Baekho shouldn't have expected things to change between Ren and him.

It went back to the same routine like the incident between them hadn't even happened.

Baekho though preferred the blonde when he was asleep.

*flashback*

He woke to a very pleasant surprise the morning they had brought JR to Baekho's house, Ren and he had slept in the spare room while JR slept in Baekho's.

Baekho woke up to see the smaller blonde clinging to him in sleep, curled up around him like a kitten.

"So cute," Baekho was giddily poking Ren's cheek.

The boy in his arms groaned and opened one eye sleepily. "Baekho," he said, voice muffled by Baekho's shirt. "Why are you poking me?"

"Because you're so cute," Baekho said.

Ren gave him a strange look. "I just woke up," he said. "How can I be cute?"

"You're always cute. Well except when you're all mean, you're kind of scary when you do that,"

"That's the idea. It's to keep people away." Ren rolled over away from Baekho. "Still sleepy. Go 'way,"

Baekho smiled and got, leaving Ren to sleep some more when he checked on JR.

JR was awake, and groaning when Baekho came in.

"How do you feel? I patched you up as best I could, did I miss something? You feel dizzy?" Baekho asked.

"Not dizzy, just kind of...ouch." JR was at a loss for words. "Ren went and got you?"

"Yeah."

JR looked thoughtful as Baekho changed his bandages. 

"What happened?" Baekho asked.

"Well, Aron-hyung told me he really liked me, and Minhyun-hyung heard and told me to stay away from him. I told him I wouldn't so he beat me until I passed out." JR replied quietly. 

"Then hyung must be worried." Baekho said concernedly.

"Aron-hyung wasn't with us when it happened. But I won't be going to school today," JR said.

"Do you want me to call Aron-hyung for you to tell him what happened?"

"No! No no no I dont' want him to worry so much, he worries about me enough as it is," JR said urgently. "He's always telling me how worried about me he is, if he finds out Minhyun-hyung actually did something to me he'd be so worried. No don't tell him,"

Baekho slowly nodded. He grinned. "You really like Aron-hyung don't you?"

JR blushed and looked away. "I find him good company,"

Baekho chuckled. 

"Baekho," 

Baekho turned and saw Ren clutching his pillow, his blonde hair undone and messy and his pjs too big for him.

It was the most adorable thing Baekho had ever seen.

"Aron-hyung's on the phone for you," Ren said.

"Thanks Ren," Baekho said distractedly, walking past Ren and going downstairs.

Ren approached JR. "You okay?"

"Been better." JR responded casually.

Ren nodded.

The blonde sat on the floor, unconciously sticking out his bottom lip.

"You know," JR said slyly. "Baekho's a nice guy..."

"Yah. Don't even start," Ren glared. "You know why I can't think about that,"

JR looked at him smirking, Ren eventually had enough of his smug face and left the room.

"Just for teasing me I'm calling Aron-hyung," Ren said smirking.

"Hey! Don't do that! YAH! Ren you little BRAT!"

Ren laughed menacingly as he walked down the hall.

And sure enough, less than half an hour later Aron came running wide-eyed into the room, crouching by JR.

"JR are you okay? Did he hurt you terribly? Will you be alright?" Aron was nearly hysterical.

"Hyung-ah, I'm okay," JR said patting Aron's arm soothingly. "Really, please don't worry I'm tougher than I look,"

"Yeah but - I can't believe he actually - oh my god -"

"Hyung sit, please? Sit besides me," Minhyun did his best at pouting for Aron. "Make me feel better?"

Aron sat and carefully put his arm around Minhyun. 

"I'm okay. I've been better, but I've been worse too. Don't worry, a day of rest and I'll be 100% I promise." Minhyun said.

Aron looked at him worriedly. "I am going to say something to him," 

"No," Minhyun said softly. "Don't waste it on me, don't worry yourself really."

But Aron looked determined. "Come live with me then, you have to get away from all that. I live alone, please move in with me?"

"I...I'd have to think about it first hyung..." JR mumbled.

Aron nodded. "Take all the time you need."

*end flashback*

So that's the lowdown of what happened that morning.

Several mornings after that, Baekho often woke up to Ren in his bed, the blonde having crept into his house at night and curled up next to him.

Though they never exchanged words in the mornings when this happened, and they never spoke at school.

Sometimes Ren would walk home with Baekho in silence, and even sometimes he would smile and hold his hand, swinging their arms between them.

It had become a comfortable relationship, but Baekho had stopped denying to himself that he wanted it to be more.

Even though Baekho had started texting Ren, he never got a reply to any of them, and neither of them would bring it up at school.

Baekho had said he wanted to see where Ren lived, but Ren had gone wide-eyed and terrified, demanding he stay away from his house and never try to find out where he lives.

Baekho was curious, he was convinced that the secret to the enigma of Ren was in that house.

They say that curiousity killed the cat. But whoever said Baekho was a cat?

There came a day, where Ren and JR were sitting under that tree in the playground, Aron sitting stiffly between Baekho and Minhyun at out table.

Finally Aron snapped and stood up, walking outside to sit with the two. 

JR looked surprised but pleased to see Aron, and the older hugged him, the two cuddling against the tree.

It was a cute sight. One that drove Minhyung insane. "Jerk." he spat.

Baekho sighed. "No offense Minhyun-hyung, but I have to say this is getting stupid. You almost killed him isn't that enough?"

"If you can get the jerk out of my life so my mother will love me than I might consider it enough." Minhyun snapped.

"Well no promises. Excuse me." Baekho left the table and walked outside to his friends. 

"Ren," Baekho said.

Ren looked up from the book his reading, his flat expression tinged with mild curioustiy. "Baekho..." he said.

"Would you walk with me after school?" Baekho asked.

"...I don't see why not." Ren replied. 

"Can I talk to you? Now?" Baekho's eyes shifted to JR and Aron. "In privtate?"

"I suppose you can." Ren said putting down his book.

Ren followed Baekho behind the science building so they could talk in private.

"Why have you gone back to the way you were before?" Baekho asked. "I thought we were closer now,"

Ren held up his hand to silence Baekho. "We are. But you have to understand that in public I can't be the way you want me to be. I'm scared Baekho. I can't do what you want me to,"

"But even at my house you're like this," Baekho argued.

Ren sighed., his eye not meeting Baekho's. "Well that reason for that is..." he glanced up. "Force of habit I guess. I didn't realise I was upsetting you. I apologise for being so cold,"

"Oh Minki," Baekho sighed, smiling softly. "Don't be sorry. You didn't know." without warning he hugged Ren to him gently.

Ren went stiff in his arms for a moment before realxing, his arms even coming to hug Baekho back timidly.

"Do you know something...Dongho?" Ren said, a small smile on his face.

"What?" Baekho asked quietly.

"I'm always afraid. I always feel the need to be on alert, to protect myself from everything. But...with you...I still feel like I should be wary, but at the same time...I feel safe." Ren said. "It's such an odd feeling."

Baekho smiled, hugging Ren tighter. "Well you can safe with me, I promise I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

Ren buried his head in Baekho's neck. "Really?" he murmured.

"Really." Baekho said.

"Well....that sounds nice." Was all Ren said.

Baekho couldn't wait for this afternoon, he was going to prove to Ren that he would protect him and he could trust him.

Maybe then he would open up to him?