Lee Jihoon typed his seventh message of the night to his chat with Jeonghan and yet again he was met with no reply. The platinum blond took off his cap and brushed his messy head of hair with frustrated fingers before putting it back on. He didn't know what to do, the brunette was impossible to talk to. No matter how much he wanted to help, the man just didn't want to listen. Jihoon knew he was acting like an overbearing mother but he didn't know how else to get his feelings across.

He'd never been all too good at showing others his feelings and things just seemed to get more complicated whenever Yoon Jeonghan was involved. As bad as it sounded, Jihoon was sure the cold brunette would never fall for anyone else -- he was so sure that Jeonghan was going to fall for him and only him. He'd gotten too cocky, he'd waited too long and now he was paying for it. The fact that the man that has Jeonghan's heart was a ing palm tree just added insult to injury. Jihoon banged his head against the steering wheel of his Jeep and closed his eyes. That was when a light tap came from the car window, Jihoon looked up. Dokyeom, Jeonghan's younger brother, gave him a wave -- his arms were cradling a large brown paper bag.

"Oh hey," Jihoon said after rolling down the window.

"Why're you waiting outside our apartment building?" Dokyeom asked.

"I was hoping to see your brother," Jihoon replied. "Unfortunately, he's not answering."

"Yeah, he's not answering to a lot of people " Dokyeom sighed. "He's a little distant these days."

"Do you know where he is?" Jihoon prodded.

"No," Dokyeom answered. "I told you, he's been distant."

"Damn," Jihoon's last bit of hope evaporated.

"You want to have some burgers with me?" Dokyeom suddenly asked.

"Burgers?" Jihoon cocked a brow.

"I ordered enough for two, Jeonghan-hyung's not here so it'll just go to waste. We can eat and chill," the younger boy looked hopeful. "Unless you plan on sitting here all night."

"I could eat," Jihoon said before cutting the engine and climbing out.

"We can keep each other company, it'll distract from the fact that we're pathetic and lonely," Dokyeom draped an arm around the shorter man.

"I don't know if you're trying to make me laugh or make me angry," Jihoon chuckled as they entered the building.

Jeonghan looked down at his phone and quickly pocketed the device. He knew Jihoon wanted to see him, he knew the man wanted to start discussing roles he could potentially fulfil at his record company and he knew Jihoon wanted to talk about becoming something more than just friends. Jeonghan just wasn't ready for any of it. He was going to ignore it for as long as he could.

The brunette continued driving aimlessly through the streets with no plans of returning to his apartment, it wasn't like he had any work to finish or a meeting to prepare for. Jeonghan really had no direction, it felt like he was running around in a circle. He finally stopped the car on the side of the road and stared blankly out at the streetlights. He really missed Mingyu, he missed the younger man's scent, his warmth, the feel of his calloused fingers and that low husky voice. Jeonghan felt like he slowly withering away, he was so lonely. He hadn't felt this lonely since that day his mother had disappeared. Swallowing down his urge to cry, the brunette put his car back into gear and kept driving. It wasn't until he was in front of Mingyu's apartment complex that Jeonghan realised where he'd driven himself to.

Despite the warnings going off in his head, he parked his car and started walking. He entered the building and took the elevator up to Mingyu's floor, his finger hovered over the button on the call box for several seconds. Jeonghan pressed the button with a gulp. Mingyu's voice answered a short moment later.

"Hyung," Mingyu's voice came from the intercom.

"Can I come in?" Jeonghan asked all the while bracing himself for the rejection.

"Yeah," Mingyu said to Jeonghan's surprise.

Jeonghan heard the door unlocked, he patiently waited as it slowly opened revealing a disheveled Mingyu. The younger man still had a cast over his hand, his hair was free of styling products and his stubble was growing out. His bruising was beginning to fade but they were definitely still there. Jeonghan stepped inside his dongsaeng's apartment and looked around, food delivery bags were stacked on the kitchen counter and clothes were strewn around the living room -- this wasn't the Mingyu he knew.

"How've you been?" Jeonghan asked.

"I've been better," Mingyu replied and nodded at the state of his home.

Jeonghan frowned.

"You look a lot paler than I remember," Mingyu commented as he looked up and down the length of Jeonghan's physique.

"I know," Jeonghan nodded, everyone had also said the same thing.

The brunette knew he shouldn't have but he slowly approached the younger man and held out his hands toward his face. His long digits mere inches away from Mingyu's skin.

"Can I?" Jeonghan asked for permission.

"Go ahead," Mingyu said.

Jeonghan touched the side's of Mingyu's neck, he inspected the now yellowed bruises and moved onto his face. The brunette's thumb gently brushed over Mingyu's cheekbone and the cut on his forehead. His fingers then found their way into the younger man's hair, careful not to tug at any stitches that may be there. Mingyu immediately melted into Jeonghan's touch, the tension in his body seemed to slowly seep away with every caress.

"You've been through a lot," Jeonghan said.

"So have you," Mingyu returned.

"What are we doing, Mingyu?" Jeonghan looked his dongsaeng in the eye.

"I wish I knew," Mingyu's voice was in a hushed whisper.

Jeonghan continued to touch the younger man's face until his fingertips came in contact with his overgrown stubble. Mingyu flinched, he was obviously self-conscious of it.

"You've gotten hairy," Jeonghan tried to sound playful.

"Fix it for me, hyung," Mingyu's good hand wound around Jeonghan's lower back.

Jeonghan chewed on his lower lip, he probably should just leave. He should just decline and be on his merry way.

"Please," Mingyu's tone was bordering on begging.

Jeonghan's last bit of reason ed off.

"Come on," Jeonghan tugged the younger man by the hem of his white t-shirt into the bathroom.

He hadn't been in the apartment for a while but he still very much remembered where everything was. He got out the shaving cream and Mingyu's razor from the cabinet behind the mirror. The minute Jeonghan turned around he was chest to chest with the younger man -- Mingyu didn't back away even an inch.

"Can you bend down a little?" Jeonghan asked.

"Just do it like how you always have," Mingyu said.

Jeonghan swallowed. The way he used to shave Mingyu's face was a little too risky. It usually involved Jeonghan sitting on the bathroom counter while Mingyu stood between his legs. Things always lead to another without fail, Jeonghan didn't want that.

"Mingyu," Jeonghan's tone held a firm warning.

"I'll behave," Mingyu promised.

Jeonghan held the razor and balanced his weight from foot to foot as he weighed his options. In the end he gave a sigh and hopped onto the counter. Mingyu immediately wedged himself between Jeonghan's legs and offered his face. The brunette squeezed an adequate amount of shaving foam onto his fingers and swiped it on Mingyu's face before going in with the razor. The younger man's eyes seemed to stare into the very pit of Jeonghan's soul as he worked. When Jeonghan was finally done he wet the small hand towel by the sink and wiped the remaining residue from Mi