After his visit with Yeosang and Seonghwa, they both surrendered and said they didn't feel right telling Yunho to stay away when they knew something about meeting him was... different.

They hated using the word 'change' or anything similar because they insisted that on the other days, Wooyoung was exactly the same as he'd been before Yunho had even met him the first time.

He hated hearing that... but he didn't want to argue.

Especially because he really was having a hard time staying away, despite how hard it was to tell himself that he was doing the right thing, or that there wasn't a future in whatever it was he was doing.

Some days he was perfectly fine and didn't let those thoughts bring him down.

Others... not so much.

Even when he was going back to the café and speaking with Wooyoung on occasion.

On one such day, Yunho was feeling particularly low, and he was having a hard time sparking up a conversation.

He just couldn't find the right words to start, find the will to even try...

With a groan, he leaned forward until his head was pressed against the table and just closed his eyes.

"Are you okay?" The most beautiful voice said from Yunho's right, and he tensed instantly.

But he forced himself to sit up and look over at where Wooyoung was staring at him with slight concern.

"Oh god..." Yunho groaned to himself, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I, um... Rough morning." He managed to sputter out.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Wooyoung offered a sympathetic smile. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Yunho's heart ached. He knew how kind Wooyoung could be, but why did it seem to hurt that much more knowing Wooyoung was speaking to him out of concern?

"Y-Yeah, that would be great, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all!" Wooyoung said, then motioned for Yunho to move over and join him.

Which happened without hesitation. Yunho slid into the booth and had to remind himself that he was supposed to be upset, so he took a deep breath and tried to school his features.

Eunji came out right as he was getting settled. She paused and narrowed her eyes to give a warning glare to Yunho before setting his plates down a little harder than was really necessary.

"Thanks, Noona. Oh, nice haircut!" Wooyoung beamed up at her.

"Thanks, Honey." She cupped his cheek, then turned back to Yunho and her tone adopted a harshness to it that had Yunho shrinking back a little. "Enjoy your meal."

Yunho pressed his lips together and slid down in his seat, which made Wooyoung laugh a little. "Don't worry about her." He said as Eunji walked into the kitchen. "She's always been a little protective of me."

"Why's that?" Yunho asked, trying to ask something that would seem normal even though he knew the answer.

A sad smile crossed Wooyoung's face and his shoulders sagged a little. "She was really close with my mom. And when she passed away, Eunji-noona kind of took over as my second mom."

"I'm so sorry." Yunho said softly.

The way Wooyoung looked up at him with round, glistening eyes stole his breath... Just as it always did.

"Thanks. It was a long time ago, but I still miss her. Anyway! We aren't supposed to be talking about me, you're the one having a bad day." Wooyoung tilted his head adorably. "What's going on?"

Yunho couldn't help but stare for longer than was probably socially acceptable, but he couldn't stop.

Wooyoung was just... stunning.

He scrambled to think of what he could say that would make sense, and suddenly it was like he had no control over his own mouth. "There's this guy." He paused when he saw Wooyoung perk up a little and he instantly felt like a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.

At least he knew now that Wooyoung wasn't opposed to someone like him.

Yeosang and Seonghwa had never specifically mentioned Wooyoung's preferences, but they also hadn't outright discouraged Yunho or told him that Wooyoung would never be interested in him. Truthfully, he'd been too scared to ask any of the times he'd seen Wooyoung or the few times he'd run into the others.

But seeing the reaction eased that small seed of doubt in the back of his mind.

"And he's... amazing. I haven't known him for very long, but there's something about him that makes me keep wanting to see him."

As he talked, Wooyoung leaned forward to prop his head up in one hand. "It sounds like love at first sight." He said with a wide smile.

Yunho froze, because no... That was impossible.

Suddenly Wooyoung was laughing at him, that bright, beautiful, bubbly laugh that haunted Yunho's dreams.

"Did you know your ears turn red when you're embarrassed?" Wooyoung asked with the biggest smile.

Yunho immediately lifted both hands to cover his ears and let out a small groan.

"It's cute!" Wooyoung giggled and scrunched his nose adorably.

"It's really not." Yunho groaned, lowering his head to the table in shame.

He heard another adoring laugh come from the man across from him, followed by an "Oh, crap."

"What is it?" Yunho asked, peeking up at him.

