-

On a straightforward and nimble path, it seemed like the easiest solution.

Yet Kyuhyun felt otherwise as he walked beside his friend who balanced himself on the cemented edge, holding out his hands to maintain balance. The older held a camera in one hand, a cell in the other, glancing at the screen of his profile on perfectly lit display. The very question that had been nagging him all the while still glaring whenever he checked his fan-site.

This should be no concern of his, but unfortunately it was.

He backspaced the letters one at a time, sighing as he glancing at the blinking cursor until he finally got some whim of an answer.

Relationship status: I wish I knew.

"What are you doing?"

Kyuhyun looked up, sighing as Henry stood still for once. "You aren't helping, are you?"

"Fine, fine." Henry exaggeratedly outstretched his arms, "Take your pictures." Kyuhyun held up his camera as he tucked away his cell, Henry pursed his lips. "Why do you even have to do this?"

"My manager claims it'll give me more perspective."

"I think he's holding just a little too much faith for you." Ignoring Kyuhyun's scowl, Henry grabbed onto the barb wire fence with the lowering orange sun as his backdrop. Kyuhyun figured it was the ideal photo and tried to take a single picture, but found his nerves taking the best of him.

Henry had looked him in the eyes before, what made this so different?

"Never-mind, you were right."

Henry chuckled, letting go of the fence as Kyuhyun lowered the camera. "You may fail at it but I love you nonetheless."

Kyuhyun bit the inside of his cheek, focusing his attention on his camera. "You shouldn't say stuff like that so easily, especially if you keep saying it to just about anyone."

"But you aren't just anyone." Henry said plainly.

Kyuhyun exhaled dejectedly. What bothered him more than Henry's ability to pretend, were the times when his innocence actually shown through. He had said those words so carelessly that they had most of their real meaning, but they still made Kyuhyun wish he could just embrace the other.

He could actually.

Before he could finally think it out, he felt Henry lean against him.

"Best friends do love each other, that's a common fact." He explained, interrupting his thoughts. "Just admit that you're a big softie underneath that old man exterior."

Kyuhyun gave a bitter smile. "What's so great about being friends?"

"With everyone else, not a lot. But with you, plenty." Henry then checked his watch.

"Going somewhere?"

"A date."

Kyuhyun nearly buckled forward, unnoticed as Henry looked up from his watch and suggested, "Let's keep trying with those photos, shall we?"

"...You should get going, don't want to be late." Kyuhyun chided.

Henry shook his head, reaching for the camera as Kyuhyun reached for it, fingers brushing against his. Once more, the younger looked straight into his eyes and grinned.

"The date can wait, I'm not leaving until you take a picture of something." Henry withdrew his hands as he balanced himself on the concrete grounds, turning around as he threw a random pose. "Ready?"

Kyuhyun fought back a smile, the two friends continued to bicker throughout the exchange. But as Kyuhyun glanced at the photos he took later that night, he couldn't help but feel these were his best taken yet.

-

The model crashed onto his bed after a long night of work, earning a small grunt beneath him.

"What are you doing here?" Kyuhyun asked, already knowing who the only culprit could be.

Henry nestled further against his blankets, his exhaustive incoherent answer made enough sense.

"How was your date?" Kyuhyun asked despite it.

Henry remained still for a good while before mumbling quite clearly, "I had more fun taking pictures with you."

Rather than taking it into insult, Kyuhyun beamed within the darkness of the room and nestled beside him.

-

"You are aware that I'm mad at you?"

"What for?" Henry asked, oblivious.

Kyuhyun glowered, parting his hair to show the affected eye, still plainly visible despite the mountain of makeup. Henry in his sleep the night before, tossed and turned wildly and inadvertently gave the model a black eye.

Henry scoffed. "How would I know when you're actually mad at me? As far as I'm concerned, you only have two expressions." He held up two fingers. "Silence and anger."

"Who do you think is the cause of that anger?"

His question landed on deaf ears as Henry ignored his banter. Kyuhyun grabbed onto a stick and carved a shape on the dirt ground, Henry observed bemusedly.

"This circle‚" Henry made a 'o' shape with his lips, squinting his eyes to recognize the jagged and distorted shape on the ground. "Is mine alone. You cannot pass this line."

"I'm starting to see why you're not an artist."

"...That is not the point."

Henry nodded, staring at the line for a few seconds when he merely hopped over it. In sight of Kyuhyun's glare, Henry gave a playful shrug. "I've always been a rule-breaker."

Kyuhyun exhaled sharply as Henry tugged his wrist, "Let's go or we'll be late." He reminded once more, still holding the latter's hand in his grasp as he forced him to follow along.

Kibum, one of Henry's many friends, had leaned across the table, his attention shifting between the two sitting before him. "You two are inseparable."

"Of course." Henry uttered as he reached for his drink, Kibum chuckled.

