“Don’t you think we’re going a little too fast?”

Hongbin squinted at his fiancé through his black frames. “Pardon?”

Ravi was looking down at his hands and nervously biting his lip. “… I think we’re moving too fast.”

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to get at, Wonshik.”

A sigh escaped his lips. He then turned to the opposite side and quickly murmured, “Our relationship is moving too fast.”

Confused, the brunet shifted in his seat to face him properly. “You think we’re moving too fast.”

“Th-That’s what I said.”

A look of annoyance flickered on his face, causing Ravi to hold his breath out of habit. “We’re sitting in the middle of a plane that’s about to take off to Paris in five minutes. Are you sure you should be thinking about this now?”

The elder observed his surroundings. The two of them were seated next to each other on one side of the plane, Hongbin taking the window seat. There was quiet shuffling and chattering all around them as the other passengers were preparing for the flight. Occasionally a stewardess would pass by and make sure that they were comfortable.

Surely it wasn’t the best place to reveal his contained feelings that could eventually escalate into something disastrous, but Ravi was about to have a mental breakdown. If he didn’t release his honest thoughts now, it could be too late.

So he let loose. “I’m not sure if we should be doing this,” he admitted, wishing with all his hope that he wouldn’t be murdered here and now. “We’re still young, and we’re practically going to elope in a foreign country where we don’t know anyone or anything. Don’t you think it’s a bit extreme…?”

“Says the one who proposed…” Hongbin muttered bitterly. He lifted his foot and pushed Ravi out of his seat and onto the aisle floor. “Let’s go.”

Ignoring the fact that his was literally kicked, Ravi looked up at him in bewilderment. “Go where?”

“Washroom.”

He lay there for a moment as Hongbin strode down to the end of the plane and into one of the lavatories, closing the door but not locking it. Consequently, he groaned when he realized how much —pun not intended— he was in.

Ravi got up when the stewardess was about to run him over with a cart. He tried to walk as slowly as possible to the washroom, but then realized that the plane was really small and he was standing in front of the door in less than a minute. Slowly, he slid it open and flinched when he saw Hongbin staring at him, arms crossed.

He stepped into the tiny room and closed the door, looking at anything but the glaring brunet; which was difficult because they were practically pressed up against each other and their noses were almost touching.

“So what you’re saying is,” Hongbin started first with a calm voice. “You don’t want to marry me?”

“N-No! I mean— yes, I want to marry you. I-I love you,” Ravi uttered with flushed cheeks. “But… I’m not sure if you do.”

Hongbin didn’t say anything in response, so Ravi thought he should keep talking.

“… I… I don’t want to force you into doing this. You don’t have to be obligated into marrying me, just because I asked and you can’t say no.”

“What makes you think I feel obligated?”

He paused, and let out a shaky sigh. “Because… I’m the one that keeps giving. I’m the one who stayed by you when you were lonely, I’m the one who responded to every single one of your calls, the one who got punched in the face for you, twice. I love you more than you’d ever know, and I don’t know how many times I’ve ing said it. I just feel like… Like because I’ve done everything for you, you feel like you have to do me this favor, that you’re obligated to marry me. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Hongbin. I’d rather have you happy than you being tied down to me.”

He let out all he bottled up inside, and on the other hand, Hongbin firmly reminded himself that it would not be a good idea to punch the stupid out of Ravi’s head.

So instead he whipped off his glasses and kissed him.

“… I am not obligated,” he murmured against his lips, clenching hard onto Ravi’s sleeves. “I never will be obligated. How hard is that to understand?”

“I just— I’m not sure if you really—”

“You need assurance?” Hongbin began to his own shirt, making the other blush wildly at the sight of his bare chest. “I’ll give it to you right now.”

“Wait—” Ravi could hardly speak as the brunet’s perfect lips stole his breaths away. It was getting hot, much too hot; with the way Hongbin was breathing onto his skin and the way he was staring at him so lewdly. However, when fingers began to slide into his pants Ravi quickly regained his sanity. “WAIT!”

Hongbin’s head hit the opposite wall when he was pushed away. “Ow.”

“Sorry,” Ravi reached over and started to put his clothes together. “Bin, this is what I’m trying to say. Because I am the only one giving, you think it’s alright that you can use physical means in order to repay me. While our is ing amazing, I want to know if it’s not just your body that wants to be with me. You of all people should know that a relationship is not just through physical actions.”

