Hey guys, sorry for the long wait! So I kind of decided to make this into a threeshot instead of a oneshot, since I still have some more things to say about the plot. *____* THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS I READ THEM ALL AND I FEEL GIDDY AND YADONG IS PERFECTION!!! yes there's probably going to be a hint of myungyeol in the next chapter if you squint really hard. xDDD.

THANKS TO ALL SUBS AND COMMENTERS! WOOHYUN THROWS HEARTS TO YOU ALL! <333

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite. ;____;

This chapter is rated PG-13. for some bus molesting.

~~~

Somehow, Howon manages to make it to the bus stop with his sanity intact. Dongwoo's babbling on about some pateeta or patooca or something and he slips his backpack off his shoulders and crouches down to the bag. With small whines and grunts ranging from 'ahhh─ I couldn't have lost it!' to 'it's in here somewhere, wait, wait, I've got it!', passersby begin shooting the boy amused looks.

Howon takes the opportunity to stand as far away from Dongwoo as possible.

I don't know that guy, I don't know that guy, I don't know t─

The bus chooses to come at that moment, and Howon thanks God. Quickly sneaking onto the bus without a look behind his shoulder, he leaves a completely oblivious Dongwoo crouching on the bus platform, still rummaging through his bag.

Idiot.

Howon in a deep breath and ducks his head, squishing past people on the obviously over-crowded bus. He finally releases a sigh as he manages to seize a railing, pulling himself to a spot at the side. Howon feels the familiar jolt of the bus, and he pleads silently.

Yes, yes, yes! Go bus, go! Leave right now, right n─

"St─op!! Ah, haha, I am so sorry for the inconvenience. I will pay better attention next time, ahjusshi."

Howon flinches and his grip on the railing tightens.

"Ahh, um, I wonder where I left my monthly pass. I swear I put it in my left pocket here, or maybe it was my right...?"

Howon rips himself away from the pole, pushing past the craze of passengers as he makes his way to the front once more.

"I swear I had it with me this morning! Wait, let me check... maybe it's in my shoe─"

Dongwoo's cut off by the dumping of coins inside the bus fare box in front of him, and his eyes travel up to meet Howon's annoyed glare. With a brisk apology to the bus driver, Howon grabs hold of Dongwoo's backpack, dragging him along. It takes a moment for the senior to blink back to reality, and he cranes his neck around to apologize to the bus driver too while attempting to bow. Dongwoo ends up bumping into Howon's back, and laughs a sheepish'sorry' when Howon hisses.

Howon loses his grip on Dongwoo's bag during the struggle through the mayhem, and he almost turns around to grab it again before his inner Howon scolds him.

Don't turn around. You don't care about that idiot, rememb─

Howon suddenly feels the strong grip of a hand on his wrist, and he whips his head around to see a relieved Dongwoo. The senior grins, the tip to his tongue peeping out as he rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Swivelling around with an annoyed expression, Howon continues to push past the crowd, with Dongwoo's hand on his wrist.

They finally find a spot near the back door of the bus, and Howon sighs as he leans himself against a post. A frown makes its way onto his face when he realizes that Dongwoo was still clasped around his wrist.

"Yah," he says, attempting to shake the hand off.

Dongwoo's still catching his breath as he turns his head to Howon slowly.

"H-huh?" he breathes out, before realizing the situation. Clasping his palms together in a quick bow of an apology, Dongwoo almost falls over when the bus suddenly jolts. Howon manages to grab onto his wrist just as he's about to lose his footing, and pulls Dongwoo to an upright position.

"Idiot."

Dongwoo laughs.

The bus jolts again, but this time, Dongwoo's hand clutches firmly onto the post. He couldn't help but realize though, that Howon's arm had suddenly stretched out, as if prepared to break his fall again. Just as he peers down at the arm in mid-air, it shrinks away and Howon's expression changes to something in between annoyance and embarrassment.

Dongwoo begins his fit of chuckles again and Howon tells him to shut up.

A few stops later, more passengers flood onto the bus, packed shoulder to shoulder, back to back. Dongwoo's sandwiched between a taller businessman and a middle-aged woman, a broad-shouldered man blocking his view. He cranes his neck, attempting to catch sight of Howon, and when he sees the familiar auburn curls, he breathes a sigh of relief.

Howon changes position at that moment, and their eyes meet. Dongwoo's lips curl into a reassuring smile, as if saying, 'I'm fine', and Howon quickly averts his eyes.

Sinking back into the crowd, Dongwoo in small breaths of the stuffy air. Something or someone nudges into his back at that moment and Dongwoo attempts to move aside politely, only to still remain trapped in his place. A few moments later, he feels the tingle of warm breath on his neck and he cringes, a wave of uneasiness washing over him.

Dongwoo shifts uncomfortably, attempting to shuffle away, but receives a suspicious glare from the middle-aged woman beside him. Gulping slowly, he breathes a quick apology and moves sulkily back to his place. He almost thinks everything prior to had just been a hallucination, until he feels the hot breath back on his neck.

Just... just, stay calm. D-don't move!

He squeezes his eyes shut, praying for the assaulter to disappear, but when a rough hand suddenly palms his , Dongwoo's eyes spring wide open. He opens his mouth to yell, but suddenly wonders if it would be better to keep silent. The previously-idle hand begins to move, and Dongwoo jerks back, a strangled gasp caught in his throat as the molester takes control.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. He wasn't even a girl! But when the cold, sweaty hand dips inside the waistband of his boxers, he bites his lips to stop the cry from emitting. Dongwoo shudders when the hand comes in direct contact with his , his face flushed crimson from shame. Suddenly, the hand begins to fondle his cheeks, and Dongwoo clutches harder onto the straps of his backpack.

Suddenly, he catches Howon's eyes on him.

A new wave of shame washes over him, and Dongwoo bites his lips, attempting to mask the pained expression on his face, but to no avail. His eyes are glassy, Howon sees, and he looks flushed enough to pass as fever. Howon swallows thickly when he sees his senior's expression, and he almost ignores it, until his ears pick up a muffled moan from Dongwoo's direction.

His eyes flicker towards the sound, and they meet those of Dongwoo's. He's shaking by now, his cheeks red and lips bleeding from numerous attempts to restrain his outbursts.

.

, don't tell me he's ─

It takes one swift movement, and Dongwoo's jerked away from his spot. The next second he knows, he's pressed against the bus walls, with Howon standing right above him. The senior still looks shocked, legs still shaking as he tilts his head up to stare at his saviour. When he realizes it's Howon, Dongwoo doesn't know whether to be thankful or feel mortified.

Howon doesn't look at him. He simply glares straight, attempting to burn a hole in the bus wall next to Dongwoo's ear. Dongwoo sees how white Howon's knuckles have turned from gripping the pole too tightly and his eyes begin to water again. Soon enough, there's tears rolling down his cheeks.

Howon's arm tenses when he sees the tears on Dongwoo's face, and he fits himself closer to his senior, blocking him from the view of other passengers. Dongwoo brings an arm over his eyes to soak the tears and when the streaks are rubbed clean, Dongwoo clasps onto the front of Howon's uniform with gentle fingers. 'Thank you', is what he mouths gently, before letting go.

Howon feels strange.

