The soft blush of the morning sun gently lightened the room, the white walls nearly radiating in its wake. He silently crawled out of bed, sighing softly when he saw two bodies hidden in the blankets, their limbs tangled together as their brows pressed tightly against each other. He decided it best not to wake them, knowing how difficult it was for them to sleep, instead bringing the blanket up to cover their shivering bodies. A mumble came from one of them, the two shifting closer together, and he left them alone, heading into the kitchen to start breakfast.

The silence was almost deafening as he cooked the eggs, the sizzle of the oil almost screeching and the scratching of the pan against the stove top resounding. He stole a glance at the open doorway, the two still in sight, sleeping blissfully. He debated closing the door so he wouldn’t wake them, though knew better to keep them in view. He checked the rice cooker, taking the eggs off the pan and waited, leaning against the countertop.

It wasn’t long that they lived like this, the three of them together. The two, ever since they came into his home, had been a pair, never able to be found without the other close by. He waited until he finished high school before moving out, and it was only natural that the two followed him. They never were able to connect with his parents, always opting to stay around him and only really speaking with him. He didn’t pity them, they would kill him if he tried, but he couldn’t help but feel saddened with how withdrawn and deadened they had become. They had tried to go to school, to try and regain their lives; but the moment they stepped into a crowd they panicked, nearly passing out and having to go the hospital. After that, they were pulled out of school and stayed home, only having each other for comfort while he continued his studies. He dreamed that one day they would overcome their fear and be able to fully step outside, to let real, genuine smiles cross their faces again.

The rice cooker popped, and he sighed again as he scooped out each of their shares, placing it in bowls and setting them next to the eggs. He was about to grab drinks when he felt a slender pair of arms wrap around his waist, a cheek pressed into his shoulder. He made sure not to make any sudden movements as he placed his hands over the other’s, patting them gently.

“Good morning Hak-yeon,” he said softly, making sure not to raise his voice too loud. He could feel the other rub his face into his shoulder, a small whimper escaping the other’s lips.

“Taek-woonie,” he breathed, his voice barely audible. He finally turned around, pulling the other’s arms away without letting go of his hands. Hak-yeon stood stiffly, his eyes glossy and lackluster, the morning sun lighting up his face and brightening his silver hair. He never questioned why he always insisted on dying his hair silver, the color odd, only dutifully going out and buying a new can every three months and washing the color into his hair. He knew that while the other never said anything, he was grateful.

“Is Hong-bin awake?” he asked, and Hak-yeon turned his head slightly in time to see Hong-bin shuffle into the room, rubbing his eyes. The youngest sniffed the air, his eyes honed on the food, and he mumbled something as he made a move to grab the food.

“No Binnie,” Hak-yeon said gently, stopping the other with a slow hand. “You have to sit and eat.” Hong-bin didn’t argue, nodding his head and allowing Hak-yeon to guide him to the table. The two of them slowly knelt to the floor, conjoined at the hip as they looked up at him and waited patiently. He wanted to say he was used to the way they stared at him, but he never was truly used to the listless look in their eyes. He let out a deep breath before grabbing the bowls and placing it in front of them, placing one egg on each bowl. They didn’t move, waiting for him to finish putting the drinks down and sitting across from them. Only then did they move, picking up their chopsticks and eating small bites.

They never ate a lot, their cheekbones protruding and their shoulder blades jutting out from under their thick sweaters. Whenever they tried to eat more they would just throw it back up, their cheeks puffy and their eyes bloodshot.

He pretended not to watch them, instead focusing on eating his own breakfast. He glanced up periodically to see Hak-yeon lift up a clump of rice every so often and feed it to Hong-bin, the younger boy more than ready to take it. It was only at times like these when a ghost of a smile would flutter on the elder’s lips, a spark of emotion flashing in his eyes. Knowing how slow they ate, he took his time eating; while they never said anything, he knew they didn’t like it when he finished before them. Hong-bin at one point picked up a piece to feed to Hak-yeon, whimpering when he dropped it. Hak-yeon laughed, lifting the napkin up to wipe Hong-bin’s mouth.

