Title: Twist

Description: Hyukjae doesn't live like all the other kids, Donghae changes everything.

Rating: 15?

Wordcount: 19408

Notes: Based off an idea I got when thinking about Oliver Twist, set in older times but no particular time frame, brief hint at violence, theft of course, extreme fluff.

Hyukjae was 6 when he first felt what it was like to literally run for his life. It was his birthday on top of everything, not his real one of course, no one knew that. Hyukjae had cried that day, though his mother had always said it was bad luck to cry on one's birthday. But he couldn't have helped it, not when his mother had also been the one to tell him it was wrong to steal.

But Hyukjae had done what he needed to survive, and though he cried until his head was pounding and his eyes felt stickier than ever, he didn't regret it.

He was 8 when he first came to know the fear of being caught. They'd planned to go out to the market that day, Sungmin was to dance and Junsu was to pick a fight with one of the stall owners and Hyukjae was supposed to pick as many vegetables and throw them into his tattered bag as he possibly could with his still chubby little fingers. Junsu had been doing a good job of making a commotion, but it was almost too good of a job. They hadn't expected so many people to gather around, Hyukjae certainly hadn't expected it when his arm was suddenly yanked on and a young gentleman in an ugly grey suit had pointed out his wrong doings. The stall owner had been furious, pulling on Hyukjae's arm and Junsu and Sungmin were long gone before he could even look their way. He had been scared, frightened even, but if there had been anything he'd learnt in his last two years, it was to bite and then run as fast as his legs could carry him.

And run he did. He ran until he stopped breathless, ran some more and then cried in the all too familiar street behind the abandoned theater before going in and pretending everything was okay.

Hyukjae was 13 when he'd first grabbed the attention of a girl. A poor, unsuspecting girl that had a shiny watch and a glittering necklace. She looked at him with big eyes, fascinated by his messy, blonde hair and weird way of speaking with his words joined together in a seamless string and with the end syllable cut off almost every one of them. He smiled as she brushed her hair behind her ears, told her jokes he knew she'd laugh at even if they weren't funny at all because her attraction towards him was obvious. He didn't need to look over her shoulder to know that Sungmin was expertly pick-pocketing her father as they spoke, he knew well enough by now how good their second best was. But Sungmin was only that, second best, he was no Hyukjae and he never would be. Handing her a worthless ring he'd picked up on their way to the market that day, he kept his best smile on as he watched her blush, then asked in his sweetest voice if he could have something to remember her by too, in case they met again, they'd recognize each other right away. Her eyes went wide when he looked at her necklace but Hyukjae didn't waver, looked right back at her and literally saw her give in to him as she took it off with a shy smile and delicately placed it in his hands.

He spoke of remembering her as she turned to her oblivious father, though he knew as the words leaped off his tongue, that was something that would never be true. A pity he thought, he didn't even know her name.

At 15, Hyukjae had reached the rebellious phase of his life. He changed from blonde to red, then to black and then back to blonde more times than he could count. He often didn't go out when he was told to, if he didn't want to con that day, he wouldn't and if he didn't want to share his goods that day he wouldn't. Of course, it would always end with a beating and a flurry of derogatory terms thrown his way, and he came to know the pain of a punch and grasped how to take a kick or two. He understood what it meant to be grateful to someone who took you in while at the same time hate their entire existence for making you become what you are now, and in that time of his life, when he was just a 15 year old boy with gangly limbs and zits on his poorly taken care of skin, Hyukjae had learnt well what it meant to be who he was. He was nothing but a thief, a lonely delinquent despite being amongst so many others just like him, a pathetic robber who could do nothing to leave the life he had paved out in front of him.

Hyukjae was a pickpocket and nothing more.

By the time he was 16, Hyukjae began to feel the frustrations of living with so many other kids, especially when he had no privacy to himself. He still remembered the first time he had woken up with a problem in his pants with 3 other boys to notice it and about it so much that he agreed to do their share of the work and give up the goods that day just to get them to shut up. Junsu had actually never planned on letting it go but Hyukjae had seen the exact same thing happen to the other more than just a few times so he really had no choice. The only thing Hyukjae was grateful for was that they were all misfits living together under the large roof of the abandoned theater. They had been with each other since young ages and had no real morals, they didn't care what was right or wrong because after all, they were the abominations of society anyway. So nobody cared when one day Hyukjae said he had dreamt of a boy, one with dark hair and light eyes that kissed his skin and made him excited in more ways than one. His first real kiss however was far from how everybody would dream of theirs to be. It was in an alley, it was dark and it was a stranger who had hit on him and Sungmin in a slightly drunken state. He was pushed to a wall and kissed sloppily, and the only reason he allowed it to happen was because Sungmin had eyed the man's expensive looking exterior and practically begged him since they hadn't managed to bring much in that whole day. He was desperate and also curious and so he let the man kiss him as his nimble fingers delved into his pockets, slipping out a leather wallet and hooking onto a heavy watch he was sure would earn him much praise from their guardian back home. Grabbing the stranger's hand, he had also managed to slip off an expensive looking ring without the other so much as noticing before slowing down and pushing him away, allowing Sungmin to pull him along as if they had somewhere they needed to be urgently, ignoring the man's shouts and cackling as his friend led him down the alley.

As his cackles echoed along the walls of the empty street, they only came back to ring in his ears, louder than ever, drowning out everything else around him and reducing him back into his mind. He stayed straight when he was given a pat on the back and for the first time in years, he cried his heart out that night, wishing for nothing more than to have someone to scold him for what he'd done, to look at him in disappointment or disapproval. He didn't get that there, he never would.

Hyukjae now has a lot more sense. He's aware that everything he does is wrong but he no longer cares. Or at least he tells himself and the people around him that he doesn't. Sometimes he feels the guilt, sometimes he closes his eyes and sees silky black hair, fair skin and hears the beautiful voice of his mother and he feels like crying because all he wants to do is shut down and stop whatever his life has become, but he never does because he knows there's no way out. Besides, he can't even remember what she looks like.

Now he can run down to the market place on his long legs, wink at a girl and distract her long enough for Junsu to slip off her broach with skilled fingers. Now he can waltz up to a stall and smile as innocently as possible, engaging whoever is in front of him in a polite conversation as he discreetly knocks food into his bag and watches Sungmin stealing as much as he can from the storage behind them.

He no longer shakes when he finds himself in the better part of town, on his knees in front of a large white door and a small pin in hand, working on the locks.

He doesn't scream for help when someone catches him in the act, sometimes he even laughs, runs a cheeky hand through his blonde tresses and shoots a smirk as he legs it back to his safe place. The only place that's ever been safe to him and yet will always be the place that haunts him in his nightmares as he remembers his 6 year old self being led back there by the nice man who he now hates with all his guts but can't find himself to leave.

Hyukjae doesn't cry anymore, he's much past that, he no longer feels. He's been tainted for a long time now. They all have. Hyukjae was stupid and naive that one winter day he had met the sweet looking man that called himself Jihoon. A mere 6 year old, much too skinny and cold, no longer with a mother to hold him when it got tough, wandering the streets for help when he came across his angel. Jihoon had offered him food and warmth, promised of a big room with so many seats he'd get dizzy just trying to count them. He'd agreed as eagerly as he could, wondering if he had arrived in the good part of town where the people with nice houses and personal horses lived. And though it had seemed like it at first, the streets eventually started getting narrower, dirtier, and dodgy looking people started appearing from all corners. The theater he had been taken to, the place that would become his home for the next years of his life, was rundown and in poor shape, clearly not taken care of. It was abandoned and even at such a young age, Hyukjae was able to feel a connection with it. Because that's how he felt, abandoned, by the world, by god, by his mother who left first without so much as a goodbye. Jihoon wouldn't abandon him though, the older man would feed him bread and sometimes even chocolate. He let him play with other kids and make friends, taught him things he never thought he'd have to learn, but it had all come at a price. Jihoon wouldn't abandon him, he simply wouldn't ever let him go, that's how it was in the old theater, so easy to get in but oh so hard to get out.

Now at 17, Hyukjae has come to accept all he is. He wonders if maybe somebody else would too.

***

He wakes with a start as he feels a boot press against the small of his back. With an annoyed groan, he turns on his side and the glare he shoots from his eyes has been perfected over the years. "Whoever the has a death wish so early in the morning better get the hell out unless they want to be mutilated."

A scoff. "Oh please Hyukjae. I'd like to see you even try to lay a finger on my pretty self."

He shoots up from the mattress lying on the floor, eyes wide and mind suddenly fully awake, and takes in the sight of the beautiful male in front of him. "Heechul! You're back!" He exclaims, jumping onto his feet and fist pumping the elder man. "How have you been dude?"

"Not so great." Heechul makes a face and then moves to sit down next to the younger, Hyukjae shuffling onto the floor to allow Heechul to take up the mattress just as he used to do when he was younger. Heechul chuckles fondly, untying a ribbon from his wrist and looping it around his long hair to keep it out of the way.

"Did you do well?" Hyukjae asks eagerly. "I mean, did you live well, did you start a business? How did it go Hyung?"

"Patience Hyukjae." The elder reprimands softly, flicking him on the cheek with his forefinger. "You think I'd be back here if things went well?"

Hyukjae's face falls and a sigh escapes his puffy lips. "How long do you think you'll be staying?"

"Hopefully not long, but I have no plans at the moment." Heechul answers and his voice is wistful as he looks up to the great ceiling of the theater. The ceiling that once provided him shelter and is now trapping him and not allowing him to move on. "Kyuhyun's in one of the rooms backstage you know?"

"What?!" Hyukjae shouts, confusion and rage filling his head all at once. "But- What? No! The little ran away, he can't be here now, he's a betrayer. Jihoon will kill him."

"Calm down, calm down." Heechul utters, pulling gently on his wrist to sit him back on the floor. "Kyuhyun was with me the whole time, Jihoon knew, I asked him not to tell anyone."

A frown takes over his features and he feels a slight pang in his chest. "What? Why?"

"Kyuhyun's a genius Hyukjae. I needed him with me if I wanted to make something out of myself. The kid taught himself how to read and write, albeit with stolen books." Heechul explains, a sad look on his face. "I couldn't tell anyone because you'd all get jealous, you'd all want to come and Jihoon would never allow that. It's not like it would have mattered anyway, nobody in the world out there would give a chance to someone like me who can't even spell his own name."

"Oh..." The blonde boy mumbles, gaze glued to the floor. "Hyung? If I could read and write, would you have taken me?"

Heechul smiles widely but Hyukjae doesn't miss the sad look sent his way. "Of course I would you squirt, you're the best at everything you do here. I would have loved to be able to take you."

Hyukjae grunts, mumbling something about Heechul embarrassing him when Junsu strolls in, dragging along a half-asleep Kyuhyun. A grin takes over his face as he sees his younger friend, before he jumps to his feet and punches him hard on the arm.

"I missed you too." The boy smiles cheekily, tackling him into a hug that says he's back and that he's sorry at the same time.

They plan a big one that day, after all, two of their aces are back, it only makes sense to feast for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Hyukjae is the main card in this game, he almost always is, he's the best after all. They bring Sungmin along and the five of them march down to the large market, wearing charming smiles over tattered clothes. Heechul engages the stall owners in a conversation whilst Junsu and Kyuhyun argue loudly and attract attention. Sungmin is on a constant lookout while Hyukjae picks vegetables and fruits, small packs of food and even sweets from two of the stalls. As he's at it, he manages to bag two watches and a studded bracelet he's learnt to guess the value of, smiles at a baby in a pram as he hands it a lollipop while at the same time, reaching into it's oblivious mother's handbag and slipping out more than a couple of notes.

They don't come together once it's done, it would attract too much attention. Hyukjae waves a couple of the notes he managed to steal, mouthing at them to not wait up, he was going to see if he could get them some meat today.

He walks with confidence through the packed streets, blonde high in the air and he knows he's not supposed to feel proud of himself. But he does, for a moment. He's pulled off a big job today and he's going to treat his family to great food.

But the feeling of pride vanishes as he catches a pair of eyes silently watching him. Their chocolate colour is mesmerizing, deep and speaking volumes. It's just a mere second before the eyes have already looked away, but he can't bring himself to shake the feeling of them. Hyukjae is sure he knows the face of everyone living around here, both in the bad parts of town and the good parts too. He's never seen that boy before.

He thinks he kind of wants to see him again.

***

It's not till 3 days later that Hyukjae remembers the boy he'd seen in the market, though all that comes to his memory is soft, brown eyes.

"Did you hear about the new dude in town?" Junsu is asking animatedly and Hyukjae just shrugs though somewhere in the back of his mind, he thinks about the boy that he hadn't seen before until a few days prior.

"His family must be totally loaded!!" Junsu goes on and his arms are flailing in excitement of a hunt. "The father opened a huge new bread shop near the market, closer to the better parts of town of course, and the son runs a small confectionery stall outside of it. I think they're either stupid or they just don't know anything about where we live or something because they go around in their best clothes with all kinds of accessories. We've hit the jackpot!!"

Hyukjae grins back at his friend's excitement, already knowing that he's going to be dragged out of his bed towards the market so that they can score big today.

He readily agrees to go before Junsu has even finished asking, and in no time, the two of them along with Kyuhyun are scanning the busy crowded stalls for anything worth their time. They eventually exit the market place, strolling past the stores, peeking through the windows with fake curiosity until they spot a small confectionery stall in the far distance.

Junsu hisses as he repeatedly taps Hyukjae on the shoulder. "It's there! It's there!" he says, pulling them to hide slightly around a corner and pointing ahead of them where Hyukjae can see the back of a short male, talking with an elderly woman.

The boy has wavy, brown hair that reaches his nape, escaping a poorly tied band that only manages to hold a small amount of his hair. Hyukjae can see from his clothing that he is wealthy, almost too wealthy to be around a place like this. He wonders why his family would want to move to such a place as theirs and start such a small business when they are clearly well off. A place that is known to be crawling with the likes of him.

He sees Kyuhyun eyeing a man not far from the stall, pocketing his wallet and fiddling with his watch in a huff, and with a simple nod, their spontaneous plan is already laid out.

Kyuhyun holds his head high as he walks in the male's direction, picking up his pace as he gets closer and stumbling when he gets to him, knocking the man over. The younger boy then proceeds with his innocent act, apologising and helping the man up, straightening his clothes for him and picking up his wallet with skilled fingers. He loosens the man's pocket watch before apologising once again and bowing as he scurries off.

Junsu stifles a giggle as he then watches Hyukjae tread silently towards the oblivious man, the blonde softly knocking into him, using his hands on his body to steady himself and blocking his view with his hair as his fingers expertly unhook the silver pocket watch. Junsu then bumps into him and curses loudly, telling them to get out of the way and with that, Hyukjae is in the clear as the other man is much too distracted to even notice what he has lost.

Hyukjae curls the pocket watch in his palm, a tiny grin spreading on his face at the unplanned catch but as he looks up, the smile vanishes.

The rich boy from the stall is looking right back at him, those familiar brown orbs trained on his own wide, dark ones. Hyukjae can't find it in himself to look away, he knows he's been caught, he's knows that it could mean huge trouble, but for some reason he just can't break the eye contact. He can't tell what the other boy is thinking, there's no anger flashing over his handsome features, his thin lips aren't calling out to the man who's just been pick pocketed, his eyebrows are soft, not frowning. And his eyes, his eyes aren't judging, neither are they shocked. Hyukjae doesn't know much but he swears he sees understanding reflected in the brown before he feels a tugging at his elbow and is dragged back around the corner by his friends.

"Sick, dude!" Junsu sings and fist-pumps Kyuhyun, being left hanging when he turns to the blonde. "Hey Hyukjae? What's wrong?"

Hyukjae swallows the lump in his throat before looking over his shoulder to where he knows the other boy is standing.

"What is it?" Kyuhyun presses, starting to feel a little anxious.

"He saw me." Hyukjae mumbles. "He saw me again."

"Wait what?! Who? Why aren't we running yet if you've been caught?!" Junsu exclaims and Hyukjae shakes his head, pulls his arm and sits him down against the wall.

"He wont tell." He says, though there's no guarantee, he can feel it. He knows the other boy has no plans of telling on him.

"Why, was it someone you know?"

A hesitant shake of blonde. "No, it was the new rich guy."

"What?!" Junsu shouts and Kyuhyun is already on his feet. "We gotta get outta here you dip, what are you doing?!"

The two of them spring back towards the market despite Hyukjae's protests telling them they'd be fine. He sighs, shaking his head and rubbing a hand over his face as he watches them run out of sight. He doesn't know how long he sits there but he's practically half asleep when he becomes slightly aware of another presence at his side.

He expects a hand on his shoulder, someone either asking if he's okay or a person trying to hit on him and take him back to the even worse part of their large town. Instead, there's nothing, as the other person just sits down next to him and he sees shiny boots as they stretch out their legs.

When he turns, he's half surprised at the warm smile the rich boy from earlier is now sending him and half nervous as to what he wants.

"Hey." The boy simply says, his smile growing a little as he rests his head on the wall behind them.

Hyukjae does the same, his eyes never leaving the brunette by his side. He has soft, straight features, an aura that doesn't really allow you to look away from him willingly. Hyukjae thinks he's kind of beautiful but the way he looks back at him is even more so. His gaze screams friendliness and innocence, understanding and curiosity, all at the same time.

"What's your name?" The boy suddenly asks, his low voice ripping Hyukjae from his thoughts.

Hyukjae probably shouldn't tell him, he could be wanting to report him to the police for all he knows but he doesn't think about that as he looks back at the brunette. "I'm Hyukjae." He says quietly, watching the other nod with a thoughtful smile.

"That's such a pretty name." The other speaks, tilting his head. "Wouldn't you like to know my name too Hyukjae?"

Hyukjae nods eagerly, making the boy chuckle. "Yeah, I do. I want to know your name too."

"Donghae." He tells him and the name clicks in Hyukjae's mind, he likes the sound of it, can see himself saying it many times from now. Donghae then frowns uncomfortably before he reaches behind his head, pulling off his hair tie and letting his hair fall forward. Messy brown tresses now cover most of his forehead, it makes him look a little younger than before and frames his face so well that Hyukjae has a hard time looking away, not that he was doing great at it before anyway.

"Donghae." Hyukjae repeats, testing the name on his tongue and liking the way it rolls off. "You saw me. Didn't you?"

Donghae grins back at him, holding a finger to his lips and pushing them out. "I didn't see anything." He says lightly and Hyukjae can't stop the laughter that escapes his lips. "I wont ever tell, don't worry."

Hyukjae doesn't really understand why the other is being so nice to him, this is the first time they've ever spoken and yet he feels so comfortable in his presence that it's almost scary.

"You know," He starts, knowing he has no real need to tell him but he feels like it anyway. "We came today to steal from you."

"I know." Donghae nods, and Hyukjae's eyes widen. "I saw your friends eyeing me and my stall, I wasn't sure though."

"I'm sorry." The blonde says, finally looking down. He hasn't felt the shame in a long time but it's suddenly there again, rushing through his veins and knocking relentlessly against the inside of his skull, making him unable to look at Donghae in the eye.

"Why?" The brunette questions gently, "You didn't do anything."

He feels a hand brushing through his hair and he looks up to see tenderness, not sympathy but empathy, as Donghae looks back down at him. "Everyone has their reasons." Donghae speaks in a soft voice, and Hyukjae tenses as he feels the hand ruffling the blonde atop his head. "Your hair is pretty." He's told, and he bites his lip as he feels blood flushing to his face.

You're pretty, he wants to say, but decides against it, thinking it might be just a little creepy.

A voice is then heard, loud but still sweet and Donghae is already on his feet, dusting off his trousers and holding out a hand. Hyukjae takes it and allows himself to be pulled up, the brunette's touch lingering on his fingers after he's let go.

"That's my dad." Donghae tells him, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. "He probably needs me to get back."

"Okay." Hyukjae nods, though he wants to sit against the wall with Donghae for a little longer. "I guess I'll see you around?"

"You can bet on it." Donghae answers, a cheeky smile gracing his features. He runs his fingers through his own hair, pushing it back and tying it back up with his hair tie, not taking notice or caring about the stray strands that fly back to his face. And then he's gone, back around the corner and to his stall where he engages in a conversation with his father.

***

Hyukjae likes to think he's happy with the way he lives now. He has friends he can rely on and he can do whatever he wants. Not everybody has that luxury.

Deep down however, he knows he's just lying to himself.

It's apparent in the way he looks a little too long at the police man patrolling the street, stares a little too long at the entrance of the small school where kids are hurrying in on their stubby little legs and hopes more than often that Heechul will one day take him away and they'll be able to build a business of their own, away from Jihoon, away from the theater.

I'll rat you out if you ever try to leave me, is what Jihoon says. Hyukjae knows this doesn't make him special, it's said to everyone who even proposes leaving. Jihoon is living well, living off of a bunch of kids doing his dirty work, using the goods they get for him in places Hyukjae doesn't even want to think about. They've moved around a lot, seen a load of dirty streets and places but they've always come back to the theater after a while. It's busier around here and they can go unnoticed for much longer.

Hyukjae strolls around the train station aimlessly, wishing he could just build up the courage to buy a ticket and hop on the next train to anywhere, everywhere, somewhere.

But he can't do that. No, Hyukjae is there for work and Sungmin is also lurking around somewhere. It's not like he'd be able to read and pick a destination anyway.

He eyes a few people, hands in his pocket and hood concealing his blonde. For some reason, his mind thinks back to a week ago, the day when Donghae had sat next to him, no judgment around them, it was simply peaceful and Hyukjae wants to feel it again.

Donghae is sort of gorgeous, he thinks. His chocolate hair looks so soft, Hyukjae wants to run his fingers through it, brush it out of his face so he can see more of his handsome features. His smile is free, sweet, almost childlike and his way of brushing his hand over Hyukjae's head was delicate and gentle. But Hyukjae's favourite is his eyes. He doesn't even know what it is about them anymore, but they way Donghae looks at him gives him a feeling he's not sure he's ever felt before.

They say the eyes are the window to the soul and Hyukjae can see that Donghae's is pure, untainted and simply beautiful. He shakes his head at his own thoughts then, they've only met once and he sounds as if they've been lovers for years. He tries to focus back on the task at hand but he doesn't really feel like stealing anymore.

Nevertheless, he gets to work and manages a little when Sungmin catches his eye and tells him to hurry it up. One of the wallets he obtains is almost empty and he hisses as he pulls out the few coins and chucks it in the nearest trash can. Another is quite loaded and he almost feels like giving it back when he thinks of how the woman he took it from will probably go crazy once she finds out what she's missing, but he doesn't, he can't.

Sungmin hadn't bothered waiting for him so Hyukjae takes his time on his way back, walking at a leisurely pace and stopping to buy a cup of Sweetcorn from a small street vendor outside the train station. He never feels good about using the money that isn't his but he's learnt to get used to it. Everyone has their own way of getting by after all, it's just that he didn't get to choose his.

He smiles at people that walk by, at stall owners and shop workers, close-lipped and fake. If it was any other day, he'd be thinking about which of them would be best to steal from, he knows he doesn't deserve the smiles he gets back. But then he sees a genuine smile given to him and stops in his tracks, mesmerized for a second or two.

Donghae scrunches his face in a funny way as he shoots him a smile and beckons him over towards his stall.

"Hey there!" He grins, and then narrows his eyes. "Hyukjae?! I remembered correctly right?" Hyukjae nods and Donghae does a weird shuffle with both his eyebrows, crossing his arms over his chest. "What can I say, I have a pretty amazing memory. I hope you remembered my name too."

Of course I do, Hyukjae almost blurts but he doesn't want to come across as creepily obsessed and so he pretends to think a little before answering with the right name.

Donghae seems surprised that the blonde even remembered his name and Hyukjae wonders how he could even think he'd be able to forget him.

"Here, have a sweet." Donghae offers, sticking his own hand into Hyukjae's cup and taking out a handful of corn. The blonde just shakes his head, letting out a soft laugh at the other's boldness. "So what's up?"

"Oh you know." Hyukjae says, a hand scratching at his nape. "It's a nice day, just walking out and stuff."

He doesn't see how Donghae bites his lip as he's already looked down to the floor. He doesn't really understand, he's normally great at lying, it's just a little hard in front of the brunette for him.

"It is a nice day." Donghae sighs peacefully. "Hey, I can close up the stall if you're up for hanging out?"

Hyukjae's eyes widen and as he looks up, he's met with eagerness and anticipation and there's no way he'd say no.

In no time, they're walking side by side, hands in their pockets as Donghae tells Hyukjae about his life after moving. He talks animatedly, his words sometimes mixing into each other through the speed with which he speaks. Hyukjae doesn't remember a lot of what he says apart from that he's the first friend he's found since getting to the town and his smile doesn't vanish from then as he watches Donghae explain his likes and dislikes on a whim.

"Take me to a park." The brunette demands with a grin, and this time, Hyukjae doesn't even think before he grabs his hand and drags him through the dirty streets to one of his favourite places. Donghae doesn't mind, only laughs brightly behind him as they run, holding on tightly.

The swings are a little too small for their grown bodies but they somehow squeeze themselves in, taking turns to push each other and betting on who can go the highest. Donghae wins and so Hyukjae has to piggyback him around the whole of the park three times, but he doesn't really see it as a punishment, though he doesn't think he should let the brunette know.

"You're so heavy." He complains once he's starting on the third round, grabbing on tighter to the underside of Donghae's knees to hoist him up a little higher for the nth time.

"If you don't like it so much then you should have won the bet." Donghae teases, swinging his legs, and his voice is suddenly coming from so close to Hyukjae's ear that he almost loses his footing and stumbles a bit.

"I'm sorry! I'll keep still." He exclaims, thinking he was at fault but not really realising exactly why.

"It's okay." Hyukjae laughs. "Not much you can do about being that heavy."

"You're so dead." Donghae grunts, swinging his legs even more and attempting to kick him and they both end up on the grass, butts kind of in pain but they're laughing harder than ever.

They're covered in grass and each other as they play fight and nothing about it feels weird to them. It's almost as if they've known each other for years, they just fit together so well and the thought makes Hyukjae unable to wipe the smile from his face.

Hyukjae wins the second bet they make and so Donghae has to piggyback him all the way back to his stall. He makes no complaints, hoisting the blonde up on his back easily and occasionally letting go for a second to scare him into thinking he's going to fall. He's much stronger than himself and Hyukjae feels relaxed, it gives him an almost reliable sense and he likes it.

Donghae shakes him off way before they even reach the stall however, complaining about his back in a teasing way, but Hyukjae just accepts it with a laugh and it doesn't take long for them to fall into step next to each other.

"You should come around more often." Donghae tells him softly before he leaves. He's biting his lips again, it's a habit of his that Hyukjae's noticed over the day. "I don't know a lot of people here yet, especially not people around my age, so it was really fun hanging out with you. And, you know, you're kinda cool."

Hyukjae's mouth stretches into a bashful smile despite his brain not wanting him to and his hand shoots up to cover his gums. Donghae grabs hold of his hand, his smaller fingers barely curling around his palm and pulls it down.

"Don't do that." He scolds. "Your smile is pretty. Like your hair, and you."

Damn, he thinks, as he feels his cheeks flushing, no one's ever said that to him before.

Donghae chuckles, letting go of his hand and smiling wide. "See you soon Hyukjae." He brings his hand to his forehead and gives a cute little salute before he's gone, leaving just the blonde, the cool night breeze and a proud flash of gums.

***

Hyukjae goes to see Donghae early the next day. The brunette had waited at his stall without actually opening it and then took him to eat in one of the cafe's nearby. They talk the whole way through lunch, about anything and everything, from Donghae's old town to his favourite foods. Hyukjae doesn't have much to tell and Donghae doesn't push him. Though it goes unsaid, Donghae knows what Hyukjae is, what he does, but he never says anything, he never judges him.

They fight over who can eat the fastest and compete over who can eat the most. Playing around with Donghae is fun and so when the brunette suggests to go back to his place to hang out, Hyukjae agrees with a grin and they race their way there. 

Donghae's house is even nicer than he'd expected. Not only does it have a garden but the flowers are well taken care of and the pathway is clean. He has a lot of books, they cover a shelf at the entrance and his room is practically full of them. Donghae says he loves to read and asks Hyukjae what his favourite book is, Hyukjae brushes off the question with a smile, says he's not much of a reader but he doesn't want to tell the brunette why.

They talk for while, mess around with each other and play small games until Hyukjae gets tired and flops down on the floor. He's only slightly worried about what he'll say as his excuse for staying out all day for no proper reason, mind more occupied by Donghae's body lying right next to his.

"Go lie on my bed." Donghae says, not looking up from the book he'd picked up, nudging his leg against Hyukjae's. He does as he's told, lying on his stomach on the bed and watching the other his finger every now and then to turn the page.

He didn't plan on sleeping but he's startled awake when he feels a pinch on his cheek.

"Get up lazybones." Donghae sings and Hyukjae purposely takes his time to open his eyes because he kind of wants to hear the other's soft voice for a little longer. That, and he's afraid that his blush will become a little too apparent once he opens them and sees Donghae.

"Come on Hyukjae, my dad made dinner and I'm done reading. You can eat before you go."

The blonde groans and sits up, rubbing his eyes. Donghae is sitting much closer than he'd initially realised and he's scared by how much he likes it. "I was having a really nice rest, did you have to wake me?" He shoots playfully, though he doesn't look up for more than a second.

"Hey, it's my bed." Donghae replies with a teasing grin. "I can't just let you do whatever you want on it can I?"

Hyukjae's eyes widen at the sudden images that fill his head and he suddenly feels like a younger boy again, waking up to find Junsu laughing next to him and making rude jokes. He jumps up from the bed and slips on his worn out shoes while Donghae chuckles behind him.

"Your dad didn't make dinner specifically for me right?" Hyukjae asks, facing the door and not wanting to turn around just yet but Donghae comes to stand in front of him anyway.

"Of course not, he doesn't even know you're here but he'll have made enough." Donghae tells him. "Eat before you go."

It's more a request than an order and Hyukjae can't help giving in when he sees the warm smile the other has on his face. Donghae's dad is just like he'd imagined. He's nice and sweet, voice a bit gruff but he speaks in a gentle manner and looks Hyukjae in the eye whenever he decides to join in on the conversation. It's not hard to see where Donghae gets his personality traits from and for some reason it makes Hyukjae feel proud, the fact that he can witness such lovely people together. He wonders what he'd be like if his mother was still alive and with him, if he'd be like her and loved by many.

Donghae's looking at him with concern and confusion, they had been conversing over their favourite sports after all, but Hyukjae doesn't really realise. He feels a little sad and a little bitter all of a sudden and he's lost in his own thoughts.

"Hyukjae son, are you okay?" Donghae's father asks. He shares a look with Donghae and the younger is biting his lip as he shrugs.

"Hey Hyukjae." Donghae says softly, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Hyukjae utters, pulled out of his thoughts by the worry in the brunette's voice. "Oh I'm fine, sorry. I was thinking about something."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, don't worry. I space out sometimes." He tells him, smiling a little because he wants the frown to disappear from Donghae's face. "I should probably get going though, it's kinda late."

"Oh okay." Donghae says, and Hyukjae tries not to fall for the slight disappointed expression on his face. "I'll see you out."

'Seeing out' in Donghae's books apparently means walking him all the way to the entrance of the market but Hyukjae is grateful for it. They walk in a comfortable silence at first until Donghae can't take it anymore and starts babbling about how much this one guy back in his old town at football.

"I sure hope you don't at football." Donghae says, a challenge in the way he smirks.

"You wanna see?" Hyukjae replies, smirking back. "My skills are crazy, you'd be surprised."

"Doubt it." Donghae snorts.

"Seriously!" Hyukjae retorts and he hopes Donghae hasn't noticed the way he's slowed down his steps a little now they're almost close to the theater. "One day I'll totally own you in a game, don't worry, then you'll be on your knees in front of me."

"Me on my knees in front of you?" Donghae repeats. "You wish."

He doesn't know if there's another meaning behind the other's words but that doesn't stop it from crossing his mind. He changes the topic after that, telling Donghae it was fun hanging out with him but next time they have to do something so he doesn't fall asleep by the end.

"Well I think books are really fun but sure, whatever you say." Donghae yawns, rolling his eyes.

"You should head back, I can go from here." Hyukjae smiles despite not wanting Donghae to leave just yet.

Donghae blinks tiredly back at him and then slowly smiles. This time also, he leaves with a cute little salute and Hyukjae watches him walk until he's completely out of sight before he even thinks of turning on his heels and going back home.

***

It's a little over 3 weeks later that Hyukjae is experiencing something he never thought he'd be doing in his whole life. For once, he's behind a stall with a smile on his face, handing goods out to others as they pay for them rather than discreetly stealing them.

Donghae is next to him with a huge smile on his face, his way of interacting with customers natural and friendly. They've met almost every day of the last few weeks, become a lot more close, but Hyukjae sometimes still gets caught up in staring at him, just getting lost in watching the other and feeling great every single time.

The week Hyukjae had shown up at the park with bruises on his wrists, Donghae had thrown a fit. It's okay, Hyukjae had said, it wasn't a big deal but Donghae got agitated over it anyhow. He demanded to know who it was and Hyukjae wasn't even surprised at how easy it was to tell him about Jihoon. He wanted to know why I was out so much without bringing in anything useful for him, and he didn't like it when I didn't want to answer. Donghae was frowning and looked all sorts of guilty. It's my fault he says but Hyukjae grabs and stills his hands that are rubbing soothing circles over the bruises and looks him in the eye. Don't be stupid, he had smiled, soft and free, meeting you is worth it. But then he felt too embarrassed to even look at the other and so resolved his embarrassment by telling him he was still a huge idiot and Donghae had jumped on him, wrestling him to the ground while being painfully obvious of how hard he was trying to not hurt his wrists. And Hyukjae didn't think he could have appreciated his existence any more.

The day Donghae had shown up at the lake over a whole hour late, Hyukjae didn't speak to him until he agreed to jump into the water if it would make the blonde release his anger. Hyukjae had laughed, eyes crinkling at the corners and lips pulling up to reveal pink gums that he could care less about hiding because he knew Donghae would scold him for it. You think I would actually make you jump in there? He cackles, having spoken for the first time since Donghae arrived late, panting and red in the face from being so out of breath. So I don't have to? Donghae replies, hopeful eyes making Hyukjae wonder why he'd even pretended to be mad in the first place. Of course you do, just not without me.

When Donghae brings his books to the park and sits with his back to the tree, Hyukjae sulks, kicking his football at the old brick wall while he mumbles how Donghae is so boring. You should try reading one some time, Donghae only tells him with a chuckle as he turns his pages, It's fun and relaxing, you'll love it. Hyukjae can only roll his eyes, Donghae doesn't know he can't actually read after all, and he will poke