NOTES:

Wow... I can't believe I did it. I really want to thank my friend Nataly for helping me getting through writer's block and some crappy things in my life.
Please enjoy <3

The man’s eyes rake the other’s bruised face, and if it isn't for his sunglasses, his eyes could be seen at their widest. He takes a few moments to watch the man, and while doing so his shades start trailing down his nose due to the sweat from this heated summer. Carelessly, he takes them off, and as if freeing his mouth, he heaves a shout at the male before him.

“Are you insane? What happened to you?” He screams, and a hand comes to cover his lips immediately. The purple haired man shushes the other, giving him a scolding glare.

“Hyung, you promised me you won't scream in the workshop anymore!” The younger pleads, but Jaehwan pushes his covering arm aside and lets out another shout.

“What’s wrong with you?” He lectures loudly, but Wonshik gives him a slight push, his eyes begging for him to go quiet.

Jongup managed to bruise his face, not as severely as previous fights left Wonshik, but the purple haired had a very long while when he caused no trouble and got into no fights. It’s always Wonshik’s fault for fights to start, whether it’s his pride or simple his sense of helping those in need. However, not this time. Or so the mechanic believes.

“Hyung.” He pouts, “Please don't tell Hakyeon hyung.” He pleads, and takes out a cigarette, lighting it immediately and breathing the toxic air like he is in need of it desperately.

“Then what do you want me to tell him?” Jaehwan waves off the smoke, but keeps his eyes on the younger at all times, “Oh, yeah, hyung, those purples and blacks on Shikie’s face, they’re not because he got into a fight, even though it’s really clear by the look of it?” He taunts him.

Wonshik winces as the smoke burns the fresh cut inside his mouth, but takes another drag nonetheless, “Please, he’s going to be really disappointed.” With each word, smoke comes out, and Jaehwan decides he had enough of standing amidst it.

“Whatever.” The older sighs, moving out of the grey cloud, “Hakyeon hyung wants you home anyway. He offered me food if I get you back home.”

“Why does he wants me home?” He quirks an eyebrow, some of the sweat above it trailing to the sides of his face.

“Ah, your friends are a mess.” Jaehwan states as a matter of fact, “Where did you pick them up anyway? I mean, the dog, I understand but-”

“What do you mean a mess?” Wonshik cuts in, and by god-driven instinct throws away the cigarette hurriedly, and already heading to grab his motorcycle keys.

“Well, Taekwoon isn't responding to hyung, and he got really scared when I shouted.” He explains, and it earns him a slight smack on the head from the younger.

“Ow!” Jaehwan pouts, but follows Wonshik when he makes his way to his vehicle, “What are you going to do?” He asks curiously, still patting the back of his head.

“Don't know.” Wonshik shrugs, “I’ll improvise, as usual.”

The black haired stares with intent at the pup, watching its disoriented steps. Perhaps it’s because it’s so young, or just another quirk. He reaches out for the soft white fur, and the smaller gives out a pleased whine. Taekwoon’s lips form into a smile and he exhales the trapped air from earlier whimpering. It’s shaky, and causes him to make a strangled, odd sound from his chest, he isn't aware of making. He feels stupid, for letting something so miniscule scare him to this level. However, that loud voice reminded him of earlier events. He feels sorry, too.

Jongup is really upset with him, and it’s all his fault. He should have explained better, he should have hidden away the coat. Preferably, he should have not brought Wonshik home at all.  The ache in his shoulder and ribs is there to remind him that his fault haunts him. However, wandering the streets alone would do him no good. He can't go back to Jongup like this, because he’s still mad. There’s no other place for him to stand.

He inhales deeply the unfamiliar scent of Hakyeon’s sheets, until he feels the tugging pain at his side. There’s a bruise there, probably, but his mind can't focus on that at the moment. The smell is sweet, but bitter, so different from the musky and heavy smell he got used to back at home. He can't recall his own scent, since Jongup told him earlier on that the perfume he uses stinks and he should get rid of it.

Slowly, he spreads his aching legs, listening to the small cracking sounds of sore joints.

Coming down from panic has its toll.

Engrossed in allowing himself to move, it takes him a few moments to register that a familiar face has entered the room, and a few more to understand that it’s Wonshik.

He says something, but Taekwoon isn't very good with listening at the moment, so he just keeps watching the other man, eyes large and curious. His gaze trails from the sweaty neck that bobs up and down, indicating that he’s still speaking, up to his bruised lip and his colourful skin around the eyes. When Taekwoon locks his look with Wonshik, his face immediately drops and he avoids the other.

“Taekwoon!” He tries to snap him out, and finally the older’s eyes are back to the man before him. Wonshik is crouching, hands resting at each side of the older, on the bed he’s currently seated over. There’s a decent amount of space between the two, not wanting to impose his touch over the other.

“Wonshik.” He says, voice filled with wonder, “You’re here.” Taekwoon allows his shoulders to slump and a small intake of breath indicates that he has relaxed to some extent.

“Yeah.” The younger gives out a small smile, “Jaehwan told me you weren't responding.”

Taekwoon sighs, and brings his legs back to himself and tenses up. He caused more trouble, hasn't he?

“I’m sorry.” He whispers, “For burdening you.” He wants to ask more about the colourful splotches on the man’s face, but he knows his place.

Neither of them are friends, nor will be. As soon as Taekwoon will muster up the courage, he’ll be gone, and the two will forget each other.

Wonshik will be nothing but a long forgotten memory. Isn't he already? Isn't Taekwoon is such a memory too?

The thought scares him, but on another medium. Jongup could register him as such a distant memory too, if he will burden him too much, and without Jongup, he has nothing.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Wonshik snaps him out of his thoughts after what seems like an eternity, but proves to be only a few seconds. His train of thoughts always goes too fast and leaves him disoriented when he comes off it.

“Let’s go to my place, where there are less people.” He doesn't give Taekwoon a lot of time to dwell on the offer, and the older feels his hand taken. He’s being lead, out of the room and within a few moments, he’s somewhere else.

After hearing a long rant from Hakyeon on how Wonshik should stop being stupid and get into fights, he lead the man to the small attic he calls home. Now they’re sitting, one facing another, in silence.

Wonshik glances up, the other man’s face looks strained, but not physically so. Not like the day he found him. He looks frightened, as if the subject of his agony would reach him from behind the closed, wooden door, and would drag him back, straight to the previous hell he used to live through. The youngest doesn't know if to call it hell, since he isn't sure what it was anyway.

He feels a foreign tug on his wrist and his eyes move towards the older. Taekwoon looks at him with a pleading gaze, asking for things he couldn't voice.

“Yeah.” Wonshik tells him through tired lips, “I'm not going to leave you right now.” It takes him a lot of power to say those words, but the older looks so broken that it makes him want to stay. He already called work, asking for two days off, and got an earful for that.

“Listen, can I just-” Wonshik tries, “Ask?” They’re not friends, barely acquaintances, and perhaps this question is misplaced.

“What happened?” He finally lands the words, shattering the silent agreement of not talking about it, whatever it actually is.

Taekwoon nods, understanding he owns the man in front of him that much.

“I got kicked out..” He admits shamefully, and it’s enough for the younger to know he needs to stop pushing.

“And those,” He gestures at Taekwoon’s general direction, “Are because of it?” It’s a question that has been going in his mind for several hours now, since his little event with Jongup.

Taekwoon finds himself nodding before he understands what he had just admitted.

This isn't the first time Taekwoon got hit. When he makes mistakes, he has to be rebuked for them, or so Jongup explained once. They have been together for long, and Jongup always knew Taekwoon best, and he was always right about things.

The older didn't mind the pain, since it never came to this level of agony, and his boyfriend always explained himself that it’s done out of love and care.

No one knew.

Not even his parents. They still probably think Taekwoon is a careless kid that bumps into things, and can't manage himself. His mother loves Jongup. She’s in love with the idea of her son dating an actor, even though the two of them are men.

When Taekwoon is back, his train of thought cut off by a low voice chuckling about something that isn't surprising. Taekwoon thinks Wonshik talks about his boyfriend beating him, but he isn't sure. His mind isn't present whole-ly.

“Your guy gave me a good beating today, when he came to the workshop.”

Oh, so that’s what he’s talking about. The man’s face drops in shame. It’s one thing when Jongup teaches him, guides him through pain, but it’s embarrassing when he simply hits another person.

“But I’m dense,” Wonshik laughs, and only then Taekwoon registers that fact that he removed the coat, and moved his shirt over the shoulder. Then, something warm, damp and soft pressed against the aching joint. It’s a towel, Taekwoon guesses, and somehow - unclear how, he isn't startled by the touch.

Maybe because Wonshik is gentle.

Or maybe because he blindly trusts that man, whom he had met just several times.

What would Jongup say if he sees him in this position?

Hakyeon walks back and forth, each step represents two or three words that he goes over again. He likes counting the words, and dividing them into steps. This time, they’re shooting a scene with only 88 words for him, and that divided perfectly by two. Satisfying, Hakyeon thinks.

The wind blows softly through his thick bangs, mixing them up again. The feeling is nice against his hot skin as he keeps going over his text.

“No!” He hears someone yell. The voice isn't familiar to him, which means this isn't anyone from his team, which means whoever is shouting, isn't doing it because of Hakyeon.

“I look ugly in this color. I can't wear it.” The same person declares, and it finally picks Hakyeon's interest, so the memorizing is left behind and snooping becomes his task.

“I’m sorry..” He hears a small voice, it’s a coordinator, talking to someone he's yet to see. She looks ashamed, scared maybe, and Hakyeon doesn't like this.

Whether or not he and that person work on the same drama, he hates seeing staff being treated unkindly, and being the fussy and nosy person he is, he’s obliged to step in.

“Do you want to ruin me?” The man asks, and when he steps up, Hakyeon can see his face at last, as he’s taller than the coordinator in front of him, standing just between him and Hakyeon.

Jongup looks enraged, and the older doesn't like it at all.

When Jongup raises his hand to land it on the coordinator’s cheek, Hakyeon’s hand latches forcefully to his wrist.

There’s fire in Hakyeon’s eyes, and that’s something rarely to be seen.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?”

NOTES:

Leave a comment below! What do you think will happen to Taekwoonie? Will he go back to Jongup?