Just a quick author's note:

PLEASE READ: People think this story is ending, because the chapter ended happily? I don't really know, but Y'ALL, when the story ends, I'll put a fatass, "THE END", so don't worry about this fic ending anytime soon!

This chapter has a cliffhanger, but don't worry, because I already have the next chapter ready! 

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 4K READS I CANT BELIEVE THIS FIC HAS BEEN CLICKED ON THAT MANY TIMES THAT'S CRAZY.

Enjoy!

WARNING: BRIEF MENTION OF VOMIT. DO NOT READ IF SENSITIVE. 

Ten was happy.

No, scratch that, he was elated.

Sure, he's usually always very cheerful and bright, but right now, he feels like he could eat a thousand fruits and not even flinch, and that means a lot.

He was now heading home from the hospital with a bounce in his steps, and a maniacal grin on his face, feeling like he was dreaming.

Eventually, he began to run, wanting to get to Jungwoo and tell him everything as fast as possible.

When he arrived at the door, he rushed to get it open. He slammed it open, causing his innocent brother to flinch when the door hit the wall.

"Woo!" Ten said, panting. He stood there dramatically, like a hero who just accomplished their mission and now it was the ending shot and the heroic pose.

"What? What happened." Jungwoo asked, confused. He was peacefully texting Lucas on the couch, when he was disturbed by his all too excited brother.

Ten didn't reply, instead, he closed the door and jumped on Jungwoo with a laugh. The other squeaked as they toppled over.

Ten held himself up on his arms, trapping Jungwoo with a creepy grin. Jungwoo looked horrified.

"Taeyong and I kissed."

All of Jungwoo's initial fear of his creepy ass brother left his body and replaced itself with uncontrollable excitement. He shot up, pushing Ten off him.

"What?!"

"I know!"

Jungwoo was at a loss for words.

"You-"

"Mhm." Ten said, nodding. His face was red from trying to hold in his laugh.

"Taeyong-"

"Mhm!"

Jungwoo sputtered. He looked down with closed eyes and massaged his temples. "My mind can't even process this right now." He whined, causing Ten to laugh.

"I know, I'm still in a daze."

"Well? Tell me everything! How did it happen?"

Ten smiled.

"Well he passed his test, right, and I was so happy for him I wanted to cry. Then we waited for his break time. I swear, Woo, I have never felt more excited in my entire life. I was almost shaking. Then I showed him around, we talked to Yangyang and-"

"Wait, Taeyong had an interaction with someone other than you and Doyoung?!" Jungwoo asked. He had a pretty good imagination of what Taeyong was like, and from the stories that Ten had told him, he definitely wasn't the social type.

"I know! I was so proud of him. Anyways, I took him to that place I was telling you about, that hallway where no one goes," Ten said, continuing once Jungwoo nods, showing that he does remember.

"And the smile on his face made my heart literally creep out my ass. It was the cutest thing ever."

Jungwoo grimaced. "Your heart creeping out of your ass or Taeyong's smile?" He asked, laughing when Ten hit his shoulder.

"You know what I mean. Anyways, then I needed to calm my nerves so I ran up this grassy hill, and little did I know, Taeyong was watching me the whole time instead of the flowers. I felt like I was in a movie, he was just staring at me with this sparkle in his eyes."

Jungwoo let Ten have a moment to himself to squeal. He had never seen him so love-struck, it was endearing, to say the least.

"I asked him if he liked the place, and he started running up the hill to me, and I nearly fell off, which would've been sad as hell. Then, he fucking picks me up and twirls me around like I'm some kind of princess. I felt like I left my tiara back in the room, it felt that good. Then he sets me down, takes my hands, and kisses my fucking forehead, saying, 'I love it'" Ten said, trying to deepen his voice to match Taeyong's.

Now both of them were squealing. Their arms were flailing around like they had just seen a spider.

"I never thought Taeyong would be so romantic!" Jungwoo screamed.

"I know! It was like the sun made him a whole new person!" Ten screeched.

"But that's not it, there's more." Ten added, straightening up again, causing Jungwoo to do the same.

"At that point, we were done with the garden, and so I took him to the music room. I was so excited. Then, he walked in, and his face was literally the cutest thing I have ever seen, even cuter than those cats that are always outside your cafe, what are their names? Lewis?-"

"Louis and Leon." Jungwoo quickly clarified, a bit surprised. "Damn, you're so whipped you forgot the names of your favorite cats?"

"I know. I can't really think straight right now."

Jungwoo laughed, "You never-"

"Don't you dare, make a sexuality joke right now." Ten interrupting sternly, quickly shutting the other up. Jungwoo nodded obediently.

"Anyways," Ten said with a dreamy sigh, already back to his love-sick state. "He looked so surprised and happy at the same time. He had this little bounce in his feet which made me smile so hard, I probably looked like I was gonna murder him."

Jungwoo laughed at Ten's interesting word choice.

"So, then I asked him to play a song for me on the piano, and I was not disappointed. That man can play. His playing was so relaxing, I rested my head on his shoulder and I felt like I could take a nap, right then and there."

