It was strangely delightful, Donghae decided, not to have hordes of fangirls rushing him as soon as he stepped out of the airport terminal. Beside him, Eunhyuk was still tense, as if expecting hundreds of Asian fans to pop up out of nowhere and start asking for their autographs. Donghae could tell that his eyes were wide, even behind the large sunglasses his hyung had donned before they had left the plane.

“Ah, so this is what it’s like when the ELFs don’t know we’re coming,” he chuckled under his breath. Eunhyuk gave a short laugh, adjusting his backpack.

“Last time we visited, we didn’t arrive at 3 in the morning,” he pointed out. “Where do you think the baggage claim is? Why can’t these people be courteous and have multi-language signs? We have English on our airport signs in Korea!” Donghae laughed as he followed the disgruntled man down the mostly empty hallways. Most of the other men and women in the terminal looked just as lost as they were, although some walked with confident purpose.

“Can you ask someone?” Eunhyuk finally huffed, stopped beside bathrooms that they had passed by four or so times.

Donghae hummed. “Your English is better than mine, Hyukkie~” he murmured, but he stepped away to find one of those confident businessmen before the murderous intent on Eunhyuk’s face could reach his gripped fingers.

Instead of risking getting run down by a man about to miss his plane, Donghae went to the nearest magazine stand. A young Indian girl ran it, and she didn’t look too happy. Suddenly embarrassed, he grabbed two bottles of water and a can of Pringles before heading to the register.

The woman didn’t even greet him before she started to ring up his items. “Um, excuse me,” he began, “can you tell me where find bag? Uh, bag with my things?”

She looked up at him and held out her hand, asking, “Cash or credit?” For a moment Donghae was confused, thinking she wanted a bribe for the information. Then she pushed the plastic bag with his food over the counter and he recognized the gesture, hurriedly searching for his wallet. Handing her his credit card, he contemplated asking again. However, she just handed him his credit card after running it, and pointed to his left.

“You have to go right out of here, and then left through the gates. After you go through security, the baggage claim,” and she stressed the word baggage, “will be on your right.”

Confirming the directions with a series of hand gestures, Donghae thanked the woman and scurried back to Eunhyuk, who was still waiting by the restrooms.

“You took forever,” the man informed him shortly. Still, he uncrossed his arms and stepped closer to meet his friend.

“I come bearing gifts!” Donghae joked and willingly held out the bag for Eunhyuk to look through.

“Ah, are those the potato things we had last time?” Eunhyuk asked, eyes brightening. He started to take the lid off, but Donghae stopped him.

“Yah, save them for the cab. We should get our bags now – they’ve probably been on the revolver forever!”

Eunhyuk pouted, but Donghae slid the can back into his bag and skipped away. Frustrated and hungry, Eunhyuk could only follow, but his controlled walk looked more like he was stalking Donghae, about to pounce.

They passed through security easily enough, although Eunhyuk had been asked to remove his sunglasses and their backpacks had been briefly searched. Donghae was a little embarrassed when his empty snack wrappers fell out and Eunhyuk snickered, remembering the conversation that had led his dongsaeng to shove them back into his backpack, rather than get up to throw them out properly. His dongsaeng was so lazy~…

Another plane had let out by the time they left security. The baggage area was fairly crowded, but people were colleting their things swiftly, so the crowd was dissipating quickly. It didn’t take long for Eunhyuk to spot their two small rolling suitcases and send Donghae to go collect them. Donghae pouted a little, but he realized how tired his hyung was, and it was even better when he tried to pull both suitcases off the conveyor belt at the same time. One had dropped onto his foot and Eunhyuk let out a cute laugh just as Donghae started cursing.

The only way out of the baggage area was to go outside. Donghae started to follow a line of other travelers into the parking garage, but Eunhyuk saw a line of taxis and dragged him away.

A short man with very hairy arms was leaning against the first taxi. “Hello sirs!” he greeted cordially. “Might you need a ride tonight?” His accent was so thick that Eunhyuk and Donghae immediately glanced at each other, telepathically asking if the other had understood the man at all.

“Um, you take us to…” Donghae fumbled in his pockets, apologizing with many stutters when he had to take off his backpack and search in there. Finally he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper with a picture and several lines of information in English. “You take us here?” he asked again, presenting the paper to the man and pointing to what he thought looked like the address.

“Oh sure, that’s just an hour’s drive out of Philly! My aunt used to live up there. Get on in, I’ll have you there in no time!” He opened the back door and gestured that the men should get in. He even took their luggage and placed it in the trunk.

“’Philly’?” Eunhyuk questioned as he slid in the car. The word sounded sharper coming from his mouth.

“It’s short for FEE-LAH-DUL-FEE-AH,” Donghae supplied proudly. He had researched a lot about the city, and had even practiced his pronunciation before they left on the trip. “Philadelphia, capital of da United States!” he pronounced proudly, just as the driver slid into the cab.

The driver laughed. “Sorry kid, but Philly isn’t the capital, Washington D.C. is!”

“Yah, Donghae,” Eunhyuk suddenly asked in Korean, “I thought we were going to New York? Where are we?”

Donghae immediately grinned sheepishly. “Actually, since we’ve already been to New York, I thought it’d be fun if we could explore some other places…” At Eunhyuk’s unsettled look, he added, “Besides, this is a trip to relax! But we’ll still be close to the city if we want to visit. You know, do touristy things.” He laughed when Eunhyuk immediately wrinkled his nose and looked a tiny bit scandalized.

