"So, why are you here?"
Emil poured the steaming water into a cup and sniffed, basking in the tantalising smell of caffeine.
Leon shifted in his seat. His hands secured around a small, white cushion.
"It's kinda hot in here," said the Asian boy, glancing at the cabinets and the sink.
"Just a moment." Emil poured the bubbling foam onto the coffee, wiped his hands on his apron and trotted out of the room. "I've got the air-con on."
"Thanks," Leon muttered as he received his drink. He blew on the surface. The steam dissipated into the cool air. He took a sip of the mocha and frowned.
"Still too bitter for you?" Emil smirked, slumping down on a chair opposite him. "What do you normally have? Milk tea or something?"
"It's fine." Leon took another sip. He trembled when a hand brushed his unkempt side bangs.
He stared at Emil, who only shrugged and tilted his head.
"Did something happen?"
Leon looked away and leaned back against the chair.
"You don't usually come to me like this." Emil cocked his brows. Leon blushed and traced his hand over his dishevelled hair. He quickly fixed his bangs and straightened his shirt.
"I assume you aren't here to discuss the assignments." Emil blinked. "You can handle them on your own anyway. Is something wrong?"
"Can I stay here for a night?" Leon asked, rubbing his thumb against the ear of the cup. "No, I mean, for the time being…"
Emil ogled the boy silently. The faint blush on his cheeks. The beads of sweat still coated on his forehead. His hitched breaths.
"You rushed here, didn't you?"
"That's not the main point." Leon guzzled down the remaining mocha and fixated his eyes on Emil. A part of him wanted to cry out loud. Another part wanted to just leap forward and hug Emil. But he didn't budge. Tears never surfaced his brown orbs.
"You don't look good," Emil finally concluded. He stood up, took the empty cup and walked towards the sink. "You have stuff with you?"
"Didn't have time to pack." Leon responded tersely, "You wouldn't mind me borrowing your pyjamas?"
"I think I have spare ones." Emil smiled and turned.
Leon slouched against the back of the tub and popped the bubbles. The hot water reached up to his chest. He closed his eyes and let the heat drown him. It was two in the morning when he knocked on Emil's door. The Icelandic boy thought it was a prank.
"Leon, I'll put the pyjamas out here."
A faint voice wafted from behind the screen.
"Sure, thanks."
"And I'll wait in my room," Emil added.
Leon sighed. He didn't really want to tell Emil what happened, but Emil did deserve a decent explanation of why the hell his best friend was dropping by in the middle of the night. He was the first person that crossed Leon's mind when he ran out into the street like an idiot.
The Icelandic boy only had a double bed. When Leon finished drying his hair, Emil was already in the blanket.
"The lights, Leon."
Leon switched off the lights and crawled into the blanket. He faced the other way so that even if he cried, Emil wouldn't have to see it.
"So, tell me what's wrong."
Leon inhaled deeply and clutched the extra pillow close to him. The ache in his chest expanded. The thought drifted back to subsume him.
He didn't know it would bother him this much.
He returned home from his usual part-time job at the convenience store down the street. The room was pitch-black. He dropped the keys the coffee table, took off his shoes and chucked away his bag. He slumped down on the couch exhaustedly.
"Yong Soo? You here? Get me a drink," he called out into the darkness. No response.
"Yong Soo!"
He raised his voice and rolled on the couch, stretching his neck and arms.
Still no response.
He grunted and slid out of the couch. He stomped towards their room and barged in. What greeted him wasn't a pretty sight. Now he knew where all those soft whimpers and moans stemmed from.
The woman gasped and bounced up. His boyfriend's naked body stiffened, but his grin remained.
"Oh you're home da-ze."
"What-" Leon blinked incredulously, "the hell is this?"
"Ne, you wanna hop in and join us?"
BANG!
The door slammed shut. It was a pity his fist never collided with that conceited face. Leon trod back into the sitting room, grabbed his wallet and sprinted out of the apartment.
He called a cab and headed straight to Emil's place. He couldn't even inform Emil in advance because he had forgotten to bring his mobile.
"That's pretty much what happened." Leon coughed and curled up.
"You mean, he just let you walk in on him having sex with another woman?" Emil frowned.
"Mind you, it's not the first time." Leon snorted, his voice muffled by the blanket. He wiped his tears off with his sleeves. "I don't know how many women he's kept around him. I've, like, walked in on him five or six times. He's probably done much more when I'm not around. I don't know. Uh."
"Unbelievable." Emil gasped, "Now I don't think I'm even that unfortunate."
"Huh?"