He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself, and he froze when he felt something at him, and he berated himself for upsetting them. But when he looked up, he was surprised to see Hak-yeon holding his chopsticks out with a few pieces of rice on the end. Hong-bin stared at him as well, his lips upturned in a slight pout. Knowing how rare this was, he hurriedly ate the rice.

“Thank you,” he said quickly, still whispering.

“You need to eat,” was the other’s reply, his hand sluggish as he reached over the table to pat his head. The movement was stiff, his hand almost slapping him, but his heart swelled all the same. For a second the Hak-yeon he had known had returned; a near gummy smile on his face. But almost as quickly the smile was gone, replaced by his usual blank look. He went back to his meal, the image of Hak-yeon smiling still in his mind when another voice sounded out.

“Eat.” He looked up to see another pair of chopsticks shoved in his direction, this time Hong-bin on the other end. He glanced over to Hak-yeon, the other not even looking at him as he continued eating. “Eat,” Hong-bin repeated, leaning forward slightly in an attempt to push it in his mouth. He opened his mouth, gagging when Hong-bin shoved it in his mouth, wiping the rice onto his tongue. He coughed as he roughly swallowed.

“T-thank you Hong-bin,” he said, and Hong-bin’s face lit up. But even that didn’t last long.

He washed their bowls when the finished, secretly packing away the leftovers they didn’t finish, knowing their eyes were watching his every move from their seats. He went to his room to change, the apartment so silent that he could hear the soft whisperings of the two as they spoke of things they only kept to themselves. He sometimes wished they would speak to him, say more than the few words they did manage, but he never wanted to push them more than what they were comfortable with. One day. One day they’ll get better.

He grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder as he headed toward the door. Soft rustles came from the kitchen and he soon found two pairs of feet padding behind him. The two of them came over to his side, watching as he laced his shoes and threw his coat on. Not knowing what to say when they stood still like that, he gave them a soft nod goodbye and headed for the door.

A soft hand held him back, and he turned to see Hak-yeon pulling his arm. The other took a second before going over to the coat rack, sliding a scarf off and coming back over to him. Without a word he threw it over his head, his fingers wrapping it snugly around his neck. “Be careful,” he said quietly, his fingers pausing as he knotted it and tugged it tight. “Come back safe.” He nodded again, wondering if he should say anything, and just opted for a small wave.

Hong-bin waved back.

The two of them never could tell the difference between the weekdays and weekends, never wondering why he went out even on days he didn’t have school. Not that they would have been hurt either way; while they wanted him to be there all the time, and hated watching him leave, they never paid him much attention when he was home. The two usually were lost in their own world, sitting hidden in corners of the apartment. Sometimes they would hide themselves so well that he wouldn’t be able to find them, and only after hours of searching would he find the two cuddled together behind the sofa, sleeping.

He wanted to find someone to help them, to help them get better; however each time he tried to bring them out of the house they would panic and scream. They would react similarly if he tried bringing someone home, grabbing whatever they could to beat the intruder down if they came close. He didn’t want to upset them or lose the little trust they had in him, so he was forced to learn different techniques on his own and attempt to help them little by little on his own.

It wasn’t going well.

Today was the most he had ever seen out of the two.

He drew his coat around him tighter as he crossed the street, the small café he recognized in sight. He quickened his pace as he nearly ran inside, the light snow that had been falling when he left now falling so heavily he could barely see in front of him. Coughing, he quickly entered the small building, shaking the snow from his hair and looked up expectantly, all workers in the empty place looking up at him. One girl, the only non-worker there, brightened at seeing him and ran to his side.

“Taek-woon oppa!” she called out, flashing a wide smile as she wrapped her warm hands over his own, deciding at the last minute not to hug him when she saw his normally black coat white with snow.

