They’d  been through a lot, but they were still together, still Hae and Hyuk, Hyukjae and Donghae. Their lives weren’t calm and sweet and all the strangely apathetic Disney decreed for life. They were two adults trying to maintain a relationship that wasn’t quite looked well upon in society, while juggling jobs, and a small boy. It wasn’t easy, but then, they didn’t want that. They enjoyed the frenetic pace and it just meant they were too exhausted to constantly argue about the stupid things.

Donghae still worked with Leeteuk and everyone; he was still a part of everything, and while he didn’t participate in actual chases (which led to a lot of times when Hyukjae disappeared to go after a tornado, and Donghae was left to look after Kwanghaeng all by himself. It had resulted in many food-fights between father and son.), he still knew what was going on.

It sometimes took a lot of courage to let Hyukjae go for trips by himself; the first time, Donghae had been nervous, and convinced that Hyukjae was going to cheat or something. It had taken a while for him to be fully comfortable, and to just trust him.

It had been hard to trust him. That sounded awful, when you put it so bluntly, but it had taken a lot of self-persuasion to let him go and chase his tornado-shaped dreams. But he learnt that he should have known Hyukjae would never do anything. He always came back. And because of that, he’d learnt to trust him. It was strange, really. As friends, when they were teenagers, he would never have doubted he could trust Hyuk. But when they became more than that, the idea of him wanting someone else had been a very real fear.

On Hyukjae’s part, it had been hard for him to believe that Donghae wanted him back and was going to stay. If he was honest with himself, he’d have to say that for the first couple of months of being together, he was wary of Wookie. But that was before he realised that Wookie was kind of a , and while Donghae was special, he acted that way with everyone. Their relationship could be messy, and it wasn’t always enjoyable…but if they were truthful, they were happy with one another at least once a day.

They were so close that they didn’t really need to ask if the other was unhappy, although Donghae had a habit of being blunt and asking what was wrong when Hyukjae was down. But that was okay, because he always knew how to make him feel better, even if it was just something childish, like taking him to the park, or if it was something more adult, like an open mouthed kiss, and it was times like this that Hyukjae didn’t know how he’d thought he could live without Donghae.

Donghae felt the same. He had no clue how he thought it could get any better than Hyukjae, who understood him better than anyone, and who could make him smile with the smallest of touches. It sometimes amazed Hyukjae how Kwanghaeng seemed to have picked up Donghae’s carefree smile, despite the fact there was no biological relationship between them.

Hyukjae held tightly onto Kwanghaeng’s hand as he stood docilely, content to watch the colourful people go past in glittery costumes, mixed among topless men. A pair of miniature bunny ears flattened down his already messy hair, a gift from Wookie, who wore his own matching pair. He held a rainbow-striped whistle in one hand, something he’d managed to con Kyuhyun into buying him (or it may have been Zhou Mi, honestly, with those two, they were both as evil as each other).

Donghae had gone to buy ice cream, being the overgrown child he was inside, and was waiting eagerly for the vendor to finish putting all of the sprinkles and various toppings on it. Hyukjae suspected Kwanghaeng was only behaving so well because he was hoping appa would buy him one too, and being the spoilt child he was, he was probably going to get it.

Donghae came over, holding two laden ice creams in both hands. He bent down to give the smaller one to the little boy, who dropped his whistle to take it happily. Hyukjae groaned silently. He just knew he would be the one cleaning up all the ice cream gunk later.

“What about me?” He asked Donghae playfully. Donghae looked up at him, smiling gently.

“Oh, we’re sharing.” He proffered the ice cream. “I even got strawberry.” Hyukjae laughed and took the ice cream, the melting treat quickly, aware of Donghae’s gaze, as he kept hold of Kwanghaeng, who already had a trickle of chocolate ice cream down his dinosaur t-shirt.

