You deserve a happy ever after, don't ya?
After all the tears you've cried
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

My dad. The one I once looked up to. The guy I thought would always be on my side, the one who gave me all those promises that we would be.

The same one that left me, not once, not twice, but six times. I forgave him six times. That was when I no longer accepted his promise but instead, I promised myself to never let another person hurt me again. To lie to me. For me to be pathetically forgiving.

He stood there, waiting for me to forgive him again.

"What are you doing here?" My voice was low, still, I didn't know what they expected me to say or do.

My mom puts her hands on her hips, "We're your parents Jisung, we're checking up on you since you haven't answered any of our calls or texts"

Guilty, since Minho and I have been on better terms I should put it, I've kinda blocked out the world. I've been in my own world... with him. I didn't think it would come out to this or else I would've shot my mom a simple thumbs-up text.

I shake my head and scoff lowly, walking past them and opening my front door, entering and not bothering to remove my shoes. I had other problems and they were walking in behind me.

"Gee thanks, invite us in with such a warm welcome" I turn around and watch my mom take a seat on the couch before he follows hesitantly. I really wondered where I got my cowardly nature from, I get it now.

He was never a talker, my mom always did the talking and the yelling. He was calm, quiet, and always played innocent. See, what they both have in common—what the three of us now have in common, we ran. We bolted at the first sight of what we feared.

I run my finger through my hair before I shrug "What are you doing here?" My question now fully pointed at him.

"You never answer my calls or my texts"

My brows furrow "Yeah, I do that on purpose. Take a hint, I don't want to talk to you" I said to him plainly. I don't have time to beat around the bush.

"Jisung—"

"No" I shake my head, cutting my mom off, "I gave him chance after chance and he took it knowing I was young and naive" I scoff "So no Mom, I won't hear him out, actually I want him to leave"

She stands up "Come on Jisung, let's not do this"

"Stop!" I yell, feeling my frustration grow. She doesn't get it, My word lowers as I rub my hands over my face harshly. I look at her "Stop sticking up for him"

In the corner of my eyes, I see a tense looking Jeongin and Minho slowly walk in to inspect what is happening. Only now getting here but I really wish they hadn't.

Now Minho really is going to get a look at how fucked up I really am, great.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Minho's POV
Walking in and immediately hearing Jisung's raised voice brought alarm to me. Both Jeongin and I hurry towards the living room, practically stumbling through the door and finally coming face to face with the situation.

Two unfamiliar people stood on the couch and Jisung a distance away, the coffee table separating them. Jisung only briefly gazed at the two of us but he looked away almost immediately. He looks embarrassed.

Jisung clears his throat and gives the two a pointed look "Just go" His words are low but harsh.

I was confused to say the least, looking at the two again and then it hit me, that's his mom and his... dad. When I came to the realization I was suddenly getting pulled into the kitchen where Jeongin hopes to hide away from the mess. Now secretly trying to watch without it being obvious.

"This is awkward" He whispers as he turns to rummage through the fridge.

"Do you think he's okay?" I also keep my voice down as the three continue to talk or at least the two try to talk and Jisung shuts it down.

Jeongin walks beside me again and opens the water bottle, shrugging "Yeah, it's Jisung" He takes a drink of the water.

I look at him with furrowed brows, honestly, I can't help but feel a bit annoyed by his words "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jeongin looks at me "He gets over things quickly" He looks back to the three and motions his head "Thought his dad was dead or something, he never mentioned him" Was all he said before walking away and escaping into his room.

I was left there even more irritated. Did everyone just think Jisung felt nothing? From what I know Jisung might be the most sensitive person I've ever met and I don't mean that in a bad way. He hides it and not because he doesn't want others to see it, it's because he doesn't want to see it.

"Can we talk tomorrow?" The words make me look up from the counter, watching the three start to walk near the kitchen. "How about lunch?"

"I have work," Jisung says, still not accepting.

"Breakfast?" His mom tries again.

Jisung's eyes meet mine as he walks them past the kitchen and towards the door, "Can't" He tells them as he looks away from me.

"Well, when?"

"Preferably never" I hear his mom's disapproving sigh, "Fine, I'll call when I'm free tomorrow" He tells them bye before the sound of the door rings through the now quiet apartment.

Jisung groans and walks past the kitchen "What a night" He says walking towards his room and I follow him, this makes him stop and turn to me "Minho, please, I'm tired" I give him a knowing look, "I really am"

"Just tell me what's on your mind" I try to help. I told him to never hide from me. I never want him to be alone when he feels like he is.

He pauses for a moment before saying "A lot" He admits, "A lot is on my mind that I don't want to talk about"

"Ji, why can't you just let me in?" I ask him, not even caring if Jeongin could hear us.

"I don't know how to!" He yells at me like he just had with his parents except this time he looks helpless, "Is that what you want to hear Minho, all about how I don't know how to let someone in?" I frown slightly at his words and he shakes his head "Not tonight, I can't tonight" He tells me like he had let me down. Like I was the one who was hurt. Went into his room and closed his door.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Jisung's POV
I admitted to Minho that I needed to get my shit together and that was the reason I pushed him away the night of the bar which happened to be the same night he ended things with Krystal.

The only thing I really came to terms with was how much I wanted him in my life, more than a friend. I've been trying to open up more emotionally and I notice how much he has opened up to me.

