“Hi, can I come in?”

The maroon-haired man tilted his head in confusion, pushing the door open further allowing Sungmin to step into his apartment. Immediately, he begun pacing in the living room and Yesung watched him quietly. Sungmin chewed onto his fingernails, his thoughts and emotions in a jumbled up mess as he tried to control his body from trembling. Upon noticing how shaken Sungmin was, Yesung stepped forward and grabbed Sungmin by his shoulders.

“Hey, you okay?” Yesung asked with a rough voice but with a weird calming effect on Sungmin.

Sungmin nodded quickly. “Yeah… I just…”

Yesung begun running his hands down Sungmin’s arms soothingly, giving him an intense stare and Sungmin’s breath caught in his throat. For once ever since what happened earlier, all the crazy thoughts vanished and all Sungmin could do was stare into those mesmerizing dark eyes of Yesung’s. Damn, how could someone’s eyes so be beautiful and soulful at the same time? Yesung’s slowly caressed Sungmin’s arms and then intertwined his hands with Sungmin.

“Sungmin…. Are you okay?” Yesung asked again, this time a little softer.

Sungmin wanted to lie again to Yesung but one look at that intense gaze and Sungmin was crumbling down. He buried his face into Yesung’s chest and begun sobbing, letting all his fear and frustration out. He had just been attacked by a stranger and someone was trying to make his life a living hell. And the worst thing of all? He didn’t know why or who this person was and why this was even happening.

Yesung wrapped his arms around Sungmin and guided him back against the couch, allowing Sungmin to bawl his eyes out onto his solid chest. It was comforting as Yesung Sungmin’s hair, his lips pressed against Sungmin’s temples. Yesung did not utter a single word as he held Sungmin close and Sungmin was thankful for the silence and for Yesung’s strong protective arm.

Once his sobs had died down and his thoughts and emotions have finally calmed themselves down, Sungmin finally willed himself to take a deep breath. He pushed himself off Yesung and then his heart started beating wildly once more as he started panicking.

Oh dear god.

How could he let this happen? Sungmin was too preoccupied with what happened earlier that he actually allowed himself to run into Yesung’s arms. Sungmin should have known that this was wrong and he should have stopped himself from going too far. But his emotions got the better of him and Sungmin was not strong enough after experiencing something so frightening. He needed someone to hold him, someone to tell him that everything was going to be okay and someone to love him.

“I shouldn’t have come here,” Sungmin furiously scolded himself, “I shouldn’t have.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Yesung reached forward to grab Sungmin’s arms. “I’m glad that you’re here right now.”

“I…. I didn’t mean to…. I…. I’m sorry.” Sungmin apologized, unsure of what he should exactly say. “I… I just…”

“Needed a shoulder to cry on.” Yesung continued, smiling tenderly, “It’s okay, Sungmin. We’ve all been there.”

Sungmin awkwardly bobbed his head in agreement and then looked away realizing that Yesung was looking so damn good in a black pullover and sweatpants. How could someone look so effortlessly hot and cute at the same time in such normal attire?

“Why don’t you stay and have some dessert with me.” Yesung suggested, tilting his head to his kitchen. “I was in the middle of baking when you came.”

“I ought to really get home though,” Sungmin said and then caught a glimpse of Yesung’s open-kitchen next to the living room.

Holy cow.

Was that a kitchen or a dumpster?

 “Umm… What… What were you trying to… What… What are you baking?”

“Red velvet cheesecake.” Yesung then smiled sheepishly, “But I guess it’s another failure.”

“Another?”

“Yeah… Well… This is going to sound lame but… I’m kind of learning how to bake.”

Sungmin’s lips lifted into a silly grin, trying hard to hold in his laughter. “Why? Being a teacher isn’t already enough?”

 “Oh ha ha, laugh all you want.” Yesung rolled his eyes, “I just wanted to try something new.”

“And you chose baking because….?”

“It keeps my hands and mind busy.” Yesung shrugged, “It’s a great stress reliever.”

Yesung then looked at his kitchen and then rubbed his shoulders, “Or so I’ve heard. I don’t know… This is only my second attempt at trying to bake something.”

