Aaron’s smile was genuine as he woke and stood, still clothed in the same pair of shorts as the day before. No sunlight had shown through the windows as of yet. He looked at the clock on the desk in front of him; it was merely six in the morning, but he didn’t mind.

            He took a careful seat at the desk and stared down at it, rocking a pen back and forth between his fingers as he considered writing a letter not quite unlike Dongho’s. He was sure he’d already signed his life away (the remains still hidden in his trunk were there to prove his insanity). As the pen twitched, he thought. He heard Minki’s voice from outside the door, but he didn’t open it; he only focused. The sweet sound that rolled from his tongue pasted in Aaron’s forebrain his next idea. He held the pen in his left hand instead, taking a notebook from the bottom drawer. He opened it, staring it down before placing the ballpoint to the page.

            Minki spoke and Aaron wrote. He hardly paid attention to his surroundings as it moved on it’s own across the lined paper. Before he knew it, he’d composed a long list of the things he found most positive about Minki. He glanced down as it as he stayed focused on the voice, yet not on his words. He drifted in and out of consciousness, between writing and fully listening. He’d not put together the whole of the conversation, but the few words that he did comprehend made him smile through his teeth. Before he knew it, the paper was full. He read it over to himself.

Maybe you can’t see it, but I do. Nobody could treat you the way I do. I could

show you the world, I could give you everything that you desire, but something

tells me that you’d never stand for us. Maybe it was what happened with Baekho,

which, by the way, I know everything about. I don’t know what he did to you,

but I can see that you’re not the same as you were before.

I can make you whole again. That gunshot was loud, and I’ll bet that it’s still ringing

in your ears. I can take that sight away. I can replace all of those horrid memories

with beautiful ones.

None of this would have happened if you were with me.

Aaron wasn’t sure that this had been the most convincing letter, but it was good enough for him. It didn’t say his name, of course; why would it? He hadn’t wanted anyone to know what he knew. Or did he? Again, he shook Dongho from his mind and stood, patting his pocket for the car keys. He nodded as he felt them. The brunette stepped towards the door, Minki’s voice still audible. He listened closely.

            “Yes, I miss you.” he said, his voice light. Aaron lowered himself to his knees against the door. The blonde couldn’t have been more than five inches from him. “I’ll be there, I promise. I love you.”

            Aaron narrowed his eyes. Was Minki delusional, or was he just hearing things? It would have been too simple a reason for Aaron if he had been talking to his mother; he knew they had a very close relationship, but the way he giggled as he spoke told him different. He Stayed where he was while Minki stood, retreating to his own room. Aaron exited then.

---

            Minhyun slept nothing less of nervously. He had hardly fallen into a deep enough sleep to have become relaxed, and he turned over every five minutes. He finally opened his eyes, giving up on his countless tries. He sat up and stared at the digital clock. Six AM. He sighed, lying back against his bed.

            He heard a knock on his door and it opened soon after.

            “Minhyun?” he heard Aaron’s voice as him through the darkness. Minhyun rubbed his eyes.
            “Yeah?”
            “Did you even sleep?” the elder asked him, referring to the purple tint beneath his eyes. He stood against the now closed door.
            Minhyun let a pocket of air from his lungs as he reluctantly chuckled. “No. I haven’t slept in days. How could I?”

            Aaron shrugged, but Minhyun did not look up from his spot to have seen.

            “Do you think he’ll be okay?” Minhyun asked from his spot. Aaron shrugged his shoulders again.
            “That’s why I’m here. I mean,” he paused a moment to fold his hands in front of him. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. But,”
            “I hope so. Did you see the look on Ren’s face when he ran in there?” Minhyun’s head snapped to attention at the mention of Minki. If he hadn’t kept what he knew to himself, well, he didn’t know what would happen and, quite frankly, he had no wish in the world to ever know.
            “Yeah, I did.”

            It was quiet for a solid thirty seconds before he spoke again.

            “Do you know something I don’t?” the elder asked him, his voice not stern at all. His thumbs moved against the palms of his hands on their own. “I heard him on the phone just now. I love you. Was he talking to his mom?”
            “I wouldn’t know.” Minhyun said quickly, trying his hardest to keep his voice calm. Only a small bit of worry showed in his voice. “Probably. They talk every day.”
            “He doesn’t giggle like a schoolgirl at his mother, Minhyun.”

            Minhyun sat up straight now. “I don’t know. I thought he liked Baekho.” he lied. His lively heart beat against his chest, and Aaron’s face fell flat. The taller boy hadn’t known what the other did, but he knew of his death, and that was enough for him to regret what he’d said. The sun rose higher and higher with each passing second. Aaron’s face became clearer in the light and the vocalist began a higher grade of downshift. All he’d wanted to be was out of that room, before he said something he didn’t mean or something he shouldn’t have, but Aaron blocked the door. He shrugged back at him, gathering all the courage within him and stood. He moved towards the door, and Aaron reluctantly moved.

            Minki disappeared down the stairs, and he retreated back to his bedroom, taking his same seat in front of his desk. He folded carefully the note and placed it in his pocket. It was then that Minki could be seen from the doorway. Aaron turned in his direction and smiled.

            “There’s no food here. I don’t even want to know what the brown stuff is in the fridge.” the small blonde alerted him. His arms were drawn across his chest, pulling the sleeves of his jacket tightly around them. One foot rocked him back and forth from toe to heel. “I’m going to the store. Do you have the keys?”
            Aaron‘s eyes widened only slightly, but he nodded. “Yeah, I have them. I’ll come with you, just give me a minute.”

            Minki his heel and exited, and Aaron shot from his seat. He collected his own jacket, a shirt and a pair of shoes from his closet. He slid a pair of socks on and stepped into them, tugged his shirt on, and carried his jacket with him. In only moments, he was outside of his own room. He closed the door quietly and turned his head, searching for the other.

            He headed towards the front door, as he’d found it opened, and stepped into the garage. Minki stood beside the only car there, his face straight and expressionless. Aaron clicked the doors unlocked and took his spot next to him in the driver’s seat, starting the engine.