Hongbin got up wearily, this was his fault... he had to keep Leo safe. With that thought he put himself between the black haired and the group.

“It is me you want! Leave him alo-“ he felt a hand from behind not so gently  shove him out of the way. Shooting Hongbin a deadpan look, Leo placed himself next to the brown haired, “I don’t need protection… I’m not a girl.” “The more the merrier” the group leader said, his minions laughing menacingly. “Ya! That is not for you to decide, Leo get behind me!” Hongbin interrupted their moment and glared at the black haired. Leo shot him a look that could kill but whispered, “Too late…”  as one of the braver of the men shouted, “They are just two weak boys! What harm can they do us” and charged them.

Hongbin and Leo both went into action, dodging the first guy’s blind run. Leo neatly kicked him in his shins as he dashed past him but before he could straighten up the rest of them charged; one getting Hongbin in the head. Instantly, the silent lion had grabbed him from behind and flung him off the other.

“...by the look of thing… you’re the one who need protection… out of the two of us you do look more like a girl… “ Hoigbin, busy dealing out punches, shot Leo an insulted look, “How could you? Me? The girlier?! Has it got something to do with the hair?”

Leo rolled his eyes and narrowly missed being hit by one of the bats that zoomed in on his face. “You fight good for a girl…” he said softly with a slight tease in his tone, Hongbin could not believe his ears, whilst battling over possession of another bat, “This is not the place and time to get cheeky!” “I’m not cheeky…” “Of course you aren’t!”

Wham, a bat hit Leo on his arm, thankfully he had managed to raise it before the bat hit his head, but his face turned dark as the guy tried to take another swing at him. Dropping to the ground, he kicked the guy’s feet away, sending him falling.

“Shut up … you’re distracting me…” Leo had gotten up and ended up back to back with Hongbin, the group circling them, surprised by the fact that the two flower boys seemed only to have taken one-two blows. “I didn't say a word!” Hongbin proclaimed indignantly, “You said I was cheeky… “ “You were!” “Shush!”

The guys took another run at them, thinking that their attention wavering and thought they could take their chance. “Ow that hurts!” Hongbin yelled as one managed to hit his leg with a bat, at that moment Leo, after dodging a kick, knocked out Hoongbin’s attacker with a swift punch.

“Why are you so loud…?” he asked softly before diving back into the fray. “Well, I didn’t ask for your help! If I had had my way, I’d have gotten you to run away!!” dealing more kicks and punches, Hongbin made his way to Leo, sighing the other said softly “… there was so chance of me leaving you here alone… idiot”

Left punch, duck, low kick: one more down!

“I wanted to protect you!”

Duck, avoid bat, head kick.

“… I don’t need protecting…”

Steal bat, take a swing, hit person: another down.

“But I want you! Why won’t you let me protect you?!” “…“ Leo had been holding a guy in headlock, whilst avoiding another ones bat. Hongbin, wielding his own bat made short business out of the guy coming at Leo.

Exasperated the younger stood in front of his hyung, both ignoring the man struggling is his grasp or the groans and moans of the men on the floor around them. “Hyung, be brave!” quickly turning to deal a blow to a guy trying to sneak up on him, he turned back to Leo, the other wore a confused look “… seeing as we… took out almost all these guys… I don't see how I'm not brave…” “No! Let me protect you! Trust me!!” “…. I don’t need to be protect-“

“How do you know you don’t need protecting if you don’t let me try?” Hongbin asked, looking at Leo with determination, “Can you be brave for me… trust me! Let me protect you!”

 Leo looked at the guy in his headlock and at the guys around him, then back at Hongbin, “I don’t understand… are we talking about bravery like running into a battle for a friend or not-“

“Ya, babo, not like that, I see you can protect yourself physically… but-“ a noise behind them made them turn and deal a double punch to the leader's face, who had thought of making a last desperate charge.

Hongbin turned to Leo, he signaled the other to drop the man in his hold, he had been unconscious sing a while.

Breathing deeply he took another step towards Leo, standing directly in front of him,

“I need you to be brave…

as brave as a lion…

take my hand and let me protect you…”  

With that he stretched his hand out to his beloved hyung.