"It's crazy to me how this guy is the most feared patient in all of that hospital, but you and him seem to have so much skin contact." Jungwoo said.

"I don't know. It's just so comfortable with him. Most of the time actually, he uses contact to communicate. It's fucking adorable." Ten said, his smile growing larger by the second. He finished his sentence by waving his balled fists around frantically. Jungwoo laughed and reciprocated the action.

"Okay, okay, then, I managed to get us more time for the break and we were just looking around the music room. Then, all of the sudden, one of my favorite songs starts playing, and so, I turn around, and he's standing there with such poise that I don't even think he knew he had. I felt like he was a Prince. Anyways, then he says, 'Do you remember when you said that you would dance for me'. Then, I got so flustered, I was spitting and looking all red. Not one of my finest moments."

Jungwoo laughed at that, as well as Ten's continuous deep voice he puts on to mimic Taeyong.

"Then, you won't believe what happened next. I told him the song was too slow, and it wasn't a good song to dance to, but then he fucking holds out his hand and asks me to slow dance with him."

Jungwoo looked amazed. "That's so cute!"

Ten squealed. "I know! So, then, I took his hand, and I'm telling you, I've held his hand before, many times, but this time, it just felt different, I was imploding with giddiness. And, so, we started dancing, which by the way, I've never slow danced, but we did damn good. He's probably an actual prince because who the fuck slow dances that well?

Anyways, while we were dancing, he was looking at me with this look that I can't even describe, but it nearly made me completely stumble, which would've been bad. But then, the song was coming to an end, and we were just staring at each other, and I don't know what came over me, but I started leaning in, right, and I realized that he was too. So we stood there, our lips nearly brushing against each other, until I finally got the courage to lean in and seal the deal, and bitch, if that wasn't the best kiss I had ever had, I don't know what is."

"No way, you've kissed way too many people to tell." Jungwoo said skeptically.

"No! I'm serious! I know for a fact, that no one had ever gotten me that worked up that much in a matter of seconds. I'm not even kidding, I moaned when our tongues touched, and I never moan at something as little as that."

"Okay, okay, I think I get it." Jungwoo said, laughing. Sure, he loved hearing about his brother's adventures, but he's not sure if he can handle something that specific. He'd prefer to live his life without knowing what makes his brother moan and what doesn't.

Ten laughed at Jungwoo's face. "But yeah, needless to say, Taeyong's a good ass kisser. After we pulled away, we just stood there holding each other, it felt like a movie. We just hung out after that, until we were told that our time was over. I would've stayed the night, but I needed to tell you all this as soon as possible, I couldn't wait."

"As happy as I am for you, can't you not date inside the workplace?" Jungwoo asked.

Ten bit his lip and thought for a moment, his brows furrowed. He had been so lost in his feelings that he hadn't even realized he and Taeyong couldn't openly date.

"I guess I didn't think about that. I guess we're gonna have to go on the down low, cause I'm not just gonna give this up for some silly rule, you know?"

Jungwoo shook his head with a smile. "Who would've known that the thing to break my brother was his own patient?"

Ten shook his head. "I've never felt this way before, about anyone."

Jungwoo took a mock offense to that claim. "You don't love me?" he said, laughing when Ten lightly slapped his arm, muttering a quiet 'shut up'. There was a moment of silence before Ten sat up abruptly, causing his brother to jump.

"Who brought love into this?" Ten said, surprise with a mix of panic on his face.

"Oh, come on, Ten! You and I both know that the entire time you were telling that story, you were love-struck, you heard that word? Love-struck. L-O-V-E, love. Don't try and deny it."

Ten looked down like a child being scolded. "But I've haven't even known him for a year! And we just kissed."

"There's no limit to how early you can fall in love with someone. If you do, you do, there's nothing time related that should take that feeling away from you."

Ten stayed silent, before realizing something.

"You sure seem to know a lot about love, almost like you've experienced it." He said, squinting at the other.

Now it was Jungwoo's turn to become flustered. "W-well... I-I-"

"I knew it! You're totally in love with Lucas!" Ten said, bouncing on the couch and hitting Jungwoo. After Ten finally stopped, thanks to Jungwoo's numerous pleas, the latter spoke.

"Yeah... I do love him." He said, a smile growing on his face.

Ten laughed and clapped. Jungwoo soon did the same.

"When are you going to tell him?"

Jungwoo's mood suddenly saddened. "I... I've thought about it, a lot, actually, and I'm scared, you know? I've tried to confess my love before, in fourth grade, and look what happened, it completely blew up in my face. What's even worse, is that the fourth grade confession was nothing. I thought I was in love, but it was just a silly crush. But now, I know that what Lucas and I have is real, and the thought that it could all be ruined with just three words? It's fucking terrifying."

Ten gave Jungwoo a moment to think through his emotions. He knew Jungwoo would feel this. It's normal for people who have been through a lot. Especially for people like Jungwoo, who was scarred into thinking that no one would ever love him back.

He reached out a hand to let his brother hold.

"Woo," Ten started. Jungwoo looked up, a couple tears escaping from his eyes. "Do you remember how Lucas confessed to you?"

