🧸❤️🧸

As strange as it sounds, the hardest part about their situation isn’t whether Hyukjae would still accept Donghae now that he has turned back to a human—no, the hardest part was how they tell Kyuhyun.

“I think we just tell him the truth,” now that their tears have dried and they’ve both calmed down, the two decided to lie side by side on Hyukjae’s single bed. Much like when Donghae was still a stuffed bear (and it took a lot of convincing on Donghae’s part that it really was okay), Hyukjae’s head is comfortably nestled on the other’s chest. Donghae secretly hopes that the other doesn’t hear how loud his heart is beating against his chest. One of the perks of being a bear was that he was an inanimate object; Donghae didn’t have to worry about his reddened cheeks or his racing heart because Hyukjae would never know about them anyway.

If Donghae had known that he was turning back a year after Hyukjae received him as a present, he would have mentally prepared himself so that he wouldn’t have to act like a blushing schoolboy in front of his crush every time Hyukjae initiated skinship. He couldn’t really blame the other for his behavior, he’s grown used to hugging Donghae whenever he wanted because he had been accessible to him for a year now. Hae had been Hyukjae’s nearest source of comfort; he wasn’t about to take that away from him.

“Hmm, I think so too but what if—what if he doesn’t take it too well? What if he’d make you go away?” Hyukjae says the last part quietly but given that there’s not much noise around them, Donghae was able to catch it nonetheless. His heart is back to pounding against his chest, more so now because of what Hyukjae said. Donghae’s extremely happy, of course—I mean who wouldn’t, right? You’ve finally found the person that’s supposedly destined for you, would you waste time away from them? Donghae sure as hell wouldn’t. “Well if being your best friend is any indication, if Kyuhyun does react badly, it wouldn’t be as bad as you think.”

There’s a sense of pride and giddiness feeling Hyukjae’s form melt into his after what he’s said. Donghae doesn’t think he’d ever get used to feeling this way, knowing that he’s able to ease Hyukjae’s worries—there’s definitely no getting used to it. 

🧸❤️🧸

The inevitable comes sooner than later. Hyukjae and Donghae enjoyed the personal bubble they surrounded themselves with and forgot the possibility of Kyuhyun seeing them in bed cuddling and peacefully asleep. 

Kyuhyun was a little worried when he didn't hear Hyukjae’s occasional mumbling through the thin walls separating their bedrooms. Although the mumbling indicated a number of things ranging from his best friend being in the zone to being incredibly stressed and procrastinating; it gave Kyuhyun a sense of comfort hearing his best friend through the thin walls separating their bedrooms. So, when Kyuhyun got home last night to complete silence, it made him feel a little worried.

Usually, when Kyuhyun gets home, Hyukjae is still buried in his studies and thesis preparation. One of the many things he admired about his best friend was his determination on completing the checklist he had made for the day. No matter how tired the other was, Kyuhyun would always see his best friend push through the fatigue and power through just to tick the last item on the list.

So, on the rare occasions that Kyuhyun gets home to a silent apartment, there’s just one thing that comes to mind; Hyukjae’s having another nervous breakdown. 

Kyuhyun’s heart hurts every time he witnesses his best friend break down, doubt and discredit his efforts. Hyukjae is the most hard-working and resilient person Kyuhyun has ever met. Even though his best friend often chooses to be on the sidelines, Hyukjae really shines whenever he chooses to take the spotlight. 

Quietly, Kyuhyun gently knocks on Hyukjae’s door so as to not startle him and add to the stress his best friend is already feeling. He finds no response, not even a hum whatsoever from the other side of the door—now he feels more on edge. Kyuhyun doesn’t waste a second longer and slowly twists the doorknob and opens the door enough for him to peek through.

The scene before him totally catches Kyuhyun off guard, in fact, he’s dumbstricken. 

In the three (nearing their fourth) years that they have shared an apartment together, not once has his best friend brought someone home that isn’t one of his friends from college. And it’s not like it’s a bad thing, Kyuhyun has never brought anyone to their apartment as well. 

