Yes, something was wrong. Something was very wrong. "Why haven't we come out about our relationship yet, Soohyun?" Hoon asked quietly. 

 

Soohyun didn't know what to say. He could make up an excuse about not wanting to split the group apart, but it seemed they were all getting together. So, it didn't make sense. So, why was he so hesitant about telling the others? Soohyun didn't respond. 

 

"Are you ashamed?" Hoon asked quietly, looking away from his boyfriend with tears b his eyes. 

 

"No!" Soohyun shouted automatically, "Hoony, I'm not ashamed..." Soohyun whispered, holding the side of his lover's face tenderly to bring their eyes together. "I love you more than anything, know that."

 

"Just because you love me, it doesn't mean you aren't ashamed." Hoon mentioned, tearing his face away from Soohyun's hand and sat up in the bed. "I know...it's wrong to love another man, Soohyun. And I know how it looks to other people. I know you're always concerned over what others think of you, and how people see you as a leader...if you're ashamed, I get it-" Hoon's voice cracked, "But I don't want to be something you have to cover up." 

 

"Hoon-" Soohyun tried to call to the man as he left their bed, his heart beating fast, "it's because I'm afraid, okay?" He spoke quickly, loudly. The moment it left his lips, he knew it was true. 

 

"Afraid of what?" Hoon stopped his progression to the door but didn't turn to look at Soohyun. 

 

"Of...of making it official." Soohyun clasped and unclasped his hands in his lap. "Because it seems like...like, if we do...then it's doomed to fail. Others will know, they'll judge us, they'll wonder when it is we'll break up. Or move in together. Or whatever. And the pressure will get to us. We'll fight. We'll break up. And...and I don't want to lose you, Hoony." Soohyun answered, his voice breaking. 

 

"Is that all you're afraid of? Or is there more?" Hoon's voice was cold. 

 

Soohyun's heart convulsed at Hoon's tone. His sweet bunny was suddenly so heartless. "No...there's more. I don't think love lasts, okay? All our songs, all our words all mean nothing to me. There is nothing permanent in this world. Things change, and so do people. You'll stop loving me. Or maybe I'll stop loving you. And I don't want to get my hopes up by telling everyone only to have them crushed when it happens. I hate feeling so vulnerable." 

 

"Vulnerability? That's what this is about?" Hoon questioned. Soohyun groaned, he had never wanted to talk about this. 

 

"Yes. Vulnerability. You know about every one of my weaknesses Hoon, and you also know I hate being weak. When it comes to you, I'm a puddle. And if something ever pulls us apart, I'd be a mess. And then others would know why I am a mess. Or would expect me to be one. If no one knows, I can hide it properly. So, if I do lose you. No one would know. And I wouldn't be weak in their eyes." Soohyun could tell he wasn't making any kind of sense anymore. His thoughts were jumbled in a tangled web. 

 

The main thing he needed Hoon to know was that if their relationship ended, so would Soohyun. He was aware of how dramatic and clichéd it was, but it was absolutely, 100 percent true.

 

Hoon's shoulders trembled, unnoticed by Soohyun, as tears ran down his face. He wanted to reassure Soohyun he wasn't ever going to stop loving him, but he couldn't form the words to say. He turned back to Soohyun, who was dangerously close to crying himself and kneeled on the bed in front of him. Towering over his leader, the bunny kissed Soohyun. It was a kiss full of passion and heat, the reassuring kind of kiss Soohyun needed. It spoke volumes of what Hoon couldn't. 

 

Hoon wasn't going to leave Soohyun, not now. Not ever. Not as long as Soohyun wanted him. He wanted Soohyun to know it was a promise, a promise to stay. He had understood everything Soohyun had been trying to say and there was nothing. Not obe damned thing that could make Hoon ever stop loving him. Their mouths moved together, their hearts syncronizing. Finally, Soohyun rose up to meet Hoon, slipping his tongue into Hoon's awaiting mouth and tangling his fingers in the boy's silk hair. Hoon wrapped his arms around Soohyun's waist, bringing their bodies closer.

 

Breaking away and panting slightly, Soohyun lifted his eyelids slowly as he rested his forehead on Hoon's. "I plan on staying with you, Soohyun. For as long as you want me." 

 

"I'll always want you. No, at this point...I need you, Hoon." Soohyun answered back. 

 

"If you don't want to tell the others, it's okay. But, they are our friends. They won't pressure us or judge. They will be there for us. I don't care about the rest of the world, but if we can't trust our friends with our relationship, I think that's worse than loving in secret." 

