What Really Matters - 15/?
[Title] What Really Matters
[Pairing] Haehyuk, others to come
[Genre] Romance/Fluff/Drama
[Rating] PG-PG 13
[Summary] Donghae is the new kid in school and he immediately befriends shy and quiet Hyukjae. As Donghae’s popularity grows, his finds himself having to choose between Hyukjae and his popular friends, who don’t think he should hang out with the school ‘nerd’.
[Disclaimer] I only own the ideas in this fic.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Hyukjae lay motionless in his bed long after his alarm had gone off the next morning. He really should be getting up and ready for school, but he couldn’t find it in him to move. Not with the way yesterday’s events were constantly replaying in his head. He felt like the slightest move would destroy these dreamlike memories, and that was the last thing he wanted; to find out that it was all fake, a cruel joke played upon him by his own mind. After so much disappointment, he was sure that one more strike against his already faltering hopes would leave him devastated. So he stayed still, envisioning Donghae’s soft eyes watching him more closely than ever, his warm hands spiking the throbbing pulse in his chest, and his soft lips stealing the very breath from his lungs.
Flushing instantly at the direction his thoughts had quickly taken, he couldn’t help but to reach up and cover his burning face, out of habit more than anything, as he made a soft noise of embarrassment in the back of his throat.
“I can’t believe I did that,” he groaned softly into the quiet of his room, as he remembered how he had actually initiated a kiss between the two. Feeling his insides tickle at the recollection, he curled his hands under his pillow and pressed his face into the soft material. His hands bumped carelessly into his cell phone, as he typically kept it under his pillow during the night, he paid no mind to the device as he tried to fuse himself into the cushion so he wouldn’t have to think about anything anymore.
His turmoil was interrupted when he felt his phone vibrate by his hands. Thinking it was just his alarm going off again, he grabbed the phone, ready the press the snooze button once again, only to pause his actions when he saw it was a text message he had received.
His cheeks instantly flushed when he saw the name that flashed across the screen and he sat up into a kneeling position as he opened the message.
Good morning, my sleeping beauty. Seeing you in my dreams all night gave me the best sleep of my life, but nothing can compare to the real thing. I can’t wait to see you <3
---
The sweet yet shy smile that bloomed on Hyukjae’s face was only outshined by the complete and utter happiness that sparkled in his eyes. Reading the message over and over to himself, ingraining each character into his mind as he did so, he could feel the sweet words twisting and turning in his chest and making him wonder if it was even possible for someone to feel so happy. It took a little bit of effort on his part, but he finally allowed the phone to slip closed as he slowly got up from his bed and decided to get ready for school, feeling more excited to go than he could ever remember.
In his excitement, he had managed to get ready in enough time to quickly make up for his dawdling earlier, and he was soon rushing down the stairs with his tie wrapped clumsily around his neck.
“Whoa, what’s the rush?” he mom asked as he went speeding past her in the hallway.
“Huh?” he questioned dazedly. “Oh, nothing, I’m just in a hurry to get to school,” he said as he tried to fumble with his tie. His mom came over to help, clicking her tongue skeptically.
“Honey, you still have 30 minutes before you need to leave for school,” she said while she straightened his tie.
“Oh, really?” he said, almost disappointed.
“Yeah,” his mom trailed off slowly. “Are you sure you’re feeling well enough to go to school today? You could stay home today too if you need to.”
“No! I mean, no. I’m okay. I’m fine. I want to go to school today,” he rambled.
“Are you sure? You look flushed,” she said, and reached out a hand to feel his forehead.
“It’s just from rushing. I thought I was going to be late, so I was in a hurry.”
“Well, okay. If you say so. Now go and eat some breakfast before you go. I don’t want you getting sick again.”
“Okay,” Hyukjae said as he made his way into the kitchen to find something he could eat that wouldn’t further upset the butterflies in his stomach. He settled on picking through a bowl of strawberries he had found in the refrigerator. As he ate, he wondered to himself if he would have to wait and see Donghae at school, or if the other would come by to pick him like he used to. Donghae hadn’t come to pick him up since that incident with Jessica. Donghae hadn’t mentioned anything about it yesterday, or even in the text he sent earlier. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t even replied to the text Donghae sent.
He quickly reached into his pocket and fingered his phone nervously. What if Donghae thought that he wasn’t going to school today because he hadn’t replied? Or what if he thought he had second thoughts about yesterday?
