[Daehyun POV]

I stayed in the rear as Yongguk and Zelo welcomed Jongup back home in the hall. The maknae stood awkwardly, head hanging, until the leader pulled Jongup in for a quick hug. As if that was what he had been waiting for, Zelo slung his arms around Jongup the moment Yongguk let go, holding on for several long seconds. Himchan took off his jacket and shoes, but remained where he was, waiting for Jongup to do the same.
"Where's Youngjae?" He asked, looking at me.
"Uh," I said intelligently, "he, uh..."
"He went out," Yongguk said.
"Right," Himchan answered, putting his hands on Jongup's shoulders the moment he had pulled his second shoe off. "I believe you two have some talking to do." He started pushing the reluctant younger in front of himself while staring at me. "How about you go into the bedroom, so you won't be disturbed? Great. Off you go." My eyes flickered to Jongup's, and for a moment we had a stinging eye contact. Then we both cast our gazes to the ground. I felt my face growing uncomfortably hot yet again. Clearing my throat, I figured going along with whatever Himchan suggested would be in my best interest.
"Yeah. Right. Let's, uh, let's go." I thought I saw Jongup nod before turning and heading to the bedroom as was ordered. 

After closing the door, we settled down on the floor, facing each other, our backs each pressed up against the bottom of a loft bed.
"I'm sorry," I said, trying to catch his eyes now. "I am so, so sorry Jongup. I should never have done that. I thought you were all sleeping, I didn't mean for you to witness that, but it's no excuse. I am a complete ing idiot, I have no idea how to ever redeem myself, and I don't see how you can ever forgive me. But I'm sorry." The expression with which he met my eyes confused me. I had spilled the things I had been desperate to tell him all at once, but he was just peering at me with nothing more than a slight frown. His hands started playing with the hem of his shirt and his eyes dropped and rose several times before he said anything at all. The whole time, I was trying not to breathe too loud, my body tense and bottom lip worried between my teeth. 

"Himchan-hyung told me I should tell you... I guess I should have told you a long time ago, then maybe this wouldn't have happened." He seemed to gain, if not confidence, then at least determination as he went on. "I've had a crush on you for a really long time, Daehyun-hyung. I really like you. I'm sorry." Oh .
"If you apologize, what am I supposed to do," I muttered, mind frantically trying to figure out something decent to say. It completely failed. "That's not in past tense though. Do you still like me, even after, you know. Last night?" He stared at me blankly for a pulled out moment and I refrained from fidgeting.
"I guess," he said at length. "I hadn't really thought about it." Oh, Jongup. How could I have made this happen to you?
"I- I'm so sorry Jongup. I had no idea. I'd have never- I mean, I- I'm sorry." To my dread, I felt tears begin to spill down my cheeks. Cursing under my breath, I wiped them off, willing them to stop. "I'm sorry, I don't have the right to cry. I totally understand if you never want to see me again. If you want to hit me, I won't even stop you."
"I don't want to hit you," Jongup said in a deceptively serious tone. "I'm not into that." It took me a moment to register his joke, and several more to decide whether or not it was okay to smile at it. "Furthermore," he said before I was quite finished arguing it over in my head, "I think everyone has the right to cry." Well, that was one way to start a waterfall. I shook my head, unable to come up with anything to say. I wanted to apologize and apologize and apologize again for hurting my sweet, kind, innocent dongsaeng. But I had already said I was sorry, over and over. No matter how many times I said it, it would not be enough. 

"Well," he said eventually, "I'll live. You know. I... I think I can forgive you. Some day in the future. You don't need to mind my confession either. I'm not asking you out. Just telling you how I feel. I'm sorry but I don't really want to see you right now. So I'm gonna step out. Uhm. See you."

//Note: Ready for the time skip? :D