Sungmin laughed and stood up, “It is fun and it does keeps your mind off things.”

“Doesn’t feels like it to me.” Yesung muttered.

“That’s because you’re doing it wrong.” Sungmin gestured for Yesung to follow him into the kitchen. “Come on, I’ll help you bake something.”

“Will you?”

“Yeah… Unless… Unless you’re… Unless you wanna do it alone.” Sungmin stopped in his tracks, realizing that he was getting a little too comfortable in someone else’s house. “I… I mean… I understand if …”

Yesung chuckled roughly and walked towards Sungmin. He brushed away Sungmin’s bangs that were falling into his eyes and then rested a hand on Sungmin’s shoulder.

“Stay,” Yesung quietly said, “This will keep your mind off whatever that’s bothering you.”

Sungmin thought about it and then nodded, “Thank you.”

Sungmin’s eyes widened when all of a sudden, rough lips were pressed against his. It was a kiss but a very chaste and quick one. Yesung then winked and roughly whispered,

“No, thank you.”

“Hey, you okay?”

Ryeowook blinked and snapped out of his overwhelmed thoughts. He was distracted, thinking about the possibility of his parents splitting and divorcing while watching the playback of the security camera footage in Ahra’s café. Whenever a middle-aged couple entered the café, Ryeowook would watch them and then felt his heart swell with so much pain and guilt over what happened with his parents. Ryeowook hadn’t realized that Kyuhyun had joined him some time ago until Kyuhyun asked if he was alright. Ryeowook sniffled and nodded and Kyuhyun watched him suspiciously.

“I heard you talking to Ahra about New York.” Kyuhyun paused and then continued with a soft voice, “I never asked you how it was or how you’ve been ever since you came back. I’m sorry.”

Ryeowook was speechless, not expecting Kyuhyun to say something like that.

“So… How was it? New York?”

Ryeowook blinked, “Uh… It... It was really great.”

“Were the kids there nice to you?”

“Yeah… They were.” Ryeowook answered and then added, “Surprisingly.”

“I bet you didn’t want to come back here, didn’t you?” Kyuhyun chuckled, “Sapphire Gates is just a boring small town compared to New York.”

“New York’s great but Sapphire Gates is home.” Ryeowook softly smiled, “I’ve so many good memories from here that are impossible to forget.”

“What about people?”

“What?”

“I mean… What about the people here? Was there anyone that was impossible for you to forget while you were in New York?”

“I… Umm…”

Thankfully, Kyuhyun’s phone which was on the table next to the computer vibrated and Kyuhyun picked it up and begun talking. It seemed like it was from one of his friends, though Ryeowook had no idea who it was. Kyuhyun gestured to Ryeowook that he was going to head outside for a moment and Ryeowook nodded. At that moment, on the computer screen, Ryeowook spotted Donghae and Eunhyuk entering the café on the playback from the CCTV camera. Focusing his attention on Donghae and Eunhyuk, Ryeowook scanned the café and noticed that aside from an old man reading a newspaper, there was no one else around. Donghae and Eunhyuk ordered their drinks from the counter and then headed to a table at the back of the café. 

“They really do look close.”

Ryeowook whispered to himself, watching as Donghae and Eunhyuk chatted and laughed heartily over their cup of coffees. It was strange seeing them so close like that. Eunhyuk was new in town but the way they were so actively chatting and laughing, you would have thought that Donghae and Eunhyuk had known each other for a long time. Ryeowook tilted his head, confused, when Donghae suddenly placed his hand over Eunhyuk’s that was resting on the table. Eunhyuk looked down to their hands and then had on a silly smile on his face. Ryeowook was puzzled as to what the two were doing. Had Donghae just… Had Donghae just held hands with Eunhyuk while drinking coffee? Was this a… Was this a date? But it couldn’t be! Donghae only had feelings for girls, he wasn’t gay or even biual!

“Maybe it’s just a friendly gesture,” Ryeowook whispered to himself.

Donghae was one of the friendliest and nicest person Ryeowook had ever met and so, Ryeowook thought nothing of it. Probably, Donghae was just holding Eunhyuk’s hands as a polite gesture or something li