His fingers danced on his keypad, itching to send a message of response to Donghae’s earlier message and also wanting some kind of answer to his own never-ending questions that were getting more and more dismal the more he was left alone to think on them. Only he had no idea what to send. Biting the inside of his cheek, he began to type out something simple, only to erase it seconds later, thinking it may sound a bit desperate.
As he was thinking and erasing messages in his head, Donghae was already greeting his mother good morning at the door, unbeknownst to the stressed out Hyukjae in the kitchen. It was only when he felt warm arms wind around his shoulders did he snap out of it, dropping his phone in the process.
“D-donghae,” Hyukjae didn’t really need to question who it was, the rapid thudding of his heart and the flushing of his face was his answer.
“Good morning Hyukkie,” Donghae spoke into sweetly into the air, hugging him in one of the softest embraces he’s ever felt, but still managing to make Hyukjae feel like he was suffocating.
“M-morning,” Hyukjae murmured, looking off to the side, while Donghae smile at the view of his profile he was given. He leaned in close, just barely brushing his lips across the smooth skin of Hyukjae’s burning cheek before he released him, not wanting to overwhelm Hyukjae, or even worse, get caught by his mother.
“Strawberries for breakfast?” Donghae asked with a smirk as he sat down beside Hyukjae and took a glance at the bowl that was on the table. “No wonder you’re so thin,” he teased as he stole a berry and took a bite.
“Y-yah, I’m not!” Hyukjae tried to argue, though it sounded more like a whine since the other was still reeling from that almost kiss, and trying to convince himself that he didn’t miss the other’s arms around him as much as he thought. Donghae only smiled brightly at him as he continued to chew and stare, making Hyukjae feel embarrassed as he blatantly avoided the other’s gaze.
“What?” Hyukjae finally questioned, feeling self-conscious.
“You’re so red, you almost look like a strawberry,” Donghae teased again reaching over to gently run a finger across the other’s cheek and making Hyukjae to burn even more.
“Okay, it’s time to go to school now,” Hyukjae declared as he picked up the bowl and walked over to shove it back in the refrigerator. Donghae only chuckled and stood too, popping the rest of his stolen strawberry in his mouth and following Hyukjae out of the kitchen and to the front door.
“I’m going mom,” Hyukjae called through the house, and Hyukjae’s mom appeared seconds later while he was still pulling his shoes on.
“Okay dear. Did you eat?” she asked.
“Ye-“
“Just barely,” Donghae commented, causing Hyukjae to scowl at him in a way that was nothing short of adorable.
“Hyukjae,” his mother tsked.
“I did eat something mom. I just wasn’t that hungry,” Hyukjae said.
“Well, make sure you eat a decent lunch Hyukjae. Don’t make your mother worry,” she said.
“Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ll make sure Hyukkie eats a big lunch,” Donghae said, smiling charmingly at her.
“Thank you, Donghae. You are so sweet. I’m so glad ‘Hyukkie’ has a friend like you,” his mother beamed at him and giggled at the reappearance of his cute nickname. “Oh, have a good day a school you two,” she called to them as Hyukjae started to forcefully drag Donghae out the door. “Bye!”
“Bye!” Donghae yelled back, waving with his hand that wasn’t clasped in Hyukjae’s. He turned his grin to Hyukjae when they reached the sidewalk. “I really like your mom,” he said.
“… I think she likes you too,” Hyukjae replied quietly, making Donghae’s grin broaden and tug on his hand to pull Hyukjae into him. He was really too cute to resist sometimes.
Only when he did that it seemed to click to Hyukjae that they were holding hands, and that he was the one who initiated it. He wasquick to pull his hand away from Donghae’s, much to the latter’s displeasure.
“Aw, why did you do that?” Donghae pouted childishly as he walked to catch up with Hyukjae who was speed walking ahead.
“I-it’s embarrassing. What if someone sees?” he asked.
“So what? It’s not embarrassing to me. We always hold hands,” Donghae said.
“Yeah, but… now. I don’t know,” Hyukjae muttered.
“You don’t you like holding my hand?” Donghae asked.
“No! I mean… not really… Well, I don’t dislike it,” Hyukjae confessed. In fact he liked the way Donghae’s hand felt when it was intertwined with his.
“Then,” Donghae said, grabbing Hyukjae’s hand back in his and giving it a squeeze. “I’m not going to let go until you can tell me that you like it so much, you never want me to let go of you again.”
“Yah, that’s not going to happen,” Hyukjae said.
“Then, I’ll just keep holding on forever. Either way’s good with me,” Donghae said as he pulled Hyukjae further down the street.
