" Kihyun." Hoseok mutters, followed by a loud yawn.

It is currently around 7 in the morning, not a time for Hoseok to be able to fully function.

" Why do I wake up to your message telling me that you went home last night?"

Kihyun fills a glass with water. " Urgent business. You were dead so I didn't want to wake you."

"I see. But… what business at night?"

"Is Changkyun home?" Kihyun ignores his question and pulls Minhyuks cornflakes out of the shelf. He isn't too sure what Hyorin likes for breakfast but is satisfied with what he prepared by now.

" I saw his hair sticking out from under the blanket when I checked earlier.", he yawns once more. " But seriously, Kihyun. Why are you running around at night?"

Kihyun grimaces.

The time has come.

" Have you talked to Jooheon by the way?"

" About what? We talk a lot."

" Your fight."

Hoseok snuffles. The noise of running water. " He promised not to get too involved and I promised not to freak if they see each other from time to time."

Yes.

He will definitely explode.

" You have to promise me to stay calm."

"Is it your kidney?" Hoseok asks alarmed.

"No, no. It's fine. Just…", he is trying to find the right words. " I know you don't like this topic so promise me to keep it down because I'm tired and I can't deal with this before work."

He is not telling him that his head has been hurting all day and that he feels the dull pain in his legs he is already used to.

Water retention.

Stupid kidneys.

No way he will tell him about it.

So unattractive.

Hoseok sighs deeply. " You do know you're making me nervous every time you start like this?"

"I'm trying my best not to."

" So, what is it?"

" Did you promise already?"

" I can't promise for anything. But I will try."

Kihyun plays with a spoon in his hands.

" I might have made things look worse than they actually are. Last night, Jooheons phone wouldn't stop ringing. I answered it and the end of the story is this girl named Hyorin spent the night at our apartment beca--"

"You what?!"

Of course he wouldn't be able to finish his sentence.

" Hoseok. Let me speak f--"

" You're home?!"

" Yes. B--"

And Hoseok is gone from the line.

Kihyun sends a glance to the ceiling, trying to figure out what he did wrong in his past life to earn this fate.

With slow steps he wanders to his room where he let Hyorin sleep the night. He used Minhyuks bed since he wasn't sure if his friend would want as stranger in his.

Hyunwoo yes.

But not a stranger.

Kihyun knocks softly and when there is no answer he slowly peeks inside. Hyorin is still asleep on the bed.

" Hyorin?"

"Yes…?" she answers sleep deprived.

" I'm sorry for waking you this early. I need to go to work later and prepared breakfast for you. But you maybe want to wait inside of here around 30 minutes."

She slowly sits up and blinks and him. " 30 minutes?"

"Yes… It takes around 20 minutes to get here and I plan in 10 more to calm Hoseok down.", he smiles apologetically. " Just slowly wash up and get dressed slowly."

He closes the door without further explanation and makes his way back to the kitchen where he washes a few dishes, treading the moment Hoseok reaches his door.

And, really, around 22 minutes later he hears footsteps and… different voices.

He curses under his breath and makes his way over to the door when someone puts the door code in.

Kihyun needs to take a deep breath when not only Hoseok but literally all of them stream into the apartment.

" Stop yelling at me, hyung!" Jooheon exclaims and Hoseok looks furious enough to jump at him right this moment.

"If you'd listen to me once I wouldn't have to yell at you!"

"You don't have anything to say!", Minhyuk joins them. " It's my best friend and my house!"

" It's my boyfriend!"

" Can someone finally explain wh--"

Minhyuk pinches Changkyuns ear. " You should come home earlier and not in the middle of the night!"

"But--"

"Can you all be quiet now?!" Hoseok yells over the ruckus.

Jooheon glares at him. " You started it!"

"YOU didn't stop!"

" What the hell is going on?!"

" All of you shut  up this ing second or so God help me you'll be ting my shoes for the next two weeks!"

It is completely quiet in a second, six pairs of eyes directed at a furious Kihyun.

" First of all: What are you doing with your dirty shoes in MY hallway?!"

He shushes them back outside.

" Second of all: Where the hell do you think you are?! Hh?! It's 7 in the morning! Our neighbours are sleeping!"

"But…"

Hoseok starts but one glare and he shuts his mouth in an instant.

" You!", Kihyun points finger at him. "Stop yelling at them! You're an adult so act like it! There is no reason to freak out like this!"

" Yes! Tell him hyung!" Jooheon cheers for him but Kihyun without hesitation flips his forehead. " You, mister, should be quiet! Where did your great speech about caring more about your hyung go, hh?! This wouldn't have haven't if you started to communicate once!"

