Leo’s face was mildly unimpressed as N winked at him for the third time. The aloof response seemed to slip right past N as he caught sight of Ravi’s sketchbook on the floor by the window. He was opening the cover when Leo’s voice cut through the room.

“What are you doing?” Cold steel once more, outrage in his tone. “You can’t just come in here and look through things.”

N looked up from the book, face amused as he swept his eyes over Leo once more.

“You’re so tall,” N snapped the book shut and sized Leo up again. “Cute face too, but you need to do something with your hair.”

“If I wanted your input about my appearance, I’d ask.” Leo’s voice had returned to bored, his eyes pinning N with disapproval.

“Calm down,” N rolled his eyes and dropped the book on the table. His eyes flickered around the room, barely resting on one thing for more than a few moments.

Leo’s arms crossed and he retook his seat at the table, a powerful aura of dissatisfaction clouding the room. N turned away from him. Choosing to ignore the sulking man in favour of snooping through the house. He was dying to know what drew Ravi out here at all hours of the day and night; why this was the place he ran to when upset, when it had once been N’s own house. He approached the window, eyes searching the forest for something, anything. Within seconds he decided he couldn’t see a thing. He had no idea why Ravi came here, nor what he found so impressive about the snappy artist that lived there.

When he turned away from the trees Leo was staring at him again, a frown giving him a small line over his eyes. N grinned and propped his hands on his hips again.

“You’ll get wrinkles,” He sing-songed at Leo.

“Wrinkles are a sign of a life well lived, laughter and joy through the experiences of life.” Through the whisper of a voice, there was a sharpness that needled N.

“Yeah, and poor skincare.” He smirked as Leo rolled his eyes and looked away. “What do you do anyway? Mr Jung Taekwoon.”

Leo didn’t appear to be listening. He had stood and crossed into the kitchen to pour the coffee Ken had never finished.

“Leo,” He corrected softly.

N ignored him, waiting for an answer instead.

“I’m an artist. Portraiture.”

N nodded, a false-thoughtful look on his face.

“Why can’t I call you Jung Taekwoon?” His voice was so contrary it actually elicited another reaction from Leo, making him turn sharply and scowl at N openly.

“Are you always this antagonistic?”

“Yes,” N nodded, smiling properly now. “I can’t really help it.”

“Do you actually try?”

“No.” He beamed at Leo, sparkles of affection forming in his stomach. The other man sighed and shook his head in defeat.

Can we meet up today?

Hongbin’s palms were overheating as he held the phone, watching the message for the telltale Seen to appear.

Then it was a horrid eternity as the reply was written. Hongbin regretted his choice of words, his use of text message, his entire life leading up to that point. The reply popped in and he could breathe again.

Sure. I have lunch at 1. Sound good?

Perfect!

He deleted that.

Great!

He deleted that too.

Sounds good. I’ll meet you outside your office?

No problem.

Thanks. See you then.

He dropped the phone, wiping the moisture from his palms and heaving a huge sigh. He had done it. Now he just had to last until 1pm without spontaneously combusting from nerves.

Silence reigned in the house. Leo was sitting at the table, face impassive as he stared at the trees. N sat near him, closer than was probably polite, texting on his phone. The man was a walking bug-bite. Leo wanted to ignore him and focus on doing what he had come to, but Hakyeon seemed intent on stinging and itching at him until he gave him the attention he so obviously craved.

The front door closed and they both glanced up at Ken and Ravi as they entered. Ken’s expression was tight, agitation in his eyes but trying to be hidden by the firm set of his mouth.

“You’re back,” Leo let a smile escape, his face lighting up with joy. The itch Hakyeon created died at last. Leo stood, uncertain but wanting to keep Ken calm and in the house this time.

Ken fought against it, his lips twitching a little before slowly giving a smile in reply. Ravi’s eyes were watching N closely, clearly trying to forbid him from saying anything. Leo’s smile split a little wider before he turned back to Ken.

“We are,” Ken sighed and came to sit across from Leo. “I have things to say.”

N shifted, leaning in a little with interest.

“OK,” Leo nodded, retaking his seat and ignoring the other two men in the room.

“I’m not coming home,” Ken started strong. “I’m staying out here. I can’t just throw my dream away because it makes everyone else uncomfortable.”

His voice was even but the crease of concern over his eyes betrayed him. Leo’s face crinkled a little.

“OK,” Leo nodded. He opened his mouth to continue but Ken overrode him once more. Leo’s mouth snapped shut and he listened with a slight smile.

“I don’t care what’s going on at home. I don’t care about what they’re all saying or thinking. I’m staying. I’m doing this.” Ken continued, fingers curling over his palms with determination. His lips set themselves into a line as he stared at Leo across the table.

“Good,” Leo nodded. Ken froze, face falling slack and shocked by the agreement. Leo held in a small laugh and nodded again. “Good. I’ve just been trying to get a hold of you to talk.” Leo smiled widely. “If you didn’t avoid me all the time we could have done this ages ago.”

N smothered a snort, smirking as Ken and Leo shot him a dirty look.

“You’ve come up here to get away from us. And I get it.” Leo sighed, pressing patterns into the table with his fingers. Small stones of guilt sunk to the pit of his stomach. “You have eve