Nichkhun stands planted in the doorway. It takes a little, but he eventually steps closer hesitantly and only a little bit. “You’re here, really here.” Nichkhun says watching me from his spot; I nod my head to confirm this. “How have you been Lexi?” He asks venturing a little closer and eventually taking a seat next to me on the bed.

“I’ve been ok.” I say settling for this answer. After all I haven’t exactly been happy, well not until I quit. I glace down at my feet I’d pulled onto the bed apparently, then again I suppose getting lost in Nichkhun was bound to happen, even if we’ve hardly said anything to each other. And being completely honest, when I was around Nichkhun I always did lose track of things. “But yeah I’m here. How have you been Nichkhun?” I ask hesitantly.

The way he looks down at his feet makes my stomach drop, the way he doesn’t smile, but when he looks back up at me Nichkhun runs his hand through his hair again. “I’ve been alright Lexi, so how long are you going to be here, a couple of days?”

I look away and at the pillows on the bed. I almost want to be anywhere else, everything is tense. It’s like when Nichkhun and I were awkward together only this is worse. “For the week,” I answer slowly, I work the nerve to look at Nichkhun again, he has a small smile on his lips. “What?”

Nichkhun shakes his head at my question. “You don’t have to be back at work? Or maybe you finally took a vacation.” He says bitterly.

“Or maybe I quit.” I say watching his expression change from bitter to shock again. Nichkhun glances at me as if to ask what I’m saying exactly. “I quit Nichkhun, Thursday actually.” I say letting out a deep breath.

Nichkhun looks at me like he can’t believe what I’ve just said. “You quit?” He asks leaning back on his arms, I can’t tell if it’s a casual lean or a shocked and I need support kind of lean. “Just like that? Three and half years and you’re just done.”

“It should only have been the six months.” I say softly, Nichkhun watches me warily; the atmosphere around us seems to be changing. “I shouldn’t have let it affect my life so much; I shouldn’t have even accepted the stupid job.”

“So what are you doing now if you’re not working at Elite?” Nichkhun asks hesitantly. He sits back up and stares at me; the whole situation seems like a dream, being this close to Nichkhun again. “Lexi,” Nichkhun says chuckling.

“Right, sorry,” I mumble blushing slightly. “I’m starting at a bookstore next week just as something to do for now, I don’t have any set plans honestly.” I tell him feeling rather relaxed again in front of him.

For a little we sit together in silence, it isn’t until Junho comes knocking on the door and letting himself in. “Seeing as you’re both just sitting here, why don’t you help with getting lunch started?” He asks smirking at us.

I get up leaving the room first, walking down the hall with both behind me. I quickly head down the stairs and join Chansung and Wooyoung leaning against the counter. “So, what exactly is for lunch?” I ask curiously to Taecyeon and Min-Jun.

“No welcoming hug?” Taec says pouting at me, which I promptly and comically ignore in favor of talking to Chansung. “Noona, I want a hug.” The big guy continues to whine; I smile walking around the counter and hug him.

“Happy?” I ask sassily as I return to my spot between Woo and Chansungie. Taecyeon simply grins at me, “So what are we having for lunch?” I ask curiously.

“Taec, Woo, Junho and I are grilling some meat,” Nichkhun says from behind us somewhere, his voice cuts through the room, turning around I see him walking around Chansung, Wooyoung and I to Taecyeon and Min-Jun while Junho simply stands next to Wooyoung. “You’re helping Chansung and Min-Jun with everything else.”

I nod my head glancing to the two members I’ve been grouped with, I turn to look back at Nichkhun, but he’s already heading out the door towards the grill with Taecyeon following him after grabbing the packet of meat.

“You both should get out there.” I tell Wooyoung and Junho gently. Both boys exchange quick looks before heading out, both shaking their heads. “So, what exactly falls under everything else?”  I ask Chansung and Min-Jun.

“Everything that isn’t meat,” Chansung says heading over towards the rice cooker on the counter. “How did it go with Nichkhun?” He asks as he starts making the rice.

“Yeah, he seems not exactly happy.” Min-Jun ventures hesitantly, which only confirms my thoughts. “Lexi, did everything go alright?”