Wooyoung was tapping at his phone screen several times, then he huffed. "Oh, my phone died. Can I borrow yours?"

Yunho didn't even get a chance to answer before Wooyoung was reaching for his. He realized the grave mistake as soon as his screen turned on and Wooyoung tilted his head in confusion.

"What's wrong with your phone? The date is wrong..."

"Um, yeah, it's an issue I've been having." Yunho sat up and reached across the table to try and take it back, but Wooyoung pulled it away. "It's no big deal." Yunho tried to say.

But Wooyoung didn't seem like he heard him. He just kept staring at Yunho's screen...

Then he started shaking his head. "No... This doesn't make sense." He slid from the booth. "Noona!"

"W-Wait!" Yunho hurried to follow him. His heart was pounding in his ears, and he was in such a rush, he tripped over a chair and fell to his hands and knees.

By the time he got back up, Wooyoung was out the front door.

"Stop him!" Eunji yelled, the kitchen doors slamming open as she rushed out with her own phone already pressed to her ear.

Yunho didn't hesitate, running through the front door of the café and looking around frantically.

He spotted Wooyoung a few doors down ripping open a newspaper box and checking the dates on each one, eyes wide with sheer horror.

"Wooyoung, stop!" Yunho scrambled forward, but there were already papers scattered all over the sidewalk...

"No... no, no, no, no!" Wooyoung took a step back, completely ignoring Yunho.

Then he was running down the street again.

"Go! Go!!" Eunji shouted, waving at Yunho with her free hand. The other one kept her phone pressed tight to her ear. "Yes, Yeosang? It's a bad day."

Yunho didn't like hearing those words, but he ran after Wooyoung again.

He got into his own car and sped after Wooyoung, trying to stay as close as he could so he could make sure that the younger didn't get hurt.

Wooyoung pulled haphazardly into the small parking lot of his complex, not even bothering to park within the lines before he was sprinting inside.

"Fuck." Yunho swore under his breath and screeched into his own parking spot. He barely got his car turned off before he was trying to keep up.

He followed Wooyoung up the stairs, neither one obviously wanting to wait for the elevator, and used his long legs to gain some ground. "Wooyoung! Stop!!"

Once again, he was ignored.

He got to the eleventh floor right as the door closed, so he ripped it open and saw Wooyoung's shaking hands trying and failing at letting him into his own apartment.

Then the door opened, and an arm pulled Wooyoung inside.

Yunho extended his arm and slipped his hand through the crack in the door just before it clicked closed. When he stepped inside, Yeosang's head whirled around and gave him a terrified look that quickly faded when he recognized that it was Yunho entering his home.

None of that really mattered, though, because Wooyoung was in the living room yelling at Seonghwa. "WHAT IS GOING ON?!" He was shoving Seonghwa's phone in his face, giving away that he'd stolen his friend's phone to check the date on it too...

"Young-ah, please, I need you to calm down." Seonghwa said, his tone firmer than Yunho thought it would be. He seemed to be keeping himself together, given the situation, which made Yunho realize that...

They'd been through his before.

"How can I calm down?! I want to know what is happening!!"

Yeosang approached Wooyoung and gently grabbed his shoulder.

When the younger whirled around to take his anger out on him next, he faltered when he saw that Yeosang was holding up a newspaper.

"What is this?" Wooyoung asked.

"The answer you're looking for." Yeosang answered with a grim smile.

Yunho watched from the edge of the living room as Wooyoung's eyes flicked back and forth. The more he read, the more his eyes started to water... and soon he was sinking to the floor.

Seonghwa was quick to support him, holding his weight so his knees didn't slam against the hard ground beneath him, but then he backed off so that Wooyoung could continue to process.

Slowly, Wooyoung brought a hand to the top of his head and eventually he bent in half over his legs and let out one, long wail.

Yunho couldn't stand it. The sound ripped his heart out of his chest and started to shred it into a million pieces.

And all he wanted to do was run forward and comfort the younger, but he didn't know what his place was yet...

So he let Seonghwa and Yeosang take their spots on either side, both hugging Wooyoung and staying quiet as he worked through his emotions.

It took some time, but Wooyoung eventually stopped crying long enough to look up at Seonghwa. "I-I want to speak with the doctor. I n-need to see him."

