Eli's POV

    I stirred slowly into consciousness, blinking my eyes a few times to will the sleepiness away and adjust them in the light penetrating the curtains. A smile started forming on my lips when I heard Kiseop mumbling in his sleep.
    In the course of our sleeping time – because  I can't really say in the night, as we fell asleep a while before the sun rose into the sky – we were flush against each other, one of Kiseop's legs sneaked between mine, his face hidden between my neck and the mattress, his arms around my middle.
    I carded my fingers through his unruly, slightly curly hair and let an ever so soft kiss on his forehead. From then on, I just stared at him. Watching how his long eyelashes shadowed over his cheekbones. How his lips were slightly parted and his eyes fluttered between his closed eyelids as he dreamed.
    I hope he's dreaming of us. I thought and then let out a sarcastic laugh at how sappy I would've had sounded if I said that out loud. My hand on his waist pulled him even closer, if that was even possible, and Kiseop let out a small sigh before murmuring my name in that sleepy mumble I had started to love.
    A knot formed inside me, the same knot I felt every time my eyes fell on the small stitched wound on his arm. He may have been insisting it was nothing, but for me it was everything. I was supposed to protect him. 'Protecting the one I love', that was the initial reason I had continued taking Tae Kwon Doe lessons even throughout my late teenage years. But instead of that, he was the one doing the protecting yesterday. He was the one who jumped on me trying to save me.
    To be honest, I'm not sure what would have happened if he didn't act like that. I might have been avoiding the bullet, or right now, I could've been laying injured in a hospital bed or, even worse, in a morgue. The fact that I was still alive and breathing with only mere scratches to count, I sure as hell owed it to him.
    Suddenly, a light knock on the door pulled me effectively out of my thoughts. Leaving a gentle brief kiss on Kiseop's lips, I disentangled our bodies and got off the bed. I grabbed a clean pair of boxer shorts and moved hastily to the door, murmuring a soft 'coming' when the knock was heard again. I pulled open the door and exited the room, closing softly the door behind me before I faced Hoon.
    “Hoon morning.”, he greeted me, his voice just above a whisper.
    “Hey.”, I said back and rubbed the heel of my palm on my eyes.
    “Manager's here. He wants to talk with you and Kiseop.” Hoon informed me in his soft, caring voice.
    “Okay. I'll wake Kiseop up then. I turned to get inside the room again, but his hand grabbed my shoulder, stopping me from taking another step. My eyes met his worried ones.
    “Are you okay?” He must've heard something regarding yesterday's events.
    "Yeah." Sighing I pulled my arm out of his grip and turned around again, opening the door. “For the meantime...”, I murmured and got into the room without looking at him again.
    When the door was closed behind me, I raised my eyes and was surprised to see Kiseop's form. He was sitting upright on the bed, his hands were against the mattress like they were holding him from falling over. His chest rising and falling in quick, uneven breaths.
    I called out his name softly and when he turned to look at me, big terrified eyes made me run and fall on my knees on the floor beside him.
    “Hey, baby. What's wrong?”, I asked worried as I brushed his unruly hair away from his eyes.
    A sob of my name was the only word that left his trembling lips before he threw himself on me. His arms wrapped tightly around my neck and his face hid between his arms and my face.
    Freezing stunned for a moment, my eyes opened wide as words died on my lips. I moved my arms around him, holding his shivering form tightly. My eyes fell shut when I undestood what had happened suddenly at him. What had taken over him.
    I've never seen him like this before. Kiseop was stronger than what everyone seemed to believe. He might've had cried sometimes like when we reached the second place on Oricon charts but those were happy tears. He never let himself look weak at us. His quiet personality didn't allow it. He haven't even cried when we were informed of Xander and Kibum's withdrawal from the group, nor when, after all this hard work, we still couldn't reach a high enough place in our own country, even more, he was there for the rest. For whomever needed him; whomever wanted to confide to someone Kiseop would be there, offering a listening ear, a heart-warming smile and a big relieving hug.  
    Silent sobs raked through his body and I could feel his tears spilling on my shoulder.
    “Shh, baby. Everything's alright now.”, my voice cracked and I swallowed the knot that had formed in my throat. “We're okay. I promise”
    His hands clutched on my back and his arms held onto me asphyxiatingly tight as he took in a deep, stuttering breath.
    “I-I-I lov-”, his voice was broken by a sob that wrenched my heart apart.
    “I know Kiseop” I murmured holding him onto me as tight as he held me. “I know.”
     I blinked my eyes rapidly to will the wetness away but I could feel a few tears escaping them. And right at that moment I promised to myself that I'll never let anything bad happen to him again.