~~~

They get off the bus.

Dongwoo trails along behind him, his head bowed and eyes hidden behind his bangs. Howon purposely slows down his pace so that the senior could catch up, but Dongwoo just seems to walk slower. Finally, with an exasperated sigh, he swivels around and catches Dongwoo by surprise.

"What are you doing?"

"H-h-huh?"

Howon sighs.

"Come here."

Dongwoo blinks, biting his lip as he obediently steps towards Howon. He in a deep breath, opening his mouth as if preparing to say something.

"Howon, I─"

The words never leave his mouth, though, because Howon abruptly cuts him off.

"I don't care."

Dongwoo swallows.

"I'm not going to judge you because of something like that. I don't know why you let him touch you, but pulling you away ─ that was something anyone would've done."

Howon's eyes soften when he sees Dongwoo's expression. Before turning back, he adds, "I liked it better when you called me Hoya."

Dongwoo's left standing in the middle of the sidewalk, motionless and awe-struck. His cheeks heat up like little lanterns when he realizes Howon's words, and a silly smile spreads back onto his face. Dongwoo lifts his head, and Howon stops at that exact moment, turning his head back towards his senior.

"You coming?"

Dongwoo grins and closes the distance between them in three swift strides. He's babbling nonsense again, reaching in his pocket and pulling out his patica. He shakes them in Howon's face and swings the gourds around, laughing when it makes a clacking sound upon impact. Howon pretends not to be interested, but finds himself reaching for a try at the strange instrument.

Dongwoo demonstrates it one final time before handing the instrument to him.

"Hoya..." he starts, just as the younger boy grips the two gourds in both hands.

"Hoya, I like you."

Howon drops a gourd, and the string goes slack. His eyes flicker towards Dongwoo, who's grinning like a Cheshire cat. With a flustered look, Howon turns his attention back to the patica, ignoring his rapid heartbeat.

Don't say it like you mean it.

"Idiot."

~~~

A short and chubby ahjumma opens the door, an apron wrapped around her torso as she looks up. Her short hair is permed around her face, adding a sort of childish radiance.

"Ah, my Howon-baby's home! How was your day, hon ─ Waaa! You brought a friend home, too! You know I love Myungsoo but it's nice to see some other cute boys once in a while."

Howon flushes.

"He's... not my─" Howon stops when he feels Dongwoo's eyes on him, "He'smytutor."

Mrs. Lee completely ignores her son's words as she tugs Dongwoo inside the house, gushing over his adorableness and how 'my Howonnie must've given you a lot of trouble but he's actually a little bunny on the inside'. Dongwoo's laughing so hard that he almost trips over his own sneakers, eyes squeezed in little crescents. He's lead around the house by Mrs. Lee, who shows him baby photos of chibi Howon doing mischievous things, and when she gushes about the ones she took of baby Howon in the tub, Dongwoo's dragged away from Mrs. Lee by a flustered Howon.

"Waitwaitwait, it's not fair to hog the cutie all by yourself!" Mrs. Lee pouts, a smile radiating from her entire figure.

"Mom..." Howon groans.

"Hoya and I will come back down after we're done with his studies. Then you'll have time to show me anything you like, ajumma," Dongwoo suggests.

Mrs. Lee's eyes light up when she hears the new nickname for her son, and Howon groans inwardly again before dragging Dongwoo to his room.

"Don't say anything to my mom. She's... weird," he warns him.

"I think she's cute," Dongwoo smiles.

Of course you would. You two would get along perfectly.

~~~