His eyelids slowly fluttered open. Those beautiful eyes scrunching as the morning rays of sunlight piercing through the half opened curtains barely covering the windows of his room hit his flawless face, making it hard for him to see properly. Zelo sat up, oblivious to his surroundings as he just woke up. He rubbed his eyes slowly with the back of his hand to get rid of the sleepiness remaining while the other hand was placed gently on the soft mattress beneath him. Finally, after a few seconds, he retreated his hand and placed it in his own lap. Stretching a little like every other morning he woke up, he moved his body to his left to be met with a person laying beside him, to his surprise. It took him a few seconds for it to be processed it as his brain obviously seems to be not working properly like it should but then it hit him, there, right next to him was a handsome man looking back at him with a big grin plastered across his face.

“Good Morning Yeobo-ah~~”

The oh-so-y voice rang through the younger boy’s ear. The boy’s eyes widened and he sprung up from the bed in shock. Zelo was confused. Why was the person he crushed on for, since who knows when, was in the same room as him and greeting him in the morning with such a way? Not that he did not like it. Oh, how he enjoyed it. Looking at those big round eyes and those pink plump lips saying his name. Or the yeobo he used on him just a moment ago.. Wait.. What did he just call him?!? Zelo once again rubbed his eyes in amusement and disbelieve. ‘Did he just really called me that?? Am I having a really nice dream or something??’ Zelo thought to himself.

Seeing the other so flustered and confused, the guy named Yongguk chuckled at how totally cute the other looked at the moment. His eyes round as saucers and glistening with happiness and confusion. Slowly, he got on his own feet and walked lazily to the younger. Yongguk slid his arms around the other’s waist. Hugging him from his backside, the older kissed the other on his cheeks softly as the other squealed, shocked from the others behaviour. Suddenly, the memories of the night came back to Zelo’s mind. Flooding him with what happened the night before.

Yongguk had called him saying that he wanted to meet him at the park. Telling him that there was something important that he desperately needed to tell him. Zelo felt nervous. Very, very nervous because after the last time they met, he swore to himself that the next time they meet each other, he would tell the other what he actually felt for the other. What he thought of the other as. That he loved him.. But, to his surprise, Zelo didn’t even had the chance to even say anything to the older as it turned out the older confessed to him first. Right after those words left the olders lips, Zelo felt his lips pressed gently  against the others warm ones. Soft whispers of “I Love You” repeated into his ears. That night was the best night of his life.

Zelo was glad. He had been scared to tell the other the truth as he was afraid he would get rejected and left behind.. Again.. The scars on his skin held stories. Stories of betrayal and pain. He was rejected. He was abandoned by his own parents when he was only eight years old. He had been abused by them. The people he used to call ‘parents’ hit him and treated him like a piece of . Nobody deserved what he had been dealing with for four horrible years. Being called names. Useless.. Pathetic.. A worthless piece of thrash.. Those were what he had been called when he was a child. Not the sweet voices of his parents that he heard then. It wasn’t the hugs and kisses of love from them that he received from them. But only the bitterness of the opposite.. Instead of soft lullabies that other children his age heard, he heard screaming and harsh words thrown at him. Instead of warm milk before bed, he had his own blood wetting his throat. His childhood was full of violence and kicks to his head and stomach.. He learned pain and suffering before he even got to know the simple ABC’s and 123’s.. He knew hurt before he knew love.. He learned that he was hated from the person that should have love him the most. But no.. He did not get that. Zelo never knew why he was treated that way. Nobody told him. But he believes in what his parents told him.. “You are just  a useless excuse for a child!! NOBODY wants you.. You DO NOT belong here!! NOBODY loves you nor cares!!” Every time he cuts, those spoken words kept ringing in his head. Bringing tears to his eyes every single day.

The abuse did stop though one day. Their neighbours called police one night because they heard loud banging and glass shattering from their house. All Zelo could remember from that night was the feeling of blood pouring down from his own head and he could hear his own heartbeat loudly in his ears. He saw his parent’s faces staring back at him before a faint sound of the front door being kicked open widely, followed by a group of men swarming into his house before everything went to total darkness. When he woke up, he found himself in a white room, his head aching more by the second. Weird things attached to his arms. Zelo was scared. He felt horrified. But then, there were nurses rushing in and helping him to relax. He remembered meeting a very nice middle aged woman that day. She was the person that took Zelo in when he had nowhere else to go. She was the one who comforted him and treated him nicely from then. She was the one who adopted and cared for him. Her eyes were a soft colour of honey and held the weird feeling of comfort for Zelo. Her hair was cut short and she smelled of roses. It was different from what he woke up to every morning. The heavy stench of alcohol was gone. The red colours of blood that painted his bedroom walls were never seen again after that day. But although the nightmares and torture from the beast he called parents ended.. The memories never failed to haunt him. And now he has scars of his own to prove them. Zelo could not handle all the pressure on his own. He could not take the looks everybody else at his school gave him as they knew what happened from his childhood. He started cutting. Every night he would be on his bedroom floor of ‘his’ bedroom floor, crying his eyes out and cutting himself with the knife he hides under the pillow until the nightmares comes out to haunt him; in his sleep. Zelo had a hard life.