                                                                                                     *~*

    Heaving out a long sigh, I let myself fall on the comfortable sofa in the living room. I drag my hand over my face and catch sight of Kiseop passing in front of me on his way to some place else in the house, most probably our room.
    “Hey.” Reaching out my hand I grab his wrist and pull him gently on my lap.
    He doesn't resist, he follows my actions silently, but he averts his eyes, avoiding my gaze. I lean back, my arm wraps around his shoulders, taking him with me. My thumb rubs on the soft skin of his cheek as he nestles his head in my neck.
    It has taken at least half an hour for his crying fit to subdue and another hour for us to discuss with our manager. Everything. I could see and feel how much stress it put Kiseop in, reminiscing last night's events.
    I felt damn lucky for having such an understanding manager like Hwaseok-hyung, but I'd prefer not having to run through yesterday's all over again.
    Thank God, the apartment was almost empty right now. Soohyun and Dongho had went to a baseball match they anticipated for several days and Hoon had vanished in the gym. Manager had just left to meet with Ren after insisting that he had to thank him properly.  That only left me, Kiseop, AJ and Kevin (who, for some reason, I haven't seen all day) in the dorm.
    “Eli,” Kiseop's soft voice drags me out of my thoughts. A hum's the only sound coming from me as I try to catch his eyes that are stuck on his fingers that play with the small buttons on the front of my T-shirt like he's way too fascinated with it. “I'm sorry.” He whispers, making me furrow my eyebrows in confusion.
    “For what?” Kiseop keeps silent. I grasp his shoulders and pull him back a little. “Kiseop, look at me.” I say in a gentle but firm voice when he keeps his eyes glued on my chest.
    His eyes rise and meet mine reluctantly, my breath hitches on my neck when our gazes meet. His red rimmed ones displaying all the anxiety and fear and love in them and I feel lke they wrench my heart apart.
    I run my thumbs over the downside of his eyes and feel his eyelashes brush over them as his eyes flutter close.  
    “For before.” Kiseop whispers and I don't have to ask him what he means.
    A groan leaves my lips and I cup the back of his head with my hand, bringing his forehead to rest against mine.
    “Don't be silly.” I murmur on his lips, but don't try to close the small distance between our mouths, leaving at him the decision to make the move.
    “I just- I don't like to- ” Kiseop frowns, small wrinkles appear on the corners of his eyes as he clenches them tight.     
    “I know.” And I really do. He never liked showing his weaknesses. And deep down I know that all of his strong bravado yesterday when he got his arm stitched and later on at the police station when the adrenaline rush had worn out, everything was an act. His calm exterior, his smiles, his playfull, soft voice. Everything. When the only thing he wanted was probably to come back and be alone, somewhere he'd be able to let out everything, all his frustrations, all his worries and lust be alone. “You're not alone.” I whisper and see his eyes open in surprise. “I'm here with you.”
    A small smile appears on his lips and he closes his eyes again.     
    “I swear, you can read my mind.” He leans in and touches our lips together.
    The kiss is brief. Just a rub of our lips. But still, I try to express all my thoughts, all my feelings through this momentary kiss. He rests his forehead on mine, his eyes closed and his breath escaping slow and calm from his separated lips, hitting on mine.
    I find the silence that has fallen on us a bit too much for this particular moment, even though I don't even feel a single bit awkward, I just want to lighten his mood. Want to see his beautiful smile on his lips again 'cause every second that passes without seeing it, I feel lost.
    “What tells you I don't have superhuman abilities?” I whisper in a confidential tone.
    A small, hoarse chuckle leaves his plump lips in a puffy breath and it instantly sends a flatter to my heart and a smile on my lips.
    “Really?” He plays with me, his eyes widen in fake surprise and his hand comes up infront of his lips, semi-covering them.
    “Yeah.” I stifle a laugh and wrap my arms a bit tighter around him, tugging him towards me. “It's top secret, not even Hwaseok-hyung knows it.”
    “Oh!” Kiseop exclaims and I can see the corner of his lips quivering, as he tries to hold back a smile. “And what other superhuman abilities do you have?” His fingers trace over the skin of my cheek, my lips and down my neck.
