inference of a d/s relationship, bruise kink, biting, and all from outside!pov; nothing explicit, set in canon 'verse

Leeteuk is their leader, the linchpin that holds their oddball group together but now that he's away in the army, Heechul and Kangin has to step up take on the mantle of leadership. More so on Kangin's part because Heechul finds the responsibility of being the leader stiffening at best and Kangin does it so well that honestly Heechul isn't even needed.

But there's only so much Kangin can do because he's not Leeteuk, nobody can replace Leeteuk, so occasionally Heechul finds himself filling in Leeteuk's shoe for him and handling things that Kangin definitely doesn't know about and probably better off not knowing.

Like the new and interesting development between Heechul's favorite donsaeng and Lee Hyukjae while he was in the army.

Heechul wouldn't have pick up on it if he isn't well--Heechul.

It's not that it's obvious between them because Donghae and Hyukjae orbits each other like they’re drawn and held together by a force greater than gravity. And maybe it’s because they have spent almost half of their life occupying each other’s space till there's no room for either of them to breath without breathing each other in, but they're borderline co-dependent and just a tad bit obsessed with each other.

Like the roots of a tree, their tangle lives sometimes make it hard to separate where one end and the other begin.

It’s sort of cute in a sickeningly puppy love-ish kind of way. Make it sickeningly puppy love.

puppies. Heh.  

Because who knew that his favorite brats are into that. Definitely not Heechul.

---

It starts, not surprisingly in their line of work, on TV.

There has been a manic energy surrounding Donghae since the beginning of their taping for Star King. It’s hard not to notice when he’s practically vibrating out of his seat, foot tapping maddeningly against the floor of the stage, and his hands twitchy on his lap.

He appears uncomfortable in his own skin and increasingly distracted by the second, pull by an invisible lint that seems to draw his attention away from everything else.

Donghae always been like that, getting wrapped up in his own head and loss in whatever thought brewing in there, unable to pull himself out of his headspace and focus on whatever it is at hand. Usually, Leeteuk or Kangin is there to drag him out but there’s only Heechul and Hyukjae today and sometimes it just isn’t enough.

In those time they let him come back down on his own. It can be a waiting game at times because they’re not all that equipped to meet Donghae’s needs.

Most of the times it’s ignorable but when they’re working it can be so very disruptive and annoying when Donghae isn’t doing his job.

Heechul catches a few time Donghae clearly haven’t been paying attention to anything anybody was saying, asking them to repeat themselves when it was his turn to answer question.

There is a tenseness to his shoulders like he has been hanging on a wire too long, his movement short and mechanical as he becomes more agitated and unfocussed.

Donghae plays with the wire of his mic again even though Heechul had scold him three times already for it but every time Donghae would appear chasten and then do it all over again.

The sound director has been making noise about Donghae’s

Heechul starts to get up to snap at Donghae to stop and behave himself but catches himself in time to see Hyukjae reaching over and grasps Donghae's wrist, fingers wrapping tightly around the exposed skin and pressing down on it till the skin blossoms pink and soft against his own.

"Don't," Hyukjae says beside, low and heavy with an underlining of heat.

The hitch of Donghae's breath is quiet and severe but he stop touching the wire and the tenseness in his shoulders drop abruptly as though someone has release the wire and finally set him free.

Hyukjae lets go of the wrist and Donghae's hand retreats back to his lap, seemingly more relax, subdued and soft. He eases against Hyukjae and

“Oh,” Heechul says to himself as if his eyes were open for the first time.   

---

After he had seen that, it was hard to unsee it. At least Donghae and Hyukjae are careful and meticulous about hiding it but Heechul is better.

He starts to take notice of the tiny things that seems normal and insignificant to the unobserved eyes but if you didn’t know where to look then it wouldn’t be so painfully obvious.

It’s the way Donghae’s instinctively to turn toward Hyukjae for attention, seeking permission for things that doesn’t actually require so. It’s when Hyukjae’s hand is on the small of Donghae’s back, one part guiding and the other authoritative as he directs Donghae where to go, what to look at, and most of all what to do. And it’s how Donghae relaxes against Hyukjae’s touch and traces the remnants of Hyukjae left on him in reverence as though he can carve it deeper and harder that it mark him irreversibly.  

Then there are the marks themselves.

Heechul sees it one day just as Donghae comes out of their bathroom after a shower, his air wet and sticking to his scalp in all sort of directions. He passes by Heechul quickly but Heechul turns just in time to see it the back of Donghae’s head.

And there it is.

A bite mark just behind Donghae’s left ear, hidden by his hair and it’s faded enough that it’s barely noticeable but Heechul can see the indentation of somebody’s teeth and the raised flesh around it.

It’s so obvious that it’s almost ridiculous to see, but worst is when they don’t even bother to hide it at all.

It’s a normal Monday into their five days break when Heechul catches sight of it just as Donghae crawl his way out of his room and into the bathroom which Heechul had already occupied for washing his face.

“Were you mauled by a dog?” Heechul demands aghast as the sight of the ring of bruises on Donghae’s shoulder peeking through the collar of his shirt.

He pulls the collar closer in until the bruises disappear from his skin. “Oh, I fell,” Donghae says, shrugging.

“On your neck?” Heechul says doubtfully and Donghae flashes him a cheeky grin as he nods.  

Which is the most blatant and shameless lie he had ever heard. Donghae didn’t even have the grace to make up a better excuse.