"I broke up with Mathias yesterday."
Leon twitched but didn't turn around. "You didn't tell me."
Emil stared at the ceiling and chuckled, "Surprisingly, I didn't cry. Thought it was the best decision I've made."
"Why?" Leon shook his head, "Thought you love him."
"I was in love with him, but then I guess it's impossible between us. His eyes are always on Lukas." Emil shrugged, "Anyway, we settled it peacefully. He also admitted that he could never reciprocate my feelings. So yea, we ended it."
"I can't believe you actually did that." Leon blinked and spun around.
"You mean giving up on my lifelong crush?" Emil giggled.
"Um…but on second thought, I suppose you're right." Leon scratched his head and sighed, lying flatly on the bed. "It's gonna hurt more if this goes on."
"I think I'm happier that way. To see him with Lukas."
"Really…"
"You should confront him," Emil said. "Because obviously he doesn't deserve you."
"Maybe." Leon nodded but said no more.
Leon stayed at Emil's house for the next two weeks. It actually made things more convenient because they attended the same college and got the same part-time job. The day following that incident, Leon went back into the apartment he shared with the Korean. Luckily Yong Soo was out having classes in the morning. He packed everything and left the flat. He stuck a note on the table. Whether Yong Soo read it or not, it didn't matter. He wasn't going to answer any of his messages. He switched off the notifications and blocked the Korean.
"Okay, we're over," Leon announced as he had tea with Emil after their economic class.
"Wait, you call this 'over'?" Emil twirled his fork and crushed the edge into the pancake. "You just took everything and left a stupid note on the table."
"Yea, so?" Leon shrugged.
"Leon, I told you to confront him."
"Like physically?" Leon balled his hands into fists. Emil rolled his eyes.
"I don't wanna, like, get on the headlines the next day for blowing up our flat."
"Not that way, Leon!"
"Oh, then what?"
It was then Emil realised his best buddy was completely hopeless at handling relationships. Couldn't blame him though. The boy grew up in a dysfunctional family where violence was the pure means his mother always adopted against his father.
"Verbally." Emil grunted. "Just talk things over."
"I can't."
Leon tore open a packet of sugar and poured all the contents into his hot lemonade.
"If I see his face, I'll just forgive him." He stirred the drink with his fork, unaware that something else was dropping into the cup.
"Leon," Emil said and furrowed his brows, "you can't avoid this forever."
"I can if I want to." Finally realising he was crying, the Asian boy wiped his eyes and laughed, "You must think I'm a fool. I don't even know why I went out with him in the first place. Like, I don't know, thought he could get me away from my shitty family. Things just got shittier though."
"You just need a break." Emil took a huge bite of his pancake. "And someone who cherishes you."
"Sometimes I'd like to think that my family is normal, or everyone else's is the same." Leon took a breath and glanced out of the window. "But it's not. It's all messed up. Just like him. And me."
"I have a question." Emil raised his finger and mused. "Is he a bi?"
Leon stared at him in awe.
"How did you two actually do it." Emil propped his chin in his palm. "I just don't get it."
"Really, Emil, is this the only inquiry you can make about my relationship?" Leon burst into laughter.
"How does he even have things for girls?" Emil persisted, "It doesn't make much sense to me."
"I've never asked him that." Leon shrugged. "What, you expected me to ask 'why were you fucking a woman instead of a man behind my back?' or 'are you actually fucking straight?' every time he cheated on me? Oh please, I couldn't even get over the fights we had."
"How did he win you back each time?" Emil raised his brows.
"Oh, that..." Leon paused and took a swig of his lemonade. "Geez, I must be stupid enough to even consider his apologies sincere. He liked to beg and then let me prank him for the next few weeks."
"You're hopeless." Emil shook his head. "Both of you."
"I know right." Leon snickered. His phone started vibrating on the table. He glimpsed the screen and switched the gadget off.
"Not gonna answer him?"
"Don't you dare tell him I'm at your place." Leon glared at the Icelandic boy and finished his tea set.
"You'll bump into him anyway." Emil smirked. "He'll come to our college to look for you."
"He'll be eating my fist." Leon snorted.
They both blamed it on the liquor. But really, neither of them was inebriated. They just did it. On an impulse. Or because both eventually succumbed to the need.
Leon tossed his head back and moaned into the kiss. Emil didn't waste a second unbuttoning their shirts. The Asian wiggled beneath him, shuddering at every touch from his nimble fingers. Emil moved downwards, tracing his lips over the bare chest. The porcelain skin tasted sweet and aromatic. He felt slightly envious when he realised that the Korean had been able to caress this body every single night.