But that all changed when he met Yongguk in middle school. Yongguk was the only one who saw past the high walls he built to protect himself. He saw the pain and sadness in Zelo’s eyes when everyone else was blind. And from the day Yongguk laid eyes on Zelo, he fell in love. He was determined to make Zelo happy again. To become his happiness. He wanted to make the younger smile again. As time went on, their friendship grew stronger and their relationship became closer to one another. They became best friends. And they were impossible to be separated from one another. He was also the one who found Zelo with blood covering the tiles and a knife in his hand one night. He also made him stop his cutting. Yongguk is everything for Zelo. All Zelo has is Yongguk and so does the other.

“Zelo-ah~~??”

The husky voice of the other snapped him out of the dazed state he was in a few minutes ago. Turning around ever so slowly, Zelo once again met the eyes that held so much love and care in them.

“E-ehh? Ne?? Ahh..!! Mianhae hyung~…”

Zelo replied to the person he trusted so much. Zelo saw the worried frown on the lips of the older curl up into a grin and heard the older man reply to him;

“Gwenchana~ Let’s go eat breakfast, ne?”

“Arasso~ Gukie hyung..”

Zelo shyly replied to the other. Yongguk ruffled Zelo’s hair and laced their hands together as he guided the other to the kitchen. A bright shade of pink showed itself on the fluffy cheeks of Zelo as he felt the others warm big hand as they held his own, rubbing small circles on the back of his hand. As they reached the kitchen, Zelo was seated down on a chair and was told to watch as the older glided through the kitchen taking stuff out from the refrigerator and cupboards then placing them on the counter. He watched as the other cut some fresh fruits and placed them in a bowl. Zelo wanted to help but every time he stood up he was gently pushed back down by the other’s much stronger arms and told to just enjoy the view and relax. After a good fifteen minutes of the older running around the kitchen, Yongguk finally finished cooking and a stack of delicious pancakes with fruits and nuts scattered around the plate with a generous amount of maple syrup drizzled on it was placed in front of him. Zelo closed his eyes in bliss as the sweet smell of warm pancakes filled his nose. Suddenly, he felt a soft pair of lips on his cheeks. His eyes widened and he looked up at the older.

“Eat up yeobo-ah~…”

 “N... N-ne~!! Zelo replied..”

Blushing, Zelo picked up the knife and fork and started munching away with soft moans and hums of pleasure occasionally leaving his mouth as the sweetness met his taste buds. Smiling and with pancakes full in his mouth the younger said;

“Wahh~~!! Hyung.. It tastes so good~~!!!”

Or at least he tried to say. The older chuckled at Zelo’s cuteness and shook his head as he thought of how childish his boyfriend could be.

“Aren’t you eating?” Zelo asked.

“Aniyo~ I’m full already.. Besides, it’s fun watching you eat..” He said.

“Ani ani ani~~~ You gotta eat too hyungie~!!!” Zelo said and held up the fork with a piece of pancake and the syrup dripping down.

“Hihi~ Arasso…” Then he took the pancakes in his mouth and gulped it down. ‘Aishh~ This boy can be really cute..!!’ Yongguk thought to himself.

“So~~ Where do you wanna go today Zelo-ah?”

“Hmm.. Mollayo~ Where do you wanna go??” Zelo asked back.

“Hmm.. Let’s go to Himchan’s house, ne? You know, we could meet the others there too.. If you want..”

“Ne~!! I miss them soooo much~!!!” Zelo said, throwing his hands in the air, he jumped into the older’s arms and hugged him.

“I know you do Zelo-ah..” Yongguk said, smiling and wrapping his arms around Zelo and giving the other a soft peck on the lips before they went to call Himchan and tell that they’re coming over.

“Annyeonghasaeyo” Both Zelo and Yongguk said as they knocked on the wooden door of their friend’s house. After a few seconds and the sound of a person screaming from the inside, the door flung open to reveal a smiling Daehyun at the door.

“You guys~!!!! You’re here!!” Daehyun squealed.”

“Daedae-ah~ Who’s at the door?” They heard a voice spoke before someone’s head came poking out from the kitchen.

“Ahh~!!! You’re here!!!” Himchan came running and pulled the two in a tight hug.