Jooheon ducks his head as fast as he can.

" Woah… Kiyhun…" Minhyuk mutters in the background, a bright smile on his face but that is when Kihyun already kicks his shin with a bit more force than necessary. "Let me guess! You didn't try to calm them down at least once?! Is it fun seeing them like this?!"

Minhyuk rubs his shin, mumbling something under his breath but Kihyun already turned his attention to Changkyun.

" And you!"

"What… what did I do?!"

Kihyun plants himself in front of the younger " If I ever notice you coming back home this late again  without telling us be prepared! Got it?! And while we're at it: Tomorrow during your lunch break you're going to meet me! Dare not to show up and you'll regret it!"

Kihyun takes a deep breath and turns to Hyunwoo and Hyungwon in the background.

" Both of you--"

They duck their heads.

"You're…", he nods and crosses his arms in front of his chest. " You're doing well. I have nothing to say to you."

He takes a step back to take a look at the bunch of crestfallen puppies.

" Oh boys."

He feels so bad all of sudden when he sees the dark circles under their eyes.

He reaches out and pokes the area under Hoseok eyes.

" Why did you rush here like that? And all of you on top of that?"

"Hyung… you're mood swings are scary." Jooheon cautiously says, seemingly ready for another attack.

" Come in when you're already here. I'll make you coffee or tea.", he walks back inside before he turns back to them for a moment. " You're friend is inside my room if you want to talk to her."

Jooheon darts over to Kihyuns room and disappears inside while Hoseok follows Kihyun into the kitchen.

He stays in the door frame while Kihyun fills water into a water heater.

" I'm sorry Kihyun."

"It's fine. You survived my outbreak."

Hoseok doesn't seem to be calmed by that. " I am sorry, but still. Don't do this anymore."

Kihyun stops between counter and table. " It was just a coincidence. I didn't want to leave her outside and all of you were asleep. She said she knows you and--"

" Kihyun.", Hoseok takes him by the shoulders. " I will listen to your explanation once more but that won't change the fact that I don't want you anywhere close to someone from our past. Never. Can you

understand that?"

" Why?"

Hoseok is searching for the right words, Kihyun can see it when his mouth opens a few times just to get closed again. Finally Hoseok loosens his grip on his shoulders.

" I'm not saying that Hyorin is any kind of danger to you or us, but people around her are and I don't know how close she is to them nowadays. So please. I know you don't like this and you hate when I ask those things of you, but please keep away from her. Jooheon told me he'd only meet her once in a while to give her food if necessary… but… I can't have you close to her. So please listen once."

In a matter of seconds, Kihyun decides that, yes, this time he will because Hoseok looks so serious and worried about the subject that he can't help but feel bad about putting him into this emotional roller coaster.

Kihyun circles his arms around Hoseoks waist and rest his chin on his boyfriends shoulder, gaze on the wall behind them.

" I will. I'm sorry for worrying you like that all the time."

"Ha…", Hoseok exhales and hugs him back. " You can't even imagine."

He detaches himself from Kihyun only to cup his face and to press a soft kiss to his lips.

" I love you."

Kihyun is relieved when Hoseok is smiling again.

" Me, too."

Hoseok hugs him once more.

" Kihyun?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you make me your caramel coffee now? I think I need a shot of it to get back my normal heart rate."

 

OOO

 

Awkward is too less of a word to describe the atmosphere in the living room where everyone, also Hyorin, gathered.
Kihyun gave a cup of tea or coffee to all of them and now he is standing in front of the mess, trying to figure out how to even things out.

" Kihyun helped me out a lot last night.", Hyorin starts. " My landlord threw me out and I had nowhere to go."

"I couldn't believe you still had contact with us, noona." Changkyun says.

Hoseok scoffs on his seat on the couch. " Ask Jooheon about it."

" Hoseok." ,Kihyuns voice is a peal of bells but everyone can hear the underlying threat. " Be nice."

'Shut up or I'll shove that coffee along with the cup down your throat.'

" You have every right to be mad at me, Hoseok.", Hyorin now directly talks to him. " I know I stayed with the wrong people after all of you left but I quit all connections with them. Still it is not easy for me to start anew and that is why Jooheon is helping me out."

" Just leave the town."

"You know it's not that easy. That business was the only thing I knew."

" She's right, hyung.", Jooheon jumps in. " She can't just leave. There is Bora. And you remember how difficult it was for us. Shouldn't you be a bit more considerate since you were dating on--"

His eyes grow wide like sausages, just like everyone else's, including Hoseoks.