Leo’s eyes widened and he looked from the outstretched hand to Hongbin’s eyes.Was it the protection he thought it was? If it wasn't physical.... but if it wasn't ... did it mean that Hongbin ... really wanted to protect him? He tried searching for a reason to say no, searching for the sarcasm, the pun, anything in those big eyes.

All he found was love and adoration, lots of determination and a pure intent; the longer he looked the more he had to admit that he might need this, stop, not this... the more he had to admit that he might need Hongbin.

The smile of the younger one had brightened every day since they met; his stories he had told and not pushed Leo into responding were wonderful. The time he had found him outside the music room… the time he had stood up for him.

Should he?

 Hongbin in turn saw conflict in Leo’s eyes, they were searching for something. He held his hyung’s gaze: strong willed and positive this would work.

Slowly and very hesitantly, Leo reached out his hand; he paused over Hongbin’s outstretched one.

Took one last look at the younger, and lowered it, letting their fingers interwined.

The younger felt like he was going to burst, Leo could only shake his head at him.

Never the less, Hongbin couldn’t contain his happiness and tackle hugged Leo.

“Don’t push it…” the other let himself be hugged but couldn’t resisted whispering a teasing threat.

Sadly, the tackle hug had sent the two a few step backwards and onto the hand of a poor fellow still trying to get up.

“Erm… shouldn’t you be going?” Hongbin looked around him, realizing the group was still there. Either too hurt to get up or just unconscious. The leader had gotten up and was helping his men on their feet, he shot him a angry look, but with his swollen face from their combo punch it looked quite comedic. “Faggots! The lot of you-“

“Oops…” Leo had picked up a bat and thrown it, bulls eye, at the leader.

“Nice shot, hyung!” Hongbin’s smile returned, “My turn!” As he bent over to get a bat laying at their feet, the group made a wild scrabble to get away from the crazy pretty guys. The injured hoisted themselves up and carried their fellow unconscious away as if they were being chased by ten leagues.

“Oh wait…, "Hongbin shot Leo a guilty look, "erm... hyung, with will I want you earlier… I kinda meant… well…” Leo had to smile as the younger struggled for words, “I well… as I meant want to protect you… I didn’t mean it as a friend.”

I’ll let him squirm just a little bit longer, Leo thought amused, he had guessed where this was heading.

Hongbin threw him a distraught look, unsure how to tell this to his precious Leo.

To his surprise Leo was smiling at him, the older stood directly in front of him and was beaming at him, “Who are you, and were did my Leo go?!”

Leo laughed, “… I’m right here… I have a pretty good guess where you are trying to take this… “ Hongbin looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “You do?” “Yes, I do,” Leo took both of Hongbin’s hands in his and looked at the younger, “Lee Hongbin, now is your turn to be brave. I was brave as you reached out your hand to me… now I’m taking yours and asking you to be a lion”

Hongbin pouted, “You can’t just turn my words on me!” However, Leo just shook his head and looked at their hands and back at the other, his look saying, come on, do it, I’m  right here.

“ FINE! ILIKEYOUALOTANDWILLYOUBEMYBOYFRIEND?!

AH THISI’MGOINGTOKISSYOUNOW!”

pulling the older closer, Hongbin put his arms around the other’s lower back and caught a glimpse of Leo giggle before his lips met the other's.

The giggle tasted sweet. Leo tasted sweet. The kiss was sweet.

We could do this more often, they both thought.

As they pulled back, Leo’s smile stayed whilst Hongbin’s grew bigger than ever before, Leo hadn’t even thought that that was possible. The brown haired looked the most happiest ever, and that was saying something. “You look like a kid that got it’s Christmas wish…” Leo poked his cheek, checking if it was real, the other laughed, "How did you know?" "Female intuition." Hongbin stared at him, "Hyung... we need to talk about your sarcasm issues" The black haired wore an innocent expression.

“But… they could come back… and your house is near here… they might find out about you and find your house…” Leo remembered the situation. “We need a place to stay!”