He tugged down Leon's jeans and tossed them onto the floor. The Asian boy got up. He opened his mouth to mutter something but was pinned down again.
"Relax," Emil cooed and took the bulge into his mouth.
"We really shouldn't be doing this…" Leon lay back down. Although he said so, he couldn't resist the temptation. Emil was skilled at pleasuring him. He vaguely remembered experimenting on many different things with the Icelandic boy back in high school. They did have sex a couple of times. When they got into college and had respective partners, they stopped all their physical contacts immediately.
"Guilty? Or afraid?" Emil smiled, relishing in the other boy's moans.
He swallowed the cum and loomed above Leon. He bent down and kissed the soft, parted lips. His tongue manoeuvred his way into the wet cavern.
"It just feels kinda weird," Leon muttered after the kiss.
"Of course, we haven't been doing this for, like what? Four or five years." Emil grinned. His mouth latched back onto Leon's neck, "I don't mind us going back to being best friends with benefits."
"Oh please, you're kidding me, right?" Leon laughed.
"I'm not." Emil withdrew from the shoulder with a 'pop'. A red bruise adorned the otherwise flawless, white spot. "I did once consider us together. We still can become boyfriends if you want to."
"I don't want to hurt you, Emil." Leon smiled faintly and cupped the other boy's cheeks, "You know I don't."
"Me neither." Emil nodded and kissed the hand. "It takes too much risk."
"But I'm glad you're always there when I need you to be." Leon propped himself up to peck at the pale cheek.
"Same here." Emil reached for the drawer and took out a lube. He squeezed a generous amount onto his hand and spread the legs under him. After preparing the Asian, he positioned himself and bent down to nibble the other's earlobes. "You ready?"
Lost in their old memories, Leon nodded. The shaft entered him with immense heat. He groaned and squirmed slightly under Emil, taking in the warm comfort. Emil was always gentle with him, unlike Yong Soo. The Korean was into some kinks and fetish. Yet, Leon always complied with his requests, no matter how much trouble it rendered him the next day.
"I'm gonna move now, okay?"
Another nod. They both moaned at the increasing pleasure. The bed creaked. Leon grasped the sheets and buried himself in Emil's kisses.
It had been a while since he felt this aroused. Yong Soo sometimes went overboard. It was worse when he was drunk or in a bad mood. He could seriously fuck him senseless. He tagged along with the roughness. The Asian wondered if he was actually a masochist.
The thought of him brought tears back to his eyes. He tried to concentrate on the face above him. On Emil's amethyst eyes. Beautiful silvery hair. The heart-warming face. His tenderness. The respect and love he showered on him.
Still, all that flashed across his mind was Yong Soo. His dark brown hair. His ridiculous, bouncy curl. His broad shoulders and well-built torso. His cherubic grins as he coaxed him into moaning his name over and over again.
"Leon, Leon."
The voice dragged him back. He wept into Emil's embrace. A groan. He hit his peak. Hotness flooded his rear. They both panted.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, burrowing his face into Emil's neck. "So sorry."
"Sh, it's okay."
"I kept thinking of him…when I ought to see you only."
"If it makes you feel better that way, I don't mind." Emil smiled and gingerly pulled out of his partner. "You came a lot."
Leon blushed. He reached for a box of tissues on the nightstand and quickly cleaned himself up.
"Do you miss him that much?" Emil wrapped his arm around the other boy and snuggled against him.
"It hurts," Leon cooed, covering his eyes with his hands. "Here, Emil, it hurts. I don't know why, but it does." He pointed to his heart.
Emil placed his palm on the chest.
"I know it does." He nodded. "But I can't take your pain away, Leon, however much I wish to."
"Damn it. Screw him," Leon cussed. Tears wouldn't stop rinsing down his face. "He's a fucking jerk."
"You know I felt the same when I caught him kissing Lukas. Remember the night I ran into you and wouldn't stop crying?"
"You never told me what happened…" Leon turned over to face his friend.
"Well, we were in a bar. Went there with some of our classmates from the accounting course. You couldn't make it that night because of the exams. I didn't realise he would be there. Lukas too. They were sitting in one corner. He kissed him."
"Oh…"
"I didn't follow them into the toilet. I didn't even want to imagine what happened in there. I went out, called a cab and found you."
Leon giggled, "You know, I also called a cab and headed straight to you that night."
"Yea, we must have some sort of psychic bonds," Emil said. "Anyway, I remember you lending me your new favourite video game just to cheer me up. I couldn't take it when you hugged me. It physically hurt. Wished Mathias would have hugged me that way."
