To: Nam Woohyun

From: Kim Heechul hyung

Hey, have you arrived? Is everything okay? Tell me if you need anything. Okay?

Woohyun sighs as he pocketed his hand phone. He doesn’t know what to reply to Heechul, Sunggyu’s older cousin. He is at the balcony on second floor, watching his friends playing in the pool at the backyard of the lake house. He was supposed to come for a short weekend getaway with Sunggyu. But the older thought it would be fun if the whole group join them. It would be a nice breather for Howon who was in the middle of job hunting and Sungjong can clear his mind after lots of assignments before exam started. And the other three can do a nice vacation as well. They never go to a vacation together. Gathering for drinks, meals and movies? A lot. But vacation? Never.

So it’s a new experience for them to be together for three days two nights. Sunggyu also can’t wait to brag about the lake house. Well…officially it is Heechul’s but the older cousin is not in South Korea right now and he let whoever in his family uses them if needed. Woohyun had met Heechul a couple of times before and the older take a liking to him instantly. That’s why when Woohyun ask for permission to use his lake house for a holiday, Heechul just let him be without any questions ask. Because he knows Woohyun can take care of his house, even better than he is.

Woohyun watch the boys playing at the pool from the balcony upstairs. Sungjong is swimming, Sungyeol and Dongwoo are playing with a ball, Howon is in the pool too but away from those three, talking with Sunggyu who sits on the edge of the pool. Myungsoo is at the fence, taking photos of the breath taking scenery of the lake and mountain.

Woohyun sighs. Sure. He loves his friends. And he had thought of inviting them to the lake house someday. Someday. Not this day where he had a plan to be together just him and Sunggyu. Woohyun knows, no, Woohyun bet on his life that he won’t get a chance to be alone with Sunggyu, not when Howon stick by his side always.

“Now who is the clingy puppy?” Woohyun says lowly to himself. With a sad smile, he moves away from the balcony, oblivious to Myungsoo taking his photo.

As if they know its lunch time and the scream for their tummy to be filled, the group of six young men enter the house. Sunggyu grab Sungyeol’s wet shirt when the taller attempt to run to the kitchen.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sunggyu asks sternly.

“Uh? Eating?” Sungyeol tilted his head.

“Not when you’re still wet,” Sunggyu says. He let go of Sungyeol, turning to everyone with his hands on his waist. “Change now, all of you.”

Without another word, the young men all run upstairs to their room to shower and change. The only dry are Sunggyu himself and Myungsoo. But sunggyu too went upstairs without giving Woohyun any glance. Myungsoo paddled to the kitchen, watching Woohyun’s back cooking over the stove. Slowly he raise his camera to his eye.

The sound of the shutter startled Woohyun. He turns around to see Myungsoo with his camera. He smiles. “You surprise me. What are you doing here?”

Myungsoo didn’t answer, he takes a photo of a clueless Woohyun, completed with an apron and a spatula in hand. Myungsoo lowered his camera when Woohyun’s deep brown orbs staring into his lens. “Taking your photo?”

Woohyun chuckles. “You should take photo of the sceneries, not when I’m cooking.” He turns back to his stove. “Why are you here? Lunch is not ready yet.”

Myungsoo put his camera on the kitchen counter before he went to Woohyun’s side. “Everyone had stop playing and changing. I’m not playing in the water so I’m free.”

Woohyun hum in understanding. Myungsoo’s eyes followed Woohyun’s hand stirring the pan. He feels his saliva on the tip of his tongue and his stomach screaming to be feed.

Woohyun giggles. “Go sit down. It will be ready in a bit,”

“Do you need any help, hyung?” Myungsoo thought it would be rude to just sit and wait while his dear childhood friend tiring himself preparing their food.

“It’s okay. I’m almost done,”

“I can make the table?”

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The group of friends are outside by the pool, watching the brightening stars decorating the dark sky, the vast lake bellow and the mountain in its horizon. It’s a photo worth scenery so Myungsoo taking them nonstop. He is standing by the fence, clicking photos after photos with Sungyeol beside him. Dongwoo and Howon sit on the edge of the pool, with their legs in the water, talking. Sunggyu sits on the pool chair, watching everyone with a proud expression on his face. Sungjong sits on the chair beside him, just enjoying the night view.

Woohyun came out with a tray of cut fruits in small bowls. He went to give one to Sungyeol, put one in between Howon and Dongwoo, and lastly he went to Sunggyu and Sungjong’s side. He sits on the edge of Sungjong’s chair as he put the bowl on the table.

“You should stop, hyung,” Sungjong says, still with his eyes up on the sky.

“Huh?” Woohyun turns around to face the youngest. “What did you say?”

Sungjong sighs as he lowered his head to look at the older. “You should stop, hyung. You had been working nonstop since we’d arrived. You didn’t take a break yet, do you?”

Woohyun smiles as he rubs Sungjong’s hair. “I will. Thank you for your concern, Sungjongie.”

Sungjong straightens his body. “What do you mean you will? Can’t you stop already?”

Woohyun shakes his head. “I still need to clean up the kitchen,”

“Hyung…”

“Enjoy your fruit, okay?”

Woohyun peek at Sunggyu but the oldest didn’t mind him. Heck he didn’t care at all of the exchange between Woohyun and Sungjong. Woohyun sighs as he stand up and going back inside. Sungjong’s eyes followed after the retrieving figure of the older. He frowns. It might be his eyes, it might be because it’s night, but Woohyun’s definitely look more tired than he claim he was.

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“I’m glad we ask them to come here. Everyone looks happy,” Sunggyu says as he slips on the bed. “Did you see Howon’s face? He looks really happy. I know I should let him take a break from his job hunting, you know, to clear his mind.”

Woohyun didn’t reply as he changing to comfortable sleeping attire. He can hear the smiles in Sunggyu’s voice. The older seems happy himself. As the oldest in their group, Sunggyu really taking care of everyone, making sure the youngsters are happy and thorough. Woohyun was glad. He’s proud of his boyfriend. Sunggyu’s big brother nature is one of the reason Woohyun love him so much. So so much that he push away the unhappy thoughts when Sunggyu ignore him or stood him up.

Woohyun is really tired. Since they’d arrived the morning and till this night, he didn’t take a break. He always at the kitchen, cooking or on the second floor, cleaning. According to Heechul, they are the only visitor in six months. Meaning the house is empty all this time. So…can you imagine the dusts and spider webs filled in the house? Woohyun aired all the rooms and put the blankets and pillows under the sun. He swept and mops the floor, wipe the furniture and clean the shower and toilet. He didn’t get the chance to ask the boys for help because they had runs to the pool as soon as they arrived, and they knocked out after lunch. Sungjong and sometimes Myungsoo had offer their help but before Woohyun can reply, someone will pulls that person away from him, saying Sungjong or Myungsoo should play with them instead. And that someone? He was not a home person, meaning he didn’t know how to clean or to cook. So he is glad Woohyun was doing all of them without complaining.

Woohyun sighs. Someday, he really wants to punch that person for messing with his life. He knows he never like him the moment Sunggyu introduced them years ago. But he can’t say anything because he knows how much that person means to Sunggyu, as much as his friends mean to him.

Woohyun went to the bed. Whatever. It’s bed time. Finally he gets Sunggyu all to himself. This was…what? Woohyun can’t even remember when was the last time he got to be alone with Sunggyu. And when was the last time they sleep together in one bed? And don’t ever mention . He rarely got to kiss Sunggyu, what more to get intimate?

“Yeah, everyone was so happy,” he says, pulling the blanket to his chest. “Uh…I’m so tired, hyung. And it’s cold tonight,”

“Let’s just sleep,”

“Yeah…” Woohyun turn off the bedside lamp. Then he turns around to face Sunggyu and throw his arm around the other’s torso.

“What are you doing, Woohyun?” Sunggyu shrugged his arm off of him.

“I’m cold, hyung,” Woohyun whine, circling his arm around Sunggyu again.

“Let’s just sleep, okay. I’m beat. And you said you’re tired,”

“I’m not doing anything. I just want to hug you to sleep. It’s cold tonight,”

“Just wear your sweater and more blankets,” he says uncaringly, pulling Woohyun’s arm off of his chest and turns around back facing the other.

“Hyung…” Woohyun whispers, perplexed. “Hyung, I’m cold…”

“Just go to sleep, Woohyun. I’m really tired and I don’t want to hear you whining.”

In the dark quiet night, Woohyun can hear his heart breaking into pieces. He was drained out of his strength and cold to his bones, but Sunggyu can turn his back on him? Did Sunggyu really didn’t care about him anymore?