Jungwoo nodded weakly. "He handed me a broken bouquet and confessed." he said, causing both of them to laugh softly.

"You know, I was with him, before he confessed to you." Ten said. Jungwoo looked up, the surprise obvious on his face.

Ten softly laughed at the other's expressions, and nodded. "He called me over to help him set up what he was going to confess to you with. The panic in his voice was so strong, even I started sweating before he even told me what was wrong." Ten said, emitting more quiet laughter from the two.

"I went over and the place was a mess. It looked awful, smelled awful- seriously how did you deal with that awful cologne he wore?"

Jungwoo chuckled. "At first I hated it, but I got used to it because it started to smell like home. He doesn't wear it anymore though."

"That's because, when I came over, I told him to throw it out." Ten laughed.

"My point is," Ten started, when the comfortable silence engulfed them again. "When I was there, he was so freaked out about how you would react to the candles, the bouquets, everything he did. That's when I knew that he truly cared for you." Ten said. He reached out, cupping Jungwoo's cheeks and gently wiping his tears away with his thumbs.

"Don't beat yourself up over something that happened in fourth grade, because like you said, this is different, this is love. I've seen Lucas express his love for you, and you need to take the risk to try and see it yourself. You need to see how much you've grown, and how that only adds to the list of things for why you should love yourself, and why Lucas could love you too. Confidence is hard to find, but it starts with you loving yourself, because it helps you know what you have to offer. I love you, and it's the easiest thing in the world, so it's not hard for me to believe that Lucas would feel the same.

It's always okay to be scared, but that doesn't mean eliminating any reason that things could go your way. You have so many things to give, okay? Don't let your fears suppress them."

Jungwoo nodded determinedly. A sob tore his throat the moment Ten pulled him close, laying his head on his shoulder. Ten carded his fingers through the other's hair, whispering sweet and encouraging words.

After a moment, Jungwoo lifted his head off the other's shoulders, wiping his tears and smiling. "What would I do without you?"

"Not be there to make me happy." Ten said, watching with adoration as Jungwoo dipped his head shyly.

"Thank you, Ten." Jungwoo said, and Ten was proud to see the spark of determination in his brother's eyes.

****

Taeyong was happy.

He's happy, but he doesn't know how to deal with that happiness. He had never felt this feeling before, and he felt like he should be running around yelling to the world how happy he was, or holding Ten in his arms, thanking him, for bringing him this feeling, for being his savior.

He was sitting on his bed, rocking back and forth in his position, his eyes trained on the tiny sliver of the moon he could see outside his window, a bright smile adorning his face.

Suddenly, the beep of his door echoed through the room, causing Taeyong to snap his head towards it. Even if it were unreasonable, he likes to hope that Ten would surprise him at this god awful hour.

Taeyong's smile dimmed when he saw that it was just Doyoung. The doctor looked sullen, like he had just heard news he didn't want to hear.

"Hey, Taeyong," Doyoung said, closing the door behind him. "I was hoping we could talk about something I'd like to know about."

Taeyong didn't respond. He knew Doyoung would yap away, no matter what his answer really was. The guy is full of rhetorical questions.

Doyoung sat down on the chair across the room from him. He got comfortable, using that time as an opportunity to clearly lay out his words and evaluate what Taeyong's state could be.

"I've been receiving reports that you've been throwing away your medications?"

Taeyong didn't really know what to respond, he didn't have an excuse for it, and he didn't want to end up being forced to take them. He stayed silent.

Doyoung expected this, as always. He continued to speak.

"You never stopped taking your medications before. What changed?"

Silence.

"Taeyong... I think you and I both know the answer to this question, and if you don't answer me now, I'm gonna have to report Ten."

Taeyong's head snapped up at that. An indescribable panic and anger overcame him. Doyoung seemed to sense this, his eyes slightly widening and he became on edge. Taeyong noticed this, and began to breathe slowly, closing his eyes and unclenching his fists, trying to calm down again.

"Ten didn't do anything." He spoke confidently.

Doyoung raised his eyebrows. "So, it was you who came up with the idea to stop taking them?"

Taeyong stuttered. "N-no but-"

"So, who did?"

"W-well Ten, but-"

"Taeyong, I can't let Ten's actions slide. Do you know the withdrawals you could get? The possible symptoms on top of your diagnosis won't help the situation."

Taeyong grew frustrated. He felt like he was in a box that was slowly filling with water and he couldn't handle it. It was only a matter of time before he caused an outburst.

"Ten may have said the words, but it was my decision to follow them. The medications never did anything for me, and neither did you. Ten's the only one who cares about me in this god damn fucking hospital! Take him away from me, and you take away everything that is helping me. You're taking away my happiness." Taeyong yelled, slowly advancing towards Doyoung.

Doyoung looked alarmed, and surprised at the words that escaped Taeyong's mouth. "Taeyong-"

"And as for the withdrawals, I did have them, and Ten was there for me, every step of the fucking way. And where were you? This hospital's most renowned doctor? You were gone! You were on a work leave, which you seem to have every fucking day!" Taeyong spat. He could feel the skin breaking in his hands again, but he would take it over hitting something, or someone.

