Zelo’s P.O.V.

The bell rang, and all the students ran out the school gates as if the school was on fire. A couple of guys looked at us and laughed; whispered like girls about the two of us being a couple. Daehyun didn’t notice anything, of course. He happily linked his arm around mine as we fought our way through the screaming shoal of desperate pupils.

     I imagined the school gates as prison doors; Daehyun and I armoured, walking like badasses through the hallway (with our arms linked together... minor detail) on our way out of the prison. Everything went in slowmotion when we both reached one of our hands out to open one door each. The light went through the crack of the two doors and painted a stripe on the floor as we opened the door.

     The perfectly dramatic slowmotion ended when a horde of girls pushed Daehyun out of their way to run squealingly after the school hotties. He stood leaning against the door in an awkward position.

     “These girls are WILD!” He then sighed in relief as the last straggler passes us and ran out the door with books under the arm. Walking a slow pace out of the door, Daehyun linked his arm around mine again.      

     “You know that this is the ending of our first year of high school, right?” Daehyun pouted. His eyes glistened as if he was about to cry.

     “Dude, it’s not the end of the world... or the end of high school for that matter,” I chuckled. He sighed dramatically.

     “Hey, wait...” The biggest smile suddenly broke across his face as if he got a creepy idea. “In two years... We will be seniors!!” He started waving his arms around in the air. He panned his hand along with the horizon: “The adventure has only just begun~”

Wow. I can’t believe that we will soon be juniors with only a couple of days left of the summer vacation.
     Not only did it mean less time to do whatever I wanted to (the huge piles of homework and tests would be to blame), but it also meant that I couldn’t sleep at Bang Yong Guk’s place for much longer – I probably wouldn’t even be able to visit him that often anymore.

     I sighed deeply and turned to lie on the side. Next to me was the stiff surfboard of a Yong Guk who had his one arm stretched out above my head, the other lying down by his side.

     “Please let me stay here, hyung?” I pouted and my index finger down his chest. Bang Yong Guk moved a bit and wrapped his arm around me, but he never woke up. Mmh, so protecting. I nudged to his arm with my head and put my arm over his chest, so I could lie as close to him as possible.

     I wish you could be here, Daehyun-ah. Even though I have Bang Yong Guk, I still miss my other half. Why won’t you call me? I guess you’re busy with something else – or someone else… I tightened my grip around his chest a little. Please don’t leave me, too.

     The strong whirlwind of his scent, now supported by himself, made my head dizzy from enjoyment, and I slowly moved to my little world of sweet dreams; back to the good old days with the president-like voice in my head saying: “Today, you’re who you want to be.”

My eyelids slowly parted unwillingly as the sunbeams attacked my face. Something’s wrong… With my eyes still closed, I padded around on the spot behind me. I rolled around with my arms flapping lazily after me – hitting the floor as the only result. My eyes shut open. Where is Bang?

     “Hyung?” No one answered. I bit my lower lip. If he has left me again without saying anything… “Hyu-ung, I’m hungry!”

     I crawled to the door. Little butterflies reported their arrival in my stomach when I heard the water running from the shower.

     “You haven’t left me after all,” I said childishly to myself and ran to the bathroom door. I popped my head inside, looking around for my toothbrush. Scared that Yong Guk would notice me, I tip-toed inside the room and found my way to the sink. Hot steam rose from the shower and fogged up the mirror.

     Completely innocent, I took the toothbrush in my mouth while humming softly and foaming the half of my face up… Innocent until I looked up and right into the mirror, in which I caught a glimpse of Yong Guk in the shower.

     I noticed his strong figure, his muscular back blurred by the damping water. My feet automatically led closer to the shower, and in some sort of trance, I put my hands on the glass, leaned closer and put cheek to the glass and closed my eyes. Awkward position? Indeed!

     My eyes widened as I was thrown back to reality by the sound of the water that stopped running. I spun around and ran for my life out of the door, seeking for the bedroom as my safe spot. The toothbrush hung out of the corner of my mouth, and the foam flew like a trail behind me from the contrary wind that was created by my enormous speed.

