- CHAPTER THIRTY TWO - 

HyukJae was awake a few hours later after he laid beside DongHae whom he hastily pulled the boy’s shirt down and pulled the cover over the male when he stepped into the room. He smiled at the sight of DongHae who was still sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling stably while he murmured nonsense. His hand traced the other male’s feature softly with his finger. Slowly, his finger followed the wide span of his forehead, down along his furrowed brows – which HyukJae massaged softly and they straightened – then hovered over his eyelashes. He tapped the other’s cute nose once and his eyelids reacted, but his sleep didn’t falter. Then, his fingers slid to his cheeks and HyukJae wanted to pinch those cute cheeks so much, down to his chin – which was littered with tiny stubbles – and finally, rested on his lips.

Damn, those lips. His own lips parted and he could have physically slapped himself if he didn’t hear another voice.

“Hyukkie, what are you doing?” The small voice asked as his eyelids fluttered open and his eyes went straight to HyukJae’s finger on his lips.

The guilty party quickly retracted his hand but DongHae, despite in his sleepy state, caught the male’s hand faster. He brought them close to his lips and kissed each and every five tips of the slender fingers. Half of his logical thoughts flew out of the 8^th-floor-window and replaced his fingers to his own lips. HyukJae would have given himself a pat on the back if he could for considering washing himself thoroughly, brushing his teeth and shaving himself clean since their interactions began this way. The cute stubbles scratched against his skin and he felt ticklish, yet it was welcoming nonetheless. He craved for the male ever since he left a few days ago. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared, HyukJae felt calm and he enjoyed the lip lock. DongHae sighed when they parted and HyukJae smiled at him at which it was returned.

DongHae moved closer to him and settled himself comfortably in HyukJae’s arms when he pulled the younger closer to him. HyukJae felt the male resting his head comfortably on the crook of his neck and his breath tickled HyukJae’s neck. The silence was welcomed; none of them had anything to say. DongHae nestled in closer and the space between his left collarbone and shoulder became the brunette’s pillow. HyukJae’s right hand tightened around the male and he showed no sign of discomfort. His fingers occupy themselves absentmindedly in the soft lock of the male’s hair and bent his head a little to breathe into the sweet vanilla scent. He noticed a whiff of strawberry and realized that it was his shampoo attached to the brunette’s hair. Oh, how it gave him fireworks at the thought of the male using his toiletries and how right it actually felt when he smelled his own brand of scent lingering on the boy attached to him.

DongHae actually closed their distance as both of his hands secured themselves under his other arm and HyukJae’s palm rested on the small of his back. The silence indeed was comfortable, but he needs to tell DongHae of his past since DongHae told him about his.

“Hae,” he whispered, wanting to make sure that the other was awake.

The other hummed a reply and HyukJae figure that if he wanted to confess anything, then that should be time.

“DongHae, I’m sure by now you already know that I’m an alcoholic, right? Well, it started a long time ago,  more than three years ago, I’m sure of it. Back then, my best friend, my former lover, my enemy and my supporter Kim JunSu was everything to me. HeeChul hyung, I and JunSu were very close. I could say that we were best of friends since middle school and somehow along the way, I got into a relationship with JunSu.”

“He supported me through my days of designing from the scratch. He was the foundation of my designs; he was there to help, to advice, to take care and to reprimand me of anything and everything. When I rose to fame after I collaborated with HeeChul hyung, we were doing great but JunSu was undeniably hiding something from me. I had to travel while he had to study, so he stayed as I followed HeeChul hyung; spreading our wings and widening our horizons, conquering cities after cities with our labels. When we came back, everything was too late. When he was first diagnosed, JunSu didn’t tell me that he was sick and suffered on his own. He knew how important my dream was and he said that all he wanted was to see me smile from my designs and share my happiness with everyone. He was already on a wheelchair and vomiting blood when we met him.”

“I was so caught up with myself that I didn’t even notice the changes. How he missed the few calls, how his speech was slurred at times, how his breath ragged from time to time. I was so blind, that when I proposed for him to go through surgery or get treatments, he stopped with an angelic smile and said that I should stop worrying about him and just stay by his side for a little while,” the room was a complete silent except for the traffic noises going on down below.

“At his deathbed; suffering from Wilson’s disease, all he talked about was how I should eat complete meals daily, don’t indulge myself in too much junk food, design beautiful clothes, meet new people and move on. Even during his last breath, when his speech was jumbled up and his muscles were rigid, he only thought about me and how happy he was to have me by his side during his last moments. I cried and cried my heart out when the green line flattened and JunSu closed his eyes for eternity.”