There was a silence, an ear piercing silence, that Doyoung was too astonished to fill, and Taeyong too angry.

"Taeyong... I don't really know what to say..."

"Just don't say anything. Ten did it to help me, there is no point in reporting him for it."

Doyoung nodded. "I understand that now, and I'm sorry for putting Ten in that position. But what surprised me the most is what you said about me. I... I never knew you felt that way."

Taeyong stood still, his fists unclenched, ignoring the blood crawling down his hands, reaching for the floor.

"Ten is the only person who gave me the courage to say what I feel." Taeyong said as a matter-of-factly.

Doyung laughed weakly. "He's that good, huh?"

Taeyong looked down, smiling fondly. "Yeah. He is."

****

The next few weeks only heightened Ten's happiness.

Him and Taeyong were better than ever, and the other never failed to make Ten's heart beat like a love-sick teenage girl. He was happy, as long as Taeyong was.

It was a normal day. He woke up, excited and ready to go to work to see his... whatever he is to him, until he heard frantic shuffling outside.

He ran outside into the main room of his apartment, finding Jungwoo kneeling with his head pressed to the ground, clawing at his scalp. His breath was laboured and he was muttering incoherent words. Ten's body was filled with panic, wondering of all what could've gone wrong in a matter of seconds.

"Woo? Woo!" Ten yelled, running to his brother. He kneeled next to him, gently laying his hands on his shoulders.

The other flinched at the contact. His eyes shot up to Ten. They were drowning in tears of panic and fear.

"Ten... It won't go away. It won't stop!" he screamed, pounding on his head with his hands.

Ten quickly shushed the other, trapping his hands in his own to prevent them from hitting himself anymore. "Woo, it's okay, I'm here, okay? Just breathe slowly first. In and out." he quickly represented this by doing so himself.

It took a moment for Jungwoo's anxiety attack to be washed away by calm and slow breaths. With one final exhale, the male collapsed onto Ten due to exhaustion. The latter quickly caught the taller, and dragged him to his bedroom.

After setting his exhausted brother down, Ten quickly rushed into his room to grab his phone. He dialed Doyoung.

****

When his call was finished, he swiftly went back into Jungwoo's room to check on him.

He peeked his head through the door and saw his brother sleeping peacefully. Ten smiled, something he can never stop himself from doing at the sight of his sleeping brother. There's something so innocent about the way he looks when he sleeps.

Careful not to wake him up, Ten slid in next to the sleeping body. He decided to stay by his brother's side until he wakes up, not wanting the other to panic, thinking he left.

****

Ten turned around when he felt Jungwoo shift in the bed, waking up. The taller looked around tiredly, clearly looking for his best friend. His red puffy eyes landed on Ten, and took on the expression of relief.

"Hey..." Ten called softly. "How are you feeling?"

Jungwoo took a moment to find out how he really was feeling, before responding.

"A little better. It's gone." Jungwoo mumbled, his voice dry and cracking. By 'it', he means the voice in his head that drives his depression, his anxiety and insecurities. It hasn't come back since he had opened up to Ten, and that worries the shorter.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ten asked. Jungwoo nodded, sitting up a little more and rubbing his sore eyes.

"Okay, I'll go get you some water real quick, okay?" Ten said, getting up once receiving affirmation from the other.

Ten came back quickly. He handed the cup to the other, which was very generously dranken from by the tired male.

There was a moment of silence, with Ten slipping back into the bed, giving the other a moment to himself, and Jungwoo soothing his dry throat.

"So, walk me through what happened." Ten started softly.

Jungwoo stared at his water, gently twirling the cup, but speaking. "I told Lucas, I love him." His voice came out as a hushed whisper, but it was enough for Ten to be able to hear him.

Ten simply responded by placing his hand over Jungwoo's, softly caressing the skin, encouraging the other.

"I... I really thought that he felt the same way you know? After the talk you and I had, and how amazing it's been with him. I guess I shouldn't have been so sure." Jungwoo said, still staring at his cup.

"What happened?" Ten asked after a moment. His tone was soft, almost motherly.

Jungwoo inhaled deeply before speaking. "It was just a normal day, really. Lucas and I were behind the cafe for our lunch break, talking about nothing in particular. The entire time, I was just trying to come up with the courage to say it, get it out of my mouth for once. One thing led to another, and I ended up saying the words after we pulled away from a kiss."

His eyes began to fill with tears, and Ten could feel the anger bubbling from the back of his throat.

"He just looked at me, like I had said something wrong. Then he ran away from me without another word." Jungwoo laughed bitterly. "It's like the one time I put myself out there, thinking I'd come out happy, it blows up in my face. I don't even know what I did to deserve that from him."

Ten quickly shook his head, sitting up and clutching Jungwoo's hand. "Woo, you did nothing wrong. You put yourself out there, which is the bravest thing you could do. I'm so proud of you for it. It's not your fault for what happened, it was Lucas' decision to run away, not yours."

Jungwoo bit his lip, a couple of tears rolling down his face. "But why...? Why did he walk away?"

"I don't know. But he did, and right now you should focus on healing yourself from it." Ten calmly said, gently pulling Jungwoo's head onto his shoulder.