"Hey..." Leon looked out of the window. "Do you believe in an alternate universe?"
"Yea, what about it?"
"Maybe there, we were a couple," Leon said. "No shit would've happened. There wouldn't be Mathias or Yong Soo. Maybe they were there but we wouldn't have known one another. Never would have gotten acquainted with them."
"Sure, that would be a nice dream." Emil laughed.
"I kinda get it when they say everything is interconnected."
"The ripple effects, they call."
"But I don't regret meeting you."
"Me neither."
They were walking down the corridor when someone yelled after them. Leon quickened his pace, textbooks wrapped tightly under his arms. Emil followed but couldn't help peeking behind.
The Taiwanese girl eventually caught up with them.
"Please, stop, Leon" Mei panted, hands on her hips. The bespectacled Japanese boy beside her sighed and took a step forward. It was unusual to see Kiku in thick glasses and a messy tracksuit. He looked like he had just got forcefully dragged out of his otaku nest.
"What do you want?" Leon asked.
"Kaoru-kun, we're begging you, go and see Yong Soo," Kiku huffed. "He's been pestering us for weeks."
"Like he won't go to school, won't come to work, he's got fired by boss Wang last week for turning up three hours late. He doesn't eat, shower or even step out of the apartment. He's just…ai, so messed up."
"And when he can't reach your phone, he keeps calling us to ask for your whereabouts," Kiku continued. "It's a nightmare, Kaoru-kun! He threatened to tear all my new manga unless I find you!"
"He won't stop stalking me and scaring the hell out of my friends until I convince you to see him, which I'm doing by the way," Mei grunted and leaned tiredly against Kiku.
"Seriously, what the hell happened between you two?"
Leon exchanged a glance with Emil and shook his head.
"I'm not gonna see him," he growled and started walking.
"Wait! Leon!" Mei yelped. Kiku grabbed his elbow.
"Leon." Emil gestured to the figure standing near the gate. Leon took a glimpse out of the window and rolled his eyes, "No, tell him to get lost. Go away."
"Please, Leon, whatever he has done, he's really, really guilty about it." Mei pleaded, "Forgive him already!"
"Or just see him." Kiku added, "We're going to be tortured to death if you keep refusing to meet him."
"No one asked you to help him in the first place," Leon retorted.
"He found his way to us, Leon!" Mei snarled, "Come on!"
"Leon, you need to fix it sooner or later." Emil tugged on his sleeve and smiled, "Only he can make the pain here go away." He pointed to Leon's chest.
The Asian blinked in silence. After a minute, he gave in and scrambled downstairs.
The Korean was crouching in front of the gate. His hair was tangled and greasy. He looked like he hadn't washed it for days. He was also in a tracksuit, but much messier than Kiku's. He wore glasses instead of his usual contacts. When Leon stood before the gate, he perked up.
"Leon, finally!" He bounced up like a kid and leapt towards the Cantonese, only to be punched in the face. Hard. And harsh.
A dark crimson bruise emerged immediately.
Yong Soo tumbled backwards. Another punch landed on his left cheek. He fell onto the floor and coughed.
"Leon!" Mei gasped. Kiku held her back. The others passing by the gate stood at least ten meters away from the furious Cantonese Kung Fu master.
Yong Soo didn't fight back. He wiped the blood off his lips and smiled, "Guess I deserve it da-ze."
He got back up and swayed towards Leon.
"Leon-"
"Stay away from me," Leon growled. "Unless you want me to punch you again."
"Well, I'll let you keep punching me until you're satisfied." Yong Soo tucked his broken glasses into his pockets. "I have no excuses this time."
Leon frowned, taken aback by the Korean's drastic change of attitudes. It was the first time he would even concede his fault without excusing or attempting to justify himself.
"You know, when you aren't around, it gets lonely." The Korean averted his gaze. "Extremely lonely."
"I expect you to have a lot of companions."
"I'm sorry," Yong Soo muttered. "I was just fooling around-"
He stumbled back and winced when another punch attacked him.
"Fooling around? Haha, that's so funny," Leon sneered. "You have no integrity at all, do you?"
"I did think it was fun, but then you left. Without even a word…"
"I left you a note. You know well why I left."
"Yes, yes, it's my fault and I wanted to apologise, but you wouldn't even give me a chance!"
"Because I've given you too many chances." Leon stomped over to the Korean and gripped his collar. "Really, do you even use that nasty brain of yours to think before you act?"
"No…I guess that's why I lost you?"