“Hello Saet-byul,” he said amicably, letting her drag him to a table and sitting him down. She sat across from him, grinning brilliantly.

It had been a while since he had last seen her, final exams coming up and the two becoming more difficult to watch over being reasons as to why. From the way her face glowed and the bags under her eyes were gone, he could only guess she was doing better. He noticed the slight touches of make-up on her face and he wondered who put it on for her. She laughed, her laugh so soft and carefree, as she reached over the table and pat his hands.

“Order something,” she said breathily, her eyes shining and her face glowing. “I’ll treat you.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, glancing over her and finally noticed the new coat and scarf she wore, the clothes so new that the colors practically radiated. He knew how much her family saved their money, their finances low, and knew they never would have been able to afford buying her new clothes, let alone allow her to treat him coffee. “You don’t need to,” he said delicately, gently pulling her hand off him. “I can buy my own drink.”

Her face fell and he slightly regretted denying her. “I wanted to treat you,” she said sadly, her smile gone and replaced with a downtrodden expression. “Ji-hyun told me that I’m supposed to treat someone when I get my first job.”

“You have a job?” he asked, surprised, and her face brightened again.

“Yes, I was hired to work here.” Despite her excitement, she managed to still keep an air of embarrassment around her, hiding her face behind her hands as she laughed. “They hired me yesterday. I wanted to tell you first.”

“Is that why you called me out?” His lip curved up at how happy she was, the sight a great welcome compared to how broken she had been. She was doing so well now.

“Were…were you busy? You didn’t have to come see me if you were busy.”

“I’m proud of you.” That brought the smile back, her cheeks reddening and lowering her head so her hair shielded her face. Her hands covering her face again, she turned to one of the waitresses who had been watching them, hoarsely calling out to her. He watched her as she ordered, her face flushed as she pointed to something on the menu for both of them. Seeing how she spoke on her own without having to be prodded or helped, he couldn’t help but see how much she changed. He still remembered clearly the first day Hak-yeon had introduced him to her; so shy that she couldn’t look at him without having Hak-yeon by her side. She had been a wreck the first couple years after Hak-yeon refused to see her; it was a miracle how much she had improved in this last year.

Neither spoke while they waited, both of them people who enjoyed silence over anything. He noticed she had dyed her hair a soft auburn, something he found odd when she had stubbornly kept the same silver color Hak-yeon used for years. He didn’t have a chance to ask her about it when the waitress returned with their drinks, placing the cups in front of them. Saet-byul hummed happily as she hurriedly brought the mug to her lips, sipping contentedly.

He could tell she wanted to say something to him, her fingers twitching every time she put the cup down, biting her lower lip nervously. He waited patiently for her to ready herself, having perfected his patience level dealing with the two at home. Finally, she glanced up at him, her eyes suddenly sad.

“Taek-woon oppa…how is N doing?”

He spluttered as he nearly spit his coffee on himself, instead slurping the hot drink and burning his tongue. He coughed as he tried to catch his breath, his mouth burning. She jumped at his reaction, grabbing a bunch of napkins and hurriedly helping him clean up the table. She attempted to wipe his face but he stopped her, cleaning his own face instead. “I’m sorry,” she gushed. “I didn’t mean to surprise you or anything. I just worry about him and you haven’t mentioned him in a while-”

“It’s alright Saet-byul,” he reassured, getting up to throw the napkins away. He could feel her eyes on him the entire time, and he tiredly sat back down. She fidgeted, nearly biting a hold into her lip.

“N…he…he’s…okay, right?”

“He’s doing fine,” he lied, a lie that he no longer felt guilty for telling. Despite her promise to stay away from Hak-yeon, she asked about him every time they met without fail. It was almost as if he was the only thing she could think of, and there were times he wondered how she was able to get by without seeing him. He had seen how close she and Hak-yeon had been, seen how much they loved each other; he didn’t have the heart to tell her how broken the other had become.

Surprisingly, she didn’t seem relieved in the least, instead tugging into a frown and her fingers around her mug tightening. “Please don’t lie to me,” she whispered. “Even though he refuses to see me, I know he’s not doing well.” He blinked, wondering how she was able to tell how bad Hak-yeon was. But there were things that went on between them that he never truly understood. “He’s not well, is he?”

He shook his head, his lips pursed.

She started at that, leaning forward as her body shook. “Can I see him? Please let me see him, Taek-woon oppa.”

He just shook his head again. “He doesn’t want to see you; I’m not going to go against what he wants. I’m sorry Saet-byul.” Her face crumbled as she fell back into her chair, tears prickling the edges of her eyes. It was then that he knew she didn’t call him out here to tell him about her new job. He didn’t want to disappoint her like this, but he knew deep down that Hak-yeon had a reason for refusing to see her.

She sat completely still for a long minute before finally breathing out a slow sigh, wiping away her tears with her palms. “I’m sorry,” she said, chuckling bitterly as she absentmindedly went through her pockets and pulled out her small coin purse. “I really did mean to tell you only good things today. I’m sorry for crying in front of you.” She hurried away to pay for the drinks before he had a chance to open his mouth, and he could feel the eyes of all the workers on him, no doubt having watched her cry.

He sat awkwardly as he waited, uncomfortable with all the stares sent his way, and inwardly wished that she would move faster. She eventually came back, not a trace of tears of sadness on her face as she pulled him up from his seat, clinging tightly onto his arm. She didn’t waste any time dragging him out of there, no doubt desperately wanting to get away.

The snow was still falling heavily when they stepped outside, the sky dark and gray despite it being only early afternoon. He felt her press into his side and he glanced down to see her shiver, her long hair already dotted with snow. She noticed him staring and her cheeks reddened, burying her face into the crook of her scarf and shyly pulling his hand out of his pocket and holding it softly. She lifted it to her lips and blew on it gently. “Do you have anywhere to go after this?” she asked, her voice loud in the surprisingly quiet day; the weather heavy enough that only the brave or desperate were out and about. A brief image of the two sitting at home alone flashed through his mind, waiting for him, and he shook his head. They would be fine.

“Would you be able to walk with me for a bit? I don’t want to go home just yet.”

He couldn’t say no to her, her eyes still so wide and innocent, silently nodding his head. She squealed happily as she immediately started walking away, his hand still in hers. He wanted to pull his hand away, very much aware of the stares sent their way, but she was so blissfully unaware that he forced himself to stay still.

“Your hair…it’s red.” He berated himself for sounding so awkward, though luckily she didn’t think anything of it as she twirled a few strands of her hair between her fingers.

“I decided to change it,” she said slowly. “Hyuk told me that I should try forgetting about N, and this was the first step.” He vaguely remembered Hyuk as the boy who sometimes came with them when they would wander around Seoul back before everything happened. He only remembered him because Hak-yeon had constantly for liking Saet-byul. He didn’t know that she had kept in contact with him. “Do you like it?”

“It’s nice,” he mumbled, and she beamed.

She led him down a multitude of side streets and pathways, venturing further and further away from downtown, an air of calm settling around them. He noticed her mood changing little by little as they walked, her stride slowing and her shoulders slumping. He frowned, though he didn’t have a chance to think about it for long when she stopped. “Taek-woon oppa,” she said suddenly, her face turned away so he couldn’t meet her eyes, “do you think it’s my fault?”

He frowned. “Your fault for what?”

“They all said it was my fault, what happened to N and the others. That I’m a kidnapper and murderer’s daughter.”

“Who’s saying that?” he demanded, yanking on her hand and stopping her. She still refused to look at him, though he knelt slightly to try and meet her gaze. Her face was flushed, tears running down her cheeks and her lips trembling.

“Nobody,” she mumbled, though her voice shook and he could tell she was lying. He didn’t want to press her though. “I…is that why N doesn’t want to see me? Because he thinks that?”

“Saet-byul-”

“He knew the whole time!” she suddenly snapped, snatching her hand away and attempting to glare at him, the attempt only making her cry harder. “My mom forced him to take care of me by keeping his brother locked in the basement! I knew he was miserable, and I knew that he probably hated every second he was there, but I thought that he didn’t actually hate me. B-but…” she hiccupped, desperately trying to wipe her tears away. “But the moment my mom is taken away, he leaves me. He doesn’t even ask about me or come to see me even for a minute. All I ever needed was N…but…but…”

He watched as she devolved into pitiful sobs, her voice breaking. “What do I do Taek-woon oppa? I miss him so much and he doesn’t miss me at all. Taek-woon oppa, what do I do?”

He stuttered as he tried to find something to say to comfort her, unsure of what to say or do in this situation. He wouldn’t say he wasn’t shocked with the things she had just revealed to him; Hak-yeon had refused to tell him anything about what had happened during his time there, and there had been no one else he could ask. He didn’t know Hak-yeon had a brother and that both of them had been trapped there. If Saet-byul knew of this the whole time, and Hak-yeon knew this, it wasn’t hard to see why he didn’t want to see her.

But that wouldn’t console her. “It’s not your fault,” he finally said lamely, taking a second before draping his long arms over her and pulling her into a hug. She didn’t wait as she pressed her face against his chest, sobbing, her arms wrapping around his waist and clutching tightly. He repeatedly told her it wasn’t her fault, resting his head on hers reminiscent of the way he had seen Hak-yeon do to her before. It had the intended effect, her sobs softening until they were barely a whimper.

She eventually pulled away from him, her arms still holding him tight, chuckling softly. “You look like you’re in pain,” she laughed, resting her head on his chest again. “Do my hugs burn?”

“No.”

“Don’t worry, I like N’s hugs better.” She waited a little longer before finally letting go, smiling her painful smile that only made her tearstained cheeks glow. “I’m sorry you had to see that Taek-woon oppa. But thank you.”

“Cry if you need to,” he said solemnly, and he could see the shock pass over her face before she nodded.

“I promise.”

She refused to let him come any farther with her after that, no doubt embarrassed, insisting that she could get home on her own. He wasn’t completely comfortable with letting her go home on her own after seeing her cry, but she wouldn’t listen. She was nothing but cheerful as she waved him goodbye, promising to call him later and to pass along her love to Hak-yeon. He nodded and indulged her, promising while inwardly having no desire to tell Hak-yeon. Though he wasn’t sure the other would even react if he did.

He waited until he couldn’t see her retreating back any longer before heading back home, stopping by the local market. It was around that time again; he headed straight to the hair products and grabbed a can of silver hair dye. Hak-yeon would always get difficult if he didn’t dye his hair in time for it to start fading. He grabbed two bottles, preparing himself so next time he wouldn’t have to come out again, and hurriedly paid, wanting to get home before the snow got too bad.

He had long come to expect the unnerving silence that greeted him when he opened the apartment door, neither of the two anywhere in sight. He headed straight to the kitchen, his eyes honing in on a lone foot sticking out from under the table. He carefully placed the bags on the countertop, pretending to look through it as he glanced under the table. There the two sat, huddled together with Hong-bin pressed firmly into Hak-yeon’s chest as they stared up at him. He pretended not to notice them as he set about cooking the three of them dinner.

They waited a while until it seemed he was too preoccupied to notice, their heads tentatively sticking out. Hak-yeon was the first to move, crawling out on his hands and knees very slowly, his eyes locked on him and his every movement. Hong-bin followed after him, his movements much slower and scared, clinging to the other when he finally crawled out. The two stood up together, holding onto each other as they tentatively came up to him, eyes locked on his hands.

He made sure not to pay them any attention, not wanting to startle them. As he pulled out the beef he bought the other day, he could hear curious hands searching through the shopping bag. He heard a clanking noise and glanced over to see Hak-yeon and Hong-bin playing around with the hair dye. “Hak-yeon,” he said carefully, enunciating the name gently, and the smile on the other’s face vanished. “Would you like me to dye your hair after dinner?”

Usually the other would nod, on his better days even insisting to dye it early. So he was surprised when Hak-yeon fiercely shook his head, setting it back on the counter. “I don’t want this color.”

His eyes widened, mouth agape, as he set his knife down and turned to fully face the other. Hak-yeon surprisingly didn’t look away in fear or pull away, instead meeting his gaze with a near pout. It took him a minute to make a complete sentence.

“You don’t want silver?”

“No.”

He blinked, wondering where this sudden burst of change came from, the other insisting on dying his hair the strange color for years. “Then what color would you like?”

“Not this color.”

He bit the inside of his cheek as he tried not to get frustrated, knowing inwardly that he should be excited for how much Hak-yeon was speaking on his own. He had to take this slow or the other might get scared and refuse to talk again. “Do you want black like mine?” He grabbed a handful of his own hair, though Hak-yeon only shook his head. “Do you want brown?”

“No.”

“Then do you-”

“Hak-yeon hyung doesn’t want it!” They both looked over to Hong-bin, the younger boy’s face flushed and his fingers wrapped tightly around Hak-yeon’s arm.

“Then can you tell me what color he wants?” The two looked at each other, silently conversing with each other, before Hak-yeon raised a finger and pointed.

“I want that color.” He followed the other’s line of sight and his face blanched; he had picked out one of the few things in the room that wasn’t white. The auburn cutting board with beef half cut on top. Auburn. He swallowed heavily as he ran a hand through his hair.

“You want this color?” Hak-yeon nodded solemnly. “Well, I’ll run to the supermarket after dinner-”

“Now.”

Not even minutes later he huffed to himself as he wrapped his scarf tight around his face, snow billowing in his eyes, inwardly hissing that Hak-yeon better appreciate this.

The two were standing patiently at the door when he finally returned, two cans of auburn hair dye in hand. He didn’t have time to ask if they wanted to eat first, Hak-yeon stepping forward and pulling the can out of his hand. He examined it silently, Hong-bin peeking out from behind his shoulder, before turning around and heading straight for the bathroom.

He couldn’t even be annoyed.

He made his way to the bathroom, Hak-yeon already running the water and quietly climbing into the bathtub. He couldn’t hold back a small gasp as he ran to the bath, hurriedly checking if the water was warm. The last time Hak-yeon had tried to take a bath on his own, he had freezing cold water run. He had been sick with a cold and fever for the next week. He sighed with relief when he felt the warm water run over his fingers.

Hak-yeon, finally noticing him, grabbed a towel nearby, his movements slow and sluggish from the wet clothes that hung off his body. The older boy gave him a small smile when he offered the towel up to him, that smile vanishing the moment he took it, gently draping it over the other’s shoulders. Since the day his family had taken the older boy home with them, Hak-yeon refused to wear anything that revealed any of his skin. He wouldn’t even change in front of him. That included the times when he had to dye his hair, insisting on entering the bath fully clothed.

He grabbed the showerhead, placing a gentle hand on the other’s head before turning the water on, letting it rain down on his hair. The other boy stayed silent as he wet his hair, and he made sure to take this chance to give him a proper bath. He worked the shampoo and conditioner into his hair to get out all the dust and dirt that collected from all the corners he hid in. He wondered if he could convince Hong-bin to bathe too, knowing he was probably just as filthy.

It was when he was finally adding the hair dye to his head that Hak-yeon’s hands moved, raising up and placing them over his own. He paused, leaning slightly to try and meet the other’s eyes to see what he needed only to be ignored in favor of staring at the door. He turned to see Hong-bin peeking his head inside, his fingers drumming on the side panel.

“Binnie,” Hak-yeon said pleasantly, a lazy smile forming on his lips. “Binnie, come here.”

Immediately the boy padded across the room, not giving Taek-woon a second glance as he climbed into the bathtub, also fully clothed. He inwardly sighed; he would have to make sure they changed into dry clothes before leaving. He didn’t want puddles of water around the apartment again. Hong-bin sat down in Hak-yeon’s lap, leaning his head back to get a look at the other’s face, a lopsided grin on his lips. “Hak-yeon hyung, your hair looks funny.”

“Taek-woonie hasn’t finished,” Hak-yeon replied, lovingly wrapping his arms around the younger’s thin shoulders. While neither said anything after, he took that as his cue to continue, hurrying to finish before the dye was ruined. He didn’t realize how much hair Hak-yeon had, already deciding to give him a haircut. Hong-bin too; the two always had to do everything together.

He ran hot water through the other’s now auburn locks once he finished, clearing out all the excess shampoo and bubbles to reveal his silky hair. “It’s all done,” he said softly. “Wait here, I’ll bring your clothes-”

“No. Not yet.” Hak-yeon turned slightly, Hong-bin still sitting on his lap, and grabbed the can of dye, dumping a glob of it on Hong-bin’s head.

“Hak-yeon, wait!” He snatched the can out of his hand and Hak-yeon sent him a horrified look, and he quickly backtracked. “Sorry, you just have to make sure his hair is wet first.” Hak-yeon didn’t move, still frozen, as he dumped handfuls of water over Hong-bin’s head, the younger shivering each time. “There, it’s okay now. You can continue.” He stepped back, not making a sound, and after a few seconds Hak-yeon finally moved again, his lips pursed as he started to mechanically wash the other’s head.

“It tickles hyung,” Hong-bin giggled, though it didn’t get any response from the older.

He left the two of them alone, knowing Hak-yeon wanted to be alone. He left two clean sets of clothes outside the door, listening briefly until he could hear their soft whispers from inside, Hak-yeon gently urging Hong-bin to take off his clothes. He cooked for dinner while he waited for them, working slow enough that he was still cooking by the time the two of them snuck out of the bathroom. Hak-yeon was back to normal by then; cooing softly into Hong-bin’s ear with fingers running through the younger’s thick, newly reddish locks. When he sat down with them to give them their food, something else happened that took him by surprise.

Hak-yeon’s hand snuck out and grasped his wrist when he moved to sit down, pulling slightly. He stared in the other’s eyes for a second, trying to see what he wanted, before he tentatively moved to kneel by his side. A smile grew as Hak-yeon pushed Hong-bin away gently to grab his plate, scooping a handful of vegetables up with his chopsticks and holding it up in front of Taek-woon’s face.

“Eat,” he said, an almost cheerful tone in his voice, and Taek-woon wasn’t sure if he could hide the warming of his face. He carefully let him feed him, and Hak-yeon’s face brightened. “Eat more,” he said, scooping a huge chunk of kimchi and shoving it in his mouth.

“Hyung,” Hong-bin whined, petulant about being ignored, though he felt he couldn’t really be bothered to comfort him. He was sure it was obvious how red his face was when Hak-yeon grabbed a piece of meat, blowing on it gently before offering it to him. He opened his mouth, waiting, but he never was able to eat it, Hong-bin frustratingly tugging Hak-yeon’s arm and purposefully eating the food, glaring daggers at him. Hak-yeon only blinked before shifting and feeding the other.

He couldn’t hide his disappointment when he went back to his seat, eating alone. Hak-yeon gave no indication he moved, his attention solely paid on Hong-bin.

He sighed.

After dinner, he made sure the two of them crawled into their own bed, waiting until they were asleep before closing the door.

The next morning he found the two of them pressed firmly into his back, their trembling fingers clutching his sleeve. 

Hello!

I was going to wait until I finished my classes before I started writing this, but I had some time and the words just came out. I don't know if the updates would be able to continue being this fast, so this chapter is extra long. Please enjoy!