EunHyuk headed upstairs, not realizing until then how emotionally depressing the past days had been for him. he had been running solely on the adrenaline rush he got everytime he saw DongHae’s face. Yawning widely, he climbed the stairs, making his way to one of the many spare bedrooms in the mansion. Dropping himself heavily on the mattress, he stared at the ceiling.

The past… EunHyuk’s eyes fluttered shut on their own accord. He was just too tired to think right now.

Sunlight filtered through the sparse smattering of leaves overhead, shining down on three boys stooping in the playground. Gravel crunched beneath their little feet as the moved around, trying to find little stones that were crystals for them back then.

“Look at this one,” DongHae shouted excitedly as he held something up, sitting back on his . Immediately, HyukJae jumped to his feet, his gummy smile already spread wide across his face, to rush over.

“It’s the best yet,” HyukJae told him earnestly, both looking at the pure black rock DongHae held clenched in his hands.

“Kyu! Kyu come join us!” Henry shouted happily as he saw his favourite hyung emerge from his huge house. Henry glanced over at Henry, his eyes brightening, until he saw HyukJae and DongHae walking towards them, hands linked.

“Collecting rocks again?” Kyu asked, and even at the age of four, the acidic sarcasm in his voice. DongHae glanced down at the three rocks he held in his fist, two clear white and one pure black and tossed them away. His lips trembled a little as he looked back toward KyuHyun, hands empty.

“No,” DongHae said, forcing his lips up in a smile though he could already feel the tears welling up.

“Hae! Why’d you toss them? I liked them! So did you!” HyukJae protested, dropping to his knees and digging around in the gravel.

“Sure,” Kyu said, turning his gaze to HyukJae. Something like regret crossed his face before he pasted a bright smile on his face and skipped over to Henry, hair waving in the gently breeze.

“What do you want to do today Henli-ah?” Kyu asked, slinging a hand around Henry’s small shoulders. The youngest smiled brightly, hugging his hyung tightly before sticking out his tongue, his expression a contemplating one.

“Ice cream!” henry shouted suddenly, “Can your mommy take us for ice cream Kyu?”

Kyu nodded, although he wasn’t sure what his mother was doing right then. He would do anything for henry. Before DongHae had come along, HyukJae had alw