(Daehyun's Perspective)

When it came time to go home, Daehyun had no choice but to part ways with Yongguk and Jieun. He promised to keep in touch with their numbers fresh in his phone, then went through a cold and silent ride to the airport with his parents and Sunhwa. He still had no choice but to accompany them back, even with the new status of being disowned.

You are not my son, we are not your parents, and this is final.

So maybe he should put some thought into something else to refer to them as. He'd rather not talk about them, but he'd inevitably have to at some point. Since there was the mutual agreement that they didn't consider each other family, maybe just their names could work? Or he could just refer to them together as 'the Jungs'?

The silence persisted throughout the airport and the entire flight back. It wasn't too much different than the flight to the cruise except for with the addition of Sunhwa sending angry glares at him. So Daehyun tried to keep his focus out the plane window, attempting to work through the weird feelings his soul was wading through and also ignoring the way Sunhwa was trying to stab daggers into him with her eyes.

As relieved as he was that it was all over, that he'd never have the three of them in his life ever again, there was a hollowness in his chest. He'd spent so long trying to satisfy them that a part of him felt empty now that he was no longer doing that. Now that he was truly free, it felt like he was directionless, and that was just as scary as it was liberating.

Despite that mental shift, Daehyun doubted much would physically change for him. It was just a matter of getting used to this new chapter in his life and filling that hollowness with things that treated him better. It would take time, but so long as he kept at it, he'd reach that point.

After the plane landed, Daehyun decided to wait until most everyone else got off before making his exist. Mainly to minimize the risk of coming across the Jungs and Sunhwa at baggage claim, but also because people were impatient and he didn't want to be shoved around.

He sent a message to Youngjae to let him know the plane had landed, and his boyfriend returned with a picture of himself sitting in the waiting area outside of security.

The Jungs and Sunhwa grabbed their carry ons and left the plane as soon as they could. Daehyun patiently waited until people weren't standing around and were actually moving before he attempted to even leave his seat. Only after he'd put as many people between them as possible did Daehyun leave the plane. He'd been slightly worried that maybe they'd try waiting for him outside the gate and go back on their word, but they thankfully weren't there.

The walk from the gate to security felt endless. His nerves were tingly, and Daehyun's brain was swirling with thoughts about how things would proceed. He didn't know the details, but he did know that Zelo had told Hyunsik about Sunhwa, and Youngjae was there to witness it. Which meant he was going to be confronting that sooner or later, as much as Daehyun would much rather just move past it...

As Daehyun neared the area past security, his eyes fell upon Youngjae. At his boyfriend catching sight of him and lighting up, Daehyun picked up the pace.

“Welcome back!” Youngjae greeted enthusiastically, taking Daehyun's hands in his and holding them firmly before planting a quick kiss to his cheek. Daehyun was immediately overtaken with bashfulness, mainly at the fact that this affection was public and he was more the type to keep that to where others couldn't see. “I missed you...”

That embarrassment didn't stop Daehyun from spreading into a gentle smile, though! “Are you sure you're not saying that because you're tired of being Zelo's model?” he teased lightly.

“Oh, I didn't mind it, really,” Youngjae insisted. “He did me up in some real good looks! I didn't expect rhinestones to look good on me.”

Once Daehyun's phone could receive messages again, he was bombarded with various selfies Zelo had sent with Youngjae in the bathroom, his boyfriend done up in a different look each time. Each were stunning, and Daehyun couldn't decide whether that was because his best friend was incredibly skilled or if Youngjae was just stunning to begin with...

Maybe it was a mix of both!

“I doubt there's a look that would look bad on you,” he said quietly, just loud enough for Youngjae to hear, and Daehyun let the accomplishment of seeing Youngjae's dimples from beaming so brightly at the words wash over him. As much as he preferred keeping affectionate actions private, the urge to hold Youngjae was stronger right now. So Daehyun gently pulled Youngjae to him and wrapped his arms around him, resting his chin on his boyfriend's shoulder and sighing contentedly as Youngjae held him back. “I missed you too, Youngjae.”

Youngjae hummed happily, letting the two of them stand in each other's arms a few more moments before pulling back and pressing another kiss to Daehyun's cheek. “What do you say we get your stuff and get out of here? We've got quite the drive ahead of us, after all.”

Daehyun agreed, and a few hours later, they were at the lake house and settling down on the couch after dinner. Youngjae had Daehyun pulled against his side, head resting on his shoulder with his fingers gently running through Daehyun's hair. Daehyun's eyes slipped closed, and he allowed himself to relax against the warmth of his boyfriend.

“Daehyun?” he quietly called out.

He hummed in question.

“I... I have a question for you.”