They had been moving a little too fast, Hongbin realized just now. They had already moved in together before they became official, they already escalated to engagement with a period of dating in nonexistence, and they already gave themselves to each other at night. Even though they had done everything so fast, emotionally they were slow. They were so slow, Hongbin especially.

He realized that it wasn’t kisses that Ravi was looking for, or touches. Hongbin hadn’t been very verbally expressive in their whole relationship, just assuming that his feelings would be expressed through skinship. What Ravi needed emotional assurance; he needed to hear that Hongbin actually wanted this. He needed words.

It’s just that Hongbin wasn’t very good at expressing himself with words.

“… I…” He stammered, red going to his face already. “I-I’m sorry Wonshik, I just don’t know how to explain myself… I want to marry you, I really do. I just— I didn’t really want to say anything because t-talking about it is so… Cute and intimate, and I really can’t do that, really. It’s gross, to be honest. I-I don’t like the whole talking about our feelings thing when we could just and get it over with! But I digress..."

Hongbin wrapped his arms tightly around his significant other and attempted to hide his tomato face in Ravi’s chest. “Wonshik, I’m not obligated, okay? I-I genuinely want to marry you. You’re an amazing guy and I honestly think I fall deeper in love every single d-day. I-I don’t mind if we elope. It’s actually a of mine. What am I saying? I, uh— I love you. I-I r-really, really, love y-y-you. I-I just don’t want to talk about it, okay?!”

Ravi could hardly process anything that was being said and his face was also a bright pink, if not pinker. “… Holy ,” he breathed out after a tense moment. “You’re so ing cute when you’re flustered.”

“DON’T SAY THAT! I’M NOT CUTE! I’M NOT! I’M A MAN!”

“No seriously, I think I have a .”

The brunet let out a quiet groan. “I’m so embarrassed… B-But now you know. I-I’m not doing you a favor.”

“C-Can I hear it one more time?” Ravi leaned against the door, holding Hongbin tightly in his arms. “Just one more time, and I’ll never ask you to talk about it again. We can express our feelings through ing later. I just want to hear you say it one more time.”

“Jesus Christ, Wonshik…” Hongbin finally looked up and gently kissed his lips. “… I-I love you.”

The older smiled widely and planted a kiss on his forehead. “I love you too, Bin.”

“Can we get out of the toilet now? It’s getting really stuffy in here.”

“Wait, what about my ?”

“Who cares, the plane’s about to take off!”

--

N pressed his nose up against the glass window, eyes moving around in their sockets as he searched for something outside.

He was in the airport, surrounded by people going to and from terminals. It was very loud. On occasion a very nice-sounding lady would ring over the intercom and announce which gate was open or if there was a lost child at the customer service desk.  

He was thankful for all the noise; it kept him busy from his thoughts, from thinking too much.

“Woonah!” He turned his head with a wide grin on his face. “There it is!”

Leo, seated not too far away, removed his headphones and strode over to where he was. “What.”

“It’s the plane that Hongbin and Ravi are on!” N chimed whilst stabbing the glass with a finger. “There it goes...” He hitched a breath when he felt his eyes water. “… N-No, I can’t cry. I can’t cry right now! How am I supposed to see you off if I’m crying?!”

The other smiled and tousled his hair. “It’ll be fine, Hakyeon.” He walked back to his seat, sighing when he saw that plane ticket lying near his bags.

“Yeah, but will you be fine?” N followed and wrapped his arms around Leo’s neck. “Will you be able to live without me, huh, you cutesy-poo?”

“Speak for yourself,” Leo teased in response. “You were sobbing all night yesterday.”

N gasped in mock offense. “I did not!”

“I heard you from next door.”

“… Anyway,” he coughed and avoided the accusation. “Will you be okay in Boston all by yourself?”

To his surprise, Leo shook his head. “I… I won’t be okay. I won't be able to live without you, Hakyeon. I barely made it through last time. I-I don't want to leave you alone again."

Touched, N stood on his toes to press their lips together, in a very public place for all to see. The couple didn't care who saw them, what mattered was the short time they had left together. "Taek... You'll be fine. I'll be fine," he affectionately combed the bangs out of Leo's eyes. "... We'll be okay. I'll keep in touch as much as I can, and hope you'll do the same."

"Of course..." Leo nuzzled into N's hair, trying his best to keep composure. "I just want to leave knowing that you'll be okay without me. Just for a little bit..."