“You’re a terrible person,” Eunhyuk moaned. “Why did I ever agree to go on a vacation with you?”

Donghae pouted and wrapped an arm around his hyung’s shoulders. “Hyukkie~ don’t say things like that! I take good care of you, right?” Reaching into the plastic bag, he pulled out the Pringles and waved them in front of Eunhyuk’s noise. Eunhyuk reached for them but Donghae pulled them out of reach, his hand tightening on his hyung’s shoulder to keep him against the seat. “Yah~” he began sweetly, “don’t you think we should ask the nice man if we can eat in his car, first? It’d be rude otherwise~!”

Eunhyuk huffed and turned away, giving his dongsaeng the cold shoulder. “You told me we could eat them here,” he murmured to himself, pouting like a petulant child.

“Excuse me,” Donghae spoke up, “O.K. if we eat? Yes?”

The cab driver glanced in his rearview mirror. “Sure, I don’t mind, ‘s long as you don’t make a big mess.”

“Thank you!” Returning to Korean, he ducked his head and whispered, “See? Not a big deal. Here, let me get you a chip.” Bringing his other arm around to use both hands, Donghae managed to get the lid out and dump a few chips into his palm before the petulant Eunhyuk stole the can, hiding it beneath his jacket.

“Yah, that’s not nice!” Donghae tsked, but he was hiding a smile. “Here, have one. Maybe it’ll make you less cranky~!” Nudging Eunhyuk closer, Donghae held a chip to his hyung’s lips, patiently waiting for it to be taken from his fingers. He heard a crunch, but he still held a part of the chip between his fingers. Leaning forward, he popped the rest into his own mouth and chewed, loving the salty flavor.

A shocked Eunhyuk twisted his head to face him. “I wasn’t done with that!”

Donghae pouted, shrugging a little. “I’m hungry too~” he whined gently, and Eunhyuk huffed.

“You’re a terrible dongsaeng, stealing food from your hyung!” Eunhyuk informed him, reaching for more of the chips hidden beneath his jacket. Donghae shrugged, jostling Eunhyuk a little as he popped the rest of his chips into his mouth.

“You’re a terrible hyung for not even thanking me~” he shot back once he had swallowed. Eunhyuk paused a moment, even though Donghae’s tone had been friendly. Donghae thought that he might actually get a thank you, until Eunhyuk nudged him in the ribs with his eblow.

“Yo,” he said, holding out the can, “I can’t fit my hand any further down. Get the chips out for me.”

Amused, Donghae took the can and helped Eunhyuk pour the chips into his palm, being sure not to make a mess. “Yesung-hyung probably wouldn’t have this problem,” he giggled, capping the empty can and stealing a few chips.

Eunhyuk snorted at the joke, leaning back into Donghae’s open embrace. Before he could reply, the car began to slow. They both perked up, but it was just a toll booth.

The driver must have noticed their eagerness, because as soon as he paid the toll and pulled into the correct lane he told them, “Almost there! Just another ten minutes, about.”

Eunhyuk moved like he was going to sit up properly, but Donghae held him down, keeping him trapped in his hug. “Let go~” his hyung whined.

“Yah~ he said we still have a little time!” Donghae argued, securing his hyung by the shoulders. He ran a hand over Eunhyuk’s hair, smoothing it out a little, but the elder just blew up at his bangs once he was done. His fine hairs were ruffled again and he grinned as if he had done it just to spite his dongsaeng. “Laying like this hurts my back if I stay too long,” he informed matter-of-factly.

“Then I’ll give you a back massage when we get to the house,” Donghae replied without missing a beat. He was watching out the windows now, trying to familiarize himself with the area. So far he had only seen shady looking restaurants and a few gas stations, but as soon as they turned off the highway they entered a neighborhood. He was actually starting to get nervous now – he had never planned a trip like this before. Leeteuk-hyung or the manager-hyungs had always taken care of their accommodations before. He just hoped the little town he had rented a house in was as fun and calming as it looked online.

“Ah! Did that sign say ‘pool’?” Eunhyuk asked, sitting up so quickly that Donghae thought he heard something pop. Wincing a little inside, Donghae made a mental note to actually give Eunhyuk that back massage, instead of just saying he would.

Both boys twisted their heads to look out the back window. “It looks like it could be one,” Donghae commented lightly. “That’s a pretty big parking lot for something that’s fenced in.” He didn’t want to admit just yet that the house had its own pool right in the backyard. He had been hoping that Eunhyuk would be this excited – the rapper had really fallen in love with swimming after their pool episode on Explorations of the Human Body. Despite all the trauma, Donghae added to himself with a snicker.

Eunhyuk shrugged and turned around just as the taxi to a side street. Tall trees hung out over parts of the street, giving the feeling that this street was blocked off from the rest of the neighborhood. The car pulled up next to a large two story house with white siding. A screened in porch wrapped about the front, white curtains pulled across the windows. A lattice board reached all the way up to the second story windows on the side of the house and held a beautiful clematis in half bloom. Donghae took in all these things before his gaze flickered to Eunhyuk. The elder was looking impressed, even though his cranky tiredness. Glad that he had somehow picked the right place, Donghae gathered their food and clambered out the car. Eunhyuk got out and grabbed their luggage as Donghae settled the bill.

A minute later they were standing on the sidewalk with the bags, staring up at their temporary home.