Hongjoong walked through the hallway, unsure where to go. He didn't want to burden San since he knew he'd been through enough already. He knew Wooyoung was with Yunho and Mingi so they didn't need a fourth person.

That left Jongho and Yeosang.

Cautiously he approached the door, not wanting to wake them if they were already asleep.

But what he heard on the other side were not sleep noises.

His face reddened as he quickly stepped away, heading to the living room.

Of all of the members—Jongho and Yeosang as a couple was entirely unexpected.

They were both so shy and sweet. So innocent...

They really had grown up right before his eyes.

And ears.

Shaking the thought from his head he grabbed the throw blanket and placed it over himself, for once thankful that he was small. He felt himself drifting off just as the sound of a cabinet in the kitchen closed, startling him awake.

Rubbing his eyes, he saw San standing in the kitchen, scolding the cabinet door.

"Sannie?"

San jumped, spinning around.

"Oh...Hongjoong hyung? What are you doing on the couch?"

Hongjoong didn't feel like explaining. Thankfully San got the message. He grabbed his food and made his way over, sitting down next to him.

"Here. Have this."

He handed Hongjoong a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and Hongjoong almost laughed. But he saw the intensity of San's worry in his eyes. He really wanted to help him.

He took the sandwich with a smile and thanked him, sitting back as he ate. San seemed pleased and he smiled, taking a bite of his own.

"Hyung...you've talked to me so much about my problems...you know I'm here to talk about yours."

"What problems?" Hongjoong asked with a grin and San glared at him. He knew how sad he must look, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while wrapped in a blanket on the couch, his face red and puffy.

"I mean it. Talk to me."

Hongjoong ruffled San's hair and finished his sandwich, leaning back with a sigh.

"Hongjoong."

"I'm fine. It's something I think I should work through on my own. Seonghwa and I are just having a little bit of a miscommunication."

Hongjoong waited for San to speak but instead, felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see San holding out the rest of his sandwich.

"No, you eat it. Have you even been out of your room at all today?"

San shook his head, looking at the floor.

"San..."

"I don't want to make Wooyoung upset. He gets upset when he sees me so I stay in the room where I won't bother him."

"San...come here."

Hongjoong put an arm around him and pulled him into his chest, squeezing him tightly. He'd been through so much. All these years, they'd managed to make their relationship work. And still—he thought Wooyoung could truly hate him.

"I think you should talk to him."

"But I don't want to overstep—if he needs more time I don't want to—"

"San. I think he's waiting for an apology."

San took a slow bite of his sandwich.

"Oh."

"Yeah. So go talk to him."

San glanced up at him and Hongjoong raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"What kind of miscommunication?"

Hongjoong sighed pushing San off of him and pulling him up on his feet.

"Go talk to him."

San took the last bite of his sandwich before reaching for the plate but Hongjoong grabbed it first.

"I'll clean up. You go talk."

San nodded and turned, slowly making his way over to Mingi and Yunho's door. Hongjoong sighed, picking up the plate and bringing it over to the dishwasher. He saw the knife for the peanut butter still sitting in the sink and decided to clean that up, too.

He placed it in the dishwasher and closed it, drying his hands off. He knew he should be sleeping. But even if San hadn't startled him, he probably wouldn't have drifted off anyways. Not with everything bouncing around inside his head.

Minho was Seonghwa's ex. The one who took everything from him. The one who made him lash out at everyone around him. The one who broke such a beautiful boy.

He clenched his fists, pressing them into the counter. He knew he shouldn't do anything. But it was going to be really hard. Especially since he clearly still treated Seonghwa like shit.

He must have agreed to the double date just to throw his new relationship in Seonghwa's face. Though Hongjoong assumed Seonghwa might have considered the same thing...

He just couldn't think about it right now. It hurt too much to know Seonghwa would keep that all inside of him just so he wouldn't get hurt.

But it wasn't like he wasn't going to find out.

He stepped away from the kitchen and started walking back to the couch but stopped when he noticed San was still standing outside the door. He hadn't gone in.

He decided to take matters into his own hands.

He walked towards San, moving towards the door handle but San placed a hand on his before he could.

"San—you have to—"

San cupped a hand over his mouth, causing Hongjoong to turn to him, ready to argue. But San's expression stopped him.

He had started crying again.

"—I really want him to like it. He's really opened up to me about the hard time he's having and—I just want him to know how much I care about him."

It was Wooyoung speaking on the other side. Hongjoong turned to San to speak but San shook his head, instructing him to keep listening.

"That's really sweet, Woo. I didn't realize you and Felix were so close."

Hongjoong froze at Yunho's words.

"Yeah, he's a really nice guy. And he's so cute. I just—I want to see him smile again. And mean it."

Hongjoong pulled San away, back into the living room.

"San, you don't know he was saying—"

"I know."

"San—you know Wooyoung just makes friends really quickly—"

"I know."

"I'm sure he doesn't mean—"

"I know."

Hongjoong didn't know what else to say. Wooyoung wasn't exactly sounding innocent.

"Hyung...you don't think he's really...moved on...do you?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Maybe I was too late. I should've apologized sooner. He hates me now."

"San, I'm sure he doesn't think about Felix the way he thinks about you. He'll never think of anyone the way he thinks about you."

"I think I'll just go back to my room."

"San—"

"Goodnight, hyung. Sorry for bothering you."

"You didn't—"

San walked away, closing his door behind him. Hongjoong sighed, falling back on the couch. Everything was draining him. All of the nonsense that started when they got here. All because of the stupid dating ban.

Maybe...they really would be better off somewhere else. But was it too late to save them?