"Is friendship that beautiful of a thing?" Kyuhyun drawled, leaning against his palm as he stabbed his food within the casual restaurant.

"Considering how long you've two known one another, I would think so."

Kyuhyun scoffed. "I never wanted to be friends in the first place."

He paused his hand, realizing what he had just said. Henry seemed to have noticed too, lowering his drink onto the table.

"...What did you mean by that?"

Kibum excused himself without either noticing, Henry waited for an answer.

"I just... I shouldn't have to explain myself." Kyuhyun stated as he abruptly stood up. "I have work," He said as he excused himself and walked outside of the place. He barely took a few paced steps when he heard Henry rush out behind him.

"Wait!" Henry called out, partly offended, partly worried. Kyuhyun awkwardly turned to face him, trying his best not to avert eye contact of any sort. "We're still friends... right?"

Kyuhyun pursed his lips. The words just refused to come to him.

"I..."

He parted his lips, trying to explain that this wasn't what he meant and clear up the misunderstanding. Yet he merely closed his lips and feigned that he had an urgent project that afternoon. He decided to simply leave it like that.

This was the best he could hope for, right?

-

"Liar." Shindong asserted after hearing his thoughts out loud, the model gaped.

"I bare my heart so honestly, and this is what I get in return."

"Here's the best advice I can give you." Shindong paused for dramatic effect. "Stop being honest with me, and be direct with him!"

"No." Kyuhyun said stubbornly.

Shindong narrowed his eyes. "Have you even thought of the possibility that he might say yes? That he could actually like you?"

"Impossible." He instantly said, turning his head away.

"Why?"

"Because I know his types, I'm far from them."

"A type doesn't mean anything, they're just preferences." Shindong reasoned, Kyuhyun stared in disbelief. "You're not the jealous type, fine. But I don't think you'll like it when he's with someone else either, saying he loves him and such."

"He says it to me all the time already, but I doubt he even means it. It's some odd habit he picked up."

Shindong then sighed, tired from Kyuhyun's countless excuses. "You're best friends, I don't think he'll reject you completely... he'll at least think about it."

Kyuhyun wasn't sure what to say to that.

The thought of Henry accepting his feelings in that fashion, only considering him solely because of pity wasn't a possibility he had thought of at all.

It was far from encouraging.

If he were to compare their relationship to a road, then Kyuhyun was like a single path, knowing exactly where to go without being distracted by the countless things on either side.

Henry, on other hand, his road was completely twisted, rounded, with upside down signs, flickering lights and plenty of random death threats against him. It would probably be covered in neon lights directing him to the right way, but even then, they would be ignored.

Their paths should have never crossed. But Henry had stumbled onto his, forcing him to stop and help move him forward. While he was repeatedly distracted, taken off course, forced into roads he never would have taken. But he found he held no regrets, especially as Henry leaned his head against his shoulder, sleeping soundly and relaxing alongside him.

Despite all his complaints, he liked having him around.

This straight and reasonable way of life of his was ruined, but even then, he found he couldn't stay angry for too long. Grateful to be forced to stop and take a good look at the things he so easily ignored. He hoped they stayed crossed, even if life was still as random and hectic, even if he received another black eye, even if the neon signs flickered constantly.

Without Henry, that path was pointless.

-

Later that evening as Kyuhyun messed around on his laptop, he heard a knock on his door. He let it down on his bedside table, reaching across his bed to open the door.

He crossed his arms, mentally prepared for any verbal lashing or argument that might ensue.

Instead, he was caught off guard completely when Henry threw him back onto the ground, using more strength than necessary.

"You promised."

Kyuhyun gave a puzzled look, not understanding when the memory flickered. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or applaud Henry for even remembering. It was such a basic promise to remain best friends forever, and while he had agreed to it without thought, Henry had taken it to heart.

"Promises don't last forever." Kyuhyun uttered.

Henry reached for the pillow on his bed and smacked him again. "Then make them last forever."

"You're being unreasonable." Kyuhyun said as he tried to dodge each assault.

"I. Am. Not." Henry said sternly. "Now keep that promise or so help me, I will find something much harder than that pillow to hit you with."

Kyuhyun fell back against the ground, unable to hold back as Henry continued attacking him with it.

Whether he liked to admit it or not, he actually enjoyed this. Not in the masochist sort of way, but as a random act only Henry could pull, he found himself laughing as he tried futilely to stop him.

And as Henry settled against his chest, tired from their random fight, he found that like other times, he couldn't push him away.

"I can't keep to that promise." Kyuhyun admitted out loud, holding back Henry's wrists in case he tried to attack him again. "Just know I can't."

"You can't go back on your word." Henry uttered. "Forever means forever."

Kyuhyun blinked as Henry slumped on his chest, exhausted from the endeavor. Mildly proud considering Henry would never go this far with anyone else.

He told himself that he would clear it up in time. Hopefully, at least.