Yeosang was surprised to find that despite his tears having calmed down on the way home, Yunho insisted on parking in the visitor parking, and walking him inside. The blessed soul's eyes were still filled with concern, and he still seemed anxious that he might crumble under the pain once more.
But no matter how many times Yeosang managed to say in his broken, wrecked voice that he was okay, unsurprisingly, Yunho didn't seem to believe him.
Having walked him all the way up the stairs, as Yeosang started to dig his keys from his pockets, Yunho took them from him and put them into the lock himself, swinging the door open gently and putting a hand out, hovering it over the small of his back, but not touching him, as he held the door open for him and guided him inside.
He watched as Yunho glanced beside the door to where a bowl of keys were and added the ones in his hands to it. He then helped him take off his coat, resting it over the back of a dining chair...
And just as Yeosang was surprised at how thoughtful and caring he was being, Hongjoong surfaced, hair looking like he'd just awoken from a nap, and a good one at that.
'Sang,' he breathed. Seeing his swollen cheeks and mottled skin, he instantly hurried over, sparing Yunho a surprised glance before seeming to look for clues as to what had happened.
But as Yeosang laid eyes on his Hyung, he crumbled. Tears immediately fell in waves, and in response, he felt his Hyung wrap his familiar, homely arms around him - a safe place that he sunk into. 'Joong-ah... It hurts...'
Hongjoong wrapped him up tightly, pressing his cheek into his. 'Aww baby, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, hun. Hyung's sorry,' he breathed.
Choking up, when the sound of a tap started in the background, Yeosang leant back tearily to see Yunho filling a glass with water, and taking a fresh cloth from beside the sink and running it under the tap.
'Joong-ah, Yunho rescued me,' he choked.
Hongjoong brushed back his hair from matting against his forehead and gave him a small, sad smile. 'I see that, hun,' he said, and turning to the boy in the kitchen, he gave him a thankful nod - one that Yunho returned.
'Come sit,' Hongjoong whispered.
And Yeosang let himself be led to the couch, where his Hyung sat beside him, and Yunho knelt before him, offering him the glass of water.
'What happened?' Hongjoong asked, but it seemed not to be aimed at him to answer.
As Yeosang took the glass of water, he found himself swept back across the city, caught at that café once more where his heart had been broken...
'I found him in a mess on the side of the street... I don't know what happened...'
Yeosang heard Yunho's soft, incredibly concerned voice ring out - an unfamiliar voice in their household, and one that brought him back from his torturous daze. Yunho had spoken with the intent of it only going to Hongjoong, but it had drawn Yeosang's gaze to those dark, new and unfamiliar eyes...
Yunho gave him a small, genuine smile. Reaching up, he offered him the cool, damp cloth, of which Yeosang accepted without even really knowing what he planned on doing with it. 'Thank you,' he breathed.
Hongjoong took the cloth from him and pressed it against his throbbing temples. 'Do you want Panadol?' he asked softly.
He glanced at him with pleading eyes.
And Hongjoong didn't wait to be told. 'I'll be right back,' he breathed, taking the water from his idle grasp and putting it on the table on his way past.
Left alone with Yunho, he couldn't help choking on an embarrassed laugh as he used the cloth Joong had left with him to wipe away his tears. 'I promise I'm not usually like this,' he whispered.
Yunho's lips pulled into a small smile as he exhaled. 'I believe you,' he replied simply; his deep voice incredibly soft and tender. Reaching up, he rested his hand on his knee, something that was strange and foreign to Yeosang, but one that comforted him nonetheless...
Two moments later however, keys in the door sounded, and realising it was past two o'clock, Yeosang's eyes widened. Wooyoung would be getting home from work and would see him in a mess...
He didn't want him to worry...
Glancing around in a panic, he happened to notice Yunho analysing him for a moment, before his dark eyes scanned the room too. Finding a box of tissues on the coffee table, he leant back and retrieved it, before offering them to him, to which he gladly accepted.
Plucking a few from the box, he wiped his face and his eyes, trying to pull himself together.
And as the door swung open, he turned, sniffing and putting on a brave smile.
But to Yeosang's surprise, San had been the one to open the door. He held the door open and glanced beside him fondly, and as Wooyoung surfaced, San put an arm around his back as he led him inside out of the cold.
But as San looked up, he seemed to jolt a little in surprise. 'Yun? You look... more put together than when I last saw you... What're you doing her... Oh Sang...'
The emotion in his voice instantly sparked Wooyoung's worried attention from where he'd been taking his shoes off, and the instant they met his, the blonde's lungs deflated.
He hurried to his side, and Yeosang tried to keep himself together as he suddenly felt very watched.
'Woo, sweetie, Hyung's fine.'
Wooyoung's eyes filled with tears as he sat on his knees in front of him, reaching up to try and cradle his face in his hands.
But Yeosang just hushed him, passing it off as no big deal. He couldn't handle seeing him in pain as well. His home, was where his happiness came from. And it couldn't be happy, when Wooyoung was tearing up.
'Woo it's fine. I cried a little. But of all people, Yunho came to save me.'
