Winter Hearts

Siana VS Lift

Leo stood by Hongbin's side, watching and listening to Siana. She still hadn't acknowledged him since he had been dragged to the circle, and it bothered him. She was obviously younger and should show a certain amount of respect.

But he could see she was eager to impart information, and was looking N and Hyuk in the eye as Ken stood next to her, a little too closely, he thought. Then suddenly, he saw N link arms with her and start pulling her towards the door.

"Come on, why don't you show us the way?"

Hyuk and Ken clapped their hands, following, with Ken exclaiming, "Mama can we keep her? Please, please?"

Leo stuck his foot out to kick Ken in the shin, but Ken, his Leo-radar always on, sidestepped him neatly without even looking, and followed N and Siana up out of the room. Hongbin laughed, slapping Leo on the back. Hyuk followed behind Ken, pushing him up the stairs by his butt.

They all rose out of the stairwell and into the yard, where Ravi was still chatting with Joon and Mr Mikhalis. They explained they would go out for breakfast. Siana pulled out of N's grasp and said she needed to close up the rehearsal space and have a shower and change.

That was when N remembered that they had come down to get a spare key for their apartment  from Mr Mikhalis.

Siana said she had a spare key and that she would bring it down for them.

Which was when Hongbin turned to Leo and looked him up and down and said, a little loudly, "Hyung, don't you need to change too?"

Hongbin looked down at Leo's loose pyjama pants that were spilling out of his leather boots under his overcoat. Leo pulled his coat around his body.

N waved a hand at Leo.

"Leo you go with Siana and get the key from her. Hurry up guys, so we can eat."

Siana finally looked at Leo, who met her gaze. She smiled a little nervously, then nodded quickly to them as she turned to go back down the stairs.

"I have to lock up first. Shall we meet in the lobby? I don't need long to get ready."

They all murmured in agreement, and then she turned and looked expectantly at Leo. After a moment, Hongbin gave him a gentle but firm push toward Siana, and Leo fell in behind her as she trotted down the stairs and back into the studio.

She waited for him to follow her in, then pulled the door shut and turned the lock. As she walked across the space, she passed the speakers to turn them off, and went ahead of Leo to the other doorway, waiting for him to catch up and letting him go up the stairs first. She turned off the studio light and stepped into the stairwell to pull the door shut, making it dark suddenly.

She reached gently up the wall till she found the little button and pressed it. In the sudden light she saw Leo was ahead on the stairs but had turned to face her. He was taken aback by the sudden exposure, and she smiled up at him as she pulled the door to and turned to lock it with a key.

She turned back to go up, waiting for him to continue ahead. He turned and led the way up, until they emerged in the lobby, by her father's open door. They could hear the others coming through the house, chatting.

She opened the door lift to let him walk in, but he hesitated, gesturing for her to go in first. Feeling awkward, she wanted him to go up in it alone so that she could take the stairs. She pulled on the sweatshirt she was wearing and made a face, as if she was too sweaty and uncomfortable joining him in the tiny cubicle.

Leo couldn't see himself riding the lift up while Siana walked up the stairs, so he gestured to the stairs for them both to go up.

Siana couldn't let the guest walk up the stairs because of her own discomfort, so with a sigh, Siana smiled and finally went in the lift, followed quickly by Leo.

The cubicle was so small that she had no space to turn around to face the door as it shut because Leo had already entered the cab. She looked into the mirror at that was on the wall, and saw he was slouching to fit his frame in comfortably.

Leo was aghast. They were stuck unless he stepped back out again, but he wanted to get the situation over with. He looked to the wall on his left to find the floor number to press. They were literally push-buttons, the lift was that quaint.

"Number 3," he heard her say, and he duly pressed it. The lift jerked into motion and they rode up in silence, facing the back wall and mirror.

He sneaked a glance down at her face in the mirror, but she was looking down into her clasped hands. Her cheeks were flushed. From exercise? Or from being so close in the lift which he suddenly felt was too hot for comfort? Perhaps his cheeks were flushed too, he thought, mortified. He cleared his throat.

The lift ascended so slowly he regretted not taking the stairs. At least if they were both to do so, they would actually be doing something, instead of standing in silence, in a lift, going up.

He saw a little crease appear at the corner of her lips. Was she stifling a laugh? She looked up suddenly, her eyes merry with laughter as she chuckled a little. He was so taken with her sudden relaxed demeanour he forgot himself and smiled back. She seemed relieved and dropped her gaze down. He noticed she had a little mole high up on her jaw, just near her earlobe. He watched it for a moment as she tried to stop smiling.

Finally they reached her floor, and he backed out of the lift to let her out.

She unlocked her door and walked through, leaving the door open as he waited outside.

He saw a guitar propped against the far wall of an open living area, which contained a sofa bed facing the tv. She walked out of view to the left, and he stepped inside a little to see where she was going.

Adjacent to the living area, separated by a wall with no door, he saw straight into her bedroom. Out of habit, he stepped back and waited out of view as he heard her rummaging for the spare key in a drawer.

Then she was back, smiling. She held up the key and spoke, the first words for him since they had met.

"I have to keep this, so I will let you in. Shall we take the stairs this time?" He understood and let her lead the way up the stairs.

She ran up, two stairs at a time, reaching their door and opening it before he caught up. She pushed open the door and turned to face him.

"See you downstairs in ten minutes. Don't forget your key!" She rattled her copy in front of her eyes, which were bright with cheerfulness. He nodded, smiling, and went in. She pulled the door closed behind him and her heard her run back down.