Taekwoon didn't know how to express himself. He didn't know how to get the oblivious boy to remember him without somehow verbally telling him that they used to know each other. That in some way, they used to love each other.

He remembered him instantly upon seeing him coming into the club behind The Leader, his delicate face, attentive eyes and the dimples he tried to suppress in front of everyone else. His heart skipped and he wanted to call out his name happily with a smile, Lee Hongbin. He wanted to hug him and reminisce and fumble over words together as he asked if they could finally have an official relationship, but he lost his nerve. No matter how much Taekwoon missed Hongbin, he couldn't find a way over the lump of anxiety that formed his chest when he thought about confronting his old friend. He couldn't win the battle that started every time he was forced to speak, even if it was to someone he knew.

So he went along as if he didn't remember. He hid behind his safest mask, the mask of disinterest, and tried to quell his feelings. Taekwoon decided that he would maybe casually bring it up that they once knew each other if the opportunity ever came up, but no. Jung 'Kitten' Taekwoon didn't do casual.

When Hongbin started crying, instead of doing what seemed obvious and comforting the young man, he put a hand on his shoulder and blurted out, almost frantically like it would stop the tears. "I think we dated as little kids. We should again."

The phrase was tactless, completely random and it shattered any vision of a cool aloof young man Hongbin might have had, but to Taekwoon's surprise, the flower boy started laughing through his tears.

"I'm so relieved!" Hongbin said with a deep sigh after his laughter subsided a bit. "I knew you but I couldn't remember your name, and I couldn't tell if you hated me for having to leave or if you moved on or anything!"

Taekwoon was a bit confused, but happy, he didn't need to keep up his dark mask now that he knew what Hongbin was thinking. He could open himself up a bit.

After pulling to the side of the road and stopping, he looked at the excited passenger and hugged him without thinking. "Hongbin. I missed you so much", he whispered into his hair. He knew he wasn't acting like himself at all, but it was almost as if having the meeting inspired something needy in him, like the child he was when he lost his first love.

Hongbin stiffened a bit at the usage of his name, but relaxed instantly when Taekwoon quietly whispered his own name.

Hongbin pulled away from the hug to wipe away the stains of his tears, and nodded slightly. "Yes, I think we should try to be a couple. We can get to know each other all over again because I'm pretty sure you're favorite thing in the world isn't the toy steak we used to play with."

Both boys shared a comfortable laugh.

"I want you to come to my house. My parents and sisters probably aren't home so we won't have to act." Taekwoon decided as he pulled back out into the street. It was obvious that Hongbin was questioning what Taekwoon meant by 'act', but thankfully decided to pull it back.

They drove in, for once, a comforting silence. They looked at each other when they could. Looked at the shape of their faces, the tiny details in how they moved and tried to avoid catching each other's eyes.

They were a couple. They were barely even friends yet, but they knew that they loved each other once and would grow to love each other again. Taekwoon felt a little bit of safety for once.

That feeling disappeared when he pulled into the driveway of his formidable house to find a car he recognized in the garage.

“My sister is here”, Leo whispered, suddenly reverted to his old way. He couldn’t think about Hongbin or going back to see The Leader and his friends, he was just in the now. Hongbin looked at Taekwoon with some concern, but Taekwoon wasn’t thinking. He had to get his façade on.

A young woman, older than Taekwoon but still quite youthful with long black hair tied into a loose bun stuck her head out of the front door. She looked at Taekwoon and Hongbin with slight distaste, then a certain air of smugness as she called out in feigned surprise, “Oh! Taekwoon, I didn’t know you were coming back. Who’s your friend?”

Taekwoon surprisingly didn’t miss a single beat as he coolly walked closer to be heard as he evenly said, “He’s my girlfriend’s brother.”

Hongbin tried not to flinch at the immediate lie and gave a slight nod of his head.

The young woman didn’t seem convinced, but Taekwoon was holding himself too steadily, too nonchalant to completely disregard as a liar. She only passed another look between them and muttered something about never seeing the actual girlfriend before stepping back inside the house.

Hongbin gave a questioning look to Taekwoon, but the young man didn’t return it. He had dark eyes and an invisible wall around him as he ushered Hongbin inside to be his supposed girlfriend’s brother. 

Waah~ No excuses

I had extreme writer's block with this story. Expect updates to come back quicker now that I'm back in control,

I won't do you guys like that ever again, okay?