They sat like this, a gentle sway taking over their bodies. Jungwoo soon fell asleep to Ten's humming and rocking.

As soon as Ten saw this, he gently laid Jungwoo back down to sleep some more. He made a note saying he went to the grocery store and left.

He needs to find out what the fuck Lucas was thinking.

****

The next few weeks only heightened Taeyong's happiness.

They had spent every break together, showing each other music, dancing, singing... kissing, and Taeyong never felt so content. He accepted the fact that they needed to keep their relationship a secret, that being clarified by Ten when Taeyong tried to kiss him in front of everyone in the cafeteria. It's not like he had anyone he really needed to share it with. He was happy, as long as Ten was.

It was a normal day, with Taeyong awaiting the beep that signals his beacon of light coming to see him. However, the only person who came through the door was Doyoung, with a phone in hand. He looked up and met Taeyong's eyes.

"Hey Taeyong, Ten's on the phone for you." Doyoung said, handing Taeyong the device. He mouthed a quiet, 'I'll leave you two alone', before momentarily closing the door. Taeyong felt a strange sense of pride that he was trustworthy enough to where Doyoung can comfortably leave the room with his phone in the patient's hands.

Taeyong looked back at the phone, slowly raising it to his ear.

"Ten...?" Taeyong called, almost hesitantly. He hadn't picked up a phone call in a while.

"Hey, Taeyong." Ten said, smiling softly. "Listen, I won't be able to come today. I'm really sorry. Jungwoo had an attack and I really need to be there for him."

Taeyong knew who Jungwoo was, he was Ten's brother. Sometimes, Taeyong even thanks the man he had never met, because Ten told him without finding Jungwoo, he wouldn't have chosen to become a therapist. He smiled at the other's compassion. Although he is sad that Ten won't be there with him, he knows that Ten looks out for everyone in his life.

That being said, He won't just let Ten hang up without teasing him for a little bit.

He looked at the door, and spoke when he saw that it was closed shut. "And what about me? You need to be here for me too, I have an emergency." he spoke, as serious as he could.

Taeyong could hear some shuffling on the other side of the line, before hearing Ten's voice again.

"What do you mean? What's wrong? Do I need to be there?" Ten said, worriedly.

Taeyong tried hard not to laugh. He put on his best pouting voice and spoke. "My lips are lonely, and they need kissing."

Ten sighed and laughed. "You're so annoying. Your lips will live."

Taeyong chuckled in a low tone. "Really? What about my di-"

"Bye!" Ten said, hanging up.

Taeyong smiled, calling Doyoung back to give him his phone. Doyoung couldn't hide the proud smile on his face at the fact that his trust in Taeyong was well taken care of.

****

Taeyong spent his day without Ten like he usually would, sitting around and doing nothing, lost in his own thoughts.

Doyoung came in and told him his break time had started. "You can go off alone. I trust that you won't need someone's guidance?"

Taeyong nodded.

He got up when Doyoung left completely. If he was being honest, he felt pretty lost without Ten. He had never had a break without the other there with him yet.

He looked around walking through the hallways, reading the signs above for navigation. He could go to their usual hallway, but it's not the same without Ten.

He decided to go to the hospital's library, hoping that place wasn't too busy.

His wishes were not granted.

He walked into to meet multiple faces looking at him. He's still not quite used to all the looks of fear, surprise, and apprehension he gets, and he fidgeted from where he was standing. He dashed into the library behind the shelves, sighing when he finally heard the chatter pick up again.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with a large row of books. He wasn't a huge book reader, but seeing something you never really get to see anymore will never fail to make you appreciative of the opportunity.

He walked through the empty shelves, scrolling through all the books. Nothing really interested him, until something in the magazine section caught his eye. He picked it up, fascinated and intrigued by the subject and title.

'Dating 101'

Taeyong gulped. Why the fuck would I want this? Ten and I aren't even dating.

Are we?

He quickly flipped through the book, halting, and then flipping back trying to find something that caught his eye.

It was a picture of a woman and a man kissing, Taeyong wasn't interested in the photo, he was interested in the title.

'How to tell your feelings.'

Taeyong shook his head, closing the magazine, but holding his thumb between the pages. It's just a dumb magazine, probably made by some guy living in his mom's basement who isn't even dating anyone, he thought, but not moving to put it away.

He sat down against a shelf, staring at the cover. His eyes stopped at a simple sentence.

'100% works! Give it a chance!'

Taeyong froze, his brows furrowed. Fuck this, he thought, before snapping the magazine back open.

'People always ask us this question, 'How am I supposed to tell whether or not I truly like this person?' Well, our team found this question very helpful, and put together a short guide on how to tell your feelings.

This is assuming that you have already lip-locked with the other person. Now if you guys have kissed, then you probably know what to do!'

Bullshit, Taeyong thought. He had done a lot more than just kissing, with a lot of people, back in his... rebellious days, so to speak. He had felt nothing compared to what a simple look at Ten makes him feel, so physical contact is nothing to go off. Taeyong scoffed, and returned to reading.

His eyes nearly bulged out the back of his head because of the next sentence. It was like the magazine was reading his thoughts.