"You have, Youngie, many times." Seonghwa ran a gentle hand through his hair, his face twisted in pain.

"I have?"

Seonghwa started to nod, then paused when Yunho spoke up. "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear it for myself. Please?" He asked, shuffling in place a little.

He watched as Yeosang and Seonghwa exchanged a look, then both sighed with resignation.

Wooyoung used the bottom of his shirt to dot at his eyes, cleaning the tear stains and wiping his eyes before looking at Yunho with a frown. "Why do you care? Wh-What are you even doing here??"

Yunho flinched at the accusatory tone and felt himself floundering when trying to think of an explanation.

Surprisingly, Seonghwa was the one to say something before he could. "Youngie, you're sort of dating him. I think."

"What?" Wooyoung gasped and shook his head, "But-"

Yunho nodded when he felt Wooyoung's eyes on him. "Sorry I'm not better looking." He said, hoping a small joke would lighten the mood.

Yeosang at least had to fight a smile, but Wooyoung just blinked at him a couple of times. "Do we have sex??"

"No!" Yunho said and held up his hands as soon as Wooyoung's friends rounded on him with sharp looks. "We haven't, I swear!"

That seemed to pacify everyone enough that they stood and started gathering their things to leave. They silently pile into Seonghwa's car and make their way over to the hospital that Wooyoung was treated at.

A few of the nurses greet him as they walk by, and Yunho can't help but feel a surge of happiness when Wooyoung steps a little closer to him, as if subconsciously seeking some kind of comfort.

It's surreal, truthfully, sitting in a small office and listening to the doctor explain Wooyoung's condition to him. He's very patient, clearly accepting of the fact that he's had this conversation several times, and it doesn't seem to bother him one bit that he has to have it again.

Wooyoung stayed quiet the entire time, listening to the details of his accident, the partial surgery he'd had to go through, the recovery spent in the hospital, and the final diagnosis when they realized he wasn't retaining any new memories.

He didn't even fully react when the doctor confirmed that his condition was permanent.

Permanent.

The word repeated itself over and over and over again in Yunho's mind. He felt his eyes slowly drift over to study Wooyoung's face.

He looked exhausted and so, so defeated.

The drive home was silent as well and so was the walk back to the apartment.

Yunho stayed with them; not sure what else he should do...

But Wooyoung answered that for him by setting down the file he'd been given on the table and turning to look up at the older. "Thank you, I think, for today." He said softly.

"It was no problem." Yunho said just as soft. He gave into his instincts for what felt like the first time that day and gently caressed Wooyoung's cheek. "You had a long day. You should get some rest."

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Wooyoung asked, his eyes growing a little wide. "E-even though I won't know, I-I guess."

"Would you like to see me tomorrow?" Yunho tilted his head to the side, his heart thundering so loud he feared everyone could hear it.

Wooyoung nodded shyly and bit his lip. "I don't want you to strike out, so maybe, bring me some lilies?"

Yunho nodded, not feeling the need to say that he already knew they were Wooyoung's favorite. "I can do that."

With a small nod and rosy cheeks, Wooyoung turned and disappeared into what Yunho assumed was his bedroom.

When the door clicked shut, Seonghwa approached Yunho with a resigned, but grateful smile. "You're welcome to stay for a bit if you'd like. We owe you for helping us."

"You don't owe me anything." Yunho bowed to the older to show him some respect. "I'll get out of your hair so you both can try to relax."

He didn't miss the way Seonghwa's shoulders dipped in relief and knew he'd made the right decision.

Yeosang gave him a small nod too, and then he and Seonghwa turned around to go about their day.

Yunho started walking to the front door to take his leave, then paused when he saw both the newspaper and the folder of Wooyoung's medical information and bit the inside of his lip.

So much could be avoided if Wooyoung didn't accidentally discover what had happened to him...

Then an idea came to him, and he grabbed everything on the table, hoping everyone was so tired they wouldn't notice.

Once he was outside, he called Mingi.

"What's up?" Mingi asked lazily on the other line.

"Min, I need your help. Meet me at the café you picked me up at and bring Hongjoong's camera."

"For what?"

Yunho's mind was reeling, he had to get working on his idea as soon as possible. "I'll explain when you get there. Just, please do this for me."

"Alright, alright. I'll get there as soon as I can."