" Jooheon!" he yells, almost on his feet.

Kihyun coughs slightly when he feels Hyungwons and Changkyuns gazes on him.

"I do know that the two of you were dating."

Silence.

Until Hoseok falls back into his seat with a loud whine. " Oh God…"

The temperatures grow icy when Minhyuk glares at Hyorin in a sudden fit of protectiveness over his best friend. " Dare to make any move and I'll--"

" And we just forget about the topic and move on." Kihyun claps his hands and everyone follows after a few more - hostile, confused, annoyed- gazes are shared.

" Anyways.", Hyorin says carefully after she takes a sip of coffee. " I have nothing to do with Taesan anymore."

Kihyun pricks up his ears. " Who is Taesan?"

Hoseok doesn't look like he wants them to know. It is Hyunwoo, that answers. " Our former boss."

" Biggest ever." Jooheon adds.

Changkyun nods heavily. " Never want to see him again."

" He's the reason why I wanted to keep her away from you.", Hoseok says, features darkening visibly. " There isn't any problem since he let us leave without making too much of a fuss but I still prefer him far away."

" Taesan more than once talked about wanting you back."

Kihyun thought it wouldn't be possible for the atmosphere to grow any more hostile.

" Hoseok." he quietly says when his boyfriend clutches the armrest until it looks painful. His fingers loosen when Kihyun places a hand on Hoseoks, but his whole posture still shows his tension.

When everyone keeps quiet, the confused gazes of the younger ones wandering between Hyunwoo and Hoseok, it is Kihyun that speaks on.

" What do you mean by wanting them back? Didn't Hoseok just say he let them leave?"

" They were his best."

" Shut up, Hyorin."

Kihyun knows that at the moment there is no way in which he can calm Hoseok down.

Hyorin seems to finally have noticed what kind of reaction her words caused, for a moment too long she looks at Changkyun who grew quiet pale around his nose.

She slightly slumps down in her chair. " I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you."

" That didn't work." Hoseok responds. There is still hostility in his voice but Kihyun can hear something else. Something like.... understanding?

" What I meant to say is...", it appears like she has troubling with finding the right words.

" I don't have anything to do with him anymore. And I didn't mean to get back in your group. I know I gambled that away by staying with him for far too long. I only want to live a normal life. I saw Jooheon, how happy he is and I envy him. I envy all of you because it is so difficult to me. I've never done anything else than being with Taesan."

To Kihyun it looks like she will cry soon but she keeps it in.  

Kihyun can't fully name what feeling it is that lingers in the room by now.

Maybe... something like shared fear of that guy everyone seems to be so afraid of. Unconsciously he takes Hoseoks hand again he released a while ago.

His boyfriend looks at their hands, then at him. For a moment he is only looking at Kihyun, then finally, a hardly noticeable smile Kihyun answers with his own. Hoseoks gaze is apologetically and Kihyun understands. He still doesn't want Hyorin around them, doesn't want them to get too close and even though Kihyun can't really understand that fact, he will try to trust him with that. Hoseok will help her out the best he can, he will let Jooheon see her from time to time but he won't let her in to protect them.

Kihyuns chest aches for her, he has questions over questions that have to wait, but he will try.

OOO

 

"Thank you."

Kihyun is waiting next to Hyorin as the girl packs her belongings back into her bag.

" You can stay here longer though. They still haven't said anything but it seems like Hoseoks calmed down at least. Another day won't hurt." he says but she waves his comment aside.

" I shouldn't. He is still not okay with me being here. I can see it. Now that Jooheon said he knows somewhere I can go to it is not necessary anymore."

Kihyun hands her wallet over from where it lay on the pillow.

" Hoseok…", she starts when she takes it. " He cares a lot about you. More than he could have ever cared about me."

Kihyun is lost for words for a moment. That was put of the blue for him.

She smiles at him. " If Hoseok loves it's with his everything. You're lucky. And he… he is lucky as well. I wish you all the best. And I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. I won't bother you from now on."

She leaves  for the door. When her hand touches the knob Kihyun wakes up out of his trance.

" Hyorin! One second.", he takes a piece of paper and a pencil from his desk and jots down his number. " Here."

"Why?"

" I know Hoseok still doesn't want you around. But... call me if there is an emergency. Or you need someone to talk to. Okay?"

Her stunned gaze wanders to the piece of paper in Kihyuns hands he still holds out to her. She only slowly takes it, but then holds it tightly to her chest.

" Yes.", a smile on her lips."  Hoseok is lucky."