Two

Returning to his room was decidedly not like opening a time capsule. His shard room with L.Joe looked more like a storage place than anything else. Books and magazines were stacked in three leaning towers beside his desk that definitely weren’t his own. Changjo’s unused exercise equipment gathered dust and miscellaneous sports gear, including but not limited to golf clubs and soccer cleats, made a messy heap in a corner. C.A.P figured those were Niel’s.

An overflowing garbage pin was under his desk and his once neat arrangement of DVDs was now spread all over the place, some upside down on the shelf, others littering the floor around it and others still on top of various pieces of furniture in the room. One movie peeked out from beneath his bed, which wasn’t even made. The blankets were bunched up against the wall and a pillow rested in the middle of it as if someone had just slept there just a few minutes prior.

L.Joe’s side didn’t look much better, but at least he still actually half lived there so he had that as an excuse. Clothes were spilling out of whatever containers they had been stashed in. Some poor forgotten stuffed creature collected dust between the wall and the foot of the bed. L.Joe was sitting on his bed, which at least was made as C.A.P stood in the middle of the wreckage.

“What happened?” he dared to ask.

Before dinner he came by to drop off his bag but this was the first time he was forced to actually face it.

L.Joe reclined against his pillow, pulling a tablet out from underneath as well as his headphones.

“We’ve changed rooms since you and Chanhee’s left. I’m in here, then there is Ricky and Chanhee, but since he’s gone Ricky just has the room to himself. The third room is Daniel and Jonghyun but since I’m with my family most of the time Niel sleeps in here so it’s like everyone’s got their own room.”

“I can tell,” C.A.P murmured, kicking away a golf ball.

It certainly explained the state of the place as well as the fact his bed was looking slept in. Trying not to think about the fact that Niel’s been sleeping in his bed since he’s been gone, C.A.P chuckled. The kid didn’t even have the courtesy to put things back as they were when he knew he was coming back that day.

“How can you stand to sleep in here?” he asked.

“Like I said, I’m barely around these days what with my service and being at home. I’m only here today to celebrate with you.”

“Thanks.”

“As for Niel he doesn’t sleep every night. He’s with Minwoo usually. Hyung has his own place now so it just makes sense for him to hang around there.”

“Having your own place is nice,” muttered C.A.P absentmindedly bending down to straighten out some DVDs.

“Yeah but at least during promotions living together is way more convenient,” L.Joe replied.

C.A.P had to agree.

The leader did consider moving out before but with enlistment coming up it seemed like a hassle. Andy hyung also got a lot more lax as they got older too so it felt a lot less like living with a parent. Nonetheless, after the maknae’s enlist C.A.P wouldn’t mind reconsidering it again.

“You should just leave that until morning,” L.Joe suggested as he looked up from his game to see the other rapper replacing the things on his shelf that the younger members had taken off.

“I should, C.A.P replied though h made no move to stop. “But those brats have to get their stuff out of here tonight.”

He turned, glancing around at the various items. It felt way too cluttered. It didn’t even feel like his room anymore. Before entering the military he was roommates with Chunji actually which meant the younger ones completely moved the entirety of the 2^nd eldest member’s things without the guy even knowing about it.

“Easier said than done,” L.Joe yawned and turned so his back was towards C.A.P.

C.A.P didn’t say anything more after that, only continuing to put the DVDs away. He stood, looking at the pile of sports equipment and then the weights. He decided to deal with the easier bit, grabbing a half empty giant mesh bag and starting the stuff whatever stray things could fit inside.

The bag already contained a basketball, soccer ball, three loose tennis balls and a single tennis racket. It was followed by a pair of cleats, six golf balls, 2 tubes of tennis balls, and an extremely bent out of shape baseball mitt.

He slunk out of the room, trudging down the hall to where the only other light in the apartment shined from beneath the closed door. He stopped in front, knocking against the frame lightly.

“Jonghyun-ah!”