They walked around stalls, sharing the ice cream, like the ridiculously cute couple they secretly were, and Donghae felt a tiny bit of satisfaction whenever anyone said how cute their son was. Alright, he was now covered in ice cream, but that didn’t make him any less adorable! Getting dirty was part of being a child, anyway. They found Heechul (who had somehow managed to change into a shirt and jeans) and Han Geng outside a leather shop that seemed to have a collection of gear. Kwanghaeng was quickly despatched with Uncle Henry to go look at the shiny badges in the next stall.

Heechul and Han Geng seemed to be arguing over whether or not they needed a new set of leather ties, an argument that only stopped when Siwon and Eve arrived, Heechul deciding torture was more important.

“So, Siwon…” He started, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “I’m guessing this is all right up your street.” He grinned evilly as he dropped a spanking paddle into his hands.

Han Geng stared at Heechul. “What even? Siwon’s a good little church boy, come on, what-”

“Oh, Geng, you know that means nothing. Everyone’s corruptible. You were such a good little boy until I got my claws into you.” Heechul dismissed his comments, as Siwon placed the paddle back where it had come from, and ignored Heechul, a slight blush on his cheeks.

Heechul would have left it, if not for the cheeky giggle Eve gave at the sight of the paddle. Heechul latched onto it like a lion with its prey. “Ha! She laughed! See, they do do things…I, Kim Heechul am always right, and forever will-” Han Geng blinked, and without even thinking, slapped Heechul lightly.

“Shush, Chullie. You’re getting incoherent again.” Heechul didn’t even look offended. It disturbed Donghae slightly that he even looked a tiny bit .

Donghae wasn’t quite sure why their meeting place appeared to be this stall, but soon everyone had turned up, and they were discussing what to do. They all seemed to want to go on the rides, Hyukjae and Han Geng eager to go on strange things that threw you up in the air, while Heechul just wanted to go on the ride that spun you around and around until you felt sick. Ryeowook and Henry had disappeared, and Zhou Mi would only go on anything if someone came with him. Kyuhyun didn’t look like he cared, but Hae Mi and Eve wanted to go on the pirate ship, and Leeteuk decided to accompany them. Heechul dragged Siwon off with him.

So that left Donghae with Kyuhyun and Kwanghaeng, watching as Hyukjae’s eyes lit up at the idea of being thrown backwards and forwards. It was the thrill of the unknown, and that adrenaline was pumping through him again. He could see it. He would always have a shaky relationship with this side of Hyukjae. On the one hand, it was kind of y, and endearing in a worrying way. It was such an intrinsic part of him, that if you took it away, he’d probably be a different person. But then there was the fact it scared him, and always would.

A certain part of Donghae, the childlike part that had never grown up, craved being told what to do, to know where he was going. And Hyukjae’s adrenaline junkie thing didn’t make sense to him in that way, because you had no control over natural phenomena. Perhaps it stemmed from the fact that he had had no way to stop the tornado from taking something so precious from him, but there was a lack of control with a tornado that scared him less.

And that lack of control was sometimes mirrored in Hyukjae himself. But then, he reflected, perhaps that was what had attracted them to one another, all those years ago. Donghae was the childlike, slightly off-the-wall and cautious one, while Hyukjae was the sensitive one who liked to see how far he could push things. They complemented each other. And maybe some would say that he shouldn’t be with someone who worried him like this, but all relationships had their ups and downs, and honestly, he felt like there was no one else who could make him feel like Hyukjae did.

It was the way things were for them, and they were happy. Their friends were largely happy too. He didn’t have much else to ask for, and he hoped that somewhere, his father was actually proud of him. He’d achieved a good life.

For a moment, he thought he could see Hyukjae, hurtling into the air, waving at him, and he smiled, waving back. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t Hyukjae and he wasn’t attempting to wave. He’d always be there. He might not always be happy with something Hyukjae did, or what he said, and vice versa, but he wouldn’t leave.