Hyukjae was about to speak up, realizing that he had just been tricked, but at the feeling of Donghae’s firm and warm grip on him made him hesitate. A quick backward glance and a sly, but warm smile from Donghae had him biting his lip and looking down instead, gripping his hand just a little tighter as he quietly followed behind Donghae. He found that he couldn’t pay much attention to anything that wasn’t Donghae on their walk to school, so even if people stared, he didn’t notice.
“So…” Ryeowook asked as soon as they all gathered at their usual lunch table. He glanced back and forth from Hyukjae’s red face and Donghae smiling one.
“So, what?”
“So what happened?! I’ve been waiting all day for you to tell me, now spill!” Ryeowook demanded.
“Spill what?” Donghae asked, while Hyukjae poked at all the food the other had loaded onto his lunch tray.
“Everything! Ugh, do I have to spell it out for you?!” Ryeowook asked.
“Well, there’s not much to tell,” Donghae asked, starting to look a little uncomfortable himself.
“Not much to-the last I heard, Hyukjae was faking sick to stay home from school to avoid you, and today you’re strolling to school together in your own little world and holding hands,” Ryeowook exclaimed.
“Wookie,” Yesung chuckled, seeing how the younger was firing himself up. “If they don’t want to talk about it, then they don’t have to. All that matters is that they’re happy, and there are no more misunderstandings. Right?” Yesung looked right at Donghae who nodded quickly.
“But hyung, don’t you want to know what happened?” Ryeowook asked, to which Yesung only shrugged.
“As long as everything’s okay, I’m satisfied,” he said, smiling at Hyukjae, who returned the gesture.
“You guys are no fun,” Ryeowook sulked in his seat.
“Ah, Wookie, don’t pout. It’s none of our business, and you know it,” Yesung said, sounding like he was talking to a petulant child.
“But they’re my friends. Can’t I make it my business?” he asked to the amusement of everyone at the table.
“Ryeowook, it’s really not much to tell. We just… got things sorted out, pretty much. That’s all,” Donghae said.
“Really? That’s all?” Ryeowook looked skeptical.
“Yeah. What did you expect?” Donghae asked.
“I don’t know. Something spectacular. Like you serenading Hyukjae outside his window, confessing your love in the sky, even a trail of rose petal from his locker to a fountain or something, and you’re waiting in a suit with a small orchestra and there’s fireworks shooting off overhead. You know, something awesome like that,” Ryeowook said seriously, making the whole table burst into laughter.
“Ryeowook this isn’t a drama! How did you expect me to pull any off that off?” Donghae asked as he tried to control his laughter.
“Well, I know where you could get some pretty good fireworks from, if you’re ever interested,” Yesung said, startling the table for a second until they all burst into laughter again.
“But seriously Wook. It’s wasn’t anything that spectacular,” Donghae said once the laughter died down again.
“Then I’m disappointed in you Donghae. My Hyukjae deserves some class A wooing. You should’ve done something amazing for him,” he scolded.
“Ah, no it’s wasn’t like that. Even if it wasn’t all that eventful it was still… it was a-amazing… to me,” Hyukjae spoke up shyly, surprising everyone.
“Aww, Hyukjae,” Ryeowook cooed. “You’re so cute!” he said, reaching over to play with Hyukjae’s cheeks.
“Wook, cut it out,” Hyukjae whined, and pulled back, only to bump into Donghae, who was quick to wrap his arms around him.
“It was amazing to me too, Hyukkie,” he made sure to whisper low enough for only Hyukjae to hear, and the other didn’t have any other response except to blush harder and bury his face in the arm that Donghae had wrapped around him.
“Aren’t they so cute?” Ryeowook gushed, and Yesung could only shake his head.
“It’d be a lot cuter if I weren’t eating,” Yesung said.
“Oh, you’re so unromantic,” Ryeowook frowned, lightly flicked the other on the head.
“I’m plenty romantic. You can attest to that, right Wook?” Yesung grinned at the other, who started to pink a little himself.
“Yah, not in front of the kids!” he whined in embarrassment, much to everyone’s amusement. He and Yesung spent the rest of the time playfully bickering back and forth, the others watched.
But unnoticed by them, there were others paying close attention to the jovial table too.
“My, my, my. They’re awfully excited today aren’t they?” Taeyeon commented.
“And touchy too I see. Donghae oppa’s looking a little too close for comfort to the four-eyed one,” Yuri added, only added more to the fire that was slowly boiling under Jessica’s skin.