'Now, to all our playboys and playgirls out there, there is more to just simple kissing. Do you ever feel different than the others when having any sort of physical touch with them? Does your heart beat faster than normal, not because of the exertion, but because how the other person is making you feel?'

What the fuck, Taeyong thought. He did feel that with Ten. In fact, he didn't even need to kiss or touch Ten to know that he feels something.

'Regardless of how long you have known them, or how many times you have talked to them, that feeling is your feeling? It's called love, or at least the path to it.'

Taeyong gulped. Love...?

Does he love Ten?

He had never thought about it, but he knows the answer. Yes, he loves Ten. He loves Ten with everything he has in him, it almost hurts when he's away.

Taeyong bit his lip. This fucking magazine, he thought, standing up and going to the check-out table.

****

"Lucas!" Ten yelled, pounding on the door to the other's apartment. "You better open this door right now, or I'll break it down myself!"

Ten had been standing outside Lucas' apartment for at least twenty minutes, trying to get in. He even apologized to some cranky neighbors whom he had woken up from their naps.

"No! I'm not opening this door! Not in a million years!" Lucas responded from the other side of the door. "You're too small to even leave a mark on the door! Just stop trying, Ten. Leave me alone." His voice became small and feeble towards the end.

Ten gaped at the hurtful comment about his strength and size. "Okay, you better take that back for the sake of your life!" He yelled.

After a moment, the unwanted guest sighed, and spoke in a soft and gentle tone instead, the motherly tone that everyone is persuaded to obey. "Lucas, please open the door. I just want to talk. I'm not mad at you, and neither is Jungwoo. I know you wouldn't just run away like that without a good reason, so I wanted to check on you."

Ten counted the seconds that it took to hear the turning of the doorknob. Always works, he thought.

The door slowly opened, revealing the most broken Lucas that Ten had ever seen. His hair was messed up, his work clothes wrinkled, and his face looked terrible. His eyes were red and puffy, and Ten noticed his bottom lips trembling, like at any second he was gonna break down.

"I fucked up." Lucas said, tears pooling at the bottoms of his eyes.

Ten looked at the other in pity. He shook his head, pulling the other in for a comforting hug. Lucas broke down, sobbing and apologizing for everything he had done.

He led the sobbing male to the couch, sitting him down and going back to close the door. He walked to the kitchen to get some water, his every move was deft and smooth. The apartment smelled foul, like something had rot in it.

When he got to the kitchen, he looked in all the cupboards, frowning when he wasn't finding any cups. He turned to the sink, seeing all of them sitting unwashed in there. Next to them however, were beer bottles piling on top of each other.

"Oh, Lucas." Ten said, worryingly.

He clicked his tongue, quickly grabbing a cup and rinsing it. He filled it up with cold water and went back to the living room.

He came back to the couch being empty, with no Lucas in sight. Suddenly, the sounds of gagging and puking emitted from the bathroom, alerting Ten.

He ran to the bathroom, slamming the door open and finding Lucas kneeling on the floor, his head hovering over the toilet. The smell of bile and vomit entered Ten's nostrils, causing him to scrunch his face in disgust. He quickly ignored it and ran to the other, right as another wave hit him.

"Lucas, shit." Ten cursed. He rubbed the other's back, holding the cup of water for when the other needed it. Lucas was still sobbing as he threw up nothing but all the beer he had guzzled down.

Ten waited for the other to finish, which took a worryingly long amount of time. He stared at the back of his head, his eyebrows knit in concern.

Finally, Lucas slowly rose his head for the toilet bowl, looking at Ten like a puppy who had lost his way. Ten quickly gave the other the water, muttering a small 'here', before going to the sink and grabbing a toothbrush and toothpaste.

The sick man's hands shook as he held the cup up to his mouth, drinking most of the water in the glass. He panted after pulling the cup away from his lips, watching Ten, as he handed him a prepared toothbrush.

"Don't get up. You'll get dizzy." Ten warned. He had dealt with many drunk people who were taken into the hospital. He was used to this, although he can't say he enjoys doing it.

Lucas nodded, handing Ten the cup before sticking the toothbrush in his mouth and brushing.

When that was finished, Ten sent Lucas into a Navy Shower to help soothe his headache and clean up a little bit, and when that was all done, they sat at the couch to talk and rest.

"What's going on Lucas?" Ten started. "Should I be worried about how many beer bottles you went through in just three hours? Is it an addiction?"

"No" Lucas was quick to answer the last question. "I don't usually drink like that. I... I just didn't know how to fix what I did."

"And what did you do?" Ten asked.

Lucas scoffed, though with no attitude or malice, but with hopelessness. "You know what I did."

Ten shook his head. "I know what Woo thinks you did."

"And that is?"

Ten pursed his lips. "You ran away, because you were disgusted by his confession."

Lucas looked pained and hurt at that. "He really thinks that?"

"That's all he knows. That's all he's used to."

The taller shook his head, hanging it between his knees "Fuck." He whispered. His hands came up to cradle the back of his head, and slid forward to cover his face when he looked up. They slid down again when he spoke after a deep breath. "I really didn't mean to hurt him I... I was just..."