Daehyun opened his eyes and gulped. “What is it?”

“I was asked if some other friends of mine could come out here this weekend, too,” he started. “Zelo and Jongup and... Hyunsik. I told them I'd ask you before giving an answer. Is that something you're comfortable with? Or should I tell them no?” Daehyun wasn't able to hide the way he tensed at the idea of meeting Hyunsik, and Youngjae tried to rub the stiffness from Daehyun's neck while patiently awaiting an answer.

Daehyun chewed on his bottom lip as he contemplated the options. He did like the idea of seeing Zelo again, and Jongup was always pleasant to be around, but Hyunsik... There was no way he wouldn't confront him about Sunhwa, and Daehyun wasn't sure he was ready to face that.

But it really was better to face these things sooner rather than later. The longer he waited and ran from it, the more it would eat at him. So Daehyun carefully answered, “I'm... fine with them coming out here if you are.”

“Are you sure?” Youngjae wondered, adjusting so he could look at Daehyun's face. “If that's not something you're ready for, it's okay to say no.”

Daehyun blinked a few times before averting his gaze. “It's- It's better that I just... get it over with now. If I keep on avoiding it, I'll only feel worse...”

Youngjae observed him a few moments longer before nodding. “Alright, then I'll let them know they can come over tomorrow.”

Daehyun looked back at him. “Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, it's a bit late for them to come over today. It's a lengthy drive from the complex, and Hyunsik lives even farther away now,” he explained. Daehyun hummed his understanding and tried to get back to the position they were at before, having hit one of those modes where being observed so gently was overwhelming. As Youngjae's fingers went back to carting through Daehyun's hair, he asked softly, “Is everything okay?”

His lips pressed together tightly as a troubled hum sounded from his throat. “I'm just worried,” Daehyun eventually sighed. He let out a breathless chuckle at his next spoken thought. “When am I not?”

“It's natural to worry about things, Daehyun,” Youngjae soothed. “Our worry is a part of us that wants to protect us from having our fears come true.”

“That's a nice way to look at it,” he mumbled, eyes drooping closed again as he focused on the feeling of Youngjae's fingers rhythmically running through his hair.

“Daehyun?”

Daehyun blearily opened his eyes at the sound of his name, not sure whether he'd drifted to sleep or if he'd just blanked out for a bit. “Hm?”

“Let's get ready for bed, Daehyun. You've had a long day.”

Daehyun didn't disagree, and not too much longer, he was slipping into slumber with Youngjae's arms around him.

--

The next day was surprisingly more low key. Daehyun slept long enough that Youngjae was up before him and already cooking breakfast by the time Daehyun stumbled down the loft steps. After a quiet meal and clean up time, things remained relatively calm. Youngjae informed that Zelo and Jongup would be arriving between lunch and dinner, and Hyunsik would be there more around dinner.

Things didn't get too hectic once Zelo and Jongup arrived, thankfully. Maybe a bit unexpectedly overwhelming since they'd come in carrying a box filled with things Daehyun had written off as gone years ago. A fan Zelo had given him, his collection of bracelet making materials and spare bracelets, and a photo album that Umma Choi had given him as a graduation present.

Looking through the album was less stressful and more a nostalgic walk down memory lane with company. Daehyun was more than happy to have that company! If he'd been looking through it alone, he probably would've ended up crying and feeling sorry for himself.

But with Youngjae on one side, Zelo on the other, and Jongup kind of draped over Zelo, it was much more enjoyable to look through and reminisce on the good times for what they were rather than things he'd foolishly left behind. Daehyun explained the nuances of Zelo as a kid, and his best friend supplemented that with childhood stories about Daehyun.

Afterwards, since they were still waiting on Hyunsik for dinner and he'd messaged something about having gotten a late start, Daehyun put his focus into meticulously sorting the beads that had been shaken up in their container while the other three conversed. He used his tweezers to do it one by one, hand shaky from years of unfamiliarity.

Daehyun was unable to get things completely sorted by the time Hyunsik messaged Jongup to tell them to go ahead and get dinner because 'rush hour traffic is a ', and those were the exact words according to Jongup. They decided to eat dinner at a local eatery that was less than ten minutes away.

But the few hours spent at dinner did nothing to pass the time because part of the way through, Hyunsik sent another message that said his road trip luck today was horrible and that he was very backed up in unmoving traffic.

By the time Daehyun's internal clock was telling him it was time for bed, Hyunsik still hadn't arrived. He was at least driving at that point, but Daehyun physically felt like he couldn't stay up.

“I think I'm going to go to bed for the night,” Daehyun yawned.

“Okay, good night, Daehyun hyung!” Jongup waved.

