The Talk

HeeChul didn’t want to wake up. For the first time in a while, he had not dreamt KiBum, and actually felt quite rested. Besides,it was much too comfortable lying here in bed, snuggling into his pillow, which seemed to have become bigger and warmer during the night.

Wait…

Bigger…

And warmer?

Pillows did not randomly change size… or temperature…

Not really wanting to, HeeChul opened his eyes to see the wild black hair and handsome face… of HanGeng? What the hell was he still doing here?

Immediately, HeeChul untangled himself from the sleeping HanGeng, and sat up. HanGeng stirred a little in his sleep, seemingly as a reaction to the loss of a cuddle buddy.

HeeChul was about to wake HanGeng, but just then the China Man smiled a little in his sleep, and muttered HeeChul’s name.

He would wake him after he bathed, HeeChul decided. He picked out a suit of clothes and then walked to the bathroom.

It didn’t take long, and he stepped out of the shower smelling once again human. Fluffing his wet hair, he rubbed the towel over his head a few times, and then patted his face dry. He then examined his face critically, determining whether last night seemed to have any lasting effects on his face.

It did. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, despite the fact that he had slept. His face itself looked tired, and his body seemed to slouch whenever HeeChul did not make a conscious effort to hold it straight.

Just until when would he hurt over Kim KiBum?

Last night had been such a mess. He knew he should not have opened the box again. Hell, he should just throw it away already. But he couldn’t. It was still a piece of him, a big piece that existed because he was still in love with KiBum.

The box.

Where was it?

Running back to the room, it was the first thing he saw. Right on his dresser. Very close to HanGeng.

Did HanGeng go through his stuff yesterday?

He walked over to the box, finding everything in it, except the letter. That, was still clenched in HanGeng’s fist. The envelope was slightly open, and HeeChul had not opened it yesterday.

He read it.

One thing HeeChul hated with a passion was people going through his stuff without his permission. It was sneaky, and deceitful, and showed no respect for the owner.

Anger welled up in him, because he had actually come to believe a little that HanGeng was his friend.

And it hurt.

To find out that he would do this to HeeChul.

Suddenly afraid that HanGeng would discover HeeChul was not all as strong as he seemed to be, afraid that HanGeng would discover his weakness, he sat on the edge of the bed.

He should send the China Man away for what he had done, and never speak to or look at him ever again. It should hurt HanGeng if HeeChul mattered to him, even if slightly.

Even though they had only spent one day together, HeeChul had felt a connection to HanGeng like never before, one he had obviously ignored and repressed. The China Man’s soft voice and caring eyes and gentle ways made HeeChul want to seek comfort from the world in HanGeng.

People like that could still betray you, turn on you.

The exact same reason he had built this emotional wall around himself. To protect himself. HanGeng had not broken down the wall. He had scaled it and gotten straight into what still mattered to HeeChul, KiBum.

KiBum had done the same thing, but back then, the wall had not been there, not as strong as it was now. And KiBum had made his way into HeeChul’s heart, and pulled away just as HeeChul had started to depend on him.

HanGeng would not do the same.

Replacing the letter in the box, he shook HanGeng awake. As soon as the China Man opened his eyes and looked sleepily at HeeChul, HeeChul wiped all emotion from his face and his voice.

“Bathroom’s that way. Towels in the cupboard outside. Make yourself presentable, then I want to talk to you,” he said, pointing to his left.

HanGeng nodded, and then got out of the bed, seeming slightly surprised to find out that this was where he had slept last night.

HeeChul sighed, looking at the retreating figure of HanGeng. For some odd reason, his heart had softened at the sight of a newly awoken HanGeng, and he had not been as detached as he had wanted to be.

It was hard to keep up a wall around someone who had already found his way behind it.

HanGeng did as much as he could to ‘make himself presentable’. There was not much he could do. He bathed, and brushed his teeth using his fingers. When he stepped out of the shower, it was only to realize he had no clothes to wear.

Damn it.

“HeeChul! Can I borrow some clothes?” he shouted, hoping the diva was around the same size as him.

“No! Wear your clothes from yesterday!” came the reply.

Ugh no! That would be absolutely disgusting. If HeeChul wanted to be stubborn, then fine.

HanGeng got a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He would take the clothes if HeeChul didn’t want to give it to him. He walked back into the bedroom, and leaned against the doorframe. HeeChul’s back was to him, and he was muttering to himself, while focusing on something else. Crazy little diva.

“Give it to me.”

HeeChul froze. HanGeng. .

He turned slowly, to find the China Man wrapped in one of his towels, his entire upper body exposed. There were water droplets glistening on his skin, dripping down from his wet hair to his toned abs. He looked y…

Oh my God.

HeeChul swallowed hard, and averted his gaze. He needed to stay focused.

“Fine. Jeans in the bottom drawer, shirts hung up inside,” he said to the floor, trying his hardest to get the image of a half- HanGeng out of his head by shaking it furiously.

He waited until he could no longer hear the China Man poking around, supposing that he had gone back to the bathroom to dress.

Quickly, HeeChul replaced HanGeng’s phone and sat, tense, on the bed. His left foot kept shaking, a sure sign that he was nervous. What had he been going to do again?

His eyes darted around the apartment anxiously again, and came to rest on the box.

Right.

That betrayer.

His former anger came back, making him glare at the fully dressed HanGeng that stepped through the door.

“Let’s talk.”