"Scared." Ten finished for him, Lucas nodded.

"You both were. It's almost natural for you two to react the way you did... Why were you scared?"

Lucas rested his chin on his interlocked fingers. "Before I met Woo... I... I partied... a lot. I dated here and there, but nothing was... real, you know? Nothing was like what I have with Jungwoo." The last sentence came out as nothing but a quiet murmur.

"Do you love Woo?" Ten asked.

Lucas took a moment, not to think, no, the answer was clearly already swimming in his chest. The words clearly weren't easy to say, even if he wasn't talking to Jungwoo himself.

"Yes... fuck, yes, I love Jungwoo, so much." He answered. The feeling of liberation was clear in his tone.

Ten smiled. "You're not too late, you know. Jungwoo blames himself, much more than he blames you. Nothing will help him think otherwise except hearing those words from you."

Lucas looked at Ten, his eyes holding a burning fire of determination.

"What do I need to do?"

Ten smiled and pulled out his phone.

****

Ten came into Jungwoo's room again when he got home. Jungwoo was still sleeping like a baby.

He walked up and lightly shook the sleeping male. "Woo..., Woo, wake up. We need to go."

Jungwoo shuffled in his wake. He turned around to face the other. "Where?" he mumbled, his voice heavy with sleep. He rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly. Ten cooed at him, pinching his cheeks, despite the loud whines from the other.

"You forgot your phone at the cafe and I don't want you to have to go alone." Ten explained. That was a lie. He stuffed the other's phone into his back pocket before waking him up.

Jungwoo furrowed his brows, trying to remember bringing it home. He got up anyway and followed the older.

The two took the bus, since they just haven't gotten around to getting a car. Jungwoo was still sleepy, even though he had slept for four hours. Emotions take a toll on people, and Ten understood this, so he gently pushed Jungwoo's cheek to rest on his shoulder as the bus took motion.

They soon arrived at their stop, which thankfully was only about a block away from the cafe. Ten gently patted Jungwoo's cheek to wake him up. The other got up and followed Ten off the bus and into the increasingly chilly weather. It was nearing winter, and Ten took a mental note to bring a jacket next time he goes out.

As they were walking, Jungwoo took a couple bouncy steps to fully wake up, putting him a little bit ahead of Ten. The shorter giggled, running up to the other and latching onto his arm. Jungwoo smiled at him, and that was the first time his smile seemed genuine today.

"Thanks for not letting me be alone for this." Jungwoo said. "I can't believe I was so careless to leave something as important as my phone."

"I'm glad to accompany you, Woo. I don't spend time with you out of pity you know. Believe it or not, some people actually enjoy being with you?" Ten said, watching Jungwoo's face to see his reaction as they neared the planned destination.

Jungwoo scoffed. "That's kind of hard to believe when your own boyfriend can't even-"

His words and feet came to a halt as he stared at the cafe. There were lights that they usually put up for the Christmas decorations on the linings of the windows. Inside, you could see candles lit all around the table. Johnny was there, standing tall and straight, his hands poised behind him. He was still in his work clothes, but with the posture he was holding, he seemed like a butler.

But what really caught Jungwoo's attention was the dashing man, dressed in a tuxedo, standing with a bouquet of roses outside the doorway.

Ten enjoyed watching every minute of his brother's shocked and stunned expression. He giggled, unlatching his arm and gently pushing him forward towards Lucas, muttering a small 'go'. He looked forward, laughing when he noticed Johnny.

Jungwoo slowly walked towards Lucas, his hands shaking.

Lucas was watching Jungwoo walk towards him with a smile on his face.

When the shorter finally stood in front of him, Lucas spoke.

"Hey..."

"Hey..."

Lucas cleared his throat, suddenly becoming serious. "I got you a better bouquet this time."

He handed the bouquet to the other, and he loved watching as the caramel haired male took it was a shy and bashful expression, laughing at the joke he made.

"Walking away from you today... Was the most painful thing I had ever done. I regretted it as soon as I did it. The truth is... I was scared- no, terrified, of what it would be like to finally admit what I had been feeling since I first started working at this cafe out loud." Lucas spoke, his eyes filling with tears.

Jungwoo listened with flushed cheeks, clutching the bouquet to his chest like it was just a dream he was living in.

"I love you, baby. I love you so much." Lucas said, nearly breaking down at the last sentence. "I'm so sorry for not telling it to you earlier... I-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, as Jungwoo dropped the bouquet behind him and flung himself into the other's arms, sealing their lips together in a kiss that warmed them both from the chilly weather.

The kiss was passionate, so passionate, that Ten cringed a little bit and looked away when he saw Lucas' tongue slip into the shorter's mouth. Johnny looked at him and laughed.

When the two broke away, Jungwoo spoke. "I love you too, Lu."

Lucas smiled, "I'm never letting you go, and I'm never gonna run away from you like that again, ever." He said, placing another kiss on his lips.

Jungwoo broke away with a laugh when he felt something roll over and brush against his feet. He looked down and saw the bouquet of roses. Lucas saw this too and laughed.

