CHAPTER 8

“Bring back my brother, Donghae…” Sungmin smiled a hopeful one.

“Make Hyukjae happy again”

Donghae twisted and curled restlessly. He doesn’t know what to do. Hyukjae’s brother has been…always mischievous, eccentric, if not, sadistic most of the time—but never this pleading and sincere.

It was not like it’s supposed to turn out like this. Donghae mentally scolds himself because the truth is; it was all last minute decision from the brunette as a result of being extremely nervous at the sight of Hyukjae opening the door. Donghae planned everything he needed to tell, practiced it thousands of times in his head, but all his confidence evaporated when he saw Hyukjae. His mind went black and his mouth had gone dry. Lee Donghae’s brain became a mess; mixed feelings overwhelmed his emotions.

Fear, Donghae winced. Remembering the same fear he felt when Jihyukkie found Hyukjae’s photo; fear, when the gravity of the truth struck him once again. Is he really supposed to say to Hyukjae it’s because of his parents that he left? Hyukjae loved his parents so much, especially his father. It was like making an excuse for himself and blaming it to someone else, destroying something precious in the process. And Donghae finds himself in absolute confusion, back to square one once again.

And how could he forget? It was because of him that Hyukjae changed, is he even capable and rightful to be the one to do this?

Donghae sadly shakes his head, how is he supposed to make Hyukjae happy again when he’s…this scared and acting like a coward.

His heart ached at the word. Coward, that’s what you are, Lee Donghae.

Heaving a painful sigh, the brunette turns to his side, almost had his heart leaping out of his chest.

“Mommy…” The three year muttered, half of his weight lazily draped over a hotdog pillow squishing the poor object flat; big brown eyes looking up at his mommy with clouds of confusion and furrowed brows.

“J-Jihyukkie, why are you still not sleeping?” The brunette asked his three-year old, recovering from his surprised state.

“Mmm,” Jihyukkie purses his lips, twisting to his right, and then his left like a pendulum with the bolster securely tucked between his chubby arms. With the pout on his lips getting bigger, the child meekly asks his mommy, “Can we sleep with Daddy tonight.”

Donghae’s feature soften, kissing the top of his precious baby’s head, “I’m afraid not tonight sweetie, we exhausted Daddy so much today.” He tries to explain, remembering that Hyukjae must’ve gotten really tired—both mentally and physically—trying to deal with his brother’s antics while fulfilling his paternal roles to Jihyukkie and making the guest room comfortable for the brunette and son to use at night. Hyukjae quietly retired for the night, tiredness evident in his eyes. Donghae knew the latter needed rest because Sungmin told him Hyukjae has a whole day duty the following day. The said brother also reminded him of the date he fantastically arranged but Donghae refused to think of the matter furthermore with his feelings till all over the place.

Meanwhile Jihyukkie tilted his head, noticing that his Mommy seemed distracted. The three year old wriggled closer, his little fingers reaching to fiddle on the button of his Mommy’s pajama top. “Mommy…” the kid muttered again, lightly tugging at the button to get the elder’s attention. Donghae hummed absentmindedly.

The three year old scurried to position himself on his back and taps his small shoulders repeatedly. “What are you doing Jihyukkie?” Donghae asked, unsure of what his little boy is trying to do. Jihyukkie, getting impatient because of his Mommy’s obliviousness placed his tiny hands on both of the elder’s face instead, brightly grinning and pulling it carefully as down to the angle of his face and neck. “What are you…?”

“Shh!” Jihyukkie shushed his Mommy, snaking his limb behind the elder’s shoulder but only reaching halfway because of his short arms. “The boys in the drama always do this so the girls will not be sad anymore.” The three year old proudly proclaims tapping on the elder’s back to completely added effect.

Donghae laughed at his son’s silliness, “But baby, I’m not a girl!” he scolded.

Jihyukkie shook his head furiously, “Mommy is pretty so mommy is a girl!” he insisted happily and Donghae would’ve argued but Jihyukkie’s just too cute for his own good.

Chuckling, he scooped the child so close to him, earning a surprised yelp from his son. Donghae is touched. The action maybe silly, but he understands that Jihyukkie must’ve seen through his troubled state.

“My adorable baby,” the brunette muttered against the flushed small frame, a sincere, thankful smile graced upon his thin lips.

The three year old shakes his head, burying his face in the crook of his Mommy’s neck. Basking in the comfort of the elder’s warmth, “I love you, Mommy.”

And it may have been just a simple display of affection, but Donghae can’t help but to feel his heart swell. He kissed the little boy in the cheeks.

“Oh honey, Mommy loves Jihyukkie too.”

----

The next morning, Donghae was woken up by the constant ringing of his phone. It was still a bit early, the brunette thought as he blindly reached for the device.

He’s never been thankful that he hadn’t put the phone on speaker because surely, the loud screams of his cousin from the other side of the line isn’t the morning call he wanted for his three-year old baby whose sleeping soundly next to him—although he thinks he needed to go to an ear doctor soon, thinking that he might’ve broken his eardrums from his cousin’s frantic screams.

“Heechul-hyung…”

“Shut up, I’m not done yet!” Donghae flinched, trying to calm his seething cousin down. No avail.

“I told you to call me as soon as you reached the city, why haven’t you called since yesterday! Lee Donghae, don’t you know how much I’ve been worried? I almost called the police!”

“Sorry…” was the only thing the brunette replied, feeling guilty because…

“Seriously? How could you forget! Yah, are you so happy that you got reunited with your love that you completely forgot about your dearest cousin? I’m hurt dongsaeng. I’m hurt.”

“I’m really sorry Heechul-hyung, it entirely slipped my mind.”

