LEE DONGHAE's POV

“You made quite a scene there, you know,” HyukJae started having a conversation while driving on our way home.

“Hmm?” I hummed in response, not really paying attention.

“I mean at the soccer field; I never knew you could play like that,” he pointed out.

“Of course you don’t, you haven’t seen me play since today,” I said.

“Well, it seems like I still don’t know much about you.”

“So?”

“This calls for a movie night,” he finished, looking at me and smiling. I stared for a bit, before snapping my head forward.

“Look at the road, you idiot!” I scolded him, and looked out the window, trying to hide the blush creeping on my cheeks.

Judging by Kibum’s reaction awhile ago, he’s totally surprised, but the expression didn’t live long before he got his cool back, shook HyukJae’s hand as a greeting, and bid me goodbye. He said he’d call me if he has the time. And with the kiss on my cheeks, he left the school. Classes, then, started and ended like a blur since my thoughts are flying around the room; a part of my brain thinking about Bummie, and of course, a part is wandering off to Lee HyukJae, who’s just sitting behind me. The moment the final bell rang, HyukJae offered to go home early since he was tired, but by the energy he’s giving now, I can tell he’s not a tad bit tired.

“I thought you said you’re tired, Hyuk? Why don’t we just eat dinner and go to bed?” I suggested, after making sure that my cheeks aren’t tinted with pink.

“I thought I was tired too, but I guess I’m not,” he answered and I can tell from his tone that he’s smiling.

“What kind of excuse is that, can’t you think of a better one?” I joked, easing up.

“Whatever~” he sing-sunged, and I found myself chuckling at his childishness.

We reached home after a few more minutes, and the moment we entered, he’s reaching for the phone, while I dropped my bag on the floor and proceeded to infiltrate the entire couch, lying with my face down, as I heard him talking on the phone.

“Hello? I would like to order 2 jjajangmyuns, and some dumplings, yes, have it delivered at this address---” he gave the direction, and then there was silence. Not wanting to look up to what he’s up to now, I remained there, until I squealed when I felt something poking my sides, I bolted and sat straight, glaring at the obvious culprit who’s wearing a gummy smile.

“I never knew you we’re ticklish,” he said, jutting out his index finger in attempt to poke me, but I was fast and dodged the annoying finger.

“Stop it,” he said in a serious tone.

“Oh come on, Donghae, don’t be such a kill joy; I’m merely trying to know more about you,” he said, teasing in his voice.

“And tickling me is you’re way to know me better?” I countered.

He nodded, and started leaning forward, his hands making weird movements that scared me; Heechul does that, and I am very well aware of what happens next, so without second thoughts, I pushed HyukJae aside and started running to the kitchen, I heard him chuckling, and followed suit; now the dining table separating us.

“This is not funny, HyukJae, I swear, you better stop before I---I---” I started thinking of a way to threaten him, and he cocked his head to the side, waiting for me to finish my sentence.

“Before you what?” He challenged.

Then an idea struck me, “Before I throw every last drop of your precious strawberry milk down the sink,” I said.

There was silence, only our eyes looking at each other, before he smiled that devilish smile.

“As if,” he muttered, and as fast as lightning, he jumped on the dining table and went down to my side, locking me in his arms, my eyes wide with shock.

“Caught you,” he said, and started tickling me. The kitchen was filled with my laughter, mixed with his; he’s obviously enjoying this, while all I wanted to do was to stop laughing, but his grip is too strong and I can’t escape, so I started smacking his arms hard.

“S—stop, stop---it, Hyuk---My---tummy hurts,” I squirmed, as his tickling got fiercer, and my laughter grew louder. He played deaf and continued what he was doing.

“Hyuk---stop, stop it, Hyukkie~!” I whined, and the devilish hands suddenly stopped; I used the time to catch my breath, panting really hard, placing my hand on HyukJae’s shoulder, using it as a support. After calming down, I looked up at the stupid monkey, who’s looking down at me with an unreadable expression.

“What?” I asked.

Like a person cut from his trance, he jumped slightly and shook his head, “Nothing,” he answered.

“Aish, I hate you. My sides hurt,” I told him as I made my way back to the living room, and he followed, sitting beside me on the sofa. But he’s quiet.

“You tickle me and you’re the one giving the silent treatment, tell me Hyuk, are you on drugs?” I asked and looked at him, but he’s just staring forward, as if I was not here, and it’s annoying to be ignored. Grabbing the pillow beside me, I smacked his head rather hard, and that made him look at me.

“Oops?” I said and gave him an innocent smile, and he finally smiled back.

“I swear you’re so weird, I can’t even understand why we’re relatives,” I muttered.

“We’re husband and wife, not relatives,” he grumbled but I didn’t quite catch it.

“Excuse me, what?” I asked.

“I said, you’re weirder,” he faced me with a mocking face.

“Says the one who tickles another person without a reason,” I rolled my eyes.

“Since when did tickling need to have a reason?” He argued.

“Since I said so, especially if it’s me you’re tickling,” I retorted.