Moving to set the table for the seven of us I try to calm myself down, though I’m not having much luck. I sigh and glance at the doorway Nichkhun had just walked out of. “I think he’s still angry with me, not that he shouldn’t be.” I say slowly as I help Min-Jun with chopping some vegetables. “I’m just not too sure where I stand with him.”

“You’ve never really been good at reading Nichkhun when you guys don’t get along.” Chansung says while focusing on the rice. “I mean whenever you and him got in a fight you were never really sure what to do next.”

I nod my head acceptingly, Nichkhun has always been sort of an enigma to me, and honestly even when we were getting along as friends and dating, I was never quite sure what was going through his head. “Nichkhun seemed to know everything that was going on with me; I could never tell what exactly he wanted or what bothered him.” I confess absently as I chop the carrots.

Min-Jun passes me more things to chop, which I do diligently as I get lost in thought. “Lexi, did you hear me?” Min-Jun says next to me, I glance at him as I set the knife down. “Run this out to them, Chansung and I are going to fry these; those need to cook on the grill.”

Absently I take the plate and leave the kitchen, stepping out onto the porch I walk to the other side where the four boys are laughing loudly; Nichkhun’s ringing out more than the others. “Min-Jun said these need to cook on the grill.” I say as Junho notices me.

Taecyeon takes the plate from me smiling. “Kay, can you take this plate in? Make sure Chansung doesn’t eat any of it.” He says as Junho brings the plate over.

“Noona are you alright?” Junho murmurs watching me worriedly, “You look kind of confused.”

I shake my head and smile at Junho. “I’m fine, just a bit lost in thought is all.” I reassure the younger as I push the cloudy thoughts of Nichkhun out of my head. I take the plate and head back to the screen door; I’m surprised when Wooyoung opens it for me. “Thanks Woo.”

“It’s no problem Lexi,” He says grinning at me cutely. “You should try talking to Hyung again, ok?” He mumbles as he pushes my hair out of my face.

I nod my head and smile at Wooyoung, thankful for the bit of encouragement. Walking back in the kitchen I set the plate on the table, slapping Chansung’s hand away from the plate. “Not yet, they’re almost done out there.”

“Noona, one piece,” Chansung begs me; I shake my head to this plea easily. “Lexi just a little?” He asks dropping his cute act.

“I was told you’re not supposed to eat any, so you best move your away from this table.” I tell Chansung with a smirk. It takes a little, but he does eventually leave the table pouting as he goes. “Soojin spoils you too much.” I tease.

“Not true,” Chansung calls childishly as he sits at the counter. “I spoil her,” He corrects me. I nod my head knowingly, Chansung does spoil Soojin, but she just as readily spoils him. A few minutes later the grilling team comes in with the cooked veggies and the rest of the meat. “Rice is ready and Min-Jun just finished frying the rest of the vegetables.”

Nichkhun smirks at me. “You know, I’ve only see Soojin and you ever stop Chansung from stealing food.” He notes before setting the rest of the meat on the table. Even though it sounded like a compliment and like he meant it, it just seemed not right, I can’t really explain what exactly, just that the way Nichkhun had complimented me made me feel a bit disappointed.

Nichkhun walks around and takes his seat; Chansung tugs me to follow him to the table, forcing me in the seat across from Nichkhun. When I look up I see Nichkhun putting food on his plate calmly, not sparing me another glance. “Noona, do you want chicken or pork?” Chansung asks, I tear my eyes away from Nichkhun and glance at Chansung, “Chicken or pork?” He repeats.

“Chicken,” I say slightly dazed, it’s a first for me, for Nichkhun to treat me so coldly, distant, is that why the compliment hurt? Because Nichkhun may be sitting only across the table, but it might as well be oceans? “Thanks Chansungie,” I mumble as he sets my plate back down.

Wooyoung takes the seat next to me, happily putting the grilled vegetables on my plate. “Noona, I grilled them.” He says excitedly.