“Oh, be quiet. I’m sure it’s nothing. Oppa is just really friendly,” she said offhandedly, though the scowl in her features betrayed the calm in her voice.
“I don’t know any friends like that,” Yoona said, quickly looking down when Jessica turned to glare at her.
“Yoona has a point, Sica. I mean, I heard that they came to school together and they were holding hands. Didn’t you say Donghae was practically your boyfriend?” Taeyeon asked skeptically.
“He was. I mean is! He is! After what happened, he-he has to be,” Jessica said, turning back to look at the table where Donghae sat, and noticing how Donghae hadn’t stop touching Hyukjae since they first walked in.
“Looks to me like he has another girlfriend in mind,” Yuri glanced at the couple and back at Jessica, who looked ready to burst.
“That’s’ ridiculous, he can’t be… I mean he’s not…” she trailed off watching the way Donghae watched Hyukjae, and she felt like she was going to be sick. “But he… to me he…,” Jessica stammered, only to be interrupted but Heechul’s loud voice.
“Yah, what are you girls down there whispering about?” he asked in mild irritation.
“Nothing,” Jessica snapped before anyone else could answer, and Heechul raised an eyebrow at her. “Nothing,” she repeated, with finality, making everyone look at her before carefully looking away, moving on to another topic. Jessica pretended to listen to whatever was going on after that, while flicking her gaze over to the table across the room every few seconds. She would handle this after lunch.
“Oppa!” Donghae turned away from his locker and to the familiar voice, and smiled at Jessica as she ran up to him.
“Oh, hey Jessica. What’s up?” he asked, not noticing how tense Jessica looked.
“Um, do you have a minute. I need to talk to you,” she asked.
“Oh. Well, actually, I was just getting ready to go to-“
“Please? It’s really important,” Jessica said, looking pleadingly at Donghae, and the other had no other choice but to nod in agreement.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, but Jessica only looked around for a bit.
“Not here,” she said when her eyes landed back on Donghae. “Follow me.”
Donghae closed his locker and started walking behind Jessica as she led him down the hall. It got more and more sparse the further they went, until they reached a deserted stairwell where Jessica continued to walk until they were standing right up under them.
She stood with her back facing to Donghae as she contemplated how she wanted to bring it up as Donghae shifted on his feet, and waiting for her to say something.
“Uh, Jessica? What was it that you wanted to talk about?” he asked after she had stayed silent for so long.
“Oppa… who do you like?” she asked with her back still turned towards him.
“W-what?” Donghae asked, completely caught off guard.
“Who do you like? Is there someone? Anyone?”
“Where is this coming from?”
“Just answer me!” Donghae jumped at the increased volume in her voice.
“…Yes. I do,” he finally admitted.
“… And is it me?” she asked quietly.
“Jessica,” Donghae said with guilt in his voice.
“Is it me?” she repeated, turning around and Donghae could see the shine in her eyes as she held back tears. “Tell me.”
“I’m sorry,” was all he could manage, and he felt infinitely worse when he heard a small sob escape Jessica.
“It’s Lee Hyukjae isn’t it? It’s him,” she said, looking a little angry now.
“Jessica look-“ Donghae stopped talking when he saw tears trailing from her red eyes. “Yes. I like Hyukjae. And I swear Jessica, I didn’t mean to lead you on or anything like that. At that party, I wasn’t thinking clearly, and I- I did something I’m not proud. I’m sorry if you got the wrong idea from anything that I did,” Donghae said earnestly.
“W-what’s wrong with me?” she asked in a voice so brokenly Donghae felt like the worst guy in the world right now.
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you Jessica. You’re nice, and beautiful, and I really do like you, it’s just… in a different way. I hope you can understand,” Donghae said, taking a step closer to Jessica who only hung her head down and took a step back. Donghae stopped approaching and sighed. “I really am sorry, Jessica. I didn’t mean to hurt you at all.”
She only nodded and rubbed her eyes.
“Are you… will you be ok?” he asked, concern in his voice.
“Y-yeah, I’ll be fine. You can go now,” she said, wiping at her eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure. I think I just need to be alone for a little while,” she said, and Donghae nodded and turned around. He said one more soft ‘sorry’ before he finally left, and Jessica waited until she couldn’t hear his footsteps anymore before she finally raised her head, wiping all traces of any tears away before she started walking down the other direction, a resolute look on her face.
Lee Hyukjae, you’re going to wish you never even heard the name Lee Donghae when I’m done with you.