“And why is that? Are you so special that I need to have a reason just to tickle you?”

“Because everyone loves me, you can’t just go touching me like that, a lot of people would get mad, I’d tell Heechul, then Sungmin, Hyun Woo, Bummie, and many more” I said, sticking my tongue out at him, and folding my arms in front of me and I am fully aware that I am acting like a child.

“If everyone loves you, why don’t you have a boy friend?” He said. And I don’t like the way he says it, as if he’s gloating that he has a love life. So without thinking, I blurted.

“How did you know I don’t have one now?” I said, and that seemed to shut him up.

Without a reason, the air seemed to get tense, and I don’t even know why; he started it and now he can’t think of a way to respond to that, sheesh. Thankfully, the door bell rang and I was very much willing to open the door and get the food HyukJae ordered, but I am not paying, so I called out,

“Yah! You pay!” I shouted, and he’s at the door in an instant, handing out the money and helped me carry the food, and I felt the atmosphere lighten up, maybe it’s because the food’s here and we’re both hungry.

“What movie would you like, Donghae?” he asked, as he scanned the shelf with too many DVDs.

“Anything’s fine,” I answered as I put down the strawberry milk and chocolate milk I got from the fridge. I sat down first, eyeing him as he choose between the movies laid out for him, and I can tell by the frown he is wearing that he’s having a hard time, and I chuckled at how cute he looks.

“Just pick whatever, Hyuk, it’s not as if we’ll actually watch; knowing you, you’ll just talk, talk and talk,” I commented, and he turned to me to just stick out his tongue before resuming his picking.

It took him a solid ten minutes to finally settle on the movie: How To Train Your Dragon.

“Seriously? It took you that long to pick that? What were your choices, anyway?” I asked him as he sat beside me, the movie playing.

“I was battling between that and Hercules,” he answered, grabbing his bowl of jjajangmyun.

“Hercules? Why is that even your choice?” I asked, absolutely surprised at his choice of movies.

“I dunno, I think the cover just caught my attention,” he said, blowing at his food, and I just dropped the subject, getting my own share of food and started eating, and watching the movie at the same time.

We were absorbed in eating and watching that we didn’t notice we finished our food, we placed our bowl at the table at the same time and grabbed our milks, looking at each other, and then we started chuckling.

“Why the hell are you copying me?” he said, laughing while holding his drink.

“I am not. I was just doing what I felt like doing,” I answered, amused as hell, because seriously, it looked like we rehearsed that or something.

Chuckling for a bit more, we started drinking our milks and looked back at the screen, but not a few minutes later, HyukJae spoke,

“So, that Kibum, is he a friend?”

“No.”

“What is he then, a boy friend?” He blurted out all of a sudden that I almost chocked on my milk, because it’s not just his words that caught me off guard, it was his tone; as if he’s angry. Or, jealous?

“He’s not a friend, he’s my best friend, idiot,” I said.

“Oh.”

“You actually thought he’s my boy friend?” I asked him, curiosity taking over me.

“The way you suddenly dashed out of the field and jumped at him, not aware of the people watching you, and he kissed you on the cheek, who wouldn’t assume that he’s not your boy friend,” he pointed out, eyes focused on the screen, like he’s avoiding eye contact.

“We get that a lot,” I muttered.

“What?”

“I said, we are usually mistaken as lovers even back in New York,” I explained, looking at the screen now.

“Why?”

“Well, Kibum and I are just clingy to each other, we hug and kiss, but it’s normal for me or him, besides, I kiss all my friends,” I explained.

“So you can kiss Kyuhyun because he’s your friend?”

“Sure,” I answered quickly.

“And you can kiss me too because, I am, you friend, right?”

With that, I looked up, shocked at the sentence, and shocked at seeing him looking back at me. I tried searching for teasing in his eyes, but there was none, all I see is seriousness, and I nervously gulped.

“Donghae?” he said, when I didn’t answer him.

“Huh? Oh, Umm, yes, I think so. Yeah, we’re friends, so I can kiss you,” I answered, smacking myself in my mind for stuttering like that.

“Really?”

I just hummed in response, afraid that I might stutter again.

“Can you kiss me now?” He asked all of a sudden.

“Come again?” I asked, not believing what I just heard.

“I am asking, as a friend, if I can get a kiss,” He repeated.

I looked at his eyes, and sure as hell, he’s serious with this. What’s going on your mind, Lee HyukJae? And that word ‘friend’, is really starting to annoy me; why does he have to repeat it all the time, I already know we’ll be nothing more than friends, no need to rub it on my face, right?

“Ahhmm…”

“What? I can’t? I thought we’re friends,” he said, a sudden hurt flashed in his eyes combined with him muttering that word ‘friend’ again gave me the courage to grab his collar and brought his face close to mine, I heard his sudden intake of breath, he’s obviously surprised by my action.

“Of course, you can, you are my friend after all,” I said, trying not to sound hurt at my own words, before I placed my lips on his cheek, a bit close to his mouth.