“Then, I didn’t shed a single tear and just sat at the corner of the room during JunSu’s jesa, clad in a black hanbok. I had been drinking way even before that, when I failed as a young designer, when my designs were rejected. Alcohol gave me a sense of release and I got addicted to it somehow. Initially, alcoholism strikes me and JunSu stopped it from continuing. Then HeeChul hyung brought JoonMyeon into the picture after a year or so of shutting myself down after JunSu’s death. I could say that I’m quite broken and I hate myself for letting JunSu die just like that. But, I guess that he kept on watching over me even after he left ‘cause he sent an angel to love me after that.” HyukJae felt his shirt dampening and he was surprised. Had he somehow hurt the latter’s feelings? Should he have not told DongHae about his past?

All the questions were left unanswered when DongHae tilted his head back up and kissed him with tenderness. “I’m sorry to hear that. You must have suffered a lot. JunSu sounded like a really nice person. I would have loved to meet him,” DongHae whispered to him and HyukJae felt his own tears roll down.

They were both broken, yet DongHae still think that HyukJae suffered more than he did. HyukJae felt the other male kissed his tears away and placed butterfly kisses on his face; forehead, eyelids, nose, cheeks and lips. He lingered a little longer and HyukJae pulled him against his body once again. What was once an innocent ministration of comforting kisses a few minutes ago became hot and heated when DongHae’s hands softly caressed his torso. HyukJae shifted their position and pushed DongHae up on top of him. It would have continued if there weren't a series of knocking on the door.

HyukJae groaned and DongHae chuckled when their lips parted.

“For f_ck’s sake,” he muttered under his breath.

“Now, now, HyukJae, I told you I could hear you cursing even when we’re not together,” HeeChul’s voice reprimanded him and his groan deepen.

“Get up, lovebirds. Dinner will be ready soon, on Hangeng’s courtesy of course,” he said and they both waited until none of them could hear the elder’s footsteps anymore.

Sliding himself off, HyukJae tightened the grip on his body.

“Hey, where are you running away to?” HyukJae asked, whispering the words into DongHae’s ears.

He could see how it affected the younger male the right way when he shivered visibly and he was taken by surprise when a small gasp of a moan escaped DongHae’s mouth.

“H-Hyuk, HeeChul hyung came to tell us about dinner, shouldn’t w-we…?” HyukJae didn’t let him finish his sentence and stole a kiss on those tasty lips again.

“Let them wait. HeeChul hyung and Hangeng ge could even finish the whole meal on their own for all I care,” and he claimed DongHae’s lips over and over again until the young boy was left breathless and squirming under HyukJae when he switched their positions. HyukJae could sense that DongHae is shy from all intimate actions that he gripped his hands tight on HyukJae whenever he was about to moan. Satisfied – not really, oh Hyuk you intimate beast – with their little kissing session, HyukJae finally ended it with a peck on the younger’s cheek and hoisted both of them up.

“Let’s go. I can almost taste the impatient air HeeChul hyung is emitting from making them wait,” HyukJae said as he took the younger’s hand into his and left HyukJae’s comfortable bedroom. Once downstairs, they were both welcomed with a pleasing smell of dinner and HeeChul’s piercing glare; which softened when his eyes landed on their interlaced fingers.

“Glad you guys could join dinner and not give in to Hyuk’s carnal instinct,” the elder cackled as Hangeng shook his head while pouring orange juices into four separate glasses and motioned for them to come over. 

A/N:

Happy HyukHae day! I actually did this a day before the usual update, are you all mad at me? Sorry. I seriously have nothing much to say except, forgive me for the failed cheesiness. I was once really good at it. LOL XD

Hi new subbers. Hope you guys will like your stay here sheep127, yejinny, pinky99, kpopbubba, siwon2dakay, believe_92, anii19987, mimie_fishy. (Anyway, the font colour I'm using for the username mention is NOT red, and I don't believe in the red superstition, so don't worry, okay? I don't know why am I even saying this.) Plus, thank you for upvoting dearies connieis1 and believe_92

I actually said 'inconstancy' last chapter. I meant inconsistency. Oh my God, what is wrong with me. So very sorry, gais. Oh yeah, if any of you happen to ship BaekYeol, do take a little bit of your time to check my new fic out. It's called Personal Rock Star; which is heavily based off of a manga. Okay, till next time then, people. If you liked this chapter, do upvote or comment or anything, cause that would be awesome ^^

Yours 'till the pizza crusts,

El :)