Previous .:|:. Next
[Pairing] Haehyuk, others to come
[Genre] Romance/Fluff/Drama
[Rating] PG-PG 13
[Summary] Donghae is the new kid in school and he immediately befriends shy and quiet Hyukjae. As Donghae’s popularity grows, his finds himself having to choose between Hyukjae and his popular friends, who don’t think he should hang out with the school ‘nerd’.
[Disclaimer] I only own the ideas in this fic.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Hyukjae lay motionless in his bed long after his alarm had gone off the next morning. He really should be getting up and ready for school, but he couldn’t find it in him to move. Not with the way yesterday’s events were constantly replaying in his head. He felt like the slightest move would destroy these dreamlike memories, and that was the last thing he wanted; to find out that it was all fake, a cruel joke played upon him by his own mind. After so much disappointment, he was sure that one more strike against his already faltering hopes would leave him devastated. So he stayed still, envisioning Donghae’s soft eyes watching him more closely than ever, his warm hands spiking the throbbing pulse in his chest, and his soft lips stealing the very breath from his lungs.
Flushing instantly at the direction his thoughts had quickly taken, he couldn’t help but to reach up and cover his burning face, out of habit more than anything, as he made a soft noise of embarrassment in the back of his throat.
“I can’t believe I did that,” he groaned softly into the quiet of his room, as he remembered how he had actually initiated a kiss between the two. Feeling his insides tickle at the recollection, he curled his hands under his pillow and pressed his face into the soft material. His hands bumped carelessly into his cell phone, as he typically kept it under his pillow during the night, he paid no mind to the device as he tried to fuse himself into the cushion so he wouldn’t have to think about anything anymore.
His turmoil was interrupted when he felt his phone vibrate by his hands. Thinking it was just his alarm going off again, he grabbed the phone, ready the press the snooze button once again, only to pause his actions when he saw it was a text message he had received.
His cheeks instantly flushed when he saw the name that flashed across the screen and he sat up into a kneeling position as he opened the message.
Good morning, my sleeping beauty. Seeing you in my dreams all night gave me the best sleep of my life, but nothing can compare to the real thing. I can’t wait to see you <3
---
The sweet yet shy smile that bloomed on Hyukjae’s face was only outshined by the complete and utter happiness that sparkled in his eyes. Reading the message over and over to himself, ingraining each character into his mind as he did so, he could feel the sweet words twisting and turning in his chest and making him wonder if it was even possible for someone to feel so happy. It took a little bit of effort on his part, but he finally allowed the phone to slip closed as he slowly got up from his bed and decided to get ready for school, feeling more excited to go than he could ever remember.
In his excitement, he had managed to get ready in enough time to quickly make up for his dawdling earlier, and he was soon rushing down the stairs with his tie wrapped clumsily around his neck.
“Whoa, what’s the rush?” he mom asked as he went speeding past her in the hallway.
“Huh?” he questioned dazedly. “Oh, nothing, I’m just in a hurry to get to school,” he said as he tried to fumble with his tie. His mom came over to help, clicking her tongue skeptically.
“Honey, you still have 30 minutes before you need to leave for school,” she said while she straightened his tie.
“Oh, really?” he said, almost disappointed.
“Yeah,” his mom trailed off slowly. “Are you sure you’re feeling well enough to go to school today? You could stay home today too if you need to.”
“No! I mean, no. I’m okay. I’m fine. I want to go to school today,” he rambled.
“Are you sure? You look flushed,” she said, and reached out a hand to feel his forehead.
“It’s just from rushing. I thought I was going to be late, so I was in a hurry.”
“Well, okay. If you say so. Now go and eat some breakfast before you go. I don’t want you getting sick again.”
“Okay,” Hyukjae said as he made his way into the kitchen to find something he could eat that wouldn’t further upset the butterflies in his stomach. He settled on picking through a bowl of strawberries he had found in the refrigerator. As he ate, he wondered to himself if he would have to wait and see Donghae at school, or if the other would come by to pick him like he used to. Donghae hadn’t come to pick him up since that incident with Jessica. Donghae hadn’t mentioned anything about it yesterday, or even in the text he sent earlier. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t even replied to the text Donghae sent.
He quickly reached into his pocket and fingered his phone nervously. What if Donghae thought that he wasn’t going to school today because he hadn’t replied? Or what if he thought he had second thoughts about yesterday?