I don't think I could ever fully open up to him. I can't do that when I don't open up to myself.

I don't only push away my feelings from others but I push them so far back that I convince myself that I don't care about certain situations when really they affect me more than I'd like.

I do want to let Minho in, I want to tell him how I feel when I feel it. To confide in him as he does with me. I've never done that but the little that I have made me feel so much better.

Last night I thought a lot. I pondered with the idea of just not confronting my parents at all but then I realized the root of the problem was them. And then I got pissed off, typical me.

Waking up with only two hours of sleep and a raging headache didn't help. Going to work and then continuing with classes didn't help. And most of all, never once seeing Minho didn't fucking help.

I admit, there was a split second that I thought maybe he was over all of this. Tired of my constant mood swings. Tired of my yelling. Tired of my complete emotional block. He was over me.

I pushed that away because I remembered we don't usually see each other because of how opposite our schedules were. Still, he could be tired of me. 

With all of this thinking, I finally concluded. Confrontation was needed in this situation.

Which leads me here, sitting in front of the two that made me this way. Nervously my dad takes a drink of his water. I agreed on dinner, except I wasn't hungry at all.

"I do the talking," I tell them.

"Jisung"

I looked to my mom "Please" I felt so vulnerable and I wanted to leave. I wanted Minho here with me.

She pushes her lips into a thin line, about to disagree when he speaks "Let him talk" She looks over us before getting up and saying she will give us space.

I look at my dad and I inhale deeply, "I-" I pause before I fidget with my fingers under the table. I felt like a kid again. "I just want to know why" I speak to him and only him.

"Why what son?" The word felt bitter to my ears, hearing him call me that.

"Why did you lie to me?" I respond immediately, "I forgave you constantly and you still took advantage of it"

He inhales before nodding "I wasn't ready" He tells me, no he finally admits to me "When I met your mom, we were young and for a moment we were in love but I wasn't ready for any of it" He looks down and I seen how now he was also coming to terms with his wrongs "I tried to be prepare when she told me she was pregnant—" He looks up, meeting my eyes "I tried Jisung, desperately I wanted to be the dad I knew you would need but I never knew how and so I left"

My eyes stung as I noticed his reddened, "Then why did you come back on my birthday?" My voice was weak, "Why did you promise to never leave again after spending the whole day together?" I ask him, "But then I woke up early the next morning because you said you would take me to school but you..." I shake my head and shrug "You left again and it was always like that. You came back and you would tell me all these things and then you would leave" My words become harsh, "Why?"

He looks at me, over my face, and sighs loudly, "You're my son, me being ready or not I couldn't leave you..." He shook his head lightly "So I always came back but every time I would come face to face with your forgiving smiling I would become a coward again and all that fear of never living up to being a good dad would come back"

"So you left," I say to him, "And you'll leave again"

"Jisung, please let me make it up to you" He tries to tell me. Tries to apologize again, "I've missed too many years of your life, You're in college now and I want to make that up to you"

I stare at him and I frown "Do you know I've never been in love?"

He furrows his brows "What?"

"I've never been in love," I tell him again, "Do you want to know why?" He looked at me, hurt in his eyes but I felt hurt. I felt disgusted because it all came back, all of his broken promises to me. "I never allowed myself to"

"You will find it someday son"

I shook my head "You left me" I said, looking over my shoulder at my mom who stood at the counter and spoke kindly to the younger lady, "That day so did she" I looked at him again, "That's why I've never let anyone in because the two people who are supposed to be there for me left, wouldn't it be even easier for someone who barely knows me to leave me?" I smile sadly, "But maybe you are right, maybe one day I will find love" I stand up and look down to where he sits, "Maybe it will never be from you or her, only now I'm okay with that"

With that, I leave. With the weight lifted off of my shoulders, I don't tell my mom bye. I just leave. I don't feel I owe them anything. I love my mom but she doesn't love me.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Minho's POV
Jisung still wasn't home and I was afraid we had gone right back to square one. Repeating history.

I lay in bed for what felt like hours, not in bed but just on top of the covers with my feet hanging off. I never bothered to change out of my clothes after getting back. I just waited for him.

I hoped to clear the air if he'd let me. If he he'd allow me to. I realized I walked on eggshells around him when he was like this. When he pushed me away.

I sighed loudly and got up, I needed to smoke. I grab my things from my desk and walk out of my room only to stop at the sight of him. He just got back.

The sight of him sent a large frown on my face. His brows furrowed and his hair slightly disheveled. "Ji, I was waiting for you," I tell him honestly and he doesn't say anything, he just walks to me and wraps his arms around my torso, head on my shoulder.

I was confused for a second but still, I hugged him back and that's when I felt it. The slight shake in his body and the small sob that escaped his lips.

I've never seen him cry. Holding him now as he broke in my arms, I never wanted to see him like this. I never want him to be this hurt.

I knew it was his parents but I didn't ask. I don't ask him anything, I just hold him tightly. My hands drag along his back as I kiss the side of his head.

Shitty timing but I knew now with everything, I was helplessly falling for Jisung. I knew it was risky, I knew there was a high chance I would be the one heartbroken but in all of that, I trusted him.

[Song rec - Compromise by ROLE MODEL]