    I hum as I pretend to think. My mouth opens and closes capturing two of his wandering digits, on them while maintaining eye contact. His eyes fall on my lips as his own part, taking in a stuttering breath. I release them with a light plop and I see him stare at his long, wet fingers before he stuck out his tongue and at them, his eyes coming up to mine.
    My heart stops for a sliver of time and then my heartbeat accelerates. My voice is coming out hoarse when I try to speak, so I clear my throat and try again.
    “For starters, I know that you think I'm hot;”Kiseop laughs and rolls his eyes at my cocky smirk.
    "That's not a special skill."
    “Secondly,” I low my voice again and near my face to his. “I have this extraterrestrial power that alarms me every time you're in the same room with me.” Kiseop smiles as I connect our foreheads.
    "That one..." Kiseop brush our noses together. "I have that one too."
    “And lastly, I can, with an incredible superhuman super-extraordinary super-mind blowing talent;” my hands sneak under his shirt making contact with hs warm skin  “To... ” I rub my lips against his “...arouse you.” I let our mouths connect, my tongue teases his lips. He pulls slightly back, leaving out a huff. "In mere seconds."
    “You think so?” He says teasingly and he connects our lips again. His tongue comes out to probe mine that slowly his bottom lip. I draw mine back.
    “You don't believe I can?” He moves his head in denial but I can see he tries not to smile. “Wanna bet?” I say in a mock, offended tone. His lips tilt in a lopsided smirk as he nods. “With only a kiss.”
    “You have high expectations from yourself, Captain Pigeon.” Kiseop murmurs and rubs his nose against mine. His lips drag on mine but pulls back when I try to kiss him. “Nah-uh.” He puts a finger on my mouth. “First the prize.”
    “You'll...” It's not hard for me to think of something. I smirk and eye him over once.
    “What?” He asks suspiciously and my hand traces upwards his back.
    “A .” I murmur. I can feel myself become excited even at the mere thought of it. "Yeah! You'll for me."
    Kiseop's eyes go wide for a moment and his cheeks redden, but a small smile forms on his desirable lips.
    “Okay, but if you lose – which is going to happen – you'll have to...”  He pats his chin with his forefinger. A sly smile spreads on his mouth and I want to wipe it off his face with kisses. “do Gee's dance while wearing a mini-dress and high heels” A groan leaves my lips. “What? Not confident enough?” Kiseop leans in and kisses me.
    “No. I'm just disappointed  you couldn't think of anything more original-”
    “I'm an innocent guy-”
    “But you're gonna lose anyways so-”
    “Not some ert like you.”
    “I'm not afraid of anything-”
    “You should be because I – mnpf !”
    I shut him up by crushing our lips together. A muffled moan reaching my ears but I'm not sure from whom it's coming. His fingers tangle in my hair, tugging me more towards him. My teeth bite and tug gently on his bottom lip. I feel him tense slightly as I pass my tongue over it, soothing it. I drag it over again and again until I can sense him relax in my arms. His lips part when I bite him again and I prob my tongue inside and right then is when everything goes south -and not in the way.
    Kiseop's whole body goes rigid and he pulls back. When I open my eyes in surprise I see his scrunched shut ones open in shock before he pushes me away. His breath starts to accelerate.
    “Hey, hey, hey, Kiseop!”    
    Kiseop grabs my hands and removes them from under his clothes. He stands  up hastily and runs his fingers through his hair as he starts murmuring.
    “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.” He chants and moves away from me when I try to grasp his hand.
    “Kiseop wait-”
    “No! Just-” he starts moving back, moving away from me. His breath's coming out in harsh puffs. “I'm sorry.” He repeats like a broken record and exits the room leaving me alone in the living room to sag down and hide my face in my hands in utter worry and a bad feeling in my gut, 'cause I have the feeling I know exactly what had caused that reaction.


 

E.L.: I'm inadmissible... 


Eli: Yes you are...


Kiseop: Yes, you are but let's not sulk over it! 

E.L.: Okay, so I'm another month late in updating but real life happens...


So, for once again thank you for everything I hope you liked this one little instalment and pleeeaaase leave a comment so I'll know your thoughts and opinions~
Byebyebee~