Heechul’s lithe frame parted the air like a knife as he cut through the smoke.  The bar was dark and the air smelled of tobacco and wood polish.  He wrinkled his nose as he scanned over the patrons.  There was an almost ridiculous amount of people wearing leather.  Suddenly Heechul couldn’t suppress a snicker.  This bar wasn’t all that different than the kind he used to frequent after all.    

The smile quickly faded off of his face as he realized more than one set of eyes were boring into him.  He could sense the contempt and sneers from the testosterone fueled patrons.  Holding his head high, Heechul hid his nerves and moved confidently through the crowd of rather intimidating men.  He hadn’t felt this uncomfortable and out of place since one of his foster families had insisted he attend church with them. 

He craned to see as he proceeded through the room.  Trying to find Kangin was going to be like finding a slightly familiar piece of hay in a rather threatening hay stack.  Heechul felt his shoulder jerk as he bumped into someone moving in the opposite direction. 

“Watch it, princess,” the patron growled.

“Gladly.” 

Heechul didn’t realize what he was saying until the word had already left his mouth and he immediately regretted it.

As expected, the towering man did not respond well.  He grabbed a fistful of Heechul’s shirt, wrenching him forward.  “You want to try that again?” 

Heechul’s toes barely scraped against the floor as the larger man held him up.  The mad bull smelled like alcohol and cologne and his putrid breath swirled around Heechul’s face.  Cursing his reflexive need to always have a comeback, Heechul glanced around quickly for help. 

He noticed just then a back turned to him, the hunch of the shoulders familiar.  Keeping his eyes locked on the man currently glaring at him, a placating half smile on his face, he stretched his arm out, trying to get the attention of the person sitting at the bar.

The tip of Heechul’s finger barely brushed the man’s shoulder.  Slowly the hunched man peered around.   He saw Heechul looking at him, he took a moment to register what he was seeing and then, without a word, he returned to the mug of beer in his hand.  

Heechul flinched as a pair of fingers snapped in front of his face.   “I’m talking to you,” the man holding onto his shirt said.

“Yes, I’ll be with you in a minute,” Heechul said with a fake smile plastered on his face.  He looked back to the man at the bar.  Um,” he said uncertainly, “hey, roomie, would you mind helping me out a bit here?”

Very deliberately, Kangin downed the last of his beer.  Without haste, he spun around in his stool.  Leaning his elbows against the bar nonchalantly he greeted, “Fancy seeing you here.” 

Flashing his eyes from Kangin to the increasingly impatient patron holding onto the front of his shirt, Heechul said, “Yeah, funny thing about that.  I can tell you all about it if I’m not dead in the next two minutes.”

With a sense of boredom, Kangin simply leaned forward and took hold of Heechul’s shoulder.  He pulled the smaller man toward him and successfully out of the grip of the less than enthused man. 

“He’s with me,” Kangin said begrudgingly. 

The stranger sized Kangin up and decided against starting anything, retorting sluggishly, “Whatever.  Didn’ think it was that kinda bar.”

Adjusting his shirt in a huff as he watched the man disappear back into the crowd, Heechul then returned his attention to Kangin. 

“Thank you for that,” he said, leaning against the bar as nonchalantly as he could, though he was breathing deeply to calm himself.

“What are you doing here, Heechul?” Kangin cut to the chase. 

“Crazy story, really, so there I was, sitting in the living room when this midget suddenly popped out of the TV riding a rainbow and he gave me this magic ring…”

When Kangin actually didn’t start glaring at him, Heechul trailed off.  “Well, it’s no fun if you’re not going to get mad,” he said.

Even that failed to get a response, Kangin just stared blankly.

“I think I like the other version of you better,” Heechul admitted.  “This version is depressing:  less entertaining… uglier too.”

Finally, Kangin shot Heechul a dirty look.

“Ha!  That’s more like it.” 

  “Go home, Heechul.” 

“You called looking for Leeteuk, I’m the next best thing, right?”

“Yeah, if the other option is no one,” Kangin mumbled under his breath just loud enough for Heechul to hear.

“Well, it is, so you’re outta luck.”

Taking a moment to study his roomate, Heechul quickly realized he wasn’t nearly as drunk as he would have expected.  It was a special skill of his to be able to tell just how drunk someone was.  It had once been a more necessary survival skill, but it still came in handy.  Today, it told him that Kangin hadn’t called for a ride because he couldn’t make the walk home.

“What are you doing here,” Kangin sighed, interrupting Heechul’s thoughts. 

“You tell me,” Heechul countered.

“I didn’t ask you to come.”

“Yeah, well, you also called the house and then told me where you were.  Maybe you’re just that stupid but if you were looking for Teukie, and I really mean looking for him, you would have called his cell phone.”

There was no response from Kangin, who just rubbed his temples, seeming very intent on the back wall.  Heechul turned and spotted a free stool which he dragged over beside his roommate. Hopping up onto the stool, he joined Kangin in staring at the wood paneled wall. 

He put his arms up on the bar and laced his fingers together.  “I get it,” he said, taking on a serious tone, “all of it, I do.”

“So you’ve watched a little sister wither and die?” Kangin asked with bitter sarcasm.

“No, but that’s not really what this is about.  Well, it is, on some level, but, come on; you know this is more about you than her.  And sidenote:  I’m sorry that I kind of stole Leeteuk away from you for a while.  If it’s any consolation, he does worry about you.”

“Yeah, like that’s what I want to hear.” 

Heechul nodded understandingly.  “Yeah, it’s kind of a paradox isn’t it?  You don’t want people worrying about you because that’s just annoying and you feel like a burden to them but then you don’t want to push them away either, ‘cause you really do appreciate them and the fact that they care.” 