His fingers danced on his keypad, itching to send a message of response to Donghae’s earlier message and also wanting some kind of answer to his own never-ending questions that were getting more and more dismal the more he was left alone to think on them. Only he had no idea what to send. Biting the inside of his cheek, he began to type out something simple, only to erase it seconds later, thinking it may sound a bit desperate.
As he was thinking and erasing messages in his head, Donghae was already greeting his mother good morning at the door, unbeknownst to the stressed out Hyukjae in the kitchen. It was only when he felt warm arms wind around his shoulders did he snap out of it, dropping his phone in the process.
“D-donghae,” Hyukjae didn’t really need to question who it was, the rapid thudding of his heart and the flushing of his face was his answer.
“Good morning Hyukkie,” Donghae spoke into sweetly into the air, hugging him in one of the softest embraces he’s ever felt, but still managing to make Hyukjae feel like he was suffocating.
“M-morning,” Hyukjae murmured, looking off to the side, while Donghae smile at the view of his profile he was given. He leaned in close, just barely brushing his lips across the smooth skin of Hyukjae’s burning cheek before he released him, not wanting to overwhelm Hyukjae, or even worse, get caught by his mother.
“Strawberries for breakfast?” Donghae asked with a smirk as he sat down beside Hyukjae and took a glance at the bowl that was on the table. “No wonder you’re so thin,” he teased as he stole a berry and took a bite.
“Y-yah, I’m not!” Hyukjae tried to argue, though it sounded more like a whine since the other was still reeling from that almost kiss, and trying to convince himself that he didn’t miss the other’s arms around him as much as he thought. Donghae only smiled brightly at him as he continued to chew and stare, making Hyukjae feel embarrassed as he blatantly avoided the other’s gaze.
“What?” Hyukjae finally questioned, feeling self-conscious.
“You’re so red, you almost look like a strawberry,” Donghae teased again reaching over to gently run a finger across the other’s cheek and making Hyukjae to burn even more.
“Okay, it’s time to go to school now,” Hyukjae declared as he picked up the bowl and walked over to shove it back in the refrigerator. Donghae only chuckled and stood too, popping the rest of his stolen strawberry in his mouth and following Hyukjae out of the kitchen and to the front door.
“I’m going mom,” Hyukjae called through the house, and Hyukjae’s mom appeared seconds later while he was still pulling his shoes on.
“Okay dear. Did you eat?” she asked.
“Ye-“
“Just barely,” Donghae commented, causing Hyukjae to scowl at him in a way that was nothing short of adorable.
“Hyukjae,” his mother tsked.
“I did eat something mom. I just wasn’t that hungry,” Hyukjae said.
“Well, make sure you eat a decent lunch Hyukjae. Don’t make your mother worry,” she said.
“Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ll make sure Hyukkie eats a big lunch,” Donghae said, smiling charmingly at her.
“Thank you, Donghae. You are so sweet. I’m so glad ‘Hyukkie’ has a friend like you,” his mother beamed at him and giggled at the reappearance of his cute nickname. “Oh, have a good day a school you two,” she called to them as Hyukjae started to forcefully drag Donghae out the door. “Bye!”
“Bye!” Donghae yelled back, waving with his hand that wasn’t clasped in Hyukjae’s. He turned his grin to Hyukjae when they reached the sidewalk. “I really like your mom,” he said.
“… I think she likes you too,” Hyukjae replied quietly, making Donghae’s grin broaden and tug on his hand to pull Hyukjae into him. He was really too cute to resist sometimes.
Only when he did that it seemed to click to Hyukjae that they were holding hands, and that he was the one who initiated it. He wasquick to pull his hand away from Donghae’s, much to the latter’s displeasure.
“Aw, why did you do that?” Donghae pouted childishly as he walked to catch up with Hyukjae who was speed walking ahead.
“I-it’s embarrassing. What if someone sees?” he asked.
“So what? It’s not embarrassing to me. We always hold hands,” Donghae said.
“Yeah, but… now. I don’t know,” Hyukjae muttered.
“You don’t you like holding my hand?” Donghae asked.
“No! I mean… not really… Well, I don’t dislike it,” Hyukjae confessed. In fact he liked the way Donghae’s hand felt when it was intertwined with his.
“Then,” Donghae said, grabbing Hyukjae’s hand back in his and giving it a squeeze. “I’m not going to let go until you can tell me that you like it so much, you never want me to let go of you again.”
“Yah, that’s not going to happen,” Hyukjae said.
“Then, I’ll just keep holding on forever. Either way’s good with me,” Donghae said as he pulled Hyukjae further down the street.