“Sleep tight, oppa-hyung!” Zelo blew an exaggerated kiss his way.

Before Daehyun had the chance to get up off the couch, Youngjae pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “Good night! I'll be up to join you once Hyunsik's made it safely, okay?”

Daehyun nodded, scurrying off shortly after to get fully ready for bed.

He didn't know how long he was out for, but Youngjae crawling into bed woke Daehyun up just enough for him to open his eyes and adjust to get him in his sight. Partially to make sure it was Youngjae settling into bed and not some nightmare of the past. “What time is it?” he mumbled tiredly.

“Almost midnight,” Youngjae yawned, arms finding Daehyun and gently pulling him over. “Go back to sleep, Daehyun.”

Daehyun hummed in understanding, already feeling himself relax in his boyfriend's arms and slip back into slumber.

When Daehyun next woke up, Youngjae's chest was pressed against his back with his arms tangled around him, and his breath came out in steady puffs against Daehyun's neck. It tickled, but he basked in it regardless as he fully awakened for the day. Then he carefully clambered out of bed so he wouldn't wake up his boyfriend from much needed sleep.

As he quietly left the loft bedroom and descended the stairs, Daehyun heard the sound of faint guitar strumming coming from out on the deck. Curiosity got the better of him, and he snuck out onto the deck from the kitchen side to investigate who was up earlier than him when the sun was just rising.

A dark haired man sat on one of the loungers on the other end of the deck, an acoustic guitar perched in his lap. He was fully focused on the way the instrument sounded when he strummed, adjusting his fingers from pressing against the strings to fiddling with the knobs at the top before strumming a few more times, matching his voice to the chords momentarily before repeating the process.

Based on the fact that Daehyun didn't recognize him, he guessed this was Hyunsik.

He wasn't exactly sure what to do from here. Normally Daehyun's early morning deck time watching the sunrise and waiting for Youngjae to wake up was spent in quiet reflection. 'Do I talk to him? Or should I leave him be and find somewhere else to sit quietly while I wait for everyone else to get up?'

Daehyun was in the process of slipping back into the house to do the latter when Hyunsik cleared his throat and stopped strumming at his guitar. “I know you're over there,” he declared.

Daehyun froze, turning his head just enough to see that Hyunsik was now staring at him. “Um- I'm sorry, I-I'll just um-” Daehyun vaguely gestured his hands around to portray his plan to go back in. “I'll... leave you be?”

“You don't have to.” His words once again stopped Daehyun in his tracks. “It'll be a while before any of the other boys wake up. Stay out here with me a bit. I could use the company.”

Daehyun sighed in defeat before slowly making his way to the usual place he stood on the deck in the mornings, doing his utmost to avoid Hyunsik's gaze. Stiffly, he planted his hands on the railing and took a deep breath to settle his nerves. He was regretting not just staying in bed until Youngjae woke up...

He started to strum at the guitar strings again. “So... you must be Daehyun, then.”

“Um... yeah.” Daehyun's fingertips clutched against the railing a bit tighter. “And... you must be Hyunsik?”

Hyunsik hummed the affirmative. “What are you doing up so early?” he asked as he continued to mess with his guitar.

“I've... always been an early riser,” Daehyun answered. “What about you? It seems too early for you to be up when you got here so late...”

He sighed, the noises from the guitar stopping momentarily before hesitantly picking up again. “It's been a bit hard to sleep lately,” he admitted. “My mind won't slow down enough for me to get good sleep.”

Daehyun hummed, knowing all too well what Hyunsik was talking about. Anxiety gripped his shoulders tightly at that thought. He kept his eyes focused on the reflection of the sun in the waterfront, blunt nails pressing tighter against the wooden railing. “I-I'm sorry,” Daehyun stammered out quietly.

The strumming ceased. “Eh?”

“I'm sorry,” Daehyun repeated, a bit louder. “I-I should've let Zelo tell you about... her from the start. I-I was scared that you wouldn't believe us, and-” Daehyun nearly let it slip that one of his main reasons for begging secrecy back then was his initial thought that Sunhwa's actions had been his fault and that he didn't think she'd treat someone else the same because he somehow deserved how he was treated. This wasn't something he believed now, so rather than spill that information, Daehyun instead continued with, “And you ended up pretty hurt because of that. So... I-I'm sorry.”

Hyunsik sighed, and Daehyun heard the creaks of the chair and the wooden boards of the deck as Hyunsik got up, set his guitar down, and leaned his back against the railing next to Daehyun. “I won't lie and say that it doesn't hurt, but it hurts less to know now than it would've if I'd been told then,” Hyunsik explained slowly. “If I'd been told back in January, you're right in thinking that I wouldn't have believed you. I could hardly believe it being told after we were broken up.”