Doesn’t want to anger the older and not wasting time so he can have more hours to sleep, Woohyun choose to give up. He sighs as he turns around, pulls the blanket off himself and paddled to the wardrobe. He takes out a couple of blankets; a normal one and a thicker one. He glances at the sleeping figure on the bed. With a heavy heart, he walks out of the room, as slowly as he could as to not disturb the man.

He climbs down the stairs to the living room, oblivious to the light on the kitchen. He makes his way to the couch, puts the blanket on the far end and throwing the thicker blanket around himself. He was ready to lie down when a voice of the youngest startled him.

“What are you doing, Woohyun hyung?”

“Uh? Sungjong?” Woohyun watch the other coming closer. “What are you doing not sleeping yet?”

“I came to fill my bottle,” Sungjong says, showing his now full water bottle. “What are you doing, hyung? Wait, don’t tell me you’re sleeping here?”

“Yeah…”

“What? Why?”

“It’s too cold in the room.”

Sungjong frowns at him, waiting for the older to continue talking or to elaborate more. But Woohyun seems to choose to end it at that.

“Go to sleep, Sungjong. Good night,”

“Wait, hyung,” Sungjong stops him from lying down. “It’s no point sleeping here. It’s colder in here than in your room,”

“It’s okay. I can manage,”

“No! You will catch a cold if you sleep here. And I don’t want you to get sick,”

“Why? Worry no one will cook your food?”

It was supposed to be a joke as Woohyun grins cheekily at him. But Sungjong didn’t laugh nor did he find it amusing. Sungjong pick up the make shift pillow and pulls Woohyun’s arm.

“You’re sleeping with me,”

“What? You don’t have to, Sungjong,”

“No, you’re sleeping with me. I won’t let you sleeping in here and freezing yourself,” he pulls Woohyun to his feet. “Come on, hyung.”

Too tired to argue and he too actually doesn’t want to sleep in the living room, Woohyun just followed Sunjong’s lead to his room. The second floor consists of four bedrooms and two showers. Sungjong’s room is the first door on the hallway.

“You sleep on the bed, I sleep on the floor,” Sungjong says, placing his bottle on the bedside table.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re sleeping with me.”

Sungjong freeze. Woohyun tilted his head, waiting for his response.

“W…what? On the same bed with you?” he asks, stunned.

“It’s a queen size, big enough for us both. I can’t let you sleep on the floor,”

“It…it’s okay, hyung…”

“Sungjong…” Woohyun sighs, clearly annoyed because he is so sleepy and so beat. “I can’t let you sleep on the floor like you won’t let me sleep in the living room. If you don’t want to sleep on the bed with me, I’m going down,”

“Okay. Okay, hyung,” Sungjong quickly says, worried the older will really going to sleep on the couch. “Okay, hyung. Let’s just sleep.”

Smiling, Woohyun lie on the bed. “You can have the blanket. I have my own,” he says, showing the thick blanket still wrap around him.

Sungjong didn’t say anything, he just lies down beside the older, both on their back and facing the ceiling.

“Good night, Woohyun hyung,”

“Night, Sungjongie. Thank you for letting me sleeps here.”

Sungjong smiles to himself as he shuts his eyes, wishing he can sleep with a warm body of Woohyun hyung at his side.

Sungjong wakes up to the sound of a cry. He turns his head. Woohyun had his back on him and Sungjong can see his shoulder shaking despite the darkness in the room. He gulps his saliva. He doesn’t know what to do. This is the first time he saw Woohyun cries. Because the so called annoying friend of his older brother always goofy always smiling always showing his though side. Sungjong turns on his side, with a shaking hand, he touch Woohyun’s shoulder.

“Oh, Sungjong. I’m sorry if I woke you up,” Woohyun sniff, glancing at his back. “I just got a nightmare.”

Sungjong pulls the other to turns around. He sneaks an arm below Woohyun’s neck and another arm pulls Woohyun’s body close.

“Sungjong?”

“I’m here, hyung. I will protect you from your nightmare,” he whispers comfortingly, pulling the older closer to his chest.

Woohyun inhale Sungjong’s scent. He smells young and fresh, completely different with Sunggyu’s masculine smell. His chest as soft as Sunggyu but he is not as warm as…. Wait. No. Woohyun didn’t remember how warm Sunggyu feels with his arms around him. He…he miss Sunggyu. A lot. Sunggyu was so close but so far away.

Sungjong kiss the crown of Woohyun’s hair when the older continue to cry in his chest.

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