There was a long pause after the door slammed behind them before the two carried on up the stairs,

“Youngjae, shouldn’t you actually get to know them before going around asking them for advice”, 

“Yes but, how...” he asked looking up to the younger boy, 

“Why not invite them over for dinner” 

“That’s actually a good idea junhong, I’ll go ask Daehyun, if you go invite them” 

“I’ll go now” and with that Junhong had already ran out to go ask the neighbours. 

It was early, the sun was being covered by the clouds, floods of grey filling the sky making it as dull as it ever was, compared to the other world, with the other Daehyun this world had no benefits.

———————

Youngjae walked up the creaky old stairs leading to their house, each time he stepped forwards the squeal became louder, he stopped when he got to the top and pulled out the little doll in the mustard jumper, “I’m coming back Daehyun” Youngjae whispered the button eyes glaring back at him, the grey sky mirrored back from behind him.

“Hey daehyun” Youngjae walked through the dilapidated pink door to find his boyfriend sitting their, again on his laptop, working, like always.

“I was wondering if we’d be able to invite the neighbours over tonight, just for dinner” Youngjae was hesitant to ask, he knew Daehyun was busy but he wanted him to meet the neighbours. 

“I mean... I guess just not for too long, it also means we’ll need to go to the shop, we can’t even feed ourselves never mind our whole neighbourhood”

“It’s fine we can just drive to the supermarket, I can pay, I can also drive there” a smile lit up on the younger mans face, Daehyun was actually letting him do something fun for once. 

“No I’ll drive, we’ll have to go now though, it’s already getting dark” 

The two then stood up together youngjae rushing out leaving the door open for Daehyun to follow him out. 

The sky was always dark, Daehyun barely noticed with him being so focused on work, he wouldn’t even notice youngjae half the time, never mind what colour the sky was. 

———————

The two hopped in the car, Daehyun driving and Youngjae sat next to him, they had never really cared about getting an expensive car, it had been Daehyun’s since they first met, there was no need for a new car.

The younger sat leaning his head upon the window, it was constantly grey outside, he was always told, since being little to look up at the clouds, his parents would tell him when he was upset or couldn’t think of what to do, but the whole world seemed cloudy at the minute. 

Since young, Youngjae had always been observant of the world around him, he had an eye for seeing colour in everything, even in the darkest of places. 

It had been his childhood dream to have a painting in an art gallery, a dream that now seemed so distant, his job as a painter was going bad and had been since before he met Daehyun, it was never well paying but it could at least provide for him and Daehyun, it was only Daehyun providing for them at the minute, and it hurt to see him so stressed with everything, 

“why can’t it all just be back to how it was, why can’t you just notice that I’m trying to, Daehyun i miss you”, the whole car was silent but youngjae head was whirring, the cogs of his brain like a clock and time only seemed to be speeding up.

The whole journey there was a silence, but it wasn’t unusual, the two just didn’t speak, it was comfortable, it gave him time to think about Daehyun, and the other Daehyun, 

“I’m going back tonight” he murmured under his breath, 

“Say anything” Daehyun looked over, 

“No, no nothing important, just talking to myself”

The two stepped out of the car, to the empty car park, it was quiet again, despite being outside, and they walked together, closely, but neither wanted to get to close, it was like there was something in between them, a wall that was stopping any and all contact.

“What are you even planning on cooking youngjae” 

“I hadn’t actually thought about that” 

he didn’t know if Daehyun would be mad, they came all the way here but he had nothing.

“Fine, go get noodles and I’ll find little snacks , find me when you’ve finished” 

Youngjae nods then rushes off to the other side of the store. 

The store wasn’t busy, it was just full enough to notice a couple on his side, walking with each other closely, like youngjae had wanted. Youngjae had always wanted more then he could get, but this was something that seemed so special but so far away. 

“Excuse me, are you okay” the women from the couple came over, youngjae didn’t even know how long he’d been staring,

He nods “sorry, I was just.. I don’t know”

The couple sympathetically smiles back up at him, as they walk off together. 

He picked up the noodles that Daehyun had told him to get and walked, still lost in his thoughts, a single tear streamed down his pink cheeks, 

‘Daehyun all I want is to be back how we were, when we first met, I want you to look at me how you did six years ago, when we were still just in high school, why can’t you love me like the other Daehyun, my life’s better there, I’ll just keep going back till you care about me’ 

Youngjae wanted to tell Daehyun this, but the courage was hiding, he would have the dinner party, then go back to the other Daehyun. 