Yet there his best friend is, cuddling in the arms of a man he has never seen before. It kind of hurts that Kyuhyun had to find out this way. However, not that he’s thinking back—Kyuhyun can’t recall a time when Hyukjae had openly expressed an interest in someone else. Sure, Hyukjae’s had crushes in the past, but whenever Kyuhyun would about it, the other would simply brush it off saying he’s already over it. 

It’s such an intimate sight he’s witnessing and yet Kyuhyun couldn’t help but feel proud that his best friend had found someone he can be romantically intimate with—even if he’s looking into this further than what he knows for now. Kyuhyun feels like he’s intruding on an intimate moment so he closes the door slowly and quietly steps away to go to his bedroom. 

So, here Hyukjae was, staring wide-eyed at his best friend who was wearing a very satisfied smile on his face—he could even make out the minute movements of his best friend’s eyebrows moving up and down to add more insult to injury. 

Hyukjae’s original plan was to have Donghae sit and wait by their couch while Hyukjae went and woke his best friend up with a simple breakfast consisting of coffee, eggs, bacon, and toast. However, when he was about to put his plan into action, Kyuhyun was already sitting at the head of the small dining table they had in the kitchen, his hands are clasped in front and are placed on the table, his eyes are closed but showed no sign of surprise when he hears Hyukjae’s quiet and careful footsteps. His best friend looks like the low-budget version of old-school villains patiently waiting for the hero to fall right into their trap.

“Well hello there, my dear dear best friend. It’s such a beautiful morning, don’t you think?” Kyuhyun says calmly, sounding genuinely pleased with how his morning is turning up so far—a complete contrast to the ice-cold chill running down from Hyukjae’s back and throughout his entire body. So much for having a plan…

“I—haa—you, how are you awake already?” 

“Meh, I just felt like it. There’s something in the air that tells me, it’s going to be a wonderful day; I can feel it in my bones.” Kyuhyun is awfully cheery this morning, it’s starting to scare Hyukjae. “Look, before you start panicking let’s go get breakfast and you can tell me everything or nothing at all. C’mon, my treat.”

Hyukjae doesn’t remember much from arriving at the diner to Donghae telling his best friend all that he’s told him. He was so nervous that his mind just shut down on its own, it’s a good thing Donghae had sensed his inner turmoil and went ahead to fill Kyuhyun in on everything that led to what transpired. 

“Wait a minute—so you mean to tell me, that my aunt’s story was true?!”

What? That jolts Hyukjae back to consciousness. “What exactly did your aunt tell you about Hae?”

“Exactly what he said!” Kyuhyun gestures at the man frozen beside Hyukjae, “I told you before it sounded like a myth, well apparently, it’s not so much a myth but more like a very very tragic biography.” 

That does make sense, kinda. I mean, Hyukjae’s no stranger to fairytales and myths of people turning into inanimate objects, however, all of them were either turned because of a curse or because of someone’s jealousy towards the other. It’s the first time he’s heard someone willingly asking for a powerful deity to pass their soul into an object. 

Yet, like the first time, Hyukjae never doubted Donghae and his story. Normally, Hyukjae would be on the side of logic, and his logic dictates that everything Donghae’s told him was a bunch of malarkey. But one look into Donghae’s eyes, his human eyes, and he knows, everything he’s said is true. 

“How do you feel now, Hae? Or Donghae? They’re exactly the same now that I say it out loud.”

“Honestly, I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that I was a giant stuffed bear for god knows how long. I didn’t really think much of what was offered to me, at that time I just wanted to get away from where I was.” Donghae feels Hyukjae take his hand and give it a reassuring squeeze, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Kyuhyun. He bows his head a little as he’s having a little trouble stopping the knowing smirk forming on his lips, he going to have so much fun interrogating his best friend later that is if he can get him alone. “When I woke up, I was already a part of the display beside the register at your aunt’s antique shop. I felt a bit disoriented but I didn’t feel panic at all, it felt like Selene was still watching over me to make sure everything was alright.”