Heechul would’ve wanted to scream some more, but Donghae’s quivering voice on the other line held him still. The elder deeply sighed, trying to force himself to calm. Donghae explained about what happened from the time they arrived from the train station and he listened, not until Donghae started telling him what happened when he talked to his ex.

“Hold up right there,” Heechul abruptly interrupted. Donghae gulped, waiting in the deafening silence, like the calm before the storm. He hears ragged breathing against the receiver worried if his cousin had started hyperventilating. “H-Heechul h-hyung…”

“Lee Donghae.”

Donghae secretly admits that Sungmin is weird and scary, but Heechul is entirely on a different level. He’s…Donghae gripped the phone against his ear harder; Heechul is terrifying when he’s mad.

“Repeat that again.” Heechul said lowly but his tone is calmly dangerous.

Donghae gulped and squeezed his eyes shut, “I got n-nervous and s-scared I ended up…asking him to pretend…for J-Jihyukkie…hyung—“

“Dongsaeng, what have you done?!” Heechul exclaimed, obviously frustrated and definitely not amused. “You’re just making things more complicated for the both of you! I thought that rabbit guy convinced you that it’s best to let that ex of yours know about Jihyukkie. He’s the real father after-all! You know what, I care for you because you’re my family but sometimes you can really get stupid.” The elder of the two scolded. “What did he say?”

“H-He was shocked, it’s obvious he won’t do it at f-first but he a-agreed in the end.”

“Does the rabbit guy know?”

Jihyukkie stirred. Donghae decided to take the phone call conversation somewhere else, not wanting to wake up the child. He opened the door and surveyed, checking if Hyukjae was already up. When he was sure the other was still asleep in his own room, the brunette strolled across the living room trying to be as quiet as possible. He opened the sliding window towards the balcony.

“S-Sungmin hyung knows. He was here yesterday. H-he told me Hyukjae has the right to know the t-truth… ”

“Well duh! Of-course he has all the rights to know so! Oh Shissus, I know this would happen!”

“Hyung,” Donghae muttered, “Sungmin-hyung told me to go with Hyukjae on a date.”

There was a pause on the other line.

“Hyung,” Donghae waited anxiously. “What should I do? He told me to make Hyukjae happy again and I—I don’t know, I was the one who left him and he was so h-hurt because of m-me…can I really make him happy again?”

“Donghae, sometimes you overthink too much. The logic simply goes like this; if you break something, you try to fix them up. You don’t ask for someone else to do it for you. You broke your ex when you left; he’s been in pieces for years, isn’t it just fair for you to take the responsibility to fix him because you were the one who broke him in the very first place?”

Hearing no response from the brunette, Heechul continued. “Dongsaeng, what was the reason you seek for the man after three painful years?” He said, in the tone Donghae would use when his son starts getting teary.

“It was,” Donghae inhaled deeply, trying to steady his voice, “For Jihyukkie.”

“Right. You told me Jihyukkie needs his father, how about you then?”

“What…what do you mean hyung?”

“Aren’t you broken too? You were also hurt when you disappeared right? You were devastated when that told you she’s pregnant. You sacrificed your happiness, took responsibility over something that you shouldn’t. Yes, you found happiness in raising Jihyuk but something’s still lacking. I keep on telling you to look for someone to take care of you; you said you don’t need one. Why Hae? Is it because you really don’t need anyone right now? Or is it because you felt you’re not worthy of it?” He hears sniffing on the other line, he sighed and carried on.

“You haven’t moved on.” He says the basic fact. “Did you know why? You left the man you loved and disappeared from his life. But just as broken as he was when you left him, you were incomplete too. You may have been gone and continued living on a life without him, but not really. There was this small line connecting him from you. That’s Jihyuk. And no matter how you tried to pretend to be happy, oh come on, who are you kidding?”

“He has your happiness with him, just as you have the super glue for his broken heart. Gosh this is downright cheesy but do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?” Heechul rubs his temple, it’s a good thing he likes romantic dramas coz it comes handy in times like this. “Anyway, stop being a worrywart or I’d personally go there to kick your .”

Donghae laughs, wiping the tears that had strolled down his cheeks, “Sorry hyung.” He says sincerely. The man on the other line huffed.

 “But please, stop calling my deceased wife a .” He lightly scolded, earning a snort.

“Can’t help it, that’s what she was. And please stop calling her your wife, it sounds very disturbing.”

“Heechul-hyung…” Donghae reprimanded. Although his cousin is right in some way, the woman was still Jihyukkie’s mother.

“Fine…fine. Got to go now, I’ll call another time. Tell Jihyukkie I miss him so much. And stop being an idiot. Follow your heart or whatever. Take care, arasseo?”

“You too,” Donghae answered, “And Heechul-hyung?”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you so much, really. I somehow felt a lot better and…enlightened.”

“Of-course, Kim Heechul is awesome like that.”

Donghae pressed the call to an end. Maybe Heechul-hyung and Sungmin-hyung were right all along. He squeezed the phone on his hand. He’s going to tell Hyukjae. He’d apologize and maybe, asked for…another chance.

Another chance…? Donghae can’t help but feel his heart skip a beat. Maybe he’s just being delusional about it. But he would try. Donghae may be slow, but he doesn’t need to be told on repeatedly. He appreciates the efforts that his cousin and Sungmin had made to clear out his mind.

To make Hyukjae happy, to be complete again…for Jihyukkie.

“I’ll tell him.” He swore, a bit more determined and confident this time.

“Tell who what?”

Donghae jumps on his feet; his heart leaping out of his chest as he slowly turns around.

 Leaning on the sliding window, there was Hyukjae, arms on the chest and eyebrows fully raised.

 A/N: Waah...welcome back to me, the new settings for chapter editor creeped me out. Anyway, sorry for the wait. This is chapter 8..Next chapter in few weeks ^__^