“Youngjae, what are you doing, I told you to find me after you got the noodles” 

“Sorry... I got distracted” 

Daehyun looked up at him 

“I can tell, we’re going to be late back, so hurry up” 

Youngjae nodded then quickened his pace to catch up with Daehyun. 

—————

The two arrived back at the pink palace to find Junhong sitting on the doorstep, 

“hi Youngjae” 

He greeted them both with a smile then ran down to take the bags off of youngjae, 

“Give it here, I’ll take it inside and start getting ready, you guys can come and help” Daehyun took the bag from Junhong and made his way inside. 

“You okay” Junhong asked, 

“Yeah, I just want tonight to go well, I want Daehyun to not get stressed, but it already looks like he is” youngjae faced the ground, his reflection staring back at him from the puddle by his feet, he adjusted the sleeves of his mustard yellow jumper and motioned to Junhong to follow him inside.

—————

As the three of them sat down at the table, a silence penetrated the room till a knock at the door echoed through the walls piercing the silence. 

Youngjae got up, brushing his chair along the ground as he did so. 

As he walked through to the entrance he blew out the candle he lit as the food was cooking to fill the room with a homely fragrance. 

He pulled back the lace curtain covering the circular window on the door then opened it to motion jongup and himchan inside, 

“It smells great” himchan said breaking the silence, 

“Yeah.. I just had a candle lit”

“I think he means the food” Jongup replied 

“Oh right... yeah, Daehyuns been making it, you can go through if you’d like” 

Youngjae walked over to close the door but as he did so a man appeared coming from he stairs above “you must be Yongguk” 

“Yeah I am, Can I just come in” Yongguk answered 

“Yep, you can follow the other two through” youngjae said shutting the door behind him. 

The four of them walked through to the kitchen, Yongguk complimenting the smell as he walked past the burnt out candle. 

They stepped into the kitchen together, an awkward silence full of tension was suffocating them, Junhong and Daehyun sat at opposite ends of the 6 seater table the brightness of Daehyuns screen in front of him reflecting off his face. 

“You can sit anywhere” Youngjae said as he pulled out a seat next to Daehyun, 

“Aren’t you going to stop working whilst we eat” he said looking at Daehyun motioning for him to do as he said, 

“Yeah, Yeah” Daehyun mumbled as he pushed it to the side and got up to get the food. 

“How’ve you been Junhong” Yongguk asked whilst Youngjae got up to help Daehyun, 

“I’m okay” Junhong replied a soft smile plastered his face. 

“We have quite a lot of food so just take what you want” Youngjae said as he placed the dishes down with Daehyuns help. 

The six of them all began eating a light chatter full of compliments filled the room. 

Youngjae looked over to Daehyun who glanced over to his computer before making eye contact with him, 

“You okay” Youngjae whispered leaning in closer to him, 

“Great yeah” Daehyun backed away slightly as he spoke. 

The food was nearly finished and Daehyun brought back out his laptop, suddenly a loud crack of thunder then a darkness flooded the room, and rain kept hammering on the window.

“Does this usually happen” himchan asked as junhong for out of his seat to be closer to Yongguk.

“Youngjae, what the just happened” Daehyun said his voice full of slight anger

“I don’t know, don’t get mad Daehyunnie, just calm down” Youngjae could feel puddles forming below his iris, 

“Youngjae all my work,, it was all on my laptop” Daehyun shouted slamming his laptop as he got up scraping his chair along the ground, “why do you have to ruin everything” he said as a last remark before shutting the door behind him and leaving into the thunder outside. 

“Daehyun please don’t” 

Youngjaes eyes were flooded with tears, “can everyone please just leave” he said as he walked through to the other room with the sleeve of his jumper wiping his eyes. 

Junhong got up quickly to follow him to the next room, with the from Yongguks phone “it’s not your fault, it’s Daehyuns” he said looking into the door, 

“Junhong I told everyone to leave” 

“Yes and I want to make sure your okay, you don’t deserve to be with someone like him” 

“Junhong, Daehyun was my first proper boyfriend, and yes he isn’t the best all the time, but he’s stressed and tonight didn’t help with that” 

Junhong moves closer to the sofa Youngjae was perched on

“I still love Daehyun and this can’t change that, don’t tell me that i din deserve him, because i do” 

“Yeah but-“ 

“Just leave me alone, I don’t want to speak to you” Youngjae said as Junhong got up slamming the door behind him. 

Youngjae was left alone, flinching slightly every time the lightning flashed and the thunder roared, Daehyun left him, and now so did Junhong