19

      Living together with Eric was nothing complicated and quite enjoyable. Minwoo had no doubt the leader would be a great host, otherwise he would not have move in with him; but he had worried slightly about the older man's reaction to his little episodes he still had from time to time.

To the dancer's surprise, Eric just stayed at his side until he was feeling better, without asking any kind of questions. Fortunately, over the month of living with his friend there was only two major episodes, even if Minwoo would have rather avoid these two times than let Eric saw him in such state.

It was nothing like when Youngmi had found him in the bathroom though, but it was still humiliating when showing so freely emotions had never been part of Shinhwa's interactions.

Eric did not say anything though and let him the needed space when he was asking for it or just stayed with him when he was having irrational panic attacks at unexpected moments. Most of the time it was small attacks, when he was overwhelmed by thoughts and memories; but two times in the middle of the night he was awaken by nightmares leaving him terrified.

Eric was there to help him relax and come back to his senses, which was something Minwoo was hating and loving at the same time.

He loved it because his friend's reassuring presence after a vivid nightmare was the only thing he needed, but on another hand he just could not stand being so weak and in need of someone else to feel safe.

But it was thoughts he was trying to ignore to not become crazy.

"Minwoo !" The knock on the bathroom's door broke the dancer's focus on the news paper in his hands. "I'll be on my way. Junjin called, he said he couldn't get in touch with you. You should call him back."

"My battery's dead. What did he want ?" He shouted back from the bathroom, his business not even bothered by the conversation with the leader.

"Just wanted to talk to you." He mumbled back. "He's free today."

"Hum." He answered, thinking. "We could hang out together. It's been too long since I enjoyed a good pool game."

Grinning, Eric finished tying his tie before grabbing his phone, earphones, wallet and pen lying around in the living room.

"Maybe I'll meet you two later. Just give me a call if you come back home."

"Will do." He shouted back before folding his news paper now he was done with his business. "Eric !" He called suddenly.

"What ?" Eric stopped immediately at the opened front door and waited.

"You've got some boxers ? Mines are all dirty."

"What the hell Minwoo ?" The leader could not believe the dancer had not washed his underwear before having none left.

"Come on. Just this once."

"Whatever ! Just take what you want." He answered, being too late to waste time with the younger man.

It was not like Minwoo would not give him back his boxers or something anyway.

***

      The atmosphere was great, and even if Junjin's victory was inevitable, Minwoo was enjoying the game and drink coming with. It had been too long since he could have some fun with a friend at some place he used to love to go.

The dancer was feeling safe in the underground pool club, surrounded by people he knew or had seen before. The familiar place and environment was all Minwoo needed to forget about everything else.

"It's been too long since I last played." Announced the main dancer when Junjin won another game and grinned in satisfaction.

"Yeah, sure." He answered, sipping on his drink with the cue held in the other hand.

Minwoo glanced up at the younger man and smirked before grabbing his glass. Noticing it was empty, he went to ask another one before hearing the door open. Looking up, he smiled and wave curtly at Eric stepping inside the room.

"Hey mister leader, nice to see you here." Grinned Junjin with a pat on the older man's back.

Coming back with two drinks in hand, Minwoo handed one to the leader before sharing a few words with him about his day.

"What now ? Am I the third wheel or something ?" Complained Junjin, and when the two elders looked up at him with a confused frown the taller dancer was staring down at his glass. "Mine's empty." He added.

Understanding, Minwoo rolled his eyes before smiling. "Don't go all Eric on me, I'll get you one." He joked with a smirk, and Eric glared at him. "What ?" He said innocently before going back to get a drink for Junjin.

The two rappers watched the dancer walk away with small smiles forming on their faces.

"It's good to see him like this." Commented Junjin in a soft voice, and the leader looked up at him.

Every single member of Shinhwa still had in mind this image of Minwoo after his kidnapping; this haunted gaze and tired expression always showing on his face, the fear emanating from him something they had all felt at some point. It was something they would never forget and did not want to experience ever again.

"He's doing great." Answered Eric before looking over at Minwoo's back at the counter. "You said you'd a few days free, right ?" Junjin nodded as answer. "You should try to hang out with him, it helps him think about something else."

The expression on the younger man's face changed slightly at the word, but Eric purposely ignored the concern he noticed.

"He still have these nightmares." He stated and the leader nodded.

"I hear him sometimes. He locks himself in the bathroom then go to the living room to watch some TV. I don't want to make things worse for him, so I play along when he goes back to his room before I wake up."

"Is he sleeping ?"

"Yeah. It could be better, but it's already that considering the situation. He's not avoiding my questions either and talks to me. But he's still keeping things for himself. But I'd do the same if I were him."

Junjin nodded as agreement and felt reassured Minwoo was slowly getting better.

"But he's alright, isn't he ?" Assured himself the younger rapper to which Eric smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry about him. He's doing good, he just need time."

Smiling softly, Junjin nodded for himself before the main dancer was coming back with his drink he handed with a smile.

"You owe me one." He said as a joke, and Junjin rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, what do you want this time ?"

Minwoo chuckled and started setting up the pool table for a new game. Now Eric was here, he knew he had a chance to win, and he would not miss it.

"Just pay him a drink next time, it'll do it." Butted in the leader with a slight annoyed frown before taking the pool clue from Junjin's hand.

The younger man protested immediately in offense. "Yah ! I won. Take his !" He said, pointing at Minwoo who grinned for himself.

"Are you crazy ? No way I waste my time watching you play on your own."

Junjin tsked and said "Come on, Minwoo played."

"Are you kidding me ? I hit only two balls."

"You hit more than that !" Snapped back Junjin with a displeased frown on his face.