Kangin looked over at Heechul with a strange look on his face.  “When did you get so smart all of a sudden?”

“Face it, Kangin, we’re more alike than either of us really want to admit.”

“Oh really?” 

“Yeah.”

“Enlighten me.”

“Well, we’ve already established that we both hate when people care too much.  And we clearly have both tried drowning ourselves in one thing or another because at least that’s a therapy that doesn’t cost other people.  And I think we both know that it’s impossible to intentionally drown yourself and that those people who do care are always going to show up and ruin everything because they’ll want to get hurt on your behalf.  You following me?”

 “Yeah,” Kangin murmured, surprisingly having neither comeback nor retort to make.

“And I also know,” Heechul said, lowering his voice, “that like it or not, I’m willing to get hurt for you.  And you’ve already proved you’re willing to risk getting punched in the face for me.  So can we just be okay with that?  Cause I’m willing to get punched in the face for you Kangin.  I think that’s what family’s about.  At least it should be.” 

That actually managed to pull a smile out of Kangin and he laughed a little, meeting Heechul’s eyes out of the corner of his own. 

“I think I can be okay with that,” he said. 

“Good,” Heechul flashed a smile, spinning his stool around, “now, can we call Leeteuk to come get a taxi to pick us up?  I don’t feel like walking home and I’m dirt poor.”

                Kangin snickered and looked into his empty glass. 

                “What?” Heechul wondered apprehensively. 

                “He’s going to be so pissed he missed the emotional turmoil.”

                Holding back a laugh, Heechul said, “What emotional turmoil?  I didn’t see any emotional turmoil, did you?” 

                “Nope,” Kangin agreed, turning away from the bar.

                An hour later, Leeteuk walked through the front door of the Understudy, zeroed in on two particular figures, and made a bee line for them.  He faltered as he approached and saw them falling over laughing. 

“Are you guys both drunk?” he interrupted as he arrived behind them.  After getting over the initial shock of Heechul calling to tell him he was with Kangin, and calming himself down enough as he’d rushed over so he wouldn’t appear upset, his well-rehearsed nonchalance was ruined by the fact that his roommates were acting frighteningly…friendly to one another.

“Not at all,” Heechul answered, spinning around in his chair with a huge grin plastered on his face. 

“Well, I am, a little bit,” Kangin admitted.

“Oh, come on, you’re like 5% drunk, tops,” Heechul laughed.

“I didn’t know drunkenness came in percentiles.”

“I can’t believe you actually know what a percentile is.”

Kangin tilted his head in a less than happy manner and Heechul dropped out of his laugh in the blink of an eye.  Leeteuk held his breath as the two stared at each other, then a small sound escaped Kangin, his eyes lighting up.  Next thing Leeteuk knew the two were laughing hysterically again.

“What is going on with you two,” Leeteuk wondered incredulously. 

“Well,” Kangin explained, “Heechul told me he’d be willing to let me punch him in the face.”

“That is not what I said,” Heechul whined. 

“Anyway,” Kangin ignored him, “then we decided that we weren’t going to pay for a taxi ourselves, so we asked you to come.”

Leeteuk looked from Kangin to Heechul with disbelief, wondering if they’d gone mad.  He wasn’t sure if he should have been ecstatic or insulted.  Realizing he had his hands on his hips, he quickly dropped his arms and shifted his position. 

“Um…alright then, so, you’re both okay?  Kangin you’re fine?”

“Of course!” Kangin assured, “I’ve just been having some family time with Heechul here.” 

Leeteuk felt a small smile spreading across his face, his eyes shone with warmth as his former doubt melted away.  In that moment, he suddenly felt more whole than he had in years.

 Seeing how moved their blonde friend was, Kangin scoffed, “You’re such a pansy.” 

“Aw, Belle’s going to start crying,” Heechul teased. 

“I’m sorry,” Leeteuk laughed, “but why Belle?”

“You know, like Beauty and the Beast.  Kangin’s Beast of course.”

“Oh thanks,” Kangin said sourly,” then what does that make you?”

“Me?  Oh, I’m Cinderella.”

“Why Cinderella?” Leeteuk humored him.

“Because I want to be home before 12.”

There was silence for a moment.  Heechul noticed Leeteuk’s eyes watering, clearly holding back a laugh then suddenly his shoulders started shaking helplessly and a strange squeaking noise escaped him. 

Unable to stand it, Heechul burst into an explosive laugh and even Kangin shook, his eyes shining. 

“Oh man,” Heechul managed to squeak out, “can we seriously go home now.  You’re killing me, Teukie.”

Managing to get a hold of himself enough to nod, Leeteuk gestured for his roommates to follow him. 

                That night as they came back to the apartment, weighed down with happy weariness, they sat up talking for another hour.  They talked about everything and anything as comfortably as if they’d known each other their whole lives. Finally, saying their goodnights, they retired to their own rooms and they all slept soundlessly through the night.  Even Leeteuk.

A/N  It's still technically today where I live!  SCORE!  Though I realize most of you are probably asleep, so, fail boat :tootoot!:  But that just means this chapter can count as today's and tomorrow's in case I don't have time to write more tomorrow. XD  Although I'm super excited about next chapter!  New character time!

Um, what did you guys think about this?  Good way to end this part of the storyline?  Too rushed?  Too anything? 
My biffle SebastianApples is the genius who helped me come up with the actual conclusion paragraph idea, which I love. 

SO, as always comment your throughts if you have them, if you're just reading and you like it feel free to subscribe, no preassure. XD  I love you so much!  Thanks for coming with me this far and I can't wait to write you more :D