"Maybe bouquets just aren't a good sign of affection for us." he said, emitting a bright laugh from the other that he loved hearing so much.

"I guess, not, just give me chocolates."

"No, don't! I'll steal them all, and that's not good for my health." Ten yelled at the two, ruining the magical and romantic moment. Everyone laughed, and Lucas looked at Jungwoo, before opening the door to the cafe.

"I booked us a reservation for the entire cafe. I heard they have the best cookies and muffins. Care to join me?" Lucas said in an exaggerated accent.

Jungwoo laughed, doing a fake curtzy. "I would love to."

Ten watched the two go in, smiling at their reunion. Even he got a little emotional at their reconciliation. He looked over to Johnny as the other went and stood next to him.

"Thanks again for helping us with this, Johnny." Ten said, turning to the taller.

Johnny smiled. "No problem. And please, for tonight, it's Joh-butler, sir." He joked.

Ten laughed. "Well, Joh-butler... I have to go pick up some papers from my work today, would you like to accompany me? The only way I can think of paying you back is buying you this delicious special they have at a nearby sandwich place today."

Johnny looked elated at the request, maybe a little too much, but Ten is too set on paying the other back to care.

The taller nodded enthusiastically, before following Ten to the hospital.

****

It only took a short bus ride and a couple of blocks to get there. The two conversed a bit, joking about Lucas' and Jungwoo's reactions to each other. They continued to do this as they walked into the hospital.

"I swear, I didn't even know Lucas that well yet, but it was like he got louder when he was ranting to me about how good Jungwoo smelled, and I didn't even know he could get louder. My ears nearly burst out of my head." Johnny said dramatically.

Ten laughed as they waited at the front desk. He just needed some files he forgot to fill out about his work on Taeyong. They were just simple progress reports, but he would rather go through the hassle of doing them now then having to do them last minute.

"Tell me about it. It was even weirder for Jungwoo. He is never really loud, but when he was talking about how good of a kisser Lucas was, it was like he was holding a megaphone."

Johnny didn't answer Ten's comment, instead commenting on something else he had noticed.

"Wow... Look, I knew you were short, but I didn't know your chin could rest on this counter without even having to kneel down." He teased.

Ten looked at the other in offense, slapping his arm. Johnny whimpered a small, 'ow', rubbing his arm.

"What is it with you and Lucas insulting my height?! You know, just because you guys are six foot tall giants doesn't mean I'm short!" Ten pouted.

"Okay, okay..." Johnny said obediently, although he had a small smile on his face watching Ten pout.

Ten grumbled, turning to the nurse and grabbing the files. As his hand touched the paper, he swore he saw someone familiar. He turned around, his eyes darting around the hallway, hoping so see the person he's been missing all day. He frowned when had no luck. Do I really like this guy that much to be hallucinating about seeing him?

Taeyong.

"You see something?" Johnny asked, watching Ten look this way and that. His eyes tried to follow wherever Ten was looking, but he saw nothing but patients and doctors.

Ten flinched, as he was too lost in his little world looking for the patient. He closed his eyes and shook his head, hoping that whatever crazy thoughts he had would fall out from the vibrations. He took one last look before turning to Johnny.

"Um... no, nothing. Let's go yeah?" Ten said, leaving no room for an answer, as he was already heading towards the exit. Johnny watched his back in confusion, before running to catch up.

****

Eating lunch with Johnny was fine. There was nothing amazing nor disdainful. Ten enjoyed his friendly presence and could see himself becoming good friends with the other.

However, he did try a little too hard sometimes. There were many forced laughs, pointless comments that tried to fill the silence that was only awkward cause he made it that way. Ten admired the effort, but he felt guilty.

The one thing he doesn't want to do is tell Johnny he wasn't interested, but he knew the time would eventually come.

They were walking out of the deli, sodas in hand.

"This was fun," Johnny started, scratching the back of his head. "I'd like to hang out with you again sometime... o-only if you're interested... of course." He laughed nervously at the end.

Ten nodded, "I'd like that too. But if we're gonna talk more, you gotta drop the comments about my height. I don't tolerate that abuse." he joked, trying to make Johnny feel a little less nervous. It worked as he let out a loud laugh.

"Alright, I'll drop them. My house is that way." Johnny said, pointing to the opposite direction of Ten's apartment.

"I guess this is where we part then... I'm that way." Ten said, pointing to the other direction.

They said their goodbyes and parted.

As Ten was walking home, he sent a text to Jungwoo that he was going home, warning him to make sure him and Lucas keep their... activities in his room.

By the time he finished sending the text, a call popped up on his screen.

It was Doyoung. Ten answered with furrowed brows.

"Hello?"

"Ten." Doyoung said, out of breath.

Ten grew alarmed.

"We need you here, now. Taeyong got into some trouble." Doyoung said, his tone stern and loud.

Ten grew panicked. "O-Ok. I'm on my way. Where is he now?"

"He's in my hospital room, restrained."

Restrained? Ten thought, his mind filling with the worst possibilities.

"Keep him there, don't let anyone in, I'll be there soon." Ten said, hanging up. He broke into a sprint, trying to get there as fast as he could.

Taeyong.