Heechul doesn’t know how they actually think they can keep it hidden for long but then again their members aren’t quite perceptive to this kind of things nor are they picking of the hints that Donghae and Hyukjae are dropping when they don’t even know what to look for.

Heechul think he’s lucky that he only caught on because one of his former girlfriends had tied him to a bed board once before taking out a flogger and showed him that there can be pleasure found in pain. And that was an interesting night and revelation for him.

After that experience, Heechul had dabbled a little in that side of the bedroom with several of close associates but he never consider it as a lifestyle choice. It was fun and but only for some time.

But it’s not something one can casually ease into without any prior knowledge and experience. Heechul knows it well that even with the best intention and skill a person can mess up and these kids of his, they may not actually be aware of what they’re doing or what kind of dangerous game they’re playing.

So it’s time for more direct approach.

---

Because Heechul is kind, he corners Hyukjae in his dorm room one day after everyone had already filed out of the dorm for their activity and Hyukjae and him are the only ones left with nothing to do that day.

“So you and Donghae are playing some kind of weird game or is this something more serious and deeper?” he starts, because subtly thy name is not Heechul.

Hyukjae immediately goes red in the face. “It’s not—we’re not, it’s just.” He stops and exhales, long and heavy before going forward again, this time there’s a determine lilt in his voice. “It’s serious.”

"Do you know what you are doing?" he asks, folding his arm across his chest in examination.

Hyukjae bites down on lower lip, pink flesh caught between his teeth and nods.

“And is this something you want?" Heechul asks, the most important question that he came here for.

Hyukjae hesitates, his breath shaky and eyes are averted. “I think so.”

Heechul raises an eyebrow and gives him a pointed look. "That doesn't sound confident."

He still won’t look at Heechul but his hands curl tight against his side. “I do, I want it,” he asserts, sounding more certain now.

“And Donghae doesn’t mind being a canvas of black and blue,” Heechul says carefully.

Hyukjae jaws clenched tight. “I wouldn't hurt him," he insists fiercely.  

"Which would be great if I wasn’t sure that that is the main the point of your relationship," Heechul says, thinking of the splotches of black-purple that run down Donghae’s body, purposely tucked away from the unsubtle eyes and made with deliberate force, woven into his skin like a carefully control collision.  

Hyukjae flushes. "I would never hurt him unless he wants me to," he mumbles.

Heechul nods thoughtfully. “Alright.”

His head jerks up, eyes wide and looking at Heechul with heavy skepticism—which is quite frankly insulting.  "You're not going to warn me off of Donghae or threaten to dismember me for hurting him?" Hyukjae’s brows knit in confusion.

Because Heechul never known subtly and he does have a habit of playing favorite. No point denying that at least.

Heechul roll his eyes. "I trust you. I trust the both of you to know what you’re doing and this--" he waves his hand around in the air, hands flapping wildly in hope of conveying the ery that is Donghae and Hyukjae’s relationship, "is a two-way street. You and him obviously get something out of it and you're not kids anymore. Do what you like, I’m not here to pass judgment nor to play keeper for both of you.”

A small smile graces Hyukjae’s face. "Wow that sounds almost like a compliment."

Heechul smirks. "Don't get used to it."

---

They're at a barbecue joint for their monthly dinner as a group. It’s hard to have all members gather together when they’re all busy with their own schedule and activities but somehow they managed to find that one night of every month just for them.

Heechul manages to steal a spot next to Donghae and while everybody is in their own little social bubble or happily eating, Heechul slides closer to him.

He bumps shoulder with Donghae’s, drawing Donghae’s attention away from his skewer.  

Donghae stares at him bafflingly and he looks pointedly down at Donghae's sweatband and waggles his eyebrow.

Donghae’s eyes light up in realization and he laughs, bright and obvious. He pushes the sweatband up his arm to reveal several bruise like blot hidden underneath.

The colors are deep and vibrant, set off against the pale skin like a worn out painting has been retouch again and again with care. Something that Hyukjae must have done so many times before.

"You're good?" he asks even though the answer is already written all over Donghae’s face.

Donghae’s touch the one of the bruises tenderly and smiles in contentment. "I'm good."

And that's all Heechul needs to hear.

[1] im pretty sure there's an old joke somewhere about hyukjae and heechul not getting along but i like to think their relationship gotten very good now and yea maybe heechul does favor donghae a little more in my head but hell he cares about these two a lot and getting into a d/s relationship can be a dangerous thing if they're both new to it and even an experience dom/sub can up so yeaaa.

[2] the reason he approached hyukjae first is b/c donghae is the type to throw himself at something before he thinks but he knows exactly what he wants so yeaa heechul is not worry but hyukjae is different b/c he gets caught up in his head wanting to make others happy that he doesn't think about his own needs and wants so heechul wanted to make sure this relationship is what hyukjae wanted too not b/c hyukjae fallen into it b/c he wants to make donghae's happy.

[3] this is a supppppppper old fic of mine that i dusted off and finish. it's set in canon which RARELY happen for me but i wanted to do a d/s fic that deal with the sadomachosim side and it was all going to be sadist!hyukjae worries and fears how much he likes pushing donghae around and hurt him but DONGHAE IS ALL NO NO I LIKE THIS OMG KEEP DOING IT. and it's hyukjae hesitating on how to proceed and donghae is the one aggressively pushing it forward bc he KNOWS exactly what he wants and that hyukjae is the only one who can give it to him. lol ///o\\\ also bc i have a huge biting and bruise kink so ;P.