 

"Just...give me a little more time, Hoony. I promise we'll tell everyone soon." Soohyun nodded. 

 

"Okay, I trust you, Soo." Hoon nodded back and kissed Soohyun some more. Ever since they arrived in Japan, they had been severely lacking being intimate, and Hoon was slowly going crazy. Soohyun kissed back just as hungrily and pushed Hoon to the bed. 

 

"Be quiet." Soohyun whispered in Hoon's ear as he let out a moan when their hips met harshly. It caused a shiver of pleasure to roll down Hoon's spine and he had to bite his lip to keep from out loud. 

 

Just as Soohyun had begun slipping his hands up Hoon's shirt while peppering the younger's neck with kisses, a knock sounded at the door. Soohyun groaned and pulled away from Hoon, trying not to look at his bunny's flushed and aroused face, or else he would just go right back to taking him. 

 

"Yes?" Soohyun answered the door, glad he was still in jeans so his slight wasn't as noticable as he presented himself to Eli. 

 

"We're going to go get some ice cream, do you guys want to come?" Eli asked, eyebrow raising at Soohyun's flushed cheeks. 

 

"No, Hoon's already asleep and I was just about to head there." Soohyun dug for his wallet, "take your time." He gave the money to Eli and closed the door in the rapper's face. Eli walked away chuckling. 

 

"Come on, guys. Soohyun gave me some money, so we can take all the time we need to celebrate!" 

 

"Celebrate what?" Kevin asked as Kiseop cheered that he wouldn't have to pay for his ice cream. 

 

Eli shrugged, "it might be because of Seop-Seop." He smirked, opening the door for everyone to walk out before smirking. If they thought they were being subtle, they were totally wrong. 

 

Eli took Kevin's hand as they walked, swinging it slightly between them. There were times like now, when Eli felt so strongly for the thin male beside him when he wondered why he had ever thought he hadn't loved Kevin. He was dense, he knew, but he wondered how he had been so completely and utterly stupid. It was Kiseop/Jaeseop level of misunderstanding and idiocy. 

 

Thing was, Jaeseop had no excuse for being so foolish. He was supposed to be the smart one in the group. Eli looked at the couple in question, holding hands. Kiseop was showing AJ and Dongho something on his phone, and laughing. He tapped the phone screen a couple times and quickly turned the screen away from Jaeseop. 

 

Dongho began laughing hysterically as AJ tried to see what Kiseop had kept from him. Putting his phone away, Kiseop stuck his tongue out at AJ in a mocking manner. 

 

"Those three" Kevin sighed, a smile on his face, "they're like children." 

 

"Kiseop and Jaeseop are older than you." Eli felt the need to point out. Their whispered weren't heard over the rowdy noises of the three behind them. 

 

"I know." Kevin nodded, "it's like we're one big family..." Kevin shrugged, a tenderness to his voice that made Eli nod along and smile, "Hoon and Soohyun are the parents."

 

"Kiseop and Dongho are the youngest." Eli nodded. "Becuase they're so playful but can be mature and quiet when they need to be."

 

"AJ is the oldest son, because he's too serious at times, but is very protective of all of us. Plus, he's really smart." 

 

"What does that make us?" Eli inquired. 

 

"The middle children who just observe." Kevin nodded and laughed along with Eli. Coming upon the restaurant, the five headed inside to get their ice cream.

....

 

Dongho was somehow nervous. He had met with Xander plenty of times before. He had even been alone a couple times. So, why did this time feel so...different? His heart was beating fast as he walked to the place Xander suggested and, well, his palms were sweaty. Why was he getting so worked up over meeting his hyung? It didn't make any kind of sense. 

 

Finally, he made it to the tea shop and found Xander already waiting. "Dongho-ah!" Xander cheered, running towards Dongho with his arms wide. Embracing, the two said their greetings. 

 

"I already ordered you a tea. Is mango strawberry boba okay?" Xander asked. 

 

"My favorite actually." Dongho responded, touched that Xander had really remembered after so long. Xander smiled and went to retrieve their drinks from the counter as they came up. 

 

"Right on time~" Xander sang in English. Dongho was always amused by the way Xander spoke English. There was always such a cheerful lilt to it, and emphasis on weird syllables. Not that Dongho was an expert on the English language, however. Xander could be speaking it how it was supposed to be, and everyone else just had it wrong. 

 

As they began walking down the street while sipping their tea and chatting carelessly, Dongho began to wonder. Why had Xander specifically wanted to meet him alone? And where were they going? 

 

Thanks for sticking around and reading everyone~ I love you all. Thanks for getting my over 100 subscribers. That's amazing! O: