"What are you doing here?" Donghae stepped back and let Sungmin push his way into his bedroom and start digging through his closet.

"Got a date!" Sungmin declared triumphantly.

"Ryeowook's not here, and his fashion sense is about as good as mine but you have- a ha!" Sungmin pulled a black sweater out of the closet and held it up with a grin.

"You have a date?" Donghae repeated, sounding dumb in his own head. Because Donghae was dumb. The dumbest dumb guy ever to dumb.

"Yeah, remember that guy we ran into outside the movies last week? Kangin?" Donghae nodded and sat on his bed, mouth dry.

"He's back in town for the summer visiting his parents and looked me up! We're going to that fancier restaurant outside town, Elfs. So I figured I should try to look somewhat presentable, you know?" Sungmin pulled his t-shirt off in front of Donghae, dropping it to the floor. Donghae stared at sungmin's chest because the last time he saw it Sungmin didn't look like that. Sungmin must have noticed him looking because he said, "I started working out at the campus gym. Amazing what you can get done without half of the soccer team ready to make fun of you for not being as athletically gifted as them."

Donghae flushed, embarrassed at being so blatant and getting caught. "Sorry," he muttered. Sungmin clapped him on the shoulder, then pulled hae's sweater over his head. "No problem, I know you didn't mean anything by it."

But see, the thing was that Donghae did mean something by it. He didn't care that Sungmin was filled out now. That his hair was longer and blond now. That he could focus and concentrate on you with those brown eyes. When his uncle got married to Ryeowook's mom in high school Sungmin was practically part of the package since he was Ryewook 's best friend. He blew into Donghae's life like a tornado of hyperactivity and questions and never failed to baffle and amaze Donghae with the things he came up with. Donghae was only in high school with Sungmin for one year before he graduated and moved on to university. Every time he came home for a holiday or the summer he noticed changes in Ryewook and Sungmin both.

The summer between Donghae's sophomore and junior years of college he knew he was in trouble. Sungmin was sixteen, a newly licensed driver and always at his house. Him and his oral fixation. Donghae stumbled down the stairs one morning, exhausted after just rolling in from college the night before. He was greeted with the sight of Sungmin sacked out on the living room couch, his shirt rucked up enough to show off a span of his belly that was still holding onto the last vestiges of baby fat and he was working a straw around his mouth like his life depended on it. Instead of greeting Donghae like a normal person he winked at him. The little winked. Every vacation after that he watched Sungmin get slimmer, a little taller, tanner. His hands were a menace. His lips, his hips, his smirk— everything added up to torture for Donghae.

And his cuteness!!

Not that he was sitting around, pining, and waiting for a declaration from Sungmin. Donghae dated. He had girlfriends and boyfriends and one night stands. He even thought that maybe Jessica... but no, that didn't go anywhere and he was much better off for it. When that relationship went to Sungmin brought him a half bottle of whiskey, drove Donghae and Ryewook out to the preserve and they got drunk together. When Donghae woke up the next morning, head pounding and mouth feeling like cotton, Sungmin was slumped against him and drooling on his shoulder.

This summer was supposed to be different, though. It was going to be the summer Donghae finally said something to Sungmin and asked him out. Because as things turned out Donghae was starting grad school in the fall, after taking a year off, and he and Sungmin were going to be at the same school. In the same city. Around each other all year, if they wanted.

Donghae wanted.

But this Kangin guy beat him to the punch. The very long punch, as it turned out, because it was almost August and Donghae still hadn't worked the nerve up to ask Sungmin much more than whether he wanted to go to a movie together and Sungmin enthusiastically said yes. Donghae's heart jumped, and then Sungmin hollered up the stairs to Ryeowookthat they were all going to the movies. And why not invite yesung also

 After the movie Ryeowook left with Yesung and Donghae and Sungmin were walking to their respective vehicles because Donghae couldn't even offer to drive them both. Donghae was going to say something like, "we should do this again. Maybe just the two of us next time?" but a guy called out Sungmin's name and it turned out to be an old friend from years ago.

 sungmin was excited to see him and donghae could see this guy, this Kangin, was looking at Sungmin as more than a friend. So there it was. Donghae missed his chance again. He was so ing dumb.

"SO

o it's okay if I borrow this?" Sungmin asked smoothing his hand down his chest.

Donghae blinked. "What?"

"The sweater? Do you mind if I borrow it for my date?" Sungmin repeated, grinning.

Donghae wanted to say no, that he could only borrow it if Sungmin was going on a date with him or be petty and not let him at all but he nodded easily. "Of course."

Sungmin cocked his head. "You okay? You seem kind of off."


Donghae shook his head and smiled faintly. "Just had some plans fall through, is all."

sungmin's expression seemed to waver, slipped into—Donghae wasn't sure. But then it smoothed out. "Sorry, hae hyung."

Donghae shrugged. "Not your fault," he replied softly.

***

Ryewook arrived home from his shift at the dinner a little after nine and flopped on the couch beside Donghae who was staring blankly at something on TV, he didn't even know what was on.

"Where's minnie?" Ryeowook asked, reaching out with his foot and poking at Donghae.

Donghae  shrugged. "How would I know?"

"'Cause you've spent more time with him this summer than I have

he shrugged again. "I don't know."

he reached out to grab the remote and turned the TV off. "hyung, I love you as if you were my real brother, you know? But you have got to get the over it and ask him out."

Donghae blinked and turned his head slowly to stare the younger.

Wookie stared back at him with an eyebrow raised expectantly. "Do you agree?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Donghae replied gruffly and tried to grab the remote back.

held it out of his reach and shook his head. "Are you okay with sitting back and watching him actually have a life while you wait to get up the balls to go after what you want? I've been watching you watch him for years now. Every single time I think it's gonna happen you the bed, hyung."

" you," Donghae shot back but without any heat. He slumped back on the couch and rubbed his cheeks with a frustrated groan.

"Where is he?"wookie asked again. Donghae sighed. "On a date."

 wookie winced. "Sorry,hyung."

DOnghae shook his head. "Not your fault. You're right, actually. I should've... I don't know, done anything. At all. Ever. I've never had a problem asking someone out before but with Sungmin..."

"It's too important,"Ryeowook filled in.

"Yeah," Donghwe agreed softly. They sat together in silence for a few minutes, then wookie hesitated before he said, "He'd say yes, you know."

"Hmm?"

"Sungmin would say yes if you asked him, I know it."

"Yeah, sure," Donghae brushed it off lightly.

leaned over and put his hand on Donghae's arm, forcing Donghae to look at him. "No, seriously. He would say yes because we've talked about it."

Donghse felt his heart clench in his chest, a flicker of hope flare up. "Ask him next time you see him, okay?" wookie pressed.

he nodded his head somewhat but that wasn't good enough for Ryewook .

"Seriously, ask him."

"But he's on a date," Donghae protested.

"Yeah, one date, he's not married. Ask him!"Ryewook grabbed him and drew him in for a quick hug, thumping him on the back before he left the living room for his bedroom.

***

There was no way Donghae was going to concentrate on anything, not after that conversation. He tried mindlessly watching TV again but he was too fidgety and anxious. He definitely wasn't going to sleep. Next thing he knew he was driving through town to get to the only convenien store in his area open 24 hours.

He didn't think about how close it was to the restaurant sungmin's date was taking him to until he pulled into the parking lot and saw Sungmin walking out of the store. "What the hell?" Donghae muttered to himself.

He got out of his car and jogged across the lot to Sungmin, who looked obviously surprised. "hae hyung, what are you doing here?"

"Could ask you the same thing. Aren't you supposed to be on a date?"

Sungmin shrugged and gave him a half smile. "Didn't turn out so well. I was going to walk home."

 donghae immediately became incensed. "What the hell are you talking about? What happened? Did he strand you out by the highway?"

SUngmin scrunched his face up. "Kind of? I don't blame him, though."

DOnghaes eyes felt like they were going to bug out of his head" omg. You're smarter than this! What the hell were you thinking? Why didn't you call someo—" Sungmin raised a hand and cut him off.

"I punched him in the face and might've broken his nose so I understand why he didn't want to drive me home. And I didn't want to get back in the car with him, either."

he grabbed sungmin's hand, noticing the blood across his knuckles. "What the hell, minnie?" Sungmin shrugged. "Like I said, didn't turn out so well. Once he started talking and trying to come on to me I remembered why we weren't closer friends in high school. Dude's a ."

DOnghae stepped close to Sungmin, holding his hand and checking him over worriedly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Hyung, I'm the son of  cop and even though I at sport I still know how to take someone down. He didn't stand a chance. No need to defend my honor, I promise," Sungmin said easily and the tension in Donghae's body eased somewhat.

He could hear that sungmin was being truthful. "Why didn't you call someone to come get you?"he asked.

S

sungmin shrugged and looked down at his feet. "Wanted to walk? Didn't want to explain? Didn't want to seem like a failure at dating?"

Donghae swallowed hard, remembering wookie's words. "You aren't, I swear. In fact, um. There's something I've—I mean, I want to. , this is a terrible time for this."

 Sungmin watched Donghae with a fascinated look on his face. "Are you okay?"

"No," Donghae replied

minnie raised an eyebrow. "I've been trying to do this for a while now. A long while. Too long. And yeah, bad timing, but if I don't wookie will kill me."

"Okay," Sungmin said slowly.

Then waited. And then cleared his throat. "Can I take you on a date, please?" Donghae blurted out.

He closed his eyes as the heat rushed to his cheeks and he swore under his breath. "I mean, will you go o—"

"Yes," Sungmin cut in, breathlessly. He threw his arms around Donghae 's neck and kissed him fully on the lips without hesitation.


Donghae let out a surprised noise but grabbed Sungmin around the waist and held on, drawing him as close as possible without things becoming indecent in the parking lot of the convenience store. He ran his hands down sungmin's sides, feeling the softness of his own sweater under his fingers and felt a thrill run through his whole body at the thought of sungmin wearing his clothes all the time. "I thought I was the only one," Sungmin whispered against Donghae 's lips.

"wookie tried to tell me—"

"wookie did tell me, tonight," Donghae replied,Sungmin laughed against Dongha's skin and hugged him tighter while donghae buried his face in Sungmins' neck and rubbed nose there.

"I bet the second part of that conversation is going to go something like, 'I never want to hear anything about your life ever'," Sungmin laughed and donghae felt like his was instantly at half mast.

"Not wasting any time?" Donghae asked, pulling back with a smirk on his lips.

"I think we've wasted enough, don't you?" Donghae's wholehearted agreement was swallowed by sungmin, who caught his mouth with another lingering kiss.