Hyukjae was about to speak up, realizing that he had just been tricked, but at the feeling of Donghae’s firm and warm grip on him made him hesitate. A quick backward glance and a sly, but warm smile from Donghae had him biting his lip and looking down instead, gripping his hand just a little tighter as he quietly followed behind Donghae. He found that he couldn’t pay much attention to anything that wasn’t Donghae on their walk to school, so even if people stared, he didn’t notice.
“So…” Ryeowook asked as soon as they all gathered at their usual lunch table. He glanced back and forth from Hyukjae’s red face and Donghae smiling one.
“So, what?”
“So what happened?! I’ve been waiting all day for you to tell me, now spill!” Ryeowook demanded.
“Spill what?” Donghae asked, while Hyukjae poked at all the food the other had loaded onto his lunch tray.
“Everything! Ugh, do I have to spell it out for you?!” Ryeowook asked.
“Well, there’s not much to tell,” Donghae asked, starting to look a little uncomfortable himself.
“Not much to-the last I heard, Hyukjae was faking sick to stay home from school to avoid you, and today you’re strolling to school together in your own little world and holding hands,” Ryeowook exclaimed.
“Wookie,” Yesung chuckled, seeing how the younger was firing himself up. “If they don’t want to talk about it, then they don’t have to. All that matters is that they’re happy, and there are no more misunderstandings. Right?” Yesung looked right at Donghae who nodded quickly.
“But hyung, don’t you want to know what happened?” Ryeowook asked, to which Yesung only shrugged.
“As long as everything’s okay, I’m satisfied,” he said, smiling at Hyukjae, who returned the gesture.
“You guys are no fun,” Ryeowook sulked in his seat.
“Ah, Wookie, don’t pout. It’s none of our business, and you know it,” Yesung said, sounding like he was talking to a petulant child.
“But they’re my friends. Can’t I make it my business?” he asked to the amusement of everyone at the table.
“Ryeowook, it’s really not much to tell. We just… got things sorted out, pretty much. That’s all,” Donghae said.
“Really? That’s all?” Ryeowook looked skeptical.
“Yeah. What did you expect?” Donghae asked.
“I don’t know. Something spectacular. Like you serenading Hyukjae outside his window, confessing your love in the sky, even a trail of rose petal from his locker to a fountain or something, and you’re waiting in a suit with a small orchestra and there’s fireworks shooting off overhead. You know, something awesome like that,” Ryeowook said seriously, making the whole table burst into laughter.
“Ryeowook this isn’t a drama! How did you expect me to pull any off that off?” Donghae asked as he tried to control his laughter.
“Well, I know where you could get some pretty good fireworks from, if you’re ever interested,” Yesung said, startling the table for a second until they all burst into laughter again.
“But seriously Wook. It’s wasn’t anything that spectacular,” Donghae said once the laughter died down again.
“Then I’m disappointed in you Donghae. My Hyukjae deserves some class A wooing. You should’ve done something amazing for him,” he scolded.
“Ah, no it’s wasn’t like that. Even if it wasn’t all that eventful it was still… it was a-amazing… to me,” Hyukjae spoke up shyly, surprising everyone.
“Aww, Hyukjae,” Ryeowook cooed. “You’re so cute!” he said, reaching over to play with Hyukjae’s cheeks.
“Wook, cut it out,” Hyukjae whined, and pulled back, only to bump into Donghae, who was quick to wrap his arms around him.
“It was amazing to me too, Hyukkie,” he made sure to whisper low enough for only Hyukjae to hear, and the other didn’t have any other response except to blush harder and bury his face in the arm that Donghae had wrapped around him.
“Aren’t they so cute?” Ryeowook gushed, and Yesung could only shake his head.
“It’d be a lot cuter if I weren’t eating,” Yesung said.
“Oh, you’re so unromantic,” Ryeowook frowned, lightly flicked the other on the head.
“I’m plenty romantic. You can attest to that, right Wook?” Yesung grinned at the other, who started to pink a little himself.
“Yah, not in front of the kids!” he whined in embarrassment, much to everyone’s amusement. He and Yesung spent the rest of the time playfully bickering back and forth, the others watched.
But unnoticed by them, there were others paying close attention to the jovial table too.
“My, my, my. They’re awfully excited today aren’t they?” Taeyeon commented.
“And touchy too I see. Donghae oppa’s looking a little too close for comfort to the four-eyed one,” Yuri added, only added more to the fire that was slowly boiling under Jessica’s skin.