“Jeez.. Can you all stop making so much noises~!!” Youngjae came and greeted them.

“where’s Jongup??” Zelo asked.

“Here~!!” A voice said from behind them.

“Oh!! Jongup-ah~!!!” Zelo shouted, happy to see his best friend after such a long time. They all had not seen each other since they were all in high school therefore; they missed each other so much. Well, yeah, they texted and called but it wasn’t the same.

Some other friends came too, their sunbaenims; the girls that used to be called ‘Secrets’ at their highschool came too.

They had dinner and played some games. They were pretty fantastic singers so they also had some fun karaoke-ing together. The night was filled with laughter.

“Zelo-ah.. Can you come and help me in the kitchen please?” Himchan asked.

“Ne.. Ne..! I’ll be there in a minute.”

Zelo went to help his hyung in the kitchen but as they were preparing some snacks in the kitchen, two others were talking with each other.

“Yongguk-ah~ Can you come with me for a second?” Jieun asked softly.

“Ahh? Yeah.. Sure..”

Yongguk followed the other into the hallway away from everyone else that were playing games and chatting about together.

“What’s up?” The rapper asked.

“Umm.. Yongguk-ah.. I know we’ve been friends for a long time but I really can’t hide my feelings for you any longer. I-I..I love you.. And I hope you.. you can except my feelings..” She confessed.

“Jieun-ah.. I’m sorry but I’m already seeing someone.. Zelo.. He.. He’s my boyfriend now.. He’s my everything..” Yongguk said, whispering the last part to himself with a smile on his face.

Jieun’s round orbs doubled it’s size in horror. She couldn’t believe her ears. ‘HE’S GAY?!?’ She thought to herself. ‘No it can’t be..’

“Mianhei Jieun-ah”

‘No.. NO!! It can’t be…!’ Watching as the man of his dream turning around leaving her, she panicked.

Reaching for the others arm, she pulled the older with much force, it shocked the other. Yongguk suddenly felt a weight being leaned on him. Looking down, he saw the other hugging him tight, not letting him go.

“Jieun, please don’t do this.” Yongguk whimpered.

“No.. No!! I-I.. I can’t let you go..!” She sobbed. Tears threatening to flow down her light red, blushed cheeks.

“P..Please.. Yongguk-ah!!!” She pleaded. Her voice laced with sorrow and pleadings.

Yongguk looked at the others tear streaked face. Red glistening eyes staring back into his with hope that the other would change his mind. Yongguk gently pulled his body away from the other’s grasp. Trying to free himself. “Sorry Jieun but.. I love Zelo.. Forever.” He said. Silently pleading that she would let go of him and face the fate.

But what happened next was what he least expected.

The next thing he knew was a pair of lips hardly pressed against his own. Yongguk widened his eyes in shock.

‘SHE KISSED ME!!!!’ Yongguk’s little mind screamed. Yongguk tried pushing the other away but before he could, the other already pulled away a little, just enough for him to see her face. She said; ‘I love you.. Forever..” Once again, a tear left her eyes.

Suddenly, a loud bang was heard followed by the bloodcurdling sound of glass shattering.

The loud sound caused both to jump back in surprise. Looking to the door, what yongguk saw made his eyes widen even more.

There, he saw was a young boy with eyes wide as saucers, filled with tears and what seemed like.. Betrayal.. His lips and hands trembled under the hallways dim light. The boy looked pale. The boys feet was covered with blood as the glass that fell pierced the boys flawless skin. The skinny boy stepped back, a hand now at his mouth to prevent the sob that wasn’t hidden really well. With sore feet and a broken heart, the boy ran past them to the door. Quickly putting on his shoes the boy ran through the front door, into the cold windy weather of the night.

“Zelo..!!!” Yongguk screamed.

“What happened here??” Himchan asked as the others came out to see.

“W-What??” Himchan asked as he looked down to see all the glass shattered and the blood on the foor.

“Where’s Zelo??” Daehyun asked.

“Arggh!!” Yongguk screamed in frustration. He grabbed his coat and hopped in his shoes and stormed through the door, muttering curse words under his breath along his way.

“I’m gonna go look for him” The oldest said, slamming the door behind him, leaving his friend shocked and speechless.

They all looked at each other in shock and worry visible in their eyes.

But Jieun only walked past them, her head down, to the bathroom, locking the door shut after her and cried.

Meanwhile, Yongguk kept looking everywhere for the maknae. Worried and scared for him. ‘What if something happens to him?’ Is he mad?’ What if he freezes? He didn’t even wear a coat!!’ How is his foot?’. The questions keep playing in is mind. He needed to find him fast.

‘Where are you Zelo?’ Yongguk thought to himself.