your way over to him. He reeked of alcohol, sweat, and cigarettes. Unlike most people like him, this wasn’t a combination that made him violent; it made him weak.

“I’m sorry,” you said, careful of your tone and expression. “I know how important she was to you.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Bobby replied, eyes picking up from the ground to you. “I'll be fine.”

“I’m not going to make you do anything,” you answered. 

You helped Bobby pull his hoodie up over his shoulders and toss it on the floor at your feet. His T-shirt was next off and only now when you saw his bare chest and arms did you realize how badly he’d gotten knocked around this week. You let your fingers graze over a few of his bruises at his ribcage and you quietly hissed. “Jesus, Bobby.”

It had no ual goal at all behind it to touch him; he seemed so numb and lost, you knew if you didn’t take care of him, he wouldn’t do it himself.   

You led Bobby to the bathroom, not having it in your mind that you were joining him, but before you could even stop in your steps, Bobby held onto your arm and pulled you in with him. At least Donghyuk was sleeping