They thought for a while: it was a Friday night, tomorrow was no school, where could they possibly go, who would possible let them stay on such a short notice. Hongbin had a bright idea.

 Before he could verbalize it Leo immediately said, “No!”

“But, Leo, he’d let us stay!!” “No…” “But, Leooooooo” Hongbin whined and pouted at his hyung, Leo kept his pokerface on but couldn't stop himself from blushing at the aegyo, this got Hongbin to continue, “Pweeeeeeeez”

Leo put a hand to his face trying to block out the image of the other’s pout and puppy eyes, why does he have to be so cute? And handsome!? He felt fingers tugging at his and as they managed to Hongbin peered at him, eyes still big and begging. “Fine… but don’t ever act cute again!!” Leo marched off, leaving the younger standing there.

He thinks I’m cute, Hongbin smiled, he skipped after him. As he got close, he asked, “Since I’m scared of the consequences.... but I must be brave for us! ...Jung Taekwoon, can I hold your hand?” “No!” Hongbin stopped in his tracks, deflated. Leo, however, reached out and grabbed the others hand, tugging him along with him. “But you said no?” the younger was confused, “…” “…” “YOU TEASED ME AGAIN?!” A small smile spread across Leo’s face and he squeezed the others hand.

They arrived at N’s house soon afterwards; N had been surprised to see them but had let them in. His parents greeted them, delighted at seeing Leo again and just as happy to met Hongbin.

“Okay, now enough greetings, go go upstairs! Get showered and cleaned up, you guys look like you had a run in with some gangsters!” N ushered them up to the room and the shower. Leo and Hongbin shared an amused look but said nothing, it would be better for the ‘gangsters’ if N didn’t know what they had done.

“You will be sleeping on the floor, but we have an inflated mattress! So you will have to share! Leo, don’t kill Hongbin, Hongbin stay clear of Leo! I don’t want to lose one of you just because you fought over a blanket!” Leo and Hongbin nodded dutifully, in that moment deciding, to tell N another time.

When he wasn’t surprised at the fact that his two babies, a bit beaten up, had showed up at his doorstep on a Friday night.

As lights out came, Hongbin didn’t dare more, his heat beating wildly. They were laying next to each other... in one bed... omg... this was making him blush. This is so romantic, sharing a blanket, a bed. 

He felt a shift in the blankets and a finger poke his sides, well that wasn't really romantic it continued to poke him gradually getting stronger and painful until he turned to face the source of the poking. Leo was staring at him in the dark, those dark eyes were hard to make out but Hongbin found them almost instantly. “Hand…” the black haired demanded softly, starting poking the other again.

Hongbin reached out and felt the finger that was poking him, he carefully took that hand in his and smiled at his hyung. Leo smiled shyly, “Good night, Binnie”

The nickname he had heard N use, rolled off his tongue without thought but Hongbin’s heart jumped in delight. He leant over in the dark and pressed a kiss on the other’s forehead.

The older pouted as Hongbin made signs of leaving him like that, so with his free hand he reached out and pulled the retreating younger one back and kissed him softly on his lips. This made Hongbin officially die inside. He thought he had gone to heaven, he barely managed a, “Good night, my love…” before collapsing back into his spot, a bit smile on his face. Leo too smiled and closed his eyes to sleep, the other followed suit.

The next morning, Hongbin woke up next to Leo, but N was missing.

Their linked hands were under the cover so he should have missed that. There was a ruckus downstairs and it made the younger curious. Gently he freed his fingers from Leos and carefully through the others hair, it felt so soft, I could do this all day.

Leo started to blink slowly at the feeling, and Hongbin had to kiss the adorable pink lips of the other. The urge not to kiss a groggy, still half asleep, ruffled Leo was too great. “Good morning, I’m going to go see what is happening downstairs,” Hongbin told the other, Leo nodded and rolled over, burying himself in the blanket again.

He is so cute!

Hongbin made his way downstairs and saw N talking to someone in the kitchen as he saw who it was he yelled,

“Ya! LEE JAEHWAN!”