“She’s so nice, your aunt, she takes really good care of everyone there. Everyone loves her, your aunt’s reluctance to let anyone go isn’t one-sided. Those who find new owners are very reluctant to leave her and the store, they just don’t see or hear their reactions.”

“Wait, don’t you mean everything not everyone?” Kyuhyun interjects, only now finding what Donghae’s saying to be weird, even weirder when Donghae doesn’t seem to have any plans on confirming his correction. “I don’t remember my aunt hiring anyone to work at the store with her.”

“Everything and everyone, there were others like me at the store, I was actually the last one to be picked up.”

A solemn silence envelops their table after that. Both Hyukjae and Kyuhyun slowly lean back from the table, their backs are now flush against their seats. There were others? It’s on the tips of their tongues but neither of them had the courage to say it out loud. Now knowing that there are others that have experienced great pain yet were given a chance to rest and heal themselves, feels somewhat bittersweet. 

“You don’t have to worry about the others. I don’t know how or where your aunt gets the information but she always shares updates about those who left the store whenever she gets one.” the smile on Donghae’s face is a genuine one, full of hope and assurance. “All those who leave find the person they needed one way or another. Sometimes it takes trial and error, most of the time they’re lucky and find them right away.”

“How do you know they’re the ones you needed?”

“Your aunt never really specified how, you just know I guess.”

🧸❤️🧸

Donghae blends into Hyukjae and Kyuhyun’s daily routine seamlessly, so much so that it’s starting to scare Hyukjae. 

Hyukjae’s mornings now start with a simple breakfast, warm and filling compared to his usual diet of just coffee. The first time Hyukjae woke up to the smell of freshly cooked rice and fried eggs, he thought he was still dreaming. 

“Oh, good morning! I’m sorry for rummaging through your kitchen but I woke up really early so I decided to tidy up the living room while I wait for you guys to wake up. But then I finished tidying up and you guys still haven’t woken up so I thought why not just go ahead and make breakfast for you guys.” 

“Wow…” was all Hyukjae could say after everything that Donghae had rambled on about. If he were honest, Hyukjae hadn’t heard most of what Donghae had said because he was too mesmerized by the breakfast spread on the table.

Okay, maybe the term ‘spread’ was stretching it but having anything homemade that wasn’t either instant or microwavable was a rare occurrence in every university student’s dorm or apartment. 

So Hyukjae gawking at the steaming bowl of rice topped with a sunny side up egg and two thick slices of ham (he didn’t even know they had eggs in the fridge) was more than justified. 

“...you made all of this?”

“It’s nothing, really. Just a simple breakfast to start your day.” Donghae answered quietly at his side, still very much testing out the waters when it was clear that Hyukjae doesn’t mind him doing anything he wants in his and Kyu’s apartment. 

“Thank you, you didn’t have to do this—”

“I wanted to.” The firmness in Donghae’s tone makes Hyukjae turn to his side to look at the latter. There is still a hint of hesitance in his expression however Donghae’s sentiments were genuine and intentional. “I know I didn’t have to, you guys didn’t have to take me in yet you did. That was more than enough already. This, it’s the least I could do for your kindness.” 

After that morning, Hyukjae and Kyuhyun’s body clock magically fixed itself to be attuned to awake at the exact moment Donghae has finished preparing breakfast. Hyukjae figures that it was because their bodies are rejoicing to finally have something decent to eat at the start of their day. 

And since Donghae is already in charge of breakfast, the two best friends have made it a point to come home at least an hour before dinner time to prepare their meal. When they proposed that idea, the two best friends made sure to not raise Donghae’s expectations as this will be the first time Hyukjae and Kyuhyun will be preparing a homemade meal in their three-and-a-half year stay at the university. 

Donghae agrees without a second thought, along with a fond and hearty chuckle. It was either Donghae already had an idea as to what he was getting himself into or he found it amusing that the two best friends would even think of suggesting to be in charge of preparing dinner when they haven’t stepped foot into their kitchen to make a decent meal in all their years of studying at the university. 

Aside from meals, the two best friends have taken the liberty of donating some of their clothes for Donghae to use for the time being. Most of Hyukjae’s clothes fit Donghae perfectly. The two were basically the same height except for the difference in their physique. 

Most of Hyukjae’s clothes either comfortably hang off of his figure or he’s drowning in them. He has always been fond of buying oversized clothes, choosing to keep a perfect balance of comfort and style. 

The first time he saw Donghae try out and wear his clothes, Hyukjae was stunned to complete silence. Donghae emerges from the bathroom wearing Hyukjae’s old beige sweater. It clings beautifully to Donghae’s muscular biceps. His chest looks firm and defined with the soft material of the beige sweater stretching taut over them. If it weren’t for Kyuhyun loudly clearing his throat, Hyukjae would have continued to stare like an idiot. 

It’s safe to say that Kyuhyun has used every opportunity to tease Hyukjae whenever Donghae wears any of the sweaters Hyukjae has lent him. 

🧸❤️🧸

Yet despite all the changes since Donghae turned back, their sleep routine remained the same. Which was so weird when their whole ordeal depended on Donghae being a giant teddy bear. But it turns out that the latter didn’t need to be a human-sized plush for Hyukjae to get a good night’s sleep. It’s better even now since Hyukjae isn’t just rambling into thin air.

“I didn’t even ask for it, I mean I did but not out loud! I wanted to at least keep my options open just so I could think them all over before making a decision. I didn’t expect they would make the decision for me. And it’s not that I’m ungrateful, I’m honored that they basically gave me the opportunity on a silver platter. I just wish I had more control over which company I’d get into.”

It was like any other night. Hyukjae’s head is comfortably nestled on Donghae’s chest while the latter’s arm is loosely wrapped around his waist. Hyukjae came home that day bearing elated yet anxious news.

“What do you think?” Hyukjae asks quietly when Donghae still hasn’t responded after a few seconds. 

“I believe you have nothing to worry about,” Donghae finally answers, his voice albeit soft, carrying conviction and encouragement “they picked you for a reason, didn’t they? They saw potential in you even as an undergrad and they were confident in hiring you on the spot. Sometimes you have to let yourself celebrate these tiny victories and accept that life will deviate from what you have planned.”

“But that doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t be okay. Sometimes it’ll be fine, sometimes it won’t. And there will be days when you’ll see that this was better than what you could ever ask for.” 

Hyukjae lets Donghae’s words sink in. Everything the latter said made sense and brought an overwhelming flood of confidence and reassurance in all the things Hyukjae was worried about. 

When Hyukjae first opened and read the confirmation email, he was ecstatic. The company he’s been eyeing had expressed their desire of having him work for them. Of course, Hyukjae would feel very excited and proud of himself. However, that was short-lived when worry starts filling the small crevices of his mind, soon flooding his thoughts with ‘what ifs’ and uncertainty. 

One of the things Hyukjae really hates is his tendency to overthink things. So much that it cripples him into inactivity, almost always resulting in Hyukjae missing out on an opportunity presented to him.

Though Hyukjae has gotten better at it over the years, there were still instances where his worries were just too overwhelming that he ends up believing them all over again.

“Hyuk?” Donghae’s soft voice rings through his battling thoughts, he lifts his gaze up to the latter already looking down at him. His eyes are swimming with concern for Hyukjae, only now does he realize that tears have started to flow from his eyes thus forming a wet patch on Donghae’s shirt.

“How do you know it will all be okay? That I wouldn’t regret not declining the offer?”

Donghae wipes the fresh tears from his eyes. His expression remains soft and empathetic. “I don’t, but what I do know is that you are hardworking and passionate about the things you love. When you decide to pour your heart out on something, it always yields the best outcome. I’m not going to promise that everything will always be certain but I will guarantee you that when you need me or any of your friends, we’ll be there.”

He feels Donghae tighten his arm around his waist, his other hand has moved to run his fingers through Hyukjae’s hair effectively calming him down and even beginning to lull Hyukjae into sleep. Hyukjae succumbs to closing his heavy lids and the last thing he sees is Donghae’s soft eyes gazing fondly at him to watch Hyukjae fall asleep.