They hadn’t really pledged to stay together forever or anything cliché like that. There wasn’t really any need to; they knew, without saying it, that this was it. They weren’t running off to find anyone else, and any midlife crises were to be dealt with together (Hyukjae was pretty sure Donghae’s insisting they buy a red convertible was Donghae’s first one), and they weren’t going to leave each other alone. Nothing comforted Donghae more than being able to wake up next to Hyukjae, who was both best friend and lover, the one who could understand something with a look.

The empty feeling was gone, replaced with a busy life and a shared bed. Sometimes, the thing he valued most was being able to come home to someone already sat on the sofa, or in the kitchen. He had never enjoyed being alone, and while living together took some getting used to again, soon it was normal. It was hard to imagine life without him; it was hard to believe he’d been silly enough to give it all up, but time faded the memories, and as he was reaching his mid-thirties, he was quite proud to have Hyukjae still, after all this time.

It was funny how easily Hyukjae had fallen into his group of friends, and at the same time, he was glad that Hyukjae had other friends outside of his circle. They didn’t have to share absolutely everything; they were close, but not stiflingly so. It showed how well they managed their relationship, when Hyukjae was asked for advice. He didn’t think he could answer-telling someone to go out with their best friend wasn’t actually a good idea.

Hyukjae was just relaxed and happy, right now. He had what he wanted, and this little holiday was always fun. It was purely a celebration for them, and being with friends made it even better. No one was judging, or giving them strange looks because they kissed in public. Holding hands didn’t raise many eyebrows in Korea, but the making out did, and while they may have done it to piss people off when they were younger, now it just brought them down. So to come to a place like this and realise not everyone felt that way was a breath of fresh air and brought their moods up.

And when they got back to the hotel room, tired and worn out from a long, enjoyable day, it was almost a relief to bathe an irritable Kwanghaeng and put him to bed, before falling into their own, bodies pressed together, Donghae’s arms encasing Hyukjae’s. He smelt of sweat and a faint hint of his aftershave, and Donghae couldn’t think of anything he liked the smell of more, except perhaps the candy-like smell of Kwanghaeng’s baby shampoo.

Hyukjae’s smile was tired, and if Donghae looked closely, there might be a tiny hint of lines at his eyes, and framing his mouth, but that made him ier. Those laughter lines just showed how much fun they had and how much more they were going to have, if Hyukjae’s fingers kept ing his shirt like that.

There was nothing else and no one else he wanted. And that was the best thought of all. He might not have it all, but he was damn near close, and not everyone could boast that. Hyukjae felt the same, his thoughts echoing Donghae’s in the deepening twilight of a cheerful day. Life couldn’t get better might not be exactly accurate (money would be a nice addition), but he wouldn’t change anything for the world. Except, perhaps, the face that Donghae was still in those jeans. He would most definitely like to change that.

But apart from that, there was nothing. And that was a very sweet thought.

A/N Okay...so this is the very end. I hope it was good enough. >.< I guess this means a HUGE DUBULGE SIZED THANK YOU to everyone who read this story, and especially all the subscribers and commenters. You all made my day in a tough year, so thank you for that! There are many people who helped me along with this story, and I think you all know who you are, so I send my love? And Talli, if you're reading this, I FELL TO MY KNEES AND WEPT FOR THE LOSS OF INNOCENCE, ending this story. That quote is actually appropriate. .___. For once.

But anyway, I did it. It got completely out of hand and spiralled into something I didn't plan, but I had a load of fun with it. I'm not satisfied, because I'm never satisfied with my work, but I hope you enjoyed it, and I am now going to flop in bed because I've needed to update this for ages and haven't due to homework, being tired, and being babyish and afraid of any aches I got. >.>  I will probably have too much fun with outtakes for this story. :D

So bye bye EunHae (for now...) and YeHenWook (I now ship this . :P) and onward with other fics... Oh, and college. >.> 

This actually feels special. Wow. Anyway. I'll stop rambling (I'm sure people skip this part anyway), and just repaet my thank yous because you all made me so happy. :3