“It’s open.”

C.A.P pushed open the door, noting how immaculate the place looked in comparison to his. Of course that was a given since they were the ones using his as their walk in closet. He swung the heavy sack around and set it on the floor, a tennis ball rolled out and hit the leg of the desk.

Changjo and Ricky looked up from where they sat together on the floor in time to see C.A.P deposit everything.

“Hey!” Changjo protested.

“My room is not a closet,” was C.A.P’s only reply as he exited the room to let the kids continue whatever they were doing. He honestly didn’t care.

As he left though he noticed a light was on that previously hadn’t been so he headed I that direction, which was the living room. It was empty but by the sounds coming from the kitchen the new comer was in there.

C.A.P knew who it was. It had to be home because L.Joe was in their room while Changjo and Ricky had just been left behind. Chunji wasn’t even a factor. Somehow still he had been taken by surprise. His brain convinced himself that his heart was ready.

Two years can do a lot to a person. When you see someone everyday these normal and gradual changes can be missed but to see them all at once after great lapse of time only accentuated it.

He saw Niel’s back first turned to him, shoulders hunched as filled an electric kettle with water. He was wearing a Korean team soccer jersey with a pair of black gym shorts. His hair had gotten longer too, the tips of the dyed, honey color locks, fell against the nape of his neck and the top half was pulled into a lazy ponytail with a rubber band. Then he moved, shutting off the faucet and turning, kettle in hand and revealing his features that helped make and keep him famous, from his large eyes, cute nose and luscious lips.

Circular eyes grew wider as the owner of the pair caught sight of C.A.P in the doorway his hands fumbled the kettle but caught it just in time setting it on the edge of the counter.

He turned fully, wide smile stretching across his face.

“Hyung! You scared me.”

Those were the first words he said and C.A.P laughed.

“Good,” the older between the two replied, eyes never leaving the other.

It was just too good to see him and he looked really good too. His smile lit up the room and the loose strands of his messy hair framed his face just right. He’d matured of course, but somehow where he used to be cute his face only became more charming.

Niel laughed as well and turned away briefly to plug the kettle in.

“I’m making noodles. Do you want some?” he asked as he grabbed a cup ramyun from the cabinet.

“I ate a lot of meat.” He came up beside Niel and finished, “I can eat some of yours.”

“Nope. You either get your own or nothing,” Niel protested, looking at C.A.P as he stopped beside him. He was still grinning from ear to ear. “Welcome home, hyung.”

“It’s good to be back,” he matched the other’s smile.

“You have no clue. I’ve been such a third wheel without you and the other hyungs here! Byunghun’s never home so he doesn’t count,” Niel said, actually pouting but C.A.P could tell he wasn’t actually upset.

“I’ll do my best to keep you company then since I’m here,” C.A.P replied.

“Great!”

“And I know you have the time. We both don’t have any schedules. I heard you haven’t actually worked in months.”

“Yeah…. I don’t know,” Niel ran his fingers through his hair and they caught in his ponytail. “I’ve been tired.”

“You look pretty well rested.”

C.A.P’s observation was true. Niel was wearing no make up but his skin looked even better than he remembered and his eyes were free of dark circles. It was good. They’d b well rested for the comeback.

“I am,” Niel replied. “And I did get some love calls about some possible schedules but I don’t know if I’ll take it yet.”

“I don’t know when I’ll work again either,” C.A.P admitted.

He hadn’t been back in the office yet. He was supposed to go on Monday for sure though and restart his routine. Other than that he was pretty content to just relax, take it easy and maybe write some songs and draw or do whatever as inspired. For sure he was going to enjoy his off time while he could.

Wordlessly they trekked out of the kitchen into the living room where they sat on the couch. Niel curled one leg under him as he turned to face his C.A.P.

C.A.P reached down to grab the remote and the television, flipping through the channels, but he noticed the way Niel continued to stare at him with a grin. The vocalist had propped his elbow on the back of the couch and leaned on his fist as he observed him. C.A.P finally turned.