"Jung Taekwoon, I will be fine!" N insisted with a pout. "You won't be leaving me alone this time. You've brought me two very amazing people to keep me company while you're gone, so loosen up a bit. I'm not gonna die."

Leo laughed, a soft chuckle for the first time in a long while. "... You're right."

"Aren't I always?" The shorter of the two paused when the intercom lady announced that gate six was ready for boarding. "Oops, that's you Taekwoon. Let's go."

Leo sighed and made a face while he picked up his luggage and ticket. They manoeuvred through the crowds until they reached the terminal. 

N tried to smile the best he could while Leo handed his ticket to an employee and got the OK to board. He nearly lost it when the redhead turned around and looked straight into his eyes. He wanted to cry, he wanted to sob, to shout 'Taek, please don't go', but he kept to himself as much as possible; still, a tear managed to escape from his smiling eyes and it didn't go unnoticed.

Leo dropped his bags and as if his life depended on it, ran back towards N. He enveloped the smaller man into his arms, whispering sweet nothings of 'it’s okay' and 'you little bastard' into his ear, things that N needed to hear at the moment. His kisses were soft, because Leo feared that anymore would break him.

The stewardess was urging him to board as the gate was about to close soon. But N didn’t let go of his tight grips on Leo’s shirt, he didn’t want to watch the singer’s back grow smaller as he left.

Thankfully, two shrill voices called out their names at that very moment.

N, recognizing who those voices belonged to, cracked a smile and let go of him. He looked up and tried to scan the crowds for two familiar faces; which wasn’t particularly difficult seeing as Ken’s head of blond stuck out greatly amongst the masses.

“GIDDY UP, HYUNG!” cried Hyuk, who was straddled over Ken’s back as if he were a horse rider. The elder let out some sort of noise that was supposed to make for a horse sound and was practically galloping their way over to them.

“AGENTS LEE JAEHWAN AND HAN SANGHYUK, REPORTING FOR DUTY!” Ken declared as they stood in front of a dumbfounded N and Leo. “We are here to see our Jung Leo off to Africa!”

“It’s America!” Hyuk jumped off his back and saluted. “And we are also here to restrain N-hyung if he freaks out!”

“No restraining needed,” N smiled and faced him once more. “I won’t stop you. Go.”

Leo let out a sigh and planted one last kiss on his forehead. “… I’ll see you on the stage.”

“See you.”

The three watched him pick up his bags and saunter down the terminal until the gates had closed. Then they waited until the plane rolled down the runway and took off, slowly disappearing into the sky.

“… Wow,” Hyuk murmured whilst glancing at the tanned man. “You took it better than I thought.”

Ken readily agreed. “Yeah! I thought we’d have to neutralize you or something. Like those rabid animals in the—“

“TAAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!” N completely broke down, falling onto his knees as tears came out in rapid streams. “COME BACK! DON’T GO! MAKE THE PLANE DO A U-TURN! JUNG LEO!!!”

“… Or not,” the youngest knelt down and comforted him through pats on the back. “Come on hyung, you’ll be fine.”

“Besides, you have us!” Ken sang, grinning and dancing. “You can come to us anytime! We moved in next door into Leo-hyung’s apartment anyway, so you don’t really have a choice! We’ll be here for you.”  

N sniffled, attempting to calm himself. “Y-Yeah… Yeah. I-I-I’ll be okay. I’m not alone…”

Hyuk let on a smile, and pointed out the window. “Say bye. So that Leo-hyung knows you’ll be okay.”

Slowly, he shifted his gaze up at the beautifully blue sky. The plane was nothing but a speck now, and somehow N could imagine Leo looking out the window, staring at him as well.

He lifted up a hand and waved.

“Goodbye.” 

///FINGERS CURLING AT RABEAN OTL
yes u read that right Hyuken moved in together (๑✧◡✧๑)
wouldn't it be funny if those three happened to die in a plane accident /SHOT NO I JOKE DKM LOL
anyway, that's the end of S.Minor! Thank you to all those who followed since the foreword and even those who just joined!
I'm actually satisfied with how this turned out (which is saying something haha) thanks to you guys, S.Minor, by upvotes IS:
#137 in the comedy tag! #3 in the VIXX tag! #1 in the Neo tag! #1 in the Hyuken tag! along with , #1 in the rabean tag! >u< 
now I gotta go update haha thanks again you guys! <3 see you in the near future TvT