….If You Just Said It.

          A couple months passed uneventful after that month.

          Howon and Dongwoo were growing farther apart, and the other members were taking notice. It was hard not to. They all were known for their unity, but whenever one or the other entered a room in which both did not need to be present, the other would leave. When they were forced to be present in the same room, they’d be as far from each other as they could get and keep to themselves.

          Dongwoo’s laugh was, heartbreakingly enough, rarely heard anymore; especially when Hoya was in the room. The elder would clam up and avert his eyes. He was probably the only one who didn’t notice the hurt that flashed in the younger’s eyes whenever he did that.

          The other five members were fed up with their group mate’s behaviors. Whatever was wrong with them needed to be resolved. Like, four months ago.

          This common goal found them in a small circle late one night with the “problems” asleep in their respective rooms. Of course, nothing was really getting solved. No one had any idea where to begin in fixing the problem, since they had no idea what had caused it.

          “Maybe we should just lock them in a room together and make them sort it out themselves?” Sungyeol suggested with a laugh, for some reason images of red cloth and bull fights coming to his head at that.

          “That’ll get us nowhere, hyung,” Sungjong replied, rolling his eyes. “They’re not talking to each other. That’s the problem!”

          “It might work…,” Myungsoo spoke up when no one offered another solution. “They’ve been able to escape each other so far, or at the very least ignore each other if we were in the room with them. If they were forced into the same room with the order to talk it out before they can leave, maybe it might help.”

          Sunggyu sighed wearily, running a hand through his hair. “We might as well try. There really aren’t that many options, and this needs to be resolved, quickly.”

          Woohyun pursed his lips, a strange look coming onto his face. When he was inquired about it, he merely smiled serenely and raised his eyebrows at Sunggyu as if daring him to ask again. The elder frowned.

          From there, the arguments on how exactly they were going to put their actions into play ensued, until finally a decision was reached.

~야동~

          Why is it so hot in here, Dongwoo thought sleepily, turning onto his side without opening his eyes. Didn’t really see a point in it, seeing as how he didn’t have schedule and he really didn’t start another day where he could only look at Hoya from afar, all the while hating himself more and more as he realized just how far his feelings had gone before he caught them.

          He swallowed thickly, curling farther into himself, closing his eyes tighter against the stinging sensation announcing the arrival of tears. He was such a fool. A disgusting fool. Why was he even trying anymore? Trying to put a happy façade, waking up each morning when he no longer cared anymore.

          The banging on the door brought him out of his stupor and he sat up in confusion, wiping at his tears as he took in his familiar yet strange surroundings. How in the world…?

          From his right, Dongwoo heard rustling and found he was in a nightmare. Surely, there was no other explanation. Hoya was sitting in his bed, looking as confused and distraught as Dongwoo felt. It was in that moment Dongwoo realized where he was. Somehow, he been teleported into Hoya’s bedroom, mattress and all!

          …. Wait. That didn’t make any sense, pabo.

          “Are you fools up yet?!” came Sunggyu’s disgruntled voice from the other side of the door.

          “Y-yah! Why am I in here?!” Dongwoo snapped defensively, shaking off the remnants of sleep that had killed his thinking processes.… Not that seeing Hoya in his bed, hair all unkempt and his shirt ridden up and… oh God, why couldn’t his inhuman thoughts stay away just this once? The sight definitely wasn’t making thinking any easier.

          “You two need to work things out,” the leader announced, and for a second Dongwoo fancied that Sunggyu sounded very haughty and rude, but he knew it was in his head. Sunggyu honestly sounded like he thought his little plan would do them good (which probably involved the other members, though as far as Dongwoo could tell, they weren’t around). “And until you two come to an understanding I’m happy with, you’re going to be staying in there.”

          Dongwoo’s breath caught at the thought of being left in a room. Alone. With Hoya. Shut up, shut up, shut up! Erase the though straight from your head! Mentally, he imagined taking a wet sponge and erasing the images racing through his head like words from a white board. He had learned somewhere that mental exercises like that were helpful in controlling oneself. It hadn’t worked yet, but it did at least make him feel better, even if only for a short while.

          “Dongwoo….” Dongwoo flinched at the sound of his voice, absolutely refusing to look at its owner. If he did… he probably wouldn’t be able to control himself.

~야동~

          Hoya ran his hands through his disheveled hair, vaguely wondering when the last time he had been alone with the particular hyung he was locked in with. Months. Since before he had been the target of Dongwoo’s disgusted glances.

          …. Before he had had the chance to wish for the silent moments alone that he no longer was granted, the minutes and hours he had come to miss.

          “Dongwoo….” The mentioned male flinched and turned his face farther away, making catching a glimpse of his expression nearly impossible. The response left him unable to formulate another thought aloud, so the two just sat there. Saying nothing, with Dongwoo staring a hole into the wall and Hoya desperately wishing the older male would speak up. That he say something, even if it was “I hate you.” Maybe if Dongwoo finally said the words to his face, he’d be able to get over him. As it were, his heart broke a little more day after day. To the point he often wondered, how long can you live once your heart had managed to be smashed into tiny crystalline shards and thrown onto the ground to be stomped on for good measure?

          “I don’t hear any talking in there!” Sunggyu suddenly boomed, causing Dongwoo to jump in surprise.

          “We might as well talk,” Hoya finally manages to choke out after a few tense seconds.

          “There’s nothing to talk about,” Dongwoo replied back woodenly, wrapping his arms around his knees.

          “I think there is,” Howon dared challenge, even going so far as to speak informally. He noticed Dongwoo’s shoulders tighten and held his breath, expecting to be reprimanded, but the older male just stayed silent.

          Hoya clenched his teeth and angrily wiped at the one tear that had managed to get its way past his defenses, the lone soldier denying his order of impassivity and heading out onto the front lines. Nothing he said could make the male he liked talk to him. Why couldn’t he just get it over with and save him from the pain, and just say “Howon. I hate you. I don’t want to ever talk to you.” It wasn’t hard. It was obvious those were his true feelings anyway. And what kind of person would wish to spare the feelings of the person he loathed?

          “Can’t you just get it over with and say it?” Hoya ground out, wiping at the other traitors that had followed the first soldier’s abandonment. Once one took the jump, the rest are sure to follow. That is the way humans were. No one wanted to stick their neck out there, unless they knew others were going to take the step off the cliff with them.

          “Say what?” Dongwoo whispered, his head turning side to side on his arm as though he were… no, no. There was no way. He must be imagining things.

          “That you hate me.”

          Dongwoo spun around, tear rimmed eyes wide with shock. “H-hate? Hate you? I don’t hate you! , that’s just the problem!”

I’m sure it -___- I have no idea how I feel about this, but I’m so sorry I took so long. Writer’s Block stuck its grimy little claws into my brain right after I posted chapter 1 and I just haven’t been motivated at all to write. Next chapter will probably be the last one (this was never meant to be long). I might try ( o///o we’ll have to see about THAT. I’ve never tried writing male/male before…) but that depends on, do ya’ll want it? And if I’m able to actually DO it.

I love reviews. :( And silent readers… Though I did lose subscribers since I last updated ;) It’s all good~ Point being~ review for your opinion to be heard. If enough people want it… I’ll try…. o////o