I smile at him and nod my head, even though this should be happy, it feels tense and awkward. “I’ll be sure to eat them,” I slightly trying to ignore the tension. Picking my chopsticks up I eat some of the grilled vegetables first, the guys all make small chat talking a little while we eat.

I’m just listening and filtering out whatever is said until Nichkhun speaks, it takes me a moment and nudge from both Wooyoung and Chansung to realize he’d spoken to me. “Lexi, I asked how you got back in touch with the guys.” Nichkhun says with a mostly dull expression on his face. Since I wasn’t really paying attention I’m not sure what brought this up, though I have a feeling someone nudged Nichkhun to ask. “It seems strange that you just randomly quit, especially just before this trip.” He says a bit maliciously.

I blink a couple of times trying to guess what had happened, but seeing as no one else is talking I take my jab at the conversation. “I’d been watching a music program, I’d taken my first day off since I started working,” Nichkhun doesn’t say anything, but he nods his head. “It’d been weird to watch the show, I sort of closed off everything like that after what happened, after I’d pulled away,” I correct not wanting Nichkhun to go into any kind of defensive mode about the night we had our last fight. “I tried changing the channel, I wanted to, but I just shut down when I saw the six of you come on the screen. It hurt a lot, not because I couldn’t see you, but because I’d made us strangers again, like the two years never happened.” I explain regretfully. “I submitted my two week notice that same day.”

“So how’d you get in contact with them?” Nichkhun presses unamused and unaffected by what I’d just said.

I glance to Chansung for a moment, seeing his encouraging look I look back at Nichkhun, I take in how he’s changed over the three years, the way he doesn’t seem to smile as much, the way his eyes seem even more vivid than I remember. “I’d met with Minho for lunch, told him I quit. Afterwards he took me on this false shopping trip; we had dinner with Miyoung, Ian, Soojin and Chansung.”

Nichkhun sends an amused look to said member. “I suppose that explains you skipping out on dinner with the five us randomly.”

Chansung simply ignores the comment and nudges for me to go on. “Chansung being the sneak that he is stayed the night—”

At this point I’m interrupted by Chansung, who sounds a bit miffed still. “Noona refused to let me borrow any of your old clothes,” I blush advert my eyes away from Nichkhun at the revelation of the information. “Lexi cruelly told me she didn’t want me to use your old clothes.”

I look up again when I hear him chuckle, Nichkhun’s smile is brief, but it’d been there and it eases me enough to continue on. “Chansung eventually told Wooyoung and Junho, who showed up at five and woke me up,” I say frowning at this, while I don’t mind waking up early, I rather have a warning for it. “I spent all day with them, Chansung however managed to get in my apartment and pack my suitcase for this trip, while Junho and Wooyoung distracted me.”

“Taec and I showed up rather surprised,” Min-Jun says amusedly. “She’d been sitting on the grass playing a game with Junho when we showed up, I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

“Or when she said she’d just quit.” Taec volunteers smirking at me, “It was nice to spend the day like that with her.”

Junho takes up the last bit. “After convincing Taecyeon-hyung to drive us back to her apartment we had Minho bring her suitcase down so we could head straight to the van from there.” I chuckle as Junho sends me an eye-smile, which I simply adore.

“And you kidnapped her.” Nichkhun sums up while shaking his head. “I should have expected that.” Standing up he collects his plate, leading the others to follow suit. I can’t make out what he’d said afterwards, the others started talking and Nichkhun had already walked away, but he glances back at me and smirks.

Grabbing my empty plate I follow Wooyoung into the kitchen quietly, silently happy that Nichkhun had given me the smirk. It wasn’t his I know I’m right or let’s see you beat me, it was a I’m pleased with how it turned out kind of smirk, or at least that’s the kind of feeling I got from it.

Umm, well so an update. XD
Just let me know what you guys think!!

(Just cause~!)

Comment Replies:

I'm always really surprised when you guys comment and say 
how I explain things beautifully, mostly because I haven't ever
really had a relationship, so a lot of this is just how I would kind of like 
one to be. So I'm really glad I'm getting all that across correctly. ^^
I hope everyone gets through finals~! > u>
I'm happy to hear that you guys are enjoying the sequel~!