"Oh no, I'm sure as hell I hit only two balls. I'd enough time watching from aside to count them."

"You're just talking about the last game, but you hit balls on the previous ones."

"Yeah, sure. I hit five in total, which could have be worse playing against you." Answered Minwoo.

"See ! He had opportunities." Immediately said the younger rapper to the older one already starting the game.

"Yeah. But I want a chance to win." Answered Eric before hitting the first ball and winning a point.

Junjin did not say anything after that and just rolled his eyes before sitting on a chair to watch his friends play.

      "It was great." Smiled Eric on the way to the car.

Minwoo had came with Junjin so was going back home in one vehicle with the leader after greeting their younger friend goodnight. It was late and the dancer was feeling a bit sorry for Eric who still had work to do tomorrow.

"You must be tired." He commented back. "What's your schedule tomorrow ?"

"Don't worry about that. I just have a couple of meetings with representatives."

"About me ?"

Eric pursed his lips and thought before answering; but Minwoo already knew the answer. They had no news from his case since he was out of the hospital and the representatives had no real information either. The police was still investigating and refusing to let anything out yet.

It was stressful to ignore what would come out of all this knowing the dancer's problem with drug and car accident; but they had no real power in the story either.

They could just wait.

"Apparently they talked with the detective. Remember Lee ?" Minwoo nodded and cringed internally at the memory of Lee's partner, Oh. "He accepted to give us some information. He's on your side, you know."

The dancer could not be happy about such fact, because there was still Oh hating his guts with her whole being. None of the Shinhwa members knew why she was being like this with Minwoo's case, and Lee was deeply sorry about her behavior, but he could not do much either.

Oh was a detective too and investigating as she should, even if she was focusing on proofs that could incriminate Minwoo instead of finding the man behind all this.

"But don't worry about it. I'm sure it'll be okay."

Minwoo did not say anything and just nodded. However, deep down he could not help this gut feeling he had telling him everything was far from okay and he should expect something to fall on him again. He was not sure what nor when, but he knew he was far from at peace.

He could not explain it, but he had a feeling something bad was about to happen.

***

      Eric knew he should not have talk to Minwoo about the information Lee had gave them, but the dancer deserved to know; he was the main concerned after all. But he knew it was a bad idea to tell him about what Oh was doing and what was ongoing.

Because in the middle of the night Eric was awaken by a sharp, raw yelp coming from Minwoo's bedroom.

He was not sure if he was supposed to check on his friend or not, but his instinct told him Minwoo needed him. Hence, he got out of bed wearing his only sweatpants and entered the younger man's room after a curt knock on the door.

"Minwoo ?" He called softly when he arrived in the dark room, but then he spotted his friend hyperventilating in the bed and immediately hurried to his side. "Minwoo… it's okay." He whispered reassuringly while rubbing Minwoo's back.

The dancer tensed up at his touch, but then he relaxed when he realized who was with him.

"It's okay…" Repeated the leader, managing to calm down the main dancer gradually.

"I…" Tried to talk Minwoo, but he was panting too much in fear to form any coherent sentence yet.

"It's okay, I'm here." Breathed back Eric, still rubbing the younger man's back. "Shh…" He soothed, and Minwoo relaxed some more.

"I'd a nightmare." He confessed once able to talk.

Eric just hummed and kept his soothing gesture. "You want to talk about it ?"

Minwoo was about to shake his head, but he stopped himself curtly, swallowed thickly then decided to talk.

"It's just…" He started, unsure where to start. "I just… he was there and… I… Oh, she…"

Eric was not sure what Minwoo's nightmare was all about, but he could imagine what his friend's mind had created after the information given in the day.

"Take it easy." He soothed back, squeezing comfortingly Minwoo's wrist then neck.

"What am I gonna do ?" He croaked out, surprising a bit the leader who was not expecting such question.

"What d…"

"What am I gonna do if she finds evidences to send me to jail ? What's gonna happen to me ? I didn't want any of this…" Eric could hear a sob in the younger man's voice, which made anger boil in his veins.

He hated so much how hurt Minwoo was by this man's doings and even more by this detective who was trying to add to the already painful situation. If only she was leaving Minwoo alone and looking for the real culprit; it would be a lot more easier for the dancer to get through all this.

But no, here she was looking for evidences against Minwoo.

If Eric could do something about it he would not hesitate; but he was powerless.

"Easy Minwoo." Whispered back the leader as he pulled the dancer in his embrace to appease him, his hand clamp on the shorter man's neck for comfort. "You won't go to jail."

"You don't know that." He snapped back, but his voice was strangled by restrained sobs.

Waiting for a second until Minwoo finally relaxed in his arms, he answered "We won't let this happen. You've my promise, you won't go to jail."

"But what if they let it all out ? I can't lose you all."

Eric felt his stomach knot at the possibility Minwoo's career and life could be destroyed by the simple revelation of the drug story. Citizens were not nice on people using drug, and even Lee Minwoo from Shinhwa would not get through it unharmed.

At worse, he would be forced to give up everything he had; his celebrity life, status, reputation and Shinhwa. At best, he would go on a hiatus for an indeterminate time and come back with a damaged image and career.

Nothing would be the same neither way, and Eric could only pray the police would not let the story out. It would affect the dancer way too much after everything he had gone through and was still going through. The leader had no idea what Minwoo would do if he was losing what he had worked so hard for.

He could only hope citizens would not have to find out.

I guess it's enough RicMin to satsify you, right ;-) ?

Next chapter's not really a chapter -it's an interlude- so I'm still debating if I should post it today after this one or wait tomorrow or this weekend. I don't know yet so we'll see ^^

To next time !