Smoky, sparkling eyes studied him, looking for the truth in his words. But after a moment he glanced up at Yunho, who had moved to stand off to the side.
And those unfamiliar dark eyes glanced at Yeosang for a moment, clearly flashing back to when his 'little cry,' had left him a wreck in the street. But alas, he gave Wooyoung a small nod, and a smile to go with it.
And Wooyoung peeled himself off of the floor and threw himself into his arms.
Yunho's eyes widened as he stared down at the blonde head of hair pressed against his chest, and with his arms held up out of the way, he gave Wooyoung the most awkward of pats on the back that Yeosang had ever seen.
And like a miracle, it made him laugh. Giggling through his tears, he watched the uncomfortable scene before him as Wooyoung smothered the poor thing with love and gratitude, and Yunho stared between him, Wooyoung, San, and even Hongjoong as he resurfaced with a much craved bottle of painkillers.
'Thank you,' Wooyoung mumbled into the boy's chest. 'Thank you... Thank you... Thank you, thank you, thankyouthankyouthankyou...'
As much as it melted his heart to see his brother so protective over him, he stood and walked over to the two, peeling Wooyoung from Yunho's body. 'Woo, hun, you're spooking the poor man.'
But to his surprise, Yunho just shook his head. 'It's okay.' Reaching out, he rubbed Wooyoung's shoulder; apparently more comfortable from a slight distance.
Thank you, Wooyoung mouthed to him.
And Yunho gave him a small smile as he replied with an incredibly soft 'you're welcome~.'
Yeosang pulled Wooyoung into a hug, trying his best to instil confidence within him as he watched as Yunho bit into his lips.
Those dark eyes glanced around at the people in the room, and apparently satisfied with the support present, he nodded. 'I should go... Leave you with your family...'
Yeosang felt a part of him warm as he gave Yunho a small smile - a smile that spoke volumes about how much he appreciated being helped, when he could have so easily been left on the street, and pretended not to have been seen...
His smile was returned, and as Yunho walked over towards the door, he stopped by San's side for a moment, probably whispering something or other, before they patted each other on the backs and Yunho let himself out.
Ah!
Wooyoung suddenly smacked him in the chest, startling him from his thoughts. 'You said you would be okay! I trusted you, and I went to work! You went and saw Jongho, didn't you? How could you go alone?!' He turned his gaze to Hongjoong, and it hardened considerably. 'Ya! How could you let him go alone?!'
Yeosang quickly took his face in his hands and forced him to look at him. 'Woo, Woo, hun. I told him not to come. I needed to go alone.'
Wooyoung's makeup stained eyes blinked at him. 'And look what happened! Yunho, of all people, found you! Yunho. The singly most socially awkward person I know, was the one to find you. What would've happened if he hadn't have?!'
He felt his tear stained lips pull into a small smile. 'Woo, baby, look at me. Really, look at me. Hun, I'm okay. Yes, Jongho couldn't come clean, and yes, it hurts. But Woo, Yunho picked me up and dusted me off, and I stopped crying in the car on the way home, mostly. I got emotional when I saw Joong, but now you're here, and I just want to see you all smiley, because it makes me really happy. Okay?'
He brushed away Wooyoung's tears and felt himself rejoice as none replaced them, but Wooyoung's eyes remained hard. 'Sang, you can't hide away your emotions behind me. You have to deal with them.'
He gave the blonde a smile, nodding. 'I agree. I would just prefer to deal with them tomorrow, when the wound isn't as... raw... Okay?' And didn't he mean it.
Very slowly, Wooyoung began to give in, and as his gaze softened, so did his embrace. 'Promise?' he whispered, holding up his pinky between them.
Yeosang wrapped his pinky in his and dropped a peck against his forehead. 'Promise~.'
Leading Wooyoung back down to the couch and using the wet cloth - courtesy of Yunho -, to wipe the tracks of mascara from his cheeks. 'San-ah, come give Woo a hug,' he said softly, looking up at the concerned boy.
The brunette bit into his lip, hesitating. 'I'm just here to get my textbook... I don't want to interrupt- I can go...'
Yeosang shook his head. 'It's okay~' he urged. 'You're part of the family too. Did Woo tell you what happened?'
He shook his head, staring at him with concern. 'Not really...'
'I was hoping it was a misunderstanding...' Wooyoung suddenly said softly, taking his wrist in his hand.
Yeosang gave him a pained nod, leaning forward and pressing a kiss against the top of his head. 'I know, hun. So was I...'
A pained silence fell over the household... One that was incredibly somber...
But as Yeosang ushered San to come over, he peeled himself from his brother's arms and retreated to Hongjoong's side. Desperate for the heaven-sent bottle of painkillers, he gently closed his hands over Hongjoong's and the little bottle of bliss. 'Thank you, Hyung,' he whispered quietly, giving him a small smile.
And as Hongjoong gave him a knowing squeeze, Yeosang one again thanked the powers that be, that he had such a kind family, and friends, to watch out for him when he was at his worst.
~~~