Leon let go of the collar. "Say, when did you start realising that?"
"Right after you packed everything and left…"
"I doubt it."
"Please, forgive me?" The Korean stepped forward imploringly. Leon turned away and folded his arms.
Yong Soo bit his lips. He scanned the crowd gathering around them and sighed. Not bothering with his aching cheeks, he kneeled down and tugged the rim of Leon's shirt.
This seemed to capture the other boy's attention.
To make the normally arrogant, narcissistic Korean fall to his knees in public was seemingly impossible.
Not to mention he had an infatuation with 'face' just as serious as Alfred.
"Please, Leon-"
Leon smacked away his hand and scowled.
"Stop it."
"I won't get up unless you forgive me."
"Well then, tell me, no, tell everyone here on the spot, what you've done." Leon smirked.
"I…erm…" The Korean blushed deeper with all the eyes on him. He scratched his head and fidgeted.
"I'm gonna, like, leave now if you don't say a word." Leon shrugged and pretended to walk away.
"No! I'm wrong! I cheated on you da-ze! I slept with a cheap, ugly hooker! Sorry!"
"And?"
"I even invited you for a threesome! I didn't apologise right away!"
"Also-"
"Also this is the tenth time I've cheated on you!"
"Tenth time?"
"Yes, yes, I counted."
"You son of a bitch!"
"And that's because I can't control myself! I have a strong sex drive!"
"You do?"
"Those sluts seduced me first!"
"Uh."
"But I fell prey to them so I'm the most despicable! I drove my wife away!"
"Who's even your wife!"
"So I'm here to ask for forgiveness! I hope my dear Leon can forgive me da-ze! I promise I won't stray again and I'll do chores for the rest of my life! PLEASE~"
The crowd laughed and stared at Leon, who grunted and smacked Yong Soo upside the head.
"Ouch…and you can hit me however many times you want!"
"Fine." Leon snorted. "You're forgiven."
"Hurrah!" The Korean leapt up. Leon shoved him away. "Go take a shower first, bastard!"
"Stop whining." Leon rolled his eyes as he applied disinfectant on the bruise.
"But, but, it hurts…" Yong Soo pouted and winced more when tears blended with his blood.
"You deserved it." Leon grabbed a pad and patched the Korean up.
He sighed when he looked around the room. Three weeks and the entire flat looked as if it had been burgled, or turned upside down by an earthquake. Clothes scattered everywhere. There were broken bottles of beer, ripped books, pieces of furniture, food leftover, dirty socks…
"What have you done to our home?" Leon almost fainted from the mere sight of it.
"I can't live without ya, da-ze!" Yong Soo hugged his waist tightly and pouted, "I can't function without you around."
"Bullocks." The Cantonese boy grunted and smacked him. "You said you would do the chores."
"Yes, yes, I would!" Yong Soo shot his fist in the air energetically and proceeded to tidy up the mess.
"What happened to those girls you slept with?" Leon asked.
"What?" Yong Soo frowned, "I chased them away of course! I can prove it to you! I deleted all their numbers. I will never find them again!" The Korean scurried to the table and took his phone. He gave it to Leon and winked, "I'm going to remain a hundred percent faithful to my darling!"
"You'd better keep your words." Leon smirked. "I won't come back again if there's a next time."
"No next time da-ze! Never again!"
Emil handed a packet of sugar to Leon.
"Stop giving me that smug smile." Leon grunted and blew his green tea.
"Well, someone's sparkling."
"Stop teasing me." Leon blushed and grabbed a bun from the dish.
"So, how is it going?"
"He's still keeping his promise so far." Leon shrugged. "At least."
"Cool." Emil grinned. "Does he know you're having tea with me?"
"Nah, he doesn't need to know." Leon blinked, a bun in his mouth. "Why do you ask?"
"Nothing." Emil giggled and stared out of the window.
Emil stopped in front of the crouching figure and sneered, "You look pathetic."
"Is he with you?" Yong Soo stood up and grabbed Emil's shirt.
The Icelandic boy slapped his hand and glared. Yong Soo groaned when the back of his head struck the wall.
"I'm giving you his time schedule. It includes all the periods of his classes tomorrow. You'd better show up and beg for forgiveness." He shoved the paper into Yong Soo's hands.
"But…why?"
"I hate to say this but there's something only you can do."
"What does that even-"
"And if you screw things up tomorrow or in the future," Emil interrupted and crushed the Korean harder against the wall. "I'm telling you, kimchi boy, I will never hand him back."
Emil released Yong Soo and left the alleyway.