“What?”

“Nothing. I’m just looking,” Niel rejoined.

“What’s there to look at?”

“You. I haven’t seen you in almost two years! Can’t I look just a little?”

“You’re weird.”

“I know!” Niel stuck out his tongue. “Now you know how I felt when you used to stare at me when we were younger.

C.A.P shook his head.

“Anyway I was just looking because you didn’t really change at all. You still look the same.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem. So what was it like? The military. I’m curious.”

“It wasn’t that interesting.”

“Really? But I wanna know. I go next year. Please, hyung. I want to hear about it from you.”

“Can’t you just ask your boyfriend?”

As soon as he said the words he regretted it. He didn’t want to seem bitter; he had convinced himself that he wasn’t bitter at all. However, when the words actually came out of his mouth and he wasn’t talking to Ricky, Changjo or L.Joe, but to Niel who he couldn’t pretend to, wow he sounded bitter. It was right there in his tone and he one thousand times over regretted it. But it was too late as the words had come out. Niel merely rolled his eyes and replied without missing a beat.

“I said I wanted to hear about you. Besides, Minwoo went in like a million years ago. Things have changed since then for sure.”

“Fair enough.”

“So there. You have to tell me,” Niel concluded with a shrug. “So like… I suppose this means someone told you?”

C.A.P nodded.

“Ok,” Niel said, letting his arm fall. “Well then you know. Sorry about missing your big day. I really wanted to come but Minwoo guilt tripped me into going to Mokpo to visit his drama set. I told him I was busy but well… everyone who is anyone knows I have no schedules.”

C.A.P didn’t say the obvious, like how coming to meet him with the other available TEENTOP members should have been a schedule and that any reasonable person would accept that as a priority. At the same time though, C.A.P wasn’t sure if that was just him being selfish.

“We ate meat,” C.A.P said for the second time that night like the conversationally impaired child he never quite grew out of being.

“So you said,” Niel said, grin returning. “I missed out. But there’s always next week when Chanhee comes out, too.”

It was said so flippantly it hurt. Yes, Chunji was precious to them both. Yes, he was a good friend too. However C.A.P was hoping his discharge meant a little more than that for Niel, but it just lead him once again back to the realization that he really put a lot of stock into nothing.

They continued to talk after that. He ended up stealing three bites of Niel’s noodles before being stabbed. They spoke into the wee hours of the morning before C.A.P nodded to sleep the sound of birds.

----

C.A.P woke up on the couch. It wasn’t weird. Just that, it had been such a long time since he’d last did it that he was completely thrown off. He temporarily forgot where he was and it wasn’t until he registered the fact that Changjo was eating potato chips and playing a game while sitting on the floor in front of him that he remembered that he was back in the dorm.

“This is not the army,” he muttered more for himself than anyone else but Changjo heard and looked behind him.

“I moved the weights,” he said before turning back to his game.

C.A.P blinked sleepily not understanding what the maknae was talking about before he remembered the state of his room the other night.

“Right,” he nodded and sat up rubbing his eyes.

He glanced at the clock and it was already nearing one but he still felt like he hadn’t slept enough. He went to his room, the bed was still not made but L.Joe was long gone, and fell back asleep on top of his blanket.

He woke again in intermitted intervals at 2:00, 3:30 and then finally a four. His stomach wanted food more than rest and he at last forced himself out of bed.

-to be continued-

AN:: OMG OMG OMG the picture at the top BAM RIGHT IN THE FEELINGS!!!!!!!!!! HOW IS THIS MY FIRST TIME SEEING THIS PIC? BUT GYS TEEN TOP COMEBACK BTW WAS TODAY MUCORE teen top *does the worm on floor* please reviewa nd stuff i can't propperly thakn u because TEENTIPOBS BACK! *hops off cliff*