     Only seconds before Bang Yong Guk came out from the bathroom, I threw the toothbrush somewhere in the room and smacked my bum to the sheets on his bed. He was standing in the door, ruffling his hair with a towel when he finally spotted me on the bed. The look on his face was both confused and puzzled.

     Keeeep smiliiing~ My huge, stiff, cartoonish smile probably gave me away, but he didn’t seem to care that much. He just shrugged his shoulders and threw the towel over my head.

     “Gukkie!” I desperately tried to take the towel away, but he sat on top of me, pinning me down while ruffling my hair with the damp towel. “Aigoo!” I giggled like a little girl. The scent of his clean soap, the scent of his sheets, the feeling of his body so close to mine… It all brought me to think of the days when he had taken care of me, been close to me, touched me…

Bang Yong Guk’s P.O.V.

I’d proved myself wrong, thinking that I would enjoy the silence of the apartment. When all sounds of the place would die down, worrying thoughts would immediately hit my head, the sweat damping my skin. I would only be calm when I knew that he was sleeping and therefore not able to make that much noise. But being able to only hear my own breathings and being drove me insane – which therefore had me clinging unto him, making sure that he would never leave. I was such a fool.

      I’d never been that happy. Spending nearly every day with him was like a wish come true – God finally smiling down at me, sending an angel my way. He was so sweet, so beautiful and so funny. Having him in my arms were literally like heaven, his cute sleeping face captivating me as he would fall asleep on my chest, both of us just relaxing on the couch after a few hours of playing video games. He still beat the crap out of me at those games, but I enjoyed it anyway, seeing him being so focused and fascinated of what was happening on the screen – dragged into a virtual world without any problems, because he ruled at that game, completing all levels without trouble. I wondered if he was seeing reality like that too – like a game he mastered. Was I just a puppet that kept him warm at night? Either way, I didn’t complain. If only I could see him smile, hear him laugh and once in a while feel his lips against mine, then I was happy. Simple little things like that making me thrilled about actually being in this world.

     He’d stayed with me for a long time now, eating breakfast with me in the kitchen, watching TV with me at night, helping me clean up the apartment, going along with me when I had to go shop for groceries and clothes, being around when I was working with my lyrics – just looking at him and words were without my control written down, great lyrics created – making dinner for me once in a while, entertaining me when I was missing Himchan and Young Jae, giving me company throughout the night – sharing the bed. As I’d given him permission, he’d put his arms around me, snuggling up close and fallen asleep, surprisingly calm lying up against me. Putting my hands on him still made me sweat and shiver – completely stunned when I thought back on the first night we’d spent together. I wasn’t sure if I could touch him like that again, my nerves wrecked and my hands shaking, knowing that he would return the touch, maybe even take over and leave me to hyperventilate under him. I decided to take it slow, kiss him back when he would crawl up on me, pushing me against the floor, kitchen counter, wall, door, etc. Taking off his clothes seemed like crossing the line, only acceptable when he did it himself, looking down at me with a smile on his face. I loved those moments – being so close to him, feel him, feel alive and present. And to be honest, he seemed to enjoy it too, cuddling in the early mornings, massaging my shoulders when I was stressed out, spreading out a few butterfly kisses across the back of my neck, calming me down.

     We didn’t leave the apartment much, being inside the apartment making it a little less stressful for me to keep up with all the rules that Junhong would ignore of course, holding my hand and unto my shirt whenever he wanted to, throwing some cute aegyo at me when I complained about it. And one night, well-knowing that I couldn’t get around or avoid it, he used my own words against me, the young and rather revulsive part of his mind taking over in his head as he would kiss and touch me, in a seductive voice whispering in my ear how I was his master and him my slave. Being the old, terrified and cautious man I was, I’d gently pushed him away, explaining how late it was, lying about an appointment at a club the next day. Luckily, he’d just smiled and nodded at me, minutes later asleep, his head resting on my chest. 

     But, he couldn’t stay for much longer. He’d school coming up soon; forced to leave the apartment – leave me with the silence that I used to love so much, but now despised. I guess people can change…