“So she wasn't lying when she said you and her had gone your separate ways.” It didn't change anything, but it was interesting to note that for once in her life, she wasn't hiding behind a lie.

“Nah, we broke up back in April.” He crossed his arms and hummed in thought for a moment. “Well, things actually started souring in March around my birthday...”

“Wouldn't be the first time things went wrong for the boyfriend around their birthday,” Daehyun said, lump already beginning to form in his throat from the memory that surfaced. “For my birthday last year, I-I learned she was cheating on me.”

Hyunsik inhaled sharply. “That's rough.”

A hollow chuckle escaped from Daehyun's lungs at the irony of the man Sunhwa had been cheating on him with saying those words. Rough didn't even begin to cut it when it came to his time spent with her, but he kept that thought to himself. “What... what eventually made you call things off with her?”

Hyunsik looked up at the sky in thought. “We got into a yelling argument so bad that the neighbours called the cops on us,” he started. “Once we got our slaps on the wrist for warning and the police were gone, she tried to shift the blame onto me and said things wouldn't have gotten so bad if I'd just listened to her from the start. Rather than get back into it, I took a trip up to my parents' place for a few days to let things cool off. I decided while I was there that it was better to end things before it got worse. Our relationship had deteriorated quite a bit since I'd moved in, and we were on a fast track to disaster! So I asked my parents if I could move back in with them, and they said so long as I helped them out with the family store, I was free to do whatever. But... it took a bit to finally do that.”

Daehyun couldn't help but notice that Hyunsik was chatty, and in a different sense than Daehyun's tendency to ramble. Hyunsik spoke like a man who had things he wanted to get off his chest and had no one willing to listen or had no one who'd understand what he was going on about.

Daehyun decided Hyunsik could benefit from the catharsis of getting things out. “She didn't make it easy for you to leave, did she?”

“Absolutely not!” Hyunsik groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. “Every time I packed a box, she'd unpack it and say I wasn't going anywhere. Then we'd start to argue again because she no longer got a say in what I did and didn't do and was refusing to accept that! What finally got her to get off my back was me bringing Jongup over to help pack because she refused to show that side of her when he was around! Then she had the audacity to tell me if I wasn't out by the time she got back from her family trip, then she'd consider me a trespasser and call the cops on me! So I was scrambling trying to get the rest of my packed, but I couldn't find my guitar anywhere and I was panicking because my guitar means a lot to me-”

Hyunsik continued to ramble about that situation, and Daehyun was impressed at his ability to speak so long in one breath. He went from talking about finally finding his guitar stuffed in the back of the closet to ranting about his parents nagging him about his recent weight loss.

Then he went on a tangent about his parents and how he was certain to gain weight now that he was living with them again. Then to him lamenting that he always puts on pounds so easily, ever since he was a kid, and how he wished he had Jongup's metabolism.

It continued on like that for a while. Hyunsik strung together his thoughts while Daehyun offered nods, hums to indicate that he was listening, and the occasionally commentary when prompted. Daehyun didn't have a problem with it. In fact, he was more than willing to let Hyunsik lead the conversation! It made it easier for Daehyun to settle his nerves down.

When other people in the house started to wake up, Hyunsik started to wrap it up. “Anyways, thanks for listening to me go off like that. I haven't been able to have a healthy rant in a long time!” he thanked, grin wide.

“Um... You're welcome?” Daehyun pushed himself back from the railing, watching as Hyunsik grabbed his guitar from the chair and sat back down with it.

“I'm going to finish tuning my baby up. She's a bit rusty from sitting unused so long,” he said, giving a pat to the instrument in his lap.

“I'll go inside then so you can uh... focus on that,” Daehyun declared, leaving Hyunsik with a wave after he'd nodded his understanding and got back to strumming.

Daehyun's destination was determined by the clattering he'd begun to hear.

When Daehyun stepped into the kitchen, Youngjae was fiddling around with things to get breakfast ready. “Good morning!” Youngjae greeted, lighting up immediately upon seeing Daehyun. They shared a chaste kiss in front of the stove before Youngjae got back to making sure the burner adjustments were at the right place.

“Do you need help with breakfast?” Daehyun offered.

“Yeah, that'd be great!”

After another quick kiss, Daehyun happily settled into helping Youngjae in the kitchen, following the instructions he was given very carefully. Learning how to make breakfast foods was something he decided he'd like to do, with the aim that he'd get good enough at it one day to do it alone. That way, on the mornings after he spent the night with Youngjae, Daehyun could have breakfast ready for him as soon as he woke up!

--

A/N:

Howdy folks! I hope y'all are well!