“Oh, be quiet. I’m sure it’s nothing. Oppa is just really friendly,” she said offhandedly, though the scowl in her features betrayed the calm in her voice.
“I don’t know any friends like that,” Yoona said, quickly looking down when Jessica turned to glare at her.
“Yoona has a point, Sica. I mean, I heard that they came to school together and they were holding hands. Didn’t you say Donghae was practically your boyfriend?” Taeyeon asked skeptically.
“He was. I mean is! He is! After what happened, he-he has to be,” Jessica said, turning back to look at the table where Donghae sat, and noticing how Donghae hadn’t stop touching Hyukjae since they first walked in.
“Looks to me like he has another girlfriend in mind,” Yuri glanced at the couple and back at Jessica, who looked ready to burst.
“That’s’ ridiculous, he can’t be… I mean he’s not…” she trailed off watching the way Donghae watched Hyukjae, and she felt like she was going to be sick. “But he… to me he…,” Jessica stammered, only to be interrupted but Heechul’s loud voice.
“Yah, what are you girls down there whispering about?” he asked in mild irritation.
“Nothing,” Jessica snapped before anyone else could answer, and Heechul raised an eyebrow at her. “Nothing,” she repeated, with finality, making everyone look at her before carefully looking away, moving on to another topic. Jessica pretended to listen to whatever was going on after that, while flicking her gaze over to the table across the room every few seconds. She would handle this after lunch.
“Oppa!” Donghae turned away from his locker and to the familiar voice, and smiled at Jessica as she ran up to him.
“Oh, hey Jessica. What’s up?” he asked, not noticing how tense Jessica looked.
“Um, do you have a minute. I need to talk to you,” she asked.
“Oh. Well, actually, I was just getting ready to go to-“
“Please? It’s really important,” Jessica said, looking pleadingly at Donghae, and the other had no other choice but to nod in agreement.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, but Jessica only looked around for a bit.
“Not here,” she said when her eyes landed back on Donghae. “Follow me.”
Donghae closed his locker and started walking behind Jessica as she led him down the hall. It got more and more sparse the further they went, until they reached a deserted stairwell where Jessica continued to walk until they were standing right up under them.
She stood with her back facing to Donghae as she contemplated how she wanted to bring it up as Donghae shifted on his feet, and waiting for her to say something.
“Uh, Jessica? What was it that you wanted to talk about?” he asked after she had stayed silent for so long.
“Oppa… who do you like?” she asked with her back still turned towards him.
“W-what?” Donghae asked, completely caught off guard.
“Who do you like? Is there someone? Anyone?”
“Where is this coming from?”
“Just answer me!” Donghae jumped at the increased volume in her voice.
“…Yes. I do,” he finally admitted.
“… And is it me?” she asked quietly.
“Jessica,” Donghae said with guilt in his voice.
“Is it me?” she repeated, turning around and Donghae could see the shine in her eyes as she held back tears. “Tell me.”
“I’m sorry,” was all he could manage, and he felt infinitely worse when he heard a small sob escape Jessica.
“It’s Lee Hyukjae isn’t it? It’s him,” she said, looking a little angry now.
“Jessica look-“ Donghae stopped talking when he saw tears trailing from her red eyes. “Yes. I like Hyukjae. And I swear Jessica, I didn’t mean to lead you on or anything like that. At that party, I wasn’t thinking clearly, and I- I did something I’m not proud. I’m sorry if you got the wrong idea from anything that I did,” Donghae said earnestly.
“W-what’s wrong with me?” she asked in a voice so brokenly Donghae felt like the worst guy in the world right now.
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you Jessica. You’re nice, and beautiful, and I really do like you, it’s just… in a different way. I hope you can understand,” Donghae said, taking a step closer to Jessica who only hung her head down and took a step back. Donghae stopped approaching and sighed. “I really am sorry, Jessica. I didn’t mean to hurt you at all.”
She only nodded and rubbed her eyes.
“Are you… will you be ok?” he asked, concern in his voice.
“Y-yeah, I’ll be fine. You can go now,” she said, wiping at her eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure. I think I just need to be alone for a little while,” she said, and Donghae nodded and turned around. He said one more soft ‘sorry’ before he finally left, and Jessica waited until she couldn’t hear his footsteps anymore before she finally raised her head, wiping all traces of any tears away before she started walking down the other direction, a resolute look on her face.
Lee Hyukjae, you’re going to wish you never even heard the name Lee Donghae when I’m done with you.
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