Forgetting Brian never even crossed my mind.

Dowoon was over at Brian's getting my things. I was back on Sungjin's porch, picking at a new splinter in the cherry wood. My eyes burned from the tears streaking out of them and from the scorch of Sungjin's cigarettes.

"Hyung," I hiccuped out, rubbing at my leaking eyes with my knuckles. "My eyes sting..."

He let out a surprised grunt, and at the next moment, the cigarette was beneath the sole of his shoe and he was coughing to the side. His hand rose to erratically wave away the smoke still lingering in the air. His large eyes met mine; his face seemed slightly blurred from behind my tears. "S-Sorry, Pil," he murmured out in that slightly raspy voice of his which always seemed to bring me comfort.

I sighed. "S'— S'not your fault, yeah? You could've kept smoking, I don't mind..."

He cautiously neared me until our shoulders met, his shoe gently knocking into mine. He looked me over with concern. "He..." Sungjin licked over his lips, chapped from the smoke, then continued. "He didn't treat you right, either."

I stayed silent. My eyes trailed away from Sungjin's large, inquisitive ones. My fingers kept tugging at the splinter sticking up from the wood.

"Stay with me," sounded Sungjin's voice, suddenly. My head turned back to him. His eyes were genuine, a soft sort of brown overtaking them — melted chocolate on a stove, mixed satisfyingly with milk and poured over by hershey's kisses.

"Em... Sorry?"

"Stay with me," he repeated. A shy hand traced over the railing to cover mine, and a flustered pink overtook Sungjin's cheekbones, dusting them as a rose is covered with dewdrops in the early morning. "That way, I can keep you safe. I care for you, yeah?"

The comforting scent of cherry cigarettes and rooibos enticed me to agree, to let Sungjin care for me like he always had in the far past, but I pushed the option away with regret. "Sungjinnie-hyung..." I bit my lip, and a fresh tear rolled down my cheek. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can, right now. I—I have to have some time alone."

Sorrowfully, Sungjin let go of my hand.