twelve; over the hidden truth and our story

"Baek, what are you doing on the floor?"

As if they were both being electrocuted, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun sprang up away from each other. A loud hiss came out of Baekhyun's mouth when his knees hit the coffee table hard. They both look up to Jongdae standing in front of them with a confused look.

"Dae.." Baekhyun's eyes move to the door where a familiar woman is poking her head over and gasped, "..Mother?"

Ms. Areum laughed, raising her eyebrows as she eyes both of the young men in front of her with a knowing smile, "did we interrupt something?"

"Yes."

"No!"

Of course, you can guess who said yes. And for that, Kyungsoo kick Baekhyun's shin with a frown on his face. Eyes practically glaring the latter to shut his mouth up.

"Maybe we should come back tomorrow, mother," Jongdae whispered to the old lady, quite loud enough to be heard while throwing a teasing smile to his friend.

Ms. Areum laughs harder, slapping Jongdae's arm lightly, "Well, I brought some food. Let's eat, boys. But first, Hyun and Kyungsoo..." she turn back with a sly smile, "do something with that red face of yours. You both look like a pair of tomatoes," she teased and Jongdae laugh out loud.

"Urgh, mother!"

.....

"You didn't tell me you were coming."

"I thought you needed to eat a home cooked meal after you're discharged. So I ask Jongdae to show me the way. Didn't expect someone to already got it prepared for you." Ms. Areum spoke, gesturing towards the soup Kyungsoo just made for dinner few hours before.

Both of them cough awkwardly at the words and Kyungsoo suddenly felt like he shouldn't be here. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

Ms. Areum rolled her eyes, "Come on, Kyungsoo. I can't hear my future son-in-law calling me ma'am for the rest of his life, can I?" she leans on her palm, smiling sweetly to the raven. "Call me mother, okay?"

Kyungsoo swore he thought his face was being microwaved from all the embarrassment.

"Mother, stop teasing my squishy." Baekhyun stated.

"Oh, I'm not teasing him, honey. I'm teasing you," she chuckled and Jongdae burst into a loud laugh resulting Baekhyun to pout all throughout their dinner.

The conversation trailed off smoothly and Kyungsoo once again was glad. Glad to know Ms. Areum who now he call 'Mother'. After all these years, he finally felt the warmth and the love from a mother. And all that from just a short moment of knowing her. Junmyeon's mother was kind too, to take him in when he was young and Kyungsoo was so, so grateful. But no matter how it is, she is still someone else's mother in Kyungsoo's eyes.

But Ms.Areum is different. Was it because she has been raising children who are not even related to her by blood all her life? She is overflowing with love and compassion for everyone. It was so easy to get comfortable by being with her, so easy to just enjoy her presence and let her treat you like a family of her own. Every smile and every word she spoke sounds so sincere that it can practically soften anyone's heart.

Just like Baekhyun did.

Kyungsoo's gaze move to the male. The way his eyes glisten in excitement while he talk, the way his voice could sounds loud enough to pierce through your ears or just smoothly steal your breath away. And Kyungsoo wonder how someone could be grinning while talking at the same time.

He is so bright. Too bright for the dark life that Kyungsoo has been living in. Maybe that's why he was lured in from the start. Because Baekhyun is the light that he's been searching for.

Suddenly Baekhyun turn to look at him, probably noticing the way he had been staring. The guy blinked and shamelessly mouth an 'I love you' as he wink playfully before going back to the conversation he was having with Jongdae. Kyungsoo just chuckled softly at that.

Maybe at this current moment, Kyungsoo doesn't want anything more. This is already perfect enough. He never wish for anything in life. Refusing to let himself hope for something so impossible like happiness. But this time, let him make a humble wish-

To have this guy, by his side. Always. And just him alone, would already make Kyungsoo the happiest person he could ever be.

.....

Kyungsoo was washing the dishes when the question popped out.

"Hyun, you change your hair back. New job to be done?" Ms. Areum sips on her drink and reach over to ruffles his son's new jet-black hair.

She didn't notice the way Baekhyun and Jongdae exchange looks and spare some glances to Kyungsoo's back. Nor did Kyungsoo. He was probably too focus on the plates or the water was too loud for him to hear anything.

"Hyun?"

Baekhyun blinked, "Ah, yes.." he cleared his throat.

"Did you get the information-

"Mother, you don't want me to talk about work during meal time, remember?" he cutted off.

"But we're done-

"Let me help Kyungsoo with the dishes." Jongdae suddenly stand up, trying not to drag the conversation about their work too long.

Baekhyun nodded, "Hm, I shall put away the leftovers," again, he cleared his throat.

Ms. Areum lean back in her seat and shook her head as he watch the two.

Meanwhile, Jongdae and Kyungsoo were weirdly silent as they clean on the dishes. Jongdae, especially is not used with such quietness, being too used with the loud Baekhyun and Chanyeol with him.

"So..." he started, "You work with Junmyeon hyung."

Kyungsoo halted, "you know him too?" it was weird how Baekhyun and people around him seem to be close with Junmyeon. Kyungsoo lived with him, but never knew them. Or maybe he just never paid attention to his surrounding.

"Yeah, we have been regular for a while now at the cafe. Well got no choice, Baek always bought the coffee there so that he can stalk you." Jongdae chuckled. "Besides, Junmyeon hyung